MangaBlog

Here’s the big news of the week: Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama will launch a new series in two weeks, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, and Shonen Jump will be carrying it in English the same week it comes out in Japan.

I rounded up some new manga releases, the Megatokyo Kickstarter, and other manga news in my latest Manga Tipsheet at MTV Geek.

Among those news bits: Viz confirmed it has licensed Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning. Lissa Pattillo has more.

SuBLime announced a new license as well: Kou Yoneda’s NightS.

The Digital Manga folks post an update on their plans for Anime Expo, new digital releases, delays in print volumes, and more.

Erica Friedman brings us the latest edition of Yuri Network News.

The Manga Bookshelf bloggers discuss their latest Pick of the Week, and they take a look at this week’s new releases as well.

Laura rounds up the Skip Beat! Manga Moveable Feast posts at Heart of Manga.

Jason Thompson takes a fond look at one of my favorite manga, Twin Spica, in his latest House of 1000 Manga column at ANN.

Lissa Pattillo opens up the Swag Bag and shows off her latest purchases.

Lori Henderson talks about Skip Beat! and Umineko When They Cry in the latest two episodes of the Manga Dome podcast.

Erin discusses relationships in Otomen, where the nice guy gets the girl for a change, at Gagging on Sexism.

Jocelyne Allen reads two volumes of collected works from the alt-manga magazines Garo and Com (the latter was started by Osamu Tezuka), and finds some great reading by Shigeru Mizuki, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, and Leiji Matsumoto.

Who reads Manga Bookshelf, and what manga do they like? MJ presents the results of their recent survey.

News from Japan: The big news out of Japan this past week Sad news: Comic LO Magazine artist Yasuda, who was active in doujinshi circles, has died after a brief illness; he was only 24. Deadman Wonderland, which returned from hiatus in January, will end in the July 26 issue of Kadokawa Shoten’s Monthly Shōnen Ace. Maid Sama! is also drawing to a close. On the upside, though, Mari Yamazaki plans to launch a Thermae Romae spinoff in Comic Beam in September.

Reviews: The Manga Bookshelf team keep it short and sweet in their latest Bookshelf Briefs. Ash Brown takes us through a week’s manga reading in Experiments in Manga.

Victoria Erica on vol. 2 of Attack on Titan (Inside AX)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 6 of Bleach (Blogcritics)
Manjiorin on vol. 2 of Blood-C (Organization ASG)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 3 of Blood Lad (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 5 of Children of the Sea (The Comic Book Bin)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 22 of Claymore (The Fandom Post)
Anna N. on vols. 7 and 8 of Cross Game (Manga Report)
Justin on chapter 38 of Cross Manage (Organization ASG)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 3 of Demon Love Spell (The Comic Book Bin)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 8 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Blogcritics)
Matthew Warner on vol. 8 of A Devil and Her Love Song (The Fandom Post)
Matthew Warner on vol. 1 of Doubt (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on Futari (Okazu)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 5 of GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Matthew Warner on vol. 4 of Is This a Zombie? (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Lone Wolf and Cub (omnibus edition) (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 22 of Higurashi: When They Cry (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Lissa Pattillo on vols. 1 and 2 of Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (Kuriousity)
Helen on vols. 1-3 of Mars (Narrative Investigations)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 67 of One Piece (The Comic Book Bin)
Greg McElhatton on The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame (Read About Comics)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 16 of Pokemon Adventures (Lesley’s Musings… on Manga)
Matthew Warner on vol. 10 of Psyren (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 11 of Psyren (The Comic Book Bin)
Erica Friedman on vol. 11 of Rakuen Le Paradis (Okazu)
Philip Anthony on vol. 8 of Sailor Moon (Manga Bookshelf)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 11 of Sailor Moon (Blogcritics)
Justin on vol. 1 of Sankarea (Organization ASG)
Erica Friedman on Shishunki Seimeitai Vega (Okazu)
Derek Bown on the latest issue of Shonen Jump (Manga Bookshelf)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Skip Beat! (omnibus edition) (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 1 of Sleeping Moon (I Reads You)
Matthew Warner on vol. 3 of Strobe Edge (The Fandom Post)
John Rose on vol. 1 of Umineko: When They Cry – Legend of the Golden Witch (The Fandom Post)
Connie C. on Utsubora (Comics Should Be Good)
Ash Brown on vol. 4 of Wandering Son (Experiments in Manga)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 4 of Wandering Son (A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Lissa Pattillo looks at this week’s new releases in her On the Shelf column at Kuriousity.

