Ash Brown

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1 | By Koyoharu Gotouge | Viz Media – Well, that escalated quickly! Tanjiro, an earnest young man helping to support his loving but struggling family, returns home one day to a gruesome scene of blood and death wreaked by demons. One of his sisters survived, though she is now destined to become a demon herself. Desperate to save and protect what remains of his family, Tanjiro turns to the life of a demon slayer. The more I read of Demon Slayer the more I had the feeling that I had encountered parts of the story somewhere else before (except perhaps for Tanjiro’s superior sense of smell). But even so, it was an engaging first volume. Even if a series seems to be relying heavily on well-established tropes and familiar training montages, done well it can still be a great read. Demon Slayer might be one of those manga, but it also has the potential to be more. – Ash Brown

Devilman VS. Hades, Vol. 1 | By Go Nagai and Team Moon | Seven Seas – In addition to being a sequel to Nagai’s original Devilman story, Devilman VS. Hades is a crossover with the Mazinger franchise. To some extent, Devilman VS. Hades can be read as a standalone work—the most critical information needed to follow what’s going on is included within the series itself—but some basic familiarity with Devilman and/or Mazinger doesn’t hurt. (Fortunately, several incarnations of both franchises are readily available in English.) In Devilman VS. Hades, Devilman has literally fought his way through Hell to free the souls of those he holds most dear, unleashing a horrifying new apocalypse in the process. Devilman, Akira Fudo in his human form, must now face enemies old and new while navigating the grotesque and hellish landscape. Devilman VS. Hades is only three volumes long so the first understandably moves along at a fairly quick pace, but at the same time it can seem bizarrely unfocused. – Ash Brown

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 7 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – So, yeah, the prodigal lawyer dating the high school girl was never going to be a popular decision, and when you throw in the house basically being used as a dormitory for troubled souls, it’s not hard to see why Fujiwara’s father has decided to come in and bust it all up, since Shimana did not listen to his wise counsel an go away forever. That said, he’s an obstacle rather than a dad, and so we’re not thinking about how to appeal to his better nature, but how to surmount him. As for Shimana and Fujiwara, well, if nothing else his emotions are getting more immature when he’s with her—which may not be a bad thing. This is no orange, but it’s still good enough to keep reading. – Sean Gaffney

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 7 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – I can’t make up my mind whether I want Shimane and Fujiwara to succeed as a couple or not. Complicating this is the fact that neither of them can seemingly make up their minds, either. It’s totally reasonable that there’d be a lot of fluctuation and vacillation in a teen romance, but coupled with the swift pacing of this series, I just end up with a serious case of shoujo whiplash. As it stands, Fujiwara’s father seems determined to split them up, and Fujiwara is attempting to fall for Shimane and is sure that he will, given time. Meanwhile, I thought it was kind of interesting to see why Fujiwara’s friend, Miura, might’ve agreed to interfere on Fujiwara’s father’s behalf. I don’t really believe the series will end with Shimane heartbroken, but I’m not convinced this relationship will bring her happiness, either. We shall see. – Michelle Smith

Durarara!! re: Dollars Arc, Vol. 2 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Aogiri | Yen Press – I will note the biggest disappointment in this volume right off the bat: because it’s compressing events so much, it cut the bit with Shizuo using a car as cover by kicking it along in front of him, a highlight of the anime. Other than that, this is a decent adaptation, though I think I’d give the anime adaptation the higher marks. I did like seeing how just because the runaway Akane has been “retrieved” by her father does not mean that the problem is solved—Narita is good at showing that childhood trauma can stay with you forever and is not easily fixed. Especially in DRRR!!, where everyone is sort of broken. This moved way too fast, but is otherwise good. – Sean Gaffney

