SEAN: There’s a little something for everyone in the third week of August, so let’s see what demographics we can scrounge up.
First off, it’s not out in bookstores yet, but Fantagraphics has shipped its 7th volume of Wandering Son to its Kickstarter backers. It’s still a must-read for anyone who likes good manga about real characters, as well as being a top-notch coming of age story.
ASH: I love this series so much. I can’t wait to read my copy.
ANNA: I need to get caught up on this! I really liked the first couple volumes.
MJ: I love this series with the fire of a thousand suns. I honestly can’t wait.
SEAN: Kodansha brings us the second volume of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, the adaptation of the light novel about times way back when there was still quite a bit of defense separating humanity from its Titan opponents. Not that humanity really comes off well here, at least in Vol. 1.
ASH: Before the Fall has its own brand of Attack on Titan darkness. I’m looking forward to reading the original novel later this year, too.
SEAN: Kodansha is also debuting The Heroic Legend of Arslan, a manga adaptation by Hiromu Arakawa of the novel series by Yoshiki Tanaka. From what I understand, it’s not so much high fantasy as low to medium fantasy, but it’s being drawn by Arakawa, so I’m totally on board.
MICHELLE: Me, too!
ASH: As am I!
ANNA: This sounds intriguing! More Arakawa can only be a good thing!
MJ: Count me in!
SEAN: There’s also the first omnibus release of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. I’ve made my opinion of the last half of this series quite clear in the past, so I will simply note that the FIRST half of this series is quite good indeed, and that fans who don’t mind manga that end in car crashes should absolutely check it out, if only for Kurogane and Fai.
MJ: I’m happy to see this getting a re-release!
SEAN: Seven Seas has a trio of releases geared towards the fanboy end of the spectrum. The one I’m interested in is the eighth volume of Haganai. If you were to ask me if there was a reason to get it, I would have to say: nun. (whack) Ow.
There’s also the 4th volume of monster hit Monster Musume, showing why I do not run manga companies.
ASH: Seven Seas recently announced the licensing of another manga by the creator of Monster Musume, so the series has apparently been doing quite well.
SEAN: And Strike Witches debuts a new miniseries with Vol. 1 of the 1937 Fuso Sea Incident. This incident appears, as far as I can tell, to be fictional, and should have more combat sequences than we’ve seen in prior volumes.
Vertical has the 11th volume of Chi’s Sweet Home, star of manga, anime, and TV commercials. I hope Chi isn’t letting it go to her head.
MICHELLE: Yay, Chi! I have my coworker’s young daughter addicted to this one.
ASH: A new volume of Chi is always a good reason to celebrate.
MJ: You really can’t have too much Chi.
SEAN: Ikki may have stopped publication, but SigIkki lives on (I think – it may get rebranded) with the 13th volume of Dorohedoro. Dorohedoro easily wins the longest running Ikki series published over here, and I am infinitely grateful to Viz for its release.
ASH: I would like to join you in expressing my gratitude. Dorohedoro is such a marvelously weird manga and I love it.
SEAN: There’s also the 3rd volume of Gangsta, which still makes me think of Black Lagoon too much but is starting to carve out its own niche in the ‘cool people attack each other by leaping into the air’ genre.
ASH: I’ve really been enjoying this series and am looking forward to the next installment.
ANNA: I enjoy this series very much too. Artsy seinen fighting and angst is fun.
SEAN: Lastly, the Kaze Hikaru of seinen, it’s Vol. 10 of Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit! This is the final volume, so we won’t be seeing its once a year likes again. With this and Bokurano: Ours ending next month, the genre of ‘incredibly depressing manga about optimism in humanity’ needs a new standard bearer. Who’ll take it up?
MICHELLE: I’ve been wondering when Ikigami would end, and whether, with that obligation finishing up, VIZ might give that yearly slot to another volume of Kaze Hikaru. That would rock so much. I do intend to finish Bokurano: Ours sometime, but I have to muster the mental fortitude.
SEAN: Does something here appeal to you? If not, why not?
AshLynx says
August 14, 2014 at 9:33 pmMy comic shop got in Ikigami 10 a little early, I was soooo happy to see that! Now to get the courage to read it….I’ve read maybe half the series thus far.
Since I’ve seen Bokurano’s anime, I am somewhat more eager to read that and see the changes between them (as it’s common knowledge that the anime director disliked how dark the manga got, and that anime was still pretty damn dark). At least the clearly labeled chapters make it easier to digest, have a good stopping point, y’know?
But the winner is Barefoot Gen. I rented two vols from the library ages ago, read and enjoyed them, but not enjoy in a cheery way, obviously. I haven’t had the courage to read more because woooow is that depressing. I have the entire ten volumes series though. I also haven’t read my Message to Adolf books either (I had gotten to rent the Cadence versions via my university library, but I can’t imagine a new translation would make the series less depressing, but I bought those things in hardcover! To have all the Tezuka and to support Vertical!)