Laura posts the Monday and Tuesday roundup of posts for the Skip Beat Manga Moveable Feast at Heart of Manga.

Erica Friedman takes a look at the josei magazine Flowers, home of Moto Hagio’s latest series, and she also posts the latest edition of Yuri Network News at Okazu.

Lori Henderson rounds up the latest manga news and checks out a couple of new releases in this week’s Manga Dome podcast at Manga Xanadu.

Chinese fans are not happy that scanlations of Shueisha properties such as Naruto and Gin Tama are disappearing from the web, after internet giant Tencent signed a licensing deal with Shueisha earlier this year.

News from Japan: Hayate x Blade has ended in the most recent issue of Ultra Jump.

Reviews: Carlo Santos deconstructs the latest releases in his Right Turn Only!! column at ANN.

Kate O’Neil on vol. 5 of Attack on Titan (The Fandom Post)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 5 of Children of the Sea (The Fandom Post)
Kristin on vol. 8 of Cross Game (Comic Attack)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 10 of Dawn of the Arcana (The Comic Book Bin)
Matthew Warner on vol. 5 of Flowers of Evil (The Fandom Post)
Melissa M. on Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink (Okazu)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 37 of Negima (The Fandom Post)
Matthew Warner on vol. 38 of Negima (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on Onna no Ko no Sekkeizu (Okazu)
Ken H on vol. 8 of Rurouni Kenshin (Comics Should Be Good)
Ken H on vol. 4 of Sailor Moon (Comics Should Be Good)
Bruce Pregger on YuriTetsu ~ Shiritsu Yurigasaki Joshikou Tetsudobu (Okazu)
Derek Bown on this week’s issue of Shonen Jump (Manga Bookshelf)
Anna N. on vol. 1 of Weekly Astro Boy Magazine (Manga Report)
Connie C on xxxHoLiC, Pet Shop of Horrors, and Nightmare Inspector (Comics Should Be Good)

Here’s my look at the latest manga releases at MTV Geek, and Lissa Pattillo’s take in her last-ever On the Shelf column at Otaku USA. The Manga Bookshelf team takes a look at the new manga due out this week, and discusses their Pick of the Week.

MJ and Michelle Smith discuss some new releases from SuBLime and Digital in the latest installment of BL Bookrack.

Skip Beat will be the main dish at this month’s Manga Moveable Feast, and Laura puts out the call for entries at Heart of Manga.

Reviews: Ash Brown looks at a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf team post their latest Bookshelf Briefs.

Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 14 of Arata: The Legend (The Comic Book Bin)
Adam Stephanides on vols. 1-11 of Billy Bat (Completely Futile)
Ash Brown on vol. 22 of Blade of the Immortal (Experiments in Manga)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 11 of Dengeki Daisy (ANN)
Helen on Full House (Narrative Investigations)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 2 of Girl Friends (ANN)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of His Favorite (I Reads You)
Carlo Santos on vol. 11 of Jormungand (ANN)
Sean Gaffney on Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Anna N. on vol. 2 of Knights of Sidonia (Manga Report)
Carlo Santos on vol. 4 of Limit (ANN)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 11 of Loveless (The Comic Book Bin)
Lissa Pattillo on The Misfortune of Kyon and Kazumi (Kuriousity)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 2 of Missions of Love (ANN)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 15 of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (The Comic Book Bin)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 67 of One Piece (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 1 of Puella Magi Kazuma Magica: The Innocent Malice (Kuriousity)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 10 of Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura (The Comic Book Bin)
Rebecca Silverman on vols. 2 and 3 of Strobe Edge (ANN)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 1 of Sunny (ANN)
Chris Kirby on vol. 15 of Toriko (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 16 of Toriko (The Comic Book Bin)
Matthew Warner on vol. 4 of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s (The Fandom Post)

Don’t know what to read? Check out the Manga Bookshelf bloggers’ Pick of the Week discussion.