Fate/Zero, Vol. 6 | By Gen Urobuchi, Type-Moon, and Shinjiro | Dark Horse – I’m not sure why we had a year’s delay between the last volume of Fate/Zero and this one, but I’m glad we’re back with it, even if it continues to be a very bleak war. That said, nothing is too depressing as long as Alexander the Great is in it, and going from the discovery and destruction of the room filled with dead and tortured children to a three-way drinking discussion between him, Saber and Gilgamesh is mood dissonance of the finest kind. It was an excellent discussion, and reminds readers who are familiar with the original Fate series just how messed up Saber’s vision really is. As for the cliffhanger, will Tokiomi actually do something? GASP! Not for the squeamish, but excellent. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 6 | By Rin Mikimoto | Kodansha Comics – This is a relatively serious volume of KMatSoM, which means we get very few SD-faces and no discussions of butts. It makes sense, given we’re up against some things that could spell trouble for this burgeoning relationship. No, not Shu; she’s taken care of fairly quickly by the classic shoujo tradition of the heroine just being far too nice and sweet to be horrible to. No, the main issue is Funny Bone and their past with Kaede, and the apparently death of someone in Kaede’s past—which he starts to tell Hinana about as we close this book out. I expect we may be entering whole volume flashback territory next time, but we’ll see how it goes. Does this mean no butts in volume seven either? – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 31 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – To no one’s surprise, Alibaba’s financial renaissance is running into serious trouble after a strong start, as Sinbad is not about to let him get the Kou Empire back to its former strength. Alibaba can try to avoid the rumors and come up with new and more fascinating items, but it’s more interesting seeing him meeting up with old friends, some of whom have gotten married and had children. Of course, the two most important friends of his have been missing for a while… and we finally catch up with them, and see that Aladdin has finally grown up all the way. He’s got his hands full trying to deal with Arba and her ability to possess people and take them over. Will we finally see them reunite next book? Signs point to yes. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 7 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – We’re taking a break from serial killers to deal with terrorist organizations long thought dead, but the output is the same—lots of gore, lots of dead people, this time mostly in the Diet and the police, along with a few innocent bystanders. Kuroko is trying to deal with this, but she’s a bit upset—yes, it looks like she’s actually worried—that Chiyo is finally moving on from her. She’s probably right to worry, and I’d say she should try to better herself except this is Murcielago. The main reason to read this series remains the gratuitous violence and the action sequences, and yes, there’s also a sex scene near the end, featuring Kuroko and the girl from the very first volume’s extra chapter stealing an escort girl and having their way with her. Sleazy and it wears it proudly. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 14 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – I really like how Bakugo’s rage issues are shown to be a major issue that he needs to resolve, but they’re also not something that makes him a villain or means he can’t have hopes and dreams. He gets frustrated at Izuku’s drive as much as Izuku was chasing after his strength, and so the two are now even more “fated rivals.” They’re also given confinement for a few days, meaning, oh no, Izuku is behind in classwork. He also gets introduced to a few third years, whose powers are fun and also strong, and the school explains that due to the villains growing in power (indeed, we meet the next Big Bad here as well), it’s time for internships! Can Midoriya and his still-learning quirk make the grade and get him work?. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 2 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – I continue to be quite entertained by this series, though its lack of any real plot or characterization makes it a bit harder to review. The reader needs to accept that the Princess’ various antics to get a good night’s sleep are going to verge on the cruel and awful every single time, but given that most of the demons that she abuses for their functions can resurrect, it’s clearly meant for humor. We branch out a bit from pure sleep this time, as she enters an athletic competition (being in shape leads to better sleep) and suffers from—horror of horrors—dry skin! I shudder to imagine anyone taking this seriously, but as a giant goofy “what horrors will she commit next” series, it’s fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 9 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – The tour begins, but it’s already on the verge of falling apart. Nino simply isn’t playing very well, and Yuzu is falling apart because of his love for Nino, something that he is trying desperately to hide from her. Indeed, he ends up getting in such a swivet he loses his voice, prompting a trip to the doctor that may lead to him missing the start of the concert. And then there is Momo, dealing with his own career, and irritated as he waits for In No Hurry to reach the level they sho0uld be able to achieve. I was frequently frustrated by this volume, but the book’s last chapter works exactly like a great song, pushing closer and closer to a climax until it finally hits the last chorus in triumph. And then there’s a cliffhanger. End of song next book! – Sean Gaffney

