CBR—formerly Comic Book Resources—announced that it would be restructuring, and laid off several key staff members, including Editor-in-Chief Adam Swiderski, Senior Editor Stephen Gerding, and Featured Editor Christopher Bagget. Though the site had a long and celebrated history of covering the comic book industry, CBR’s focus began to change after Valnet acquired it from founder Jonah Weiland in 2016, morphing into a pop-cultural news site that published more listicles and press releases than news stories or reviews. As Heidi MacDonald observes, the current economic turndown is partially to blame. “Advertising is way down, even more so than usual,” she notes. She also points to the “looming threat” of artificial intelligence, “which can take over the scut work of human drones (rewriting press releases, making explainers, etc) in a frightfully efficient (but unverified) manner.” There are still a handful of comics-focused sites—The Beat, ICv2, Women Write About Comics, and AiPT! among them—but, as MacDonald observes, AI “could kill sites like the one you’re reading right now with a ruthlessness Thanos would find cold-blooded.”
In other news, Seven Seas announced that it will be issuing box sets for The Ancient Magus’ Bride, orange, and two other series… Azuki just added seventeen new titles to its library, including The Mermaid Prince and Gourmet Glutton… Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail) has begun work on a new series…. Makoto Yukimura, creator of Vinland Saga, will attend this year’s San Diego Comic Con… and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is working closely with several organizations to challenge an Arkansas law that makes it a misdemeanor to “furnish a harmful item to a minor,” a law with potentially terrible consequences for librarians, teachers, and booksellers.
AROUND THE WEB
Palomo Lin-Linares revisits Shuzo Oshimi’s squirm-inducing masterpiece The Flowers of Evil. “The Flowers of Evil is not escapism, it’s more akin to being trapped in a situation with the characters,” he observes. “It isn’t a manga you read to lose yourself in a story, but rather the opposite, you read it to discover the most unsavory parts of your character.” [Asian Movie Pulse]
Anyone hankering for a good mountaineering manga will want to check out Ichi’s feature on Yama o wataru (Crossing Mountains), which focuses on group of college students who climb some of Japan’s most daunting peaks. [Sports Baka]
Speaking of sports manga, Tony Yao makes the case that Medalist may be the best title you’re not reading. “I don’t know a damn thing about figure skating, but I sure as hell know a great manga when I see it,” he notes. “And Medalist is just that.” [Drop-In to Manga]
Alexis Sara explores non-monogamous relationships in yuri manga. [Anime Feminist]
Josephine Bowman discusses the quietly subversive premise of Akane-Banashi. [Anime Feminist]
Wondering what to read next? That Manga Hunter has compiled a great list of 2023’s most anticipated series. [That Manga Hunter]
Also worth a look: Elias Rosner sifts through the August 2023 release calendar and highlights 20 can’t-miss manga. [Multiversity Comics]
Danica Davidson interviews Centaurs creator Ryo Sumiyoshi about his influences, his work on Monster Hunter, and his interest in mythology. [Otaku USA]
Kara Dennison ponders the deeper meaning of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. “What starts as a wholesome but ultimately self-centered journey in Zom 100 turns into something surprisingly empathetic,” she notes. “Once everyone has their immediate wants and needs out of their systems, they begin looking outward. How can they show kindness to their families and friends? Their fellow survivors? Heck, even to the people who walked all over them? The group’s bucket list soon stretches beyond paddleboard yoga and penthouse suites into doing legitimate good for the world.” [Otaku USA]
REVIEWS
Over at Anime UK News, Sarah describes Manner of Death as a “twisty murder mystery in which the author delights in misleading the reader”… That Manga Hunter reviews Is Love the Answer?… Erica Friedman reminds us why Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is worth reading… Jocelyn Allen explains why you should pick up a copy of Let’s Go Karaoke!… Ichi offers an in-depth look at the cycling drama Wind Breaker! … and the latest Reader’s Corner focuses on the latest volumes of Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love, Ex-Yakuza and Stray Kitten, and A Condition Called Love.
New and Noteworthy
- Bloody Sweet, Vol. 1 (Marcus Orchard, Sequential Planet)
- Blue Box, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
- Blue Lock, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Cinderella Closet, Vol. 1 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)
- K-On! Shuffle, Vol. 1 (Ian Wolf, Anime UK News)
- Lovely Muco!, Vol. 1 (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
- Reborn as a Polar Bear: The Legend of How I Became a Forest Guardian, Vol. 1 (Helen, The OASG)
- Terror Man, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- To Strip the Flesh (That Manga Hunter)
- Tombs: Junji Ito Story Collection (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Until I Love Myself, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
- Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, Vol. 1 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
Complete, OOP, and Ongoing Series
- The Abandoned Empress, Vol. 4 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
- Kamen Rider Kuga, Vols. 2-3 (Christopher Farris, ANN)
- Life, Vols. 2-3 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
- Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More, Vol. 4 (Justin, The OASG)
- Oshi no Ko, Vol. 2 (darkstorm, Anime UK News)
- Oshi no Ko, Vol. 2 (Antonio Mireles, The Fandom Post)
- Romantic Killer, Vol. 3 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 8 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
- Yumeochi: Dreams of Falling for You, Vol. 13 (Chris Beveridge, The Fandom Post)