At Heart of Manga, Laura looks at the new shoujo manga releases we can expect in June.

The Manga Out Loud podcast returns for a one-shot appearance, with hosts Ed Sizemore and Johanna Draper Carlson discussing the latest manga news and guest Tim Maughan talking about the Time of Eve anime.

Lori Henderson devotes her latest Manga Dome podcast to vol. 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam.

News from Japan: Good news for One Piece fans: It’s back in Shonen Jump this week, after creator Eiichiro Oda took a two-week hiatus for health reasons.

Reviews: Ash Brown checks in with the weekly report at Experiments in Manga. And the Manga Bookshelf team files their weekly set of Bookshelf Briefs.

Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 3 of Demon Love Spell (Comics Worth Reading)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 8 and 9 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Comics Worth Reading)
Justin on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (Organization ASG)
Nick Smith on vols. 1 and 2 of Kingdom Hearts (ICv2)
Alex Hoffman on Monokuro Kinderbook (Manga Widget)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of No. 6 (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 9 of Pokemon Black and White (Blogcritics)
Mark Thomas on vol. 30 of Skip Beat! (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 3 of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal (The Comic Book Bin)

Seven Seas has announced yet another new license: Zero’s Familiar Chevalier, a sequel to Zero’s Familiar.

Erica Friedman brings us the latest Yuri Network News at Okazu.

I looked at the past week’s new releases, plus the digital Astro Boy magazine, in my latest Manga Tipsheet column for MTV Geek.

The Manga Bookshelf team looks forward to this week’s new manga.

ICv2 has the May BookScan numbers and Naruto topped the chart; altogether there were eight manga in the top 20, which is not too shabby!

MJ and Michelle Smith take on two very different manga, Milk Morinaga’s yuri manga Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink and the Shonen Jump title Cross Manage, in their latest Off the Shelf column at Manga Bookshelf.

The centerpiece of this month’s Manga Moveable Feast will be Skip Beat, and our hostess, Laura, posts the call for participants at Heart of Manga.

Jocelyne Allen writes about Twinkle, which was given to to her as a gift by Taiyo Matsumoto during TCAF, and which is by his wife.

Tony Yao has more Paradise Kiss quotes for us at Manga Therapy.

Reviews

Lissa Pattillo on vols. 1 and 2 of Alice in the Country of Hearts: My Fantastic Rabbit (Kuriousity)
Sakura Eries on vol. 1 of Are You Alice? (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 5 of Attack on Titan (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 1 of Blue Morning (I Reads You)
Connie C. on Chicago, Japan, and Mars (Comics Should Be Good)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 10 of Dawn of the Arcana (Kuriousity)
Marlan Moore on vol. 1 of Flowers of Evil (Inside AX)
Chris Beveridge on vols. 1, 3, and 4 of Heroman (The Fandom Post)
Katherine Hanson on Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink (Yuri no Boke)
Matt Cycyk on vol. 3 of Knights of Sidonia (Matt Talks About Manga)
Kate O’Neil on vols. 5 and 6 of Loveless (omnibus edition) (The Fandom Post)
TSOTE on vol. 3 of Monju (Three Steps Over Japan)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of No. 6 (Experiments in Manga)
TSOTE on vol. 36 of Q.E.D. (Three Steps Over Japan)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 28 of Slam Dunk (The Comic Book Bin)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 14 of Soul Eater (The Fandom Post)
Mark Thomas on vol. 12 of Sumomomo Momomo (The Fandom Post)
Marlan Moore on vol. 1 of Sunny (Inside AX)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 8 of Tsubasa (Blogcritics)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 3 of Umineko When They Cry (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Justin on The V Sign (Organization ASG)

I was totally fascinated that the upstart publisher Kansai Club (which is basically two people) was able to license an Osamu Tezuka manga, The Crater, for their first publication, so I was happy that KC’s Andrew Nevo was able to talk to me about it for my Kickstand column at CBR.

Paul Gravett interviews Junko Mizuno and posts a new two-page comic as well.