The Bride & the Exorcist Knight, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | Seven Seas – I wasn’t too sure about this premise. Anne is a young woman destined to be the bride of a demon. Instead, she’s saved by Haru, who is a male exorcist. He’s also twelve, and he says he’s going to marry her instead. The book, fortunately, emphasizes over and over not only that he’s too young to be talking about marriage but also that he really is an immature kid, despite being an amazing exorcist. Anne too is a good character, not content to be a helpless damsel but fighting in her own way to change fate. We don’t see much of Mephisto, her intended groom—though the cliffhanger suggests that will change. But provided you don’t mind the age issue too much, this is a cute and action-filled debut. – Sean Gaffney

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 4 | By Ukami |Yen Press – the majority of this volume involves our four leads returning to heaven/hell (delete where applicable) in order to report on their time down in the world of humans. The gags are predictable but still fun—Gabriel is unable to bring her games to heaven, which proves rather dull, but at least she can bullshit her way past an easily suckered God. Meanwhile, Vignette is dealing with her adorable little pet being a lot bigger than she remembers (I was reminded of Gintama here), and Satanya has to deal with being herself—she tries to break into heaven and fails. Fortunately, we find out that the rest of her family (bar the “normal” younger brother) are just like her. This remains a very silly but amusing series. – Sean Gaffney

Go For It, Nakamura! | By Syundei | Seven Seas – Although there have already been several BL-adjacent manga released by Seven Seas, Go for It, Nakamura! is the publisher’s first real foray into the genre. The volume is an absolute delight. Nakamura is a gay high school student who has developed a crush on his classmate Hirose, but Nakamura’s introverted nature and general awkwardness mean that the two of them have barely even talked to each other. Go for It, Nakamura! is the perfect title for this manga–I couldn’t help but root for Nakamura as his friendship with Hirose slowly develops. The story is funny and charming and the characters immensely likeable. A bigger deal is made out of Nakamura being a fan of octupi than out of him being gay, a refreshing twist that is also resolved sweetly. Nakamura does occasionally have a dirty daydream, but overall, Go for It, Nakamura! is rather chaste and wholesome. I loved it. – Ash Brown

Haikyu!!, Vol. 25 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Last time I commented on how delighted I was with Hinata’s character development and growth. That continues here, but as the training camps end and we resume practice it’s Kageyama who’s given a volume to really show off. In this case it’s not just that he’s grown, but the series also looks at the attitude that got him in trouble in middle school—the whole arrogant “King” thing—and wonders if it was the attitude or the rest of the team? After all, the Haikyu!! kids are unlikely to be cowed by Kageyama at this point. Particularly Tsukishima, who may need enough people being jerks towards him in order to really take off. Good stuff, though I suspect we may be getting more tournament games soon. – Sean Gaffney

Little Devils, Vol. 1 | By Uuumi | Seven Seas – This is supposed to be more than one volume, though I do wonder where it’s going to go from here. The premise is that the hero has defeated the demon king… which is now split into eleven adorable and bratty children (and one egg). Each chapter of this first volume introduces one of the children, shows off their eccentricities, and moves on. Some of the cast make reappearances (Asuka is clearly the “star” of the children), but for the most part this reads very much like an anthology. Fortunately, the kids’ eccentricities are enough to disguise the fact that the hero is super boring. The said, this really feels like it could have ended with the first volume, after the egg hatches and we get our twelfth devil. Can it keep up being sort of cute? – Sean Gaffney

