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Thinking about Manga in Four Dimensions

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I don’t think people realize just how much online manga sales data I’ve collected, or how I’ve managed to collate and correlate it. : ProfessorBlind, Twitter, 9 September

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I have a lot of data.

I also check in weekly at online books sales [looking at manga, specifically] across numerous sites. Sometimes, while churning through all that data, I get a hunch — an impression that one title is trending, or that something isn’t quite right. There’s no way to specifically call out what is different or odd about the charts [unfortunately] without a lot of extra work — like I said, it’s just a hunch.

But sometimes it’s worthwhile to dig into the data to confirm that hunch.

This past spring, something seemed to be going on with Fruits Basket. Of course, it’s an older title, dare-I-say a Legacy manga title. Seems like it’s been around and talked about forever — Heck, we even did an MMF on it. But even given it’s evergreen popularity, I got a hunch that something else was going on.

Please note, this did not show up in the top 10 bestseller lists. This was way down on the charts. In fact, when I actually compiled the data, I was surprised – and it took a bit of work to figure out all the various aspects, and provide at least a few theories on why.

I’ll have to clarify quite a bit here, but there’s nothing for it but to get started:

The flat horizontal lines are Benchmarks, average annual sales for some perennial manga titles — from the bottom, they are Lone Wolf & Cub 1 (grey ~2), the Azumanga Daioh Omnibus (green ~18), Buddah vol 1 (yellow ~38), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 1 (blue ~49), and Naruto 1 (orange, top line, ~133; yes, kids are still buying into Naruto)

The vertical lines correspond to dates – from left:

  • 13 Jan – Tokyopop announces distribution deal with Diamond, cancelling previous distribution through HarperCollins
  • 1 Mar – Tokyopop lays off majority of editorial staff
  • 26 Apr – Tokyopop’s website closes, and redirects all links to their Facebook page
  • 31 May – Official end of all publishing for Tokyopop in North America

Actually, there was also the announcement that Tokyopop would cease operation, on 15 April, but it seems we all knew it was coming at that point, and the press release didn’t affect online sales one way or the other, quite yet.

The two troughs visible in the chart above correspond to:

First, A lack of supply in February, as Tokyopop changed distributors,

and then, a lack of [online] demand in July, as we all ran into Borders to pick up manga on clearance.

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The spikes in the chart? Oh, I think most of us can guess why demand spiked — Casual fans of Fruits Basket who happen to also follow manga news online knew: it’s time to finish up this one. Volume 23 was released in 2009, so it was likely a matter of laziness… “Well, it’s a Tokyopop title; I’ll pick up the Ultimate Editions, or maybe wait for a box set…” [one was announced but never materialized]

But suddenly, not only was there not going to be a box set, the publisher was gone – so we snap up what we can find in stores, and start filling in the holes by purchasing online. Based on my chart, and on immediate demand in August – it looks like volume 17 is going to be the hard one to get.

See Also:

End of an era: Tokyopop shutting down US publishing division
MMF: Why Fruits Basket?
Tokyopop Website Replaced by Facebook
Tokyopop shutdown, CLAMP launch

Manga the Week of 9/28

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Our long national nightmare is over: Sailor Moon is hitting comic shops. Not Midtown, of course: they have not had a Kodansha release (bar one or two tiny exceptions) in months. But I have my own shop’s list of what’s coming in for me, and it has Kodansha stuff.

I’m not sure of exactly what’s shipping, as I haven’t ordered every Kodansha title for the month, but you should see Sailor Moon and Sailor V 1, Shugo Chara 12, Arisa 4, Negima 31, and Deltora Quest 2. No, not the releases actually due out in bookstores next week – that would be too logical. Only the stuff that’s running 1-3 weeks late. Still, Sailor Moon! And Negima! And Arisa!

In other release news, Bandai has the second volume of Kannagi, with more wacky antics about the girl who already had a boyfriend before the story started and somehow offended an entire otaku species. Oh, and it’s about supernatural shrine maidens as well. :)

Dark Horse has another volume of Berserk, one of their biggest manga series, and one which has caught up with Japan, so a new volume is a treat. If you like dark, gritty violence. Which, let’s face it, many do. It doesn’t hit NYT bestseller lists, but sells very briskly via Diamond.

NBM has the long-awaited Stargazing Dog, a Futabasha title which is the company’s first manga! It looks adorable. (I note the title is also one of the ones JManga offers, though with a different translation.)