The Manga Bookshelf team discusses their Pick of the Week, and Lissa Pattillo picks the best of this week’s new releases in her On the Shelf column at Otaku USA.

Jeffrey Gustafson has been writing a series of essays about different themes in Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto at his blog, The Comic Pusher.

Tony Yao shares some of his favorite quotes from Paradise Kiss at Manga Therapy.

News from Japan: Ryoko Ikeda is bringing back the classic shoujo manga Rose of Versailles for a one-shot story in Margaret next October.

Reviews: Justin did one final roundup of JManga series, just before their servers shut down, at Organization ASG. Ash Brown takes us through a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf team has a new set of Bookshelf Briefs.

Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Are You Alice? (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Sakura Eries on vol. 19 of Bakuman (The Fandom Post)
Justin on vol. 19 of Bakuman (Organization ASG)
Erica Friedman on the May issue of Comic Yuri Hime (Okazu)
Alex Hoffman on Doubt (Manga Widget)
Ken H on vols. 10 and 11 of Erementar Gerade (Comics Should Be Good)
Lori Henderson on Hanagatari Tenshion Atsuhime (Manga Xanadu)
Shannon Fay on vol. 2 of Higurashi When They Cry: Massacre Arc (Kuriousity)
Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Koetama (Manga Xanadu)
Chris Beveridge on vols. 3, 4, and 5 of Limit (The Fandom Post)
Victoria K. Martin on Punishment (Kuriousity)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of The Sacred Blacksmith (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 1 of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration (I Reads You)
Naru on Silent Voice (Organization ASG)
Anna N. on vol. 1 of Sunny (Manga Report)
Kristin on vol. 10 of Tenjho Tenge: Full Contact Edition (Comic Attack)

Lissa Pattillo looks over the past week’s new releases in her latest On the Shelf column at Otaku USA.

The Manga Bookshelf team discuss their Pick of the Week.

Here’s a bit of news I missed last week: Seven Seas has announced three new licenses, Devils and Realist, by Madoka Takadono and Utako Yukihiro; Dragonar Academy, by Shiki Mizuchi and Ran; and Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky, by Yuuki Tanaka. As Lissa notes in the linked article, Seven Seas plans to publish more of the Strike Witches manga after this.

Lori Henderson rounds up the latest convention news and says farewell to JManga in her latest Manga Dome podcast at Manga Xanadu.

Erica Friedman brings us up to date in the latest edition of Yuri Network News at Okazu. Erica also has a nice interview with yuri artist Takemiya Jin.

MJ and Michelle Smith discuss Sunny and Lone Wolf and Cub in their latest Off the Shelf column at Manga Bookshelf.

Meanwhile, Mely (coffeeandink) and Oyceter are discussing Heart of Thomas on Story Talk.

Jocelyne Allen explains why Maison Ikkoku is so wonderful at Brain Vs. Book.

Yaoi-Con is coming back!

Manga Bookshelf is doing a reader survey. Drop in and tell ’em what you think!

News from Japan: The Asahi Shimbun profiles newcomer Hiroaki Komura, who quit his job as a truck mechanic and holed up for an entire year to pursue his dream of becoming a manga-ka. Yet another Kuroko’s Basketball doujinshi event has been canceled. Although the organizers did not say they had received any threats, they did refer to the string of threatening letters that has plagued venues who planned to hold Kuroko’s Basketball themed events.

Reviews

Lissa Pattillo on vol. 1 of Btooom! (Kuriousity)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 8 of Cross Game (The Comic Book Bin)
Matthew Warner on vol. 8 of Dawn of the Arcana (The Fandom Post)
Anna N. on vol. 3 of Demon Love Spell (Manga Report)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 7 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Blogcritics)
Matthew Warner on vol. 7 of A Devil and Her Love Song (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 4 of The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Erica Friedman on Kira Kira no Natsu (Okazu)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Lone Wolf and Cub (omnibus edition) (Blogcritics)
Helen on Olympos (Narrative Investigations)
Victoria Erica on vol. 11 of Sailor Moon (Inside AX)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 11 of Sailor Moon (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Sankarea: Undying Love (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Derek Bown on this week’s issue of Shonen Jump (Manga Bookshelf)
Erica Friedman on Space Pirates of the Minusuka (Okazu)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 13 of Tegami Bachi (The Comic Book Bin)
Matthew Cycyk on vol. 2 of Thermae Romae (Matt Talks About Manga)
Josh Begley on vol. 1 of Tokyo Babylon (omnibus edition) (The Fandom Post)
Lori Henderson on Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms (Manga Xanadu)
Alex Hoffman on Unico (Manga Widget)

Here’s my con report on last week’s Anime Boston.