Log Horizon: The West Wind Brigade, Vol. 9 | By Koyuki and Mamare Touno | Yen Press – We continue to deal with the odd golem creation that was introduced in the last book here—turns out Kuroe is part of a pair, and is not all that excited to join up with her other half, which is filled with hatred and despair, now that she’s gotten kindness from Soujiro and company. The evil golem creature is a pretty nasty opponent, eating Isaac’s black sword among other things, and the fact that it sort of looks like Soujiro with cat ears doesn’t help. I suspect this may be the final arc of this spin-off title, so I’m pleased it’s emphasizing the family aspect of the series rather than the comedy. Also, really nice fights. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 1 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, and Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media –I was a little wary of this My Hero Academia offshoot, but it turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected. Nineteen-year-old Koichi Haimawari has a modest quirk—the ability to glide along surfaces—and has been spicing up his boring life by doing good deeds. One night, he runs into a grizzled old vigilante who calls himself Knuckleduster and becomes his apprentice. Knuckleduster is on a mission to track down the source of a drug called Trigger, which causes users to spontaneously undergo monstrous transformations. I didn’t expect this much plot, and Betten Court really nails Horikoshi’s art style. My only complaint is the fanservicey costume for the female vigilante, Pop-Step, who ends up in villainous clutches more than once, but I definitely like the family vibe the trio have going by volume’s end. I will surely be checking out volume two. – Michelle Smith

My Solo Exchange Diary, Vol. 1 | By Nagata Kabi | Seven Seas – One of the most critically acclaimed manga released last year was Kabi’s My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. The sequel series My Solo Exchange Diary was therefore a welcome and perhaps obvious addition to Seven Seas’ catalog. Like its predecessor, My Solo Exchange Diary is an autobiographical work that will resonate strongly with many readers. Through the short essay manga collected in the series, Kabi continues to explore her experiences with anxiety, depression, and intense feelings of loneliness and how they impact her relationships and day-to-day life. Each chapter is framed as a diary entry written to her past self, at times offering advice and encouragement while at other times seeming to despair that she couldn’t have done some things differently. My Solo Exchange Diary can be brutally honest as Kabi struggles to find love, happiness, and self-worth, but it’s that honesty and authenticity that makes the series so compelling. – Ash Brown

Spirit Circle, Vol. 4 | By Satoshi Mizukami | Seven Seas – Spirit Circle has an overarching plot, but the way it’s being told also makes it feel like an excuse to do a series of short anthologies with a wraparound. Once again, the majority of this book is devoted to another of Fuuta’s past lives… and this one seems to be a future life, as he’s now Lafalle, a young man in charge of cleaning the chambers in a giant monolithic tower that house the brains of those that were killed but may one day be revived. As he gets older we see him interact with Kouko’s other self Lapis, and the two of them continue to have an odd bond that seems to lack any romantic feeling whatsoever—they even get married here, but it’s never consummated. This is well-written, but where is it going? – Sean Gaffney

Cutie Honey a Go Go! | By Shimpei Itoh | Seven Seas – Over the years Go Nagai’s Cutie Honey has seen numerous incarnations, including live-action, anime, and manga adaptations. Cutie Honey a Go Go!, a collaboration between manga creator Shimpei Itoh and Hideaki Anno, is directly based on Nagai’s original manga. The short manga series has been collected in its entirety along with additional material in a single, action-packed volume. Although I have been aware of Cutie Honey for quite some time, Cutie Honey a Go Go! was actually my entrée into the franchise. It’s a tremendous amount of fun, even considering that Itoh had to wrap up the manga earlier than hoped. The story about an endearing super-powered android and the gun-toting investigator keeping tabs on her ends rather abruptly as a result, but the series’ likeable characters and terrific sense of humor more than make up for that fact. The manga is full of capable, kick-butt women. – Ash Brown

Fairy Tail S, Vol. 2 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – A good number of Fairy Tail spin-offs, sequels, and prequels have already been translated with even more to come, a testament to the franchise’s popularity. While some of those manga are accessible to those unfamiliar with the original, Fairy Tail S is definitely intended for established fans. It’s a short series, only two volumes, collecting a variety of omake, side stories, crossovers, four-panel comics, and other short Fairy Tail manga. One of the crossovers in the second volume of Fairy Tail S is with Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasyte (also recently published in the Neo-Parasyte M anthology) while another is with Hiro Mashima’s own Rave Master. Most of the stories tend towards the humorous and include a fair amount of fanservice, but some do have more serious, heartfelt moments, too. Lucy features prominently in the second volume though many of the other characters get their time in the spotlight as well. – Ash Brown