Seven Seas is putting out the second volume of A Certain Spinoff Franchise, and I still wait with bated breath to see if Yen will pick up the original. In the meantime, Misaki is fun, and can zap things.

Vertical has the new Tezuka book. No, not Princess Knight, which is a rather nontraditional Vertical title. This is The Book of Human Insects, which is a VERY traditional Vertical title. Provided you don’t mind dealing with horrible people doing horrible things, this promises to be another hefty slice of seinen masterpiece.

And Viz has a new Pokemon book, which will thrill and delight Pokemon fans everywhere! Or possibly be awful. Dunno, have never sampled the series. But it sells like Pokemon, so it has some people who think it’s great.

So what, aside from Sailor Moon and V of course, is appealing to you?

Welcome Matt!

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Today, I’m pleased to welcome Rocket Bomber‘s Matt Blind to Manga Bookshelf’s roster of contributors!

Matt is especially known for his wonderfully meticulous Manga Bestsellers charts, and happily he’s agreed to have them hosted here. He’ll also be contributing other manga-related musings as he sees fit, and since we love Matt’s perspective, we hope that will be often.

You can check out this week’s charts here (always available in their new, dedicated space on Manga Bookshelf’s front page). And if you’re wondering how this statistical magic happens, I recommend reading Matt’s “About the Charts.”

Please give Matt a warm welcome! We’re thrilled to have him on board!

Manga Bestsellers: Week Ending 18 September 2011

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Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

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Manga Bestsellers

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [434.3] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [421.5] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Black Bird 10 – Viz Shojo Beat, Sep 2011 [415.3] ::
4. ↑7 (11) : Dengeki Daisy 6 – Viz Shojo Beat, Sep 2011 [391.8] ::
5. ↑3 (8) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [385.1] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : Bleach 36 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2011 [384.3] ::
7. ↔0 (7) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [365.3] ::
8. ↑16 (24) : xxxHolic 17 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [328.0] ::
9. ↑33 (42) : One Piece 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2011 [327.5] ::
10. ↓-5 (5) : Black Butler 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2010 [318.7] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Viz Shojo Beat 90
Yen Press 86
Viz Shonen Jump 76
Kodansha Comics 38
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 29
Vizkids 29
Del Rey 17
DMP Juné 16
Viz Shonen Sunday 15
Dark Horse 13

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [960.6] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [746.8] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [739.6] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Black Butler – Yen Press [700.8] ::
5. ↑2 (7) : Negima! – Del Rey [690.1] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [688.2] ::
7. ↓-2 (5) : Black Bird – Viz Shojo Beat [688.0] ::
8. ↑2 (10) : Dengeki Daisy – Viz Shojo Beat [651.4] ::
9. ↓-1 (8) : Vampire Knight – Viz Shojo Beat [563.8] ::
10. ↑3 (13) : Finder Series – DMP Juné [537.5] ::

[more]

New Releases
(Titles releasing/released This Month & Last)

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [434.3] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [421.5] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Black Bird 10 – Viz Shojo Beat, Sep 2011 [415.3] ::
4. ↑7 (11) : Dengeki Daisy 6 – Viz Shojo Beat, Sep 2011 [391.8] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : Bleach 36 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2011 [384.3] ::
8. ↑16 (24) : xxxHolic 17 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [328.0] ::
9. ↑33 (42) : One Piece 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2011 [327.5] ::
12. ↑27 (39) : Negima! 31 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [313.7] ::
13. ↑14 (27) : Finder Series 4 Prisoner in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Aug 2011 [310.2] ::
19. ↑83 (102) : Fullmetal Alchemist 26 – Viz, Sep 2011 [272.2] ::

[more]

Preorders

5. ↑3 (8) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [385.1] ::
35. ↓-1 (34) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [214.9] ::
37. ↑36 (73) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [203.5] ::
40. ↑45 (85) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [201.8] ::
44. ↑17 (61) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [191.6] ::
135. ↑91 (226) : xxxHolic 18 – Kodansha Comics, Dec 2011 [102.3] ::
138. ↓-37 (101) : Negima! 32 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [99.7] ::
143. ↑93 (236) : Vampire Knight 13 – Viz Shojo Beat, Oct 2011 [95.9] ::
149. ↑180 (329) : An Even More Beautiful Lie – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [92.8] ::
172. ↑203 (375) : Black Butler 7 – Yen Press, Oct 2011 [81.0] ::