Digital Manga announced three new BL titles in its Fanime panel this past weekend: Apple and Honey (Ringo ni Hachimitsu) and Apple and Honey: His Rose Colored Life (Kare no Barairo no Jinsei) manga, by Hideyoshico, and Natsuki Zippo’s Wolf Magic (Ōkami wa Mahō o). All three titles will be released in print; Digital has resumed print publication, and in fact some of their books are ahead of schedule.

Connie C. looks at the Viz Spectrum editions, an early manga format from the early 90s.

News from Japan: Nobuhiro Watsuki is bringing Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration to a close on Tuesday. The Jump Square series Binbō-gami ga! will be winding up in July.

Reviews: Ash Brown posts another episode of My Week in Manga at Experiments in Manga.

Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of 07-Ghost (The Comic Book Bin)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Are You Alice? (Comics Worth Reading)
Anna N. on vols. 13-16 of Basara (Manga Report)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 8 of Bunny Drop (Comics Worth Reading)
Ash Brown on Chicago, vol. 2: The Book of Justice (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 11 of Jormungand (The Comic Book Bin)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 4 and 5 of Limit (Comics Worth Reading)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 7 of Saturn Apartments (The Comic Book Bin)
Johanna Draper Carlson on The Strange Tale of Panorama Island (Comics Worth Reading)
Matthew Cycyk on vol. 1 of Sunny (Matt Talks About Manga)
Kristin on vol. 1 of Sunny (Comic Attack)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 2 of Thermae Romae (Comics Worth Reading)

The Manga Bookshelf team discusses their Pick of the Week.

Lissa Pattillo files her con report on TCAF:

The event had two manga guests – Taiyo Matsumoto and Gengoroh Tagame. I didn’t have much personal interest in Taiyo Matsumoto’s work, but I was thrilled that Tagame Gengoroh – a pioneer in the bara genre – was being flown in to help promote his new book, The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame. I attended his panel and signings and enjoyed what a friendly and out-going individual he was, and how much fun he seemed to have talking about his work.

On the floor, it was exciting to see Chromatic Press‘s booth set-up with lots of goodies promoting their current and upcoming projects. Plus the staff are all completely charming and hard-working individuals who I have nothing less than well wishes for! I was sad that both rem and Jen Lee Quick – who work with the new publisher, and happen to be two artists whose work I adore – were unable to attend the event despite initial plans. Maybe next year?

And Scott Green takes a look at a new book I first saw in the wild at TCAF: Suehiro Maruo’s The Strange Tale of Panorama Island, which was announced four years ago and is finally being published by Last Gasp.

With the Yumi Tamura Manga Moveable Feast in the offing, Anna N. rounds up her reviews of Tamura’s work, Chicago and Basara.

Reviews: Ash Brown looks back on a week in manga at Experiments in Manga.

Sakura Eries on vol. 12 of Dengeki Daisy (The Fandom Post)
Lori Henderson on King’s Moon: The Life of Akechi Mitsuhide (Manga Xanadu)
Erin on vols. 4-6 of Otomen (Gagging on Sexism)
Erica Friedman on vol. 10 of Pure Yuri Anthology Hirari (Okazu)

Over at MTV Geek I took a look at the past week’s new manga and other happenings, and I wrote a short review of Mario, the one-shot gangster manga by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto that ran in last week’s Shonen Jump.

The Manga Bookshelf team takes an advance look at this week’s new manga.

Guest blogger Shaenon Garrity writes about Moto Hagio’s A,A’ for this week’s House of 1000 Manga column at ANN.