Go For It, Nakamura! | By Syundei | Seven Seas –The retro-looking Takahashi-esque cover for Go For It, Nakamura! promised a cute story and that’s exactly what it delivers. Sixteen-year-old Okuto Nakamura has known since he was very young that he’s gay, and when he spies adorable Aiki Hirose at the opening ceremony, he falls in love. Nakamura is shy, however, and has trouble approaching Hirose. After a couple of incidents that go awry, he soon begins to make some headway, courtesy of things like filling in for a dramatic performance, scaring off some bullies, and being the victim of an overly friendly cockroach. It’s adorable and sweet and completely teen-rated, which makes it a good choice if you’re in the mood for standalone brain balm. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 25 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – Hinata continues to use the opportunity to observe at the prefectural rookie camp to great advantage, and ends up seeing something that actually enables him to help one of the participants. This serves him well once he’s back with his regular team, as he notices that Tsukishima is capable of more, which prompts Kageyama to (after some arguing and angst) decide that maybe it’s okay to bring back his king persona if it means he can demand the best from his teammates. Everyone’s getting better, which is nifty, but I’m especially keen to see how much better Hinata really has gotten at defense after his time away. I thought Haikyu!! was good before, but now it feels like it’s getting even better! I am so down for that. – Michelle Smith

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 2 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – The series here (despite the presence of a few “pilots” at the end) seems to have settled into what it wants to be. We get Motoba fully integrated into the cast, becoming convinced that the blobby “indoor” Umaru is actually the little sister of the Umaru she knows. We get a bit of backstory for Ebina, and find out why she seems to be crushing on Taihei so hard. (He’s the only one who didn’t greet her by staring at her large breasts.) I do wish we’d see a bit more of the contrast between the two Umarus, and perhaps a bit more school stuff (the two could combine, in fact), but I understand why it’s easier to write for blobby Umaru. This is not high art, but is amusing moe fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 3 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The cover this time has Ai, Kaguya’s childhood friend, maid, and minder, not in that order, and she gets a couple of chapters to herself. The bigger deal here, though, is the introduction of Yu Ishigami, another member of the student council, who is a capable treasurer but filled with depression and paranoia. He has a great ability to read the room except when it will get him into trouble, and he’s absolutely terrified of Kaguya, who thinks he gets in the way of her machinations against Miyuki too much. And then there’s Chika, still my favorite, who manages to be super innocent while at the same time more worldsly than Kaguya, and also discovers that training Miyuki will always bring pain. Hilarious. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 14 | By Junko | Kodansha Comics – Kiss Him, Not Me ends here, and it does a very good job of wrapping up its storylines. We see Kae and Mutsumi as nervous virgins (the high point of the book may be Yusuke, the non-virgin, having to advise everyone else on sex). We negotiate the dreaded “I am going to college far from you” speedbump, and see Kae actually abandoning her BL obsessions for study so that she can eventually join him. And we see a wedding—and yes, Kae is fat for it, but it is for once not for the sake of comedy (much), and given she fits in her dress fine you suspect they planned for it anyway. We even get to see a kid, who is (of course) named Shion. And, though there were annoying hints, they avoided making Shima het at the last minute. Good job. – Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 14 | By ONE and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – One-Punch Man puts its humor on the back burner for the most part in this volume. It helps that Saitama is absent from about 2/3 of it. The gist of it is Goketsu, a monster who used to be human, showing up at the tournament to offer the other participants a chance to turn into monsters as well—or die. What follows shows off the difference between those who are heroes to protect or save people, and those who are heroes to show off how powerful they are. Suiryu gets the bulk of the character development here, though he mostly gets his ass kicked. But let’s face it, the main reason to read this is the absolutely gorgeous action sequences, which are almost works of art. I’m hoping for more funny stuff next time, though.-Sean Gaffney