[more]

Manhwa

145. ↑157 (302) : Jack Frost 4 – Yen Press, Dec 2010 [94.0] ::
190. ↑ (last ranked 28 Aug 11) : Jack Frost 3 – Yen Press, Jul 2010 [74.9] ::
237. ↑497 (734) : Angel Diary 13 – Yen Press, Dec 2010 [62.3] ::
293. ↓-89 (204) : March Story 1 – Viz Signature, Oct 2010 [51.3] ::
339. ↑485 (824) : Laon 3 – Yen Press, Sep 2010 [43.5] ::
380. ↑224 (604) : Jack Frost 2 – Yen Press, Nov 2009 [39.5] ::
435. ↓-17 (418) : Evyione: Ocean Fantasy 2 – Udon, Sep 2008 [35.8] ::
450. ↑1199 (1649) : Laon 5 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [34.8] ::
454. ↓-116 (338) : Bride of the Water God 8 – Dark Horse, May 2011 [34.6] ::
456. ↑250 (706) : 13th Boy 4 – Yen Press, Jun 2010 [34.6] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

13. ↑14 (27) : Finder Series 4 Prisoner in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Aug 2011 [310.2] ::
35. ↓-1 (34) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [214.9] ::
94. ↓-4 (90) : Maelstrom (Kindle ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [132.5] ::
147. ↑190 (337) : Sky Link – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [93.4] ::
149. ↑180 (329) : An Even More Beautiful Lie – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [92.8] ::
191. ↑37 (228) : Finder Series 3 One Wing in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Mar 2011 [73.7] ::
194. ↓-44 (150) : Maelstrom (Kindle ebook) 3 – Yaoi Press, Jul 2011 [71.7] ::
200. ↓-39 (161) : Maelstrom (Kindle ebook) 4 – Yaoi Press, Jul 2011 [71.1] ::
209. ↓-8 (201) : About Love – DMP Juné, Nov 2011 [69.3] ::
239. ↓-9 (230) : Secrecy of the Shivering Night – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [62.0] ::

[more]

Internet Archive Link: http://www.archive.org/details/MangaRankingsWeekEnding18September2011

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

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From the back cover:
John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. He’s spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.

He’s obsessed with serial killers but really doesn’t want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.

Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat—and to appreciate what that difference means.

Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

Review:
It’s hard to resist a book with a title like I Am Not a Serial Killer, at least for me, and when I picked this up I figured I was in for something akin to “Dexter: The Early Years.” But that was before Wells pulled a genre switcheroo.

Fifteen-year-old John Wayne Cleaver is a markedly self-aware sociopath, in that he is fully cognizant of his lack of empathy and bizzare compulsions and narrates about them in an articulate manner that I wouldn’t be surprised to learn is uncommon in others of his kind. He’s seeing a therapist and trying to keep “the monster” at bay by following a series of strict, self-imposed rules (a what-to-avoid list gleaned from intensive serial killer research) designed to keep him from going down a dangerous path. When mutilated bodies start showing up in his small town, John is excited and fascinated, but the more he learns about the crimes and the fact that the killer never intends to stop, the more he comes to realize that he may be the only person who can prevent the deaths of more innocents by letting “the monster” out to kill the perpetrator.

Soon it becomes clear that John is dealing with something supernatural. Ordinarily, it would bug me when a “real world” mystery suddenly veers into the supernatural for its resolution, but it actually kind of works for me here. John is such a broken person that he can’t understand why the culprit is doing certain things, and eventually realizes that even a demon is more capable of genuine human emotion than he is. This ties in some with the depiction of John’s family life—an absentee father who never follows through with promises and a mother who loves with desperate urgency to try to make up for her ex-husband’s shortcomings—since one of the most important moments of the book occurs when John is finally able to achieve a bit of real understanding with his mom instead of just faking it.

I guess the book is somewhat gross. None of the descriptions of the crimes bothered me, but the mortuary scenes—John’s mom and aunt run a funeral home and allow him to assist sometimes—are clinical and grim. They made me think of my late grandmother and made me want to call my parents. That said, I appreciate how familiarity with the mortuary layout and equipment pays off later in the story.