Erica Friedman has the latest yuri update in this week’s edition of Yuri Network News at Okazu.

At Manga Therapy, Tony Yao explains why he is thankful for fujoshi.

Lori Henderson discusses the digital-only title Japan Sinks in her latest Manga Dome podcast at Manga Xanadu, and she brings in some related books as well.

Lissa Pattillo catches up with last month’s announcement from PictureBox of two new manga: Seiichi Hayashi’s Gold Pollen and Other Stories and Yuichi Yokoyama’s World Map Room.

MJ is thrilled at the news that manga-ka Kayuza Minekura is back at work on Wild Adapter after a three-year hiatus due to health reasond.

After many delays, the English edition of Suehiro Maru’s The Strange Tale of Panorama Island is now available from Last Gasp. It’s true—I saw a copy on Ryan Sands’ table at TCAF. And so did Deb Aoki, who had the presence of mind to take pictures.

Viz’s yaoi imprint SuBLime has launched a new series, Blue Morning, “an intriguing new series about aristocratic drama and the intricate relationship between the loyal butler of a noble family and a young heir he is duty-bound to look after.”

News from Japan: Galaxy Express 999 manga-ka Leiji Matsumoto has revealed nine pages of Osamu Tezuka’s unpublished work, drafts for Metropolis and other manga. The pages will go on display at Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art this summer. Kami Minai’s “bishojo x violence” manga Needless is coming to an end. Black Bird creator Kanoko Sakurakoji has a new series in the works.

Reviews

Mark Thomas on vols. 13 and 14 of Arata: The Legend (The Fandom Post)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 19 of Bakuman (Comics Worth Reading)
Mark Thomas on vol. 17 of Battle Angel Alita: The Last Order (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love (I Reads You)
AstroNerdBoy on vol. 7 of A Certain Scientific Railgun (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Erica Friedman on Cirque Arachne (Okazu)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 6 of Fullmetal Alchemist (Blogcritics)
Jocelyne Allen on Kami no Kodomo (Brain Vs. Book)
Anna N. on vols. 1-6 of Kare First Love (Manga Report)
Sakura Eries on vol. 17 of La Corda d’Oro (The Fandom Post)
Connie C. on Lone Wolf and Cub, Gunslinger Girl, and Golgo 13 (Comics Should Be Good)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 3 of Missions of Love (Comics Worth Reading)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 61 of Naruto (The Comic Book Bin)
Sean Gaffney on vols. 7-9 of Neon Genesis Evangelion (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Sweetpea on Nobody Can Hear Me But You (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Helen on vol. 1 of Off*Beat (Narrative Investigations)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 15 of Otomen (The Comic Book Bin)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 10 of Psyren (The Comic Book Bin)
L.B. Bryant on vol. 1 of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration (ICv2)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 4 of Strobe Edge (Comics Worth Reading)

Lissa Pattillo looks over last week’s new manga in her latest On the Shelf column at Otaku USA.

Lori Henderson talks about Kodansha’s publication of some older Del Rey titles and reviews the manhwa 13th Boy in her latest Manga Dome podcast at Manga Xanadu.

Erica Friedman, who was my roommate at TCAF, files her con report, which is filled with manga encounters of various kinds, including going to the Chromatic Press event on Friday night. Erica also has a fresh edition of Yuri Network News for us.

Also at TCAF, PictureBox announced plans to publish an anthology titled Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It. The book is scheduled for a spring 2014 release.

How do we manage to laugh even in the worst of times? Tony Yao looks at humor in darkness in Attack on Titan at Manga Therapy.

The Digital Manga folks announce their plans for Fanime.

News from Japan: Lots of manga are winding up: The yuri series Aoi Hana is coming to an end in July.