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 6 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – This went from “solid shoujo” to “lights-out fantastic” in one volume, and I’m still stunned. When the dragon god realizes that just being his priestess is putting Asahi in danger, he tries to fix it. And tries again. And then tries again. Each attempt is amazing to read—he tries putting her in a fake life back on Earth where fun times keep repeating, but she notices. Then he tries memory erasure, which doesn’t work. Finally he does something I was honestly not expecting to see—he genuinely sends her home. Home a good decade or so later, apparently, and she now has a rather grumpy little brother. But her heart is still back in the fantasy world, and with the Water God. My guess is she’s back at the start of book seven. Fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 12 | By Yuji Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) –Seido had been sure their opponent for the quarter-finals of the East Tokyo qualifying tournament would be Ichidai, but when that team is taken out by Yakushi in a surprise upset, Seido is suddenly facing a team full of fearless batters. In this tense volume, Yakushi fields their fiercest batter first, and I was bracing for Furuya to crumble under the pressure, but instead he has a lot of fun, having faith in his reliable upperclassmen and demonstrating some growth in his fielding capabilities. In an effort to keep Yakushi from becoming accustomed to one pitcher’s style, Sawamura is switched in but before he can do too much, the volume’s over. This is really a series that benefits from being marathoned, for though it’s great fun the way that it is, it’s probably going to be immensely satisfying to binge 40+ volumes back-to-back. – Michelle Smith

After Hours, Vol. 2 | By Yuhta Nishio | Viz Media – This second volume does a nice job alternating between Emi and Kei trying to put on a live event and Emi trying to decide what to do about her relationship, if that’s what it is, with Kei. I was pleased that the manga chose to negotiate a fairly melodramatic path without going overboard—the emotions feel fairly realistic given what Emi is going through, and Kei is not ignored either. There’s also some great scenes of Emi meeting more members of the dance club crew, and making friends and bonding with them. Usually with yuri manga you’re following it for the romance and that’s about it. But this is a more mature yuri title, and that doesn’t just mean sex, it means career motivations and such. A keeper. – Sean Gaffney

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 9 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media –Anonymous Noise, Vol. 9 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It took me a long time to get to this point, but I think I’m finally ready to declare Anonymous Noise a keeper. In No Hurry has embarked on their first national tour, which is interesting in and of itself, but it also feels like Fukuyama has achieved a good balance between her characters’ professional growth—Nino’s gotten more experience, Momo has decided that he wants to release music that’s true to who he is—and their personal angst. Yes, the main love triangle is still going, and though Yuzu attempts a few times and Momo declares his intentions, neither boy has made clear their feelings to Nino. But now I at least care a little more about that, while predominantly being excited for what might happen for them career-wise. I’m glad I grew to truly enjoy this series. – Michelle Smith

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 2 | By Matoba | Yen Press – It can be difficult when you’re rooting for a cute couple to get together in a series and that series is, at heart, a goofy comedy. It’s a shame, because when the series is focusing on the cute Beelzebub and her secretary Mullin, it’s pretty adorable. But that’s not what the author is here for, really. As such, we get some new characters in this volume, including a shotacon (bleah) and a shota for the shotacon to obsess over (meh). Belphegor’s crush on Azazel is more promising, mostly as there’s a bit less about how nervousness makes her want to pee and more actual affection. This is a cute series, but at heart it’s a comedy, and the comedy is hit-or-miss. It should try to be more of a romance. – Sean Gaffney