Ultimately, I Am Not a Serial Killer is pretty interesting. Though I’m not sure I buy the extent of John’s self-knowledge, he’s still an intriguing protagonist, and I thought Wells did a decent job of making him simultaneously sympathetic and abnormal. When I picked up the book I didn’t realize it was the first of a trilogy, but it was a pleasant surprise. Look for a review of book two, Mr. Monster, in the near future.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Vol. 2

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As it was with the first two-volume collection of CLAMP’s Cardcaptor Sakura (Dark Horse), so it is with the second: pretty much pure delight. I may not be the biggest CLAMP fan in the world, but I love this series.

Our titular heroine continues to collect the powerful, magical Clow Cards that give her control of various elements and let her… well… collect more Clow Cards. She protects her friends, wins over dubious rivals, generally enjoys everything about her life, and wages an unstoppable charm offensive in the process. Sakura is a terrific, terrific heroine. I love that CLAMP can portray her as being inexperienced without seeming stupid or clumsy, and that they can portray her as being instinctive and resourceful without eliminating any element of risk.

The already engaging supporting cast is enhanced even more by additional focus on Kaho Mizuki, a knockout of a substitute teacher who has a history with Sakura’s brother and a lot of secrets that may or may not relate to Sakura’s mission. In my experience, CLAMP tends to enjoy portraying enigmatic moments and behaviors without necessarily making them pay off later. (I’m a patient reader, but enigmas are annoying if they don’t ultimately mean something.) Mizuki is a wonderful example of that kind of mystery reaching satisfying closure while being a lot of fun along the way. I hope she comes back, if only for the pleasure of seeing her accurately assess the relationship dynamics of the other characters but being too polite to spoil things for them.

I’m ceaselessly amused and even a little moved by the romantic geometry in evidence. Boys crush on boys. Girls crush on girls. Boys and girls commiserate over their shared crush on the same boy. There’s a school festival, an event that rarely distinguishes itself, but CLAMP even manages to liven up that old saw with emotionally urgent peril and cross-dressing.

There’s just nothing to dislike about this book. It’s got great characters, a fun plot, art that’s just the right kind of cute, and tons of energy and good will. I may never forgive CLAMP for not finishing Legal Drug or for the song lyrics and angel dredge in Clover, but they will always be in the win column thanks to Cardcaptor Sakura.

 

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 1

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Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume One by Naoko Takeuchi

Sailor Moon is back in print! When I was reading these new editions from Kodansha I decided to start chronologically, so I read Sailor V first and Sailor Moon second. It is interesting seeing the contrasts in character present from the first few pages. In Sailor V, Mina gets in trouble for attempting a daring gymnastics move. In Sailor Moon, Usagi is running off to school with tears in her eyes from dismay at being late. Usagi is presented as the typical not very bright, somewhat ditsy shoujo heroine that most manga readers will be familiar with. But part of the reason why I like Sailor Moon so much is that Takeuchi does manage a couple subtle spins on the well-worn formula that she’s working with.

Usagi has a fateful encounter with a mysterious cat, then goes to school for a typical day. She gets punished and gossips with her classmates about Sailor V. She visits the jewelry store belonging to the family of her friend Naru. Outside, she throws one of her abysmal school papers into the face of a boy wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses. She thinks he’s a pretentious jerk for being so dressed up during the day, and he tells her to “study harder Miss bun-head!” IT IS TRUE LOVE! Later that evening the mysterious cat Luna visits Usagi and tells her that she’s been chosen to be a guardian. She gets her magical girl accessories and the phrase that triggers her transformation sequence (Moon Prism Power Make Up!) and she is off to fight the forces of evil at the jewelry store. This first chapter shows how Takeuchi’s storytelling has improved in contrast to Sailor V. By starting out with an enemy that could be directly hurting one of her friends, there’s more dramatic tension in Sailor Moon as opposed to the endless progression of pop idols that Sailor V fights. Of course, Usagi as Sailor Moon barely fights at all on her first outing. She halfway thinks that she’s dreaming and is surprised that she’s getting hurt, then she reacts to the fight by throwing a tearful temper tantrum. Fortunately her tiara boomerang vanquishes her enemy, and she finds out that she’s being watched by a mysterious man who introduces himself as Tuxedo Mask and says “Sailor Moon, I’ll certainly take note of you.”

