Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 4 | By Shuzo Oshima | Vertical Comics – The first volume of Blood on the Tracks was suspenseful and shocking and I enjoyed that, but the next two installments were extremely disturbing because they basically depicted a mentally ill mother damaging her son in real time. I debated dropping the series, but decided to give it one more volume, and I’m glad I did. Seiichi finally has an ally, witness, and savior in the form of Fukiishi, his first girlfriend (who has her own shitty parent to contend with) and on the one hand it’s so great to see him finally have someone who knows exactly how terrfiying Seiko is and who gives him the courage to stand up to his mother. On the other hand, we saw what Seiko did to the last person who threatened to lead Seiichi away from her control. What is she going to do to Fukiishi? I’m simultaneously scared and hopeful. – Michelle Smith
How Do You Do, Koharu?, Vol. 1 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – If you’re wondering what you need to know from Say I Love You. to read this, the answer is nothing whatsoever—this takes place years later, and the only common connection is “Koharu” herself (real name Nagi). Instead, the book is a very good look into the life of those who livestream, and how a shared online connection can be unwanted… or scary… when meeting in real life. Especially as Koharu also works as a maid cafe, and has to deal with customers who also want to get up in her space. Koharu isn’t sure what she wants here, and the connections she makes with Shun are tentative. Negotiating modern relationships can be tough, but this looks like another fun shoujo series. – Sean Gaffney
A Journal of My Father | By Jiro Taniguchi | Ponent Mon – Whenever a new volume of Taniguchi’s manga is released in English it’s worth taking note, especially when it’s a lovely hardcover edition from Ponent Mon. The most recent example of this is A Journal of My Father, a quiet, contemplative work that was originally published in Japan in 1994. The story’s premise is simple enough—a man travels back to his hometown in order to attend his father’s funeral—but the characterization in the work is notably complex. After some prompting, Yoichi Yamashita, who has both literally and figuratively distanced himself from his family, arrives in time for the wake. Over the course of the evening, reflecting on his childhood and stories told by others, Yoichi gradually comes to terms with the fact that his father was a much more complicated person than he previously realized. Part historical drama, part family portrait, A Journal of My Father works on multiple levels. – Ash Brown
My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, Vol. 1 | By Yoko Akiyama and Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Sadly, this ended up being a bit of a disappointment. The premise suggested we’d be seeing a bit of the class that never gets attention, but no, it’s the same old main cast for the most part. It does get a bit better as it goes along. There’s two stories involving Melissa Shield, the original character from the first movie, which give her some nice depth, and also gives her a chance to team up with Mei, who is essentially her Japanese counterpart… though their personalities differ. The best of the team-ups involves Fatgum, Tamaki, Iida and Momo searching all over to try to find the handsome hero who saved a little girl… whose face she can’t quite remember. Could be better. – Sean Gaffney
Spy x Family, Vol. 4 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – This may be the best volume in the series to date, which is saying something. Yor kicking a car became an instant meme, but I think my choice for top moment has to go to the Handler’s description of what war is really like, in all its gory, violent tragedy. This is not to say that this volume is not also hilarious, be it Loid’s pathetic attempts at excusing himself to go be a spy, Anya’s horrid realization that she can’t read a clock, or everything Yor does in general, this is a winner. As an added bonus, DOGGO! Yes, we get a new cast member, and Bond is not only best doggy but also can SEE THE FUTURE! The series does a wonderful job balancing humor, fake dating, comedy and action equally, and is simply a must read. – Sean Gaffney
We’re New at This, Vol. 3 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The sexy is definitely amped up from the previous volume here. While our lead couple still have not managed to go all the way yet, they’re doing pretty much everything but, especially when Sumika has to change clothes after getting soaked in the rain in Ikuma’s office… and just strips completely naked. (Kudos, by the way, for not going with the standard comedy “someone walks in” here.) Elsewhere, it’s rapidly become clear that the reason that these two are not getting any further is simply that they find each other TOO ADORABLE, and are too busy squeeing to actually get it on. Frankly, if they ever fix that, the series is over, but for now, it’s funny, romantic and erotic in equal measure. – Sean Gaffney
A White Rose in Bloom, Vol. 1 | By Asumiko Nakamura | Seven Seas – Turns out that Nakamura-san can write yuri just as well as she writes BL. Honestly, the main reason to pick this up might be the faces—the artwork on the expressions throughout this volume is exquisite, and yes, I’m including the seemingly “steel” Steph, who slowly gets immersed in the walking disaster that is Ruby. (I almost typed RWBY there, and this would not need too much rewriting to be an AU fic there, to be honest.) There’s also some nice heartfelt emotion here, as Steph already has girls in love with her who are not happy with Ruby, and Ruby’s own home life may force her to leave the school soon anyway. This doesn’t have a volume two out in Japan yet, but volume one is still worth getting for yuri fans. – Sean Gaffney
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 7 | By Kamome Shirahama | Kodansha Comics – The majority of this volume is dedicated to Qifrey, his past (much of which is still a mystery to him), and possibly also explains why he was so quick to take pity on Coco for her own tragic experiments. Indeed, Coco’s mother comes up again for the first time in a while, and it’s hinted that she may very well be beyond saving, and that Coco will have to come to terms with that. Still, Coco is the living definition of “take a third option,” as this volume shows, and I think in the end she and Qifrey will be good for each other—even if he still has quite a bit of darkness residing within him. All this and the usual jaw-dropping artwork make me wonder why I waited so long to pick this up from my stack. – Sean Gaffney