Claudine | By Riyoko Ikeda | Seven Seas – For a variety of reasons, one of my most anticipated manga releases of 2018 was Claudine. First of all, it’s by Riyoko Ikeda, one of the Magnificent Forty-Niners, a group of women who were extraordinarily influential to the development of shoujo manga in the 1970s and many of whom continue to create exceptional work. I was also particularly interested in Claudine due to its sympathetic, albeit tragic, portrayal of a transgender man, a rarity in comics of any country or era. First published in 1978, the manga follows the titular Claudine, a young man growing up in France who struggles with the perceptions others hold of him in regards to his gender and sexuality. Claudine repeatedly finds and loses love over the course of the short manga, acceptance and betrayal often following one after the other. Claudine is gorgeously illustrated and heartwrenchingly melodramatic, a beautiful and at times troubling work. – Ash Brown

The Elder Sister-Like One, Vol. 2 | By Iida Pochi | Yen Press – Strangely, given this is still based on a porn doujinshi, the author and editors have done a very good job at making it mainstream while keeping a goodly amount of fanservice. The core relationship between Yuu and his demon sister is familial here, despite the occasional suggestiveness, and the best scenes in the book show off the family connection that he desperately needs. There’s also hints of something darker, and the clever reader will realize this is not a lifestyle that is going to be sustainable for much longer. Something is bound to go wrong. Till then, I’m happy with Yuu’s heart slowly being healed, as long as the creators remember to avoid getting too salacious. – Sean Gaffney

Giant Spider & Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale, Vol. 2 | By Kikori Morino | Seven Seas – Despite the attempt of various dramatic events to make us think otherwise, at heart this is a cooking manga, and the core of each chapter shows off the various recipes. We get an addition to the cast of Belle, who is the grumpy snarker that sets off Nagi’s perky optimist nicely, and the two become fast friends. There’s also a stroll into town, which surprised me, and the town reacts to a giant mutant spider about the way you’d expect it to. Fortunately, the giant spider is a sweetie pie, and indeed might be a baby giant spider, which helps to explain why Nagi’s TLC is helping. Of course, there’s another cliffhanger with Nagi being kidnapped, but given how the last cliffhanger resolved, I’m not TOO worried. – Sean Gaffney

Monster Tamer Girls, Vol. 2 | By Mujirushi Shimazaki | Yen Press – As with a lot of series that end after only two or three volumes, there’s a sense of “please wrap this up as quickly as possible” to the ending of the book, but it’s still rather cute and romantic, with Koto and Tsukiko’s relationship getting as close to canonical as a series like this is going to get. I also liked the backstory for Sora, as we see that she was rescued by a monster as a child, and then we see that same monster needing to be “rescued” in a different sense. At heart a series more about building and continuing relationships than about monsters, two volumes was probably about the right length for it. Still a good read if you like cute girls and monsters. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 11 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Yes, Asahi and Youko are together, but this series isn’t even half over yet, so don’t expect a lot of dating and holding hands here. Instead it’s more comedy, which is good as My Monster Secret does comedy very well. Even the melodramatic drama is comedy, as Nagisa’s tearful return to her home planet is undercut by a) a running gag of her worried about public spankings, and b) the punchline. There’s also a return of Youko’s hyperprotective father, which leads to an endless string of amusing gags. About the only time that My Monster Secret misses is when the gags it relies on are too tired, such as Akari’s age. This still has the capacity to make me laugh a good deal. – Sean Gaffney

The Troublemakers | By Baron Yoshimoto | Retrofit Comics – Only a few manga have been released by Retrofit Comics, the most recent of which is The Troublemakers, a collection of Baron Yoshimoto’s short manga curated and translated by comics historian Ryan Holmberg. Along with an accompanying essay by Holmberg placing Yoshimoto and his work into historical context, The Troublemakers collects six stories originally published between 1966 and 1974. The volume isn’t necessarily intended to be a “best of” collection. Instead, the manga included are meant to be a representative sample of not only Yoshimoto’s creative output but also of the types of gekiga and seinen manga being published for men in Japan around the 1970s. The stories are engaging and provocative, sex and violence featuring prominently as part of intense and dramatic narratives with protagonists who are frequently society’s outsiders. Based on the manga collected in The Troublemakers, I’m intrigued and certainly interested in reading more work by Yoshimoto. – Ash Brown