Now that Usagi’s general situation is set up, she has to deal with Luna’s demands that she train and gather allies. There are other sailor scouts out there and Usagi has to collect them all (like Pokemon!) while struggling with her feelings for Tuxedo Mask and her own ineptitude. Usagi’s companions are generally in some way more capable than her, but you can see how their different personality traits would contribute to the formation of a good team. Sailor Mercury is a teen genius. Sailor Mars has the moral certainty of a shrine maiden. Sailor Jupiter is strong and brave. The sailor scouts are going after the “Legendary Silver Crystal”, as are their mystical enemies and Tuxedo Mask. Usagi is uncertain if Tuxedo Mask is an enemy or an ally, because while he certainly seems to appear often if she’s in the need of a rescue his motivations are unclear.

Takeuchi’s art seems to have grown a bit smoother when comparing Sailor Moon with Sailor V. The paneling is slightly more complex, although it is still a manga the focuses most on the faces of the characters without much attention paid on setting scenes or background images. The battles and team building in Sailor Moon seem to owe a lot to shonen manga, but being as girly as it is the battles involve costume changes and awesome battle cries instead of violence. While it might be pretty silly for girls to don sailor suits to fight evil, there’s a certain exuberant girl power vibe about the scenes when Sailor Moon and her allies line up to announce that their enemies are about to be punished. I do not know how it is possible not to love a manga that features a girl yelling “You will refrain from underestimating women! And with Mars Power, you will burn! These high-heeled legs will deliver your punishment!”

A Preliminary NYCC/NYAF Schedule

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So Comic-Con has released their panels and events schedule, and I’ve given it an initial glance. My first thought was that the folks who scheduled SDCC also scheduled this: it’s really top heavy, with Friday being insane and Saturday and Sunday being far more normal. And I’ll be there this year as Press, covering the event for Manga Bookshelf, A Case Suitable for Treatment, and freedom.

So here is what I have scheduled, bearing in mind that I’ve no doubt missed something important, I will have to eat at some point (veal parm sub lunch with Erica!), and that a couple of these will be “Sorry, already full” turned away at the door sort of panels.

FRIDAY

11am – 12 noon: Unusual Manga Genres

12:15pm – 1:15pm: Yen Press Industry Panel

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Dark Horse 25th Anniversary Panel

2:45pm – 3:45pm: Funimation Industry Panel

4:15pm – 5:15pm: Venture Brothers Panel

6:30pm – 7:30pm: Kodansha Industry Panel (with Hiro Mashima)

7:45pm – 8:45pm: XX: The Women of Queer Comics

8:45pm – 9:45pm: Vertical Industry Panel

As you can see, after this schedule I will basically be DEAD. Karaoke? Hah. I also fully expect I will be unable to get into the Venture Brothers panel. And I’ll see if I can feel out Dark Horse: if they have few to no manga announcements, I may go to Del Rey’s book panel instead. But hey, I have an hour for dinner! Bonus!

SATURDAY

10:45am – 11:45am: Bandai Industry Panel

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Archie Comics Industry Panel

5pm – 7:15pm: Fairy Tail Panel

7:30pm – 8:30pm: CBLDF: Defensing Manga

As you can see, a much saner day, with loads of free time to actually do other things. As with last year’s Durarara!! panel, if the FT panel is just cosplay and videos and squee, I may skip out. Also, I will do my best this year to avoid the hyper guy at the Bandai panel demanding moe blobs (no, I’m not exaggerating).

SUNDAY

FUNNY CARS!

10:45am – 11:45am: Viz Media Industry Panel

2pm – 3pm: Classic Warner Bros./Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Going Blu-Ray

As you can see (gotta have it in threes or it’s not jazz), this is the quietest day, which is good as I expect I will need to conserve ergs and rest my ankle which has only just healed and which no doubt I will be re-aggravating all weekend. That last panel, btw, is my one non-negotiable one.

Upcoming 9/21/2011

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Have you checked out the Manga Bookshelf Pick of the Week? Then we’re ready for a perusal of this week’s ComicList!

For me, the clear leader, at least in the Diamond-verse, is the fourth volume of Yumi Unita’s Bunny Drop (Yen Press). In this volume, single father Daikichi deals with the quirks of another member of his large family as he continues to learn to be a good parent to Rin, his late grandfather’s young daughter. It’s heartfelt and funny, and I highly recommend you try it if you haven’t already.

And I really must catch up on Yuu Watase’s very likeable shônen adventure, Arata: The Legend (Viz), though I’m nowhere near ready for the seventh volume, which arrives Wednesday. Fortunately, I can catch up via Viz’s iPad app. Now I can have menacing physical stacks of books and too many virtual ones in the queue.

For succinct assessments of some recent releases, check out the latest round of Bookshelf Briefs from the Battle Robot.