Reviews

Connie on vol. 12 of 13th Boy (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 1 of Alice in the Country of Hearts (Slightly Biased Manga)
Justin on Alive (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Ken H on Atomcat (Comics Should Be Good)
Justin and Manjiorin on vol. 4 of Attack on Titan (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Ash Brown on vol. 21 of Blade of the Immortal (Experiments in Manga)
Connie on vol. 22 of Blade of the Immortal (Slightly Biased Manga)
John Rose on vol. 9 of Cage of Eden (The Fandom Post)
Justin on chapter 31 of Cross Manage (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 6 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Blogcritics)
John Rose on vol. 3 of The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan (The Fandom Post)
Connie on vol. 2 of Excel Saga (Slightly Biased Manga)
Erica Friedman on Fu~Fu (Okazu)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 1 and 2 of Happy-Go-Lucky Days (Comics Worth Reading)
Erica Friedman on Heart of Thomas (Okazu)
Erica Friedman on vol. 3 of Hoshikawa Ginza 4-Chome (Okazu)
Erica Friedman on vol. 7 of Ichigo Mashimaro (Okazu)
Kate O’Neil on vols. 3 and 4 of Loveless (omnibus edition) (The Fandom Post)
Sweetpea on Memories of Emanon (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 11 of One Piece (Blogcritics)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 8 of Sailor Moon (ANN)
Kristin on vols. 26-28 of Slam Dunk (Comic Attack)
Connie on vol. 6 of The Story of Saiunkoku (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on Tokyo Zombie, Grand Guignol Orchestra, and Reiko the Zombie Shop (Comics Should Be Good)
Justin on chapter 12 of World Trigger (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)

Here’s my look at the past week’s new manga at MTV Geek.

And here’s a manga-Sabrina hat trick: A preview of vol. 2 of the collected edition of Tania Del Rio’s manga-style comic (now rendered in beautiful black and white), an exclusive peek at the cover of vol. 3, and the five things you need to know to get started with this series.

The Manga Bookshelf bloggers discuss this week’s new manga and their Pick of the Week.

Lissa Pattillo notes that SuBLime is bringing back Crimson Spell and also that RightStuf is warning purchasers that Bond of Dream, Bond of Love may be seized by Canadian customs.

M. Alice LeGrow, creator of Bizenghast, has a new graphic novel out, and Crunchyroll gets a peek.

News from Japan: The Asahi Shimbun has a detailed rundown on the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Awards, including interviews with the judges and a look at the winners and competitors in each category. And the Kodansha Awards have also been announced; Makoto Raiku’s Animal Land won the prize for Best Children’s Manga. We had some hints of this and now it’s official: Gantz will come to an end after the next two chapters.

Reviews: Ash Brown looks back on a week in manga at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf bloggers keep it concise in their latest set of Bookshelf Briefs.

John Rose on vol. 27 of Air Gear (The Fandom Post)
Jocelyne Allen on Bara Hiro no Ho no Koro (Brain Vs. Book)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 16 of Black Bird (The Comic Book Bin)
John Rose on vol. 13 of Black Butler (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 22 of Claymore (The Comic Book Bin)
Anna N. on vol. 12 of Dengeki Daisy (Manga Report)
Katherine Hanson on vol. 1 of Gakuen Polizi (Yuri no Boke)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 30 of Hunter x Hunter (The Comic Book Bin)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 30 of Hunter x Hunter (The Fandom Post)
Angela Eastman on vol. 4 of Jiu Jiu (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 17 of La Corda d’Oro (The Comic Book Bin)
Bob Temuka on Lone Wolf and Cub (Tearoom of Despair)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 7 of Naruto (Blogcritics)
Sean Gaffney on Negiho: Mahora Little Girls (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 13 of Oresama Teacher (The Comic Book Bin)
Ash Brown on The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: The Master of Gay Erotic Manga (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresssaux on Pepito: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudi (I Reads You)
Matthew Warner on vol. 9 of Sailor Moon</a> (The Fandom Post)
Derek Bown on this week’s issue of Shonen Jump (Manga Bookshelf)
Ken H. on vol. 1 of Tiger & Bunny (Comics Should Be Good)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 16 of We Were There (The Comic Book Bin)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 16 of We Were There (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vols. 1-3 of Zero’s Familiar (A Case Suitable for Treatment)

New license news: SuBLime Manga kicked off the week with the news that they have licensed the first four volumes of Ayano Yamane’s Crimson Spell. And Vertical will announce a new title at Anime Central.

The Manga Bookshelf team discusses this week’s new manga and their Pick of the Week. MJ looks at the physical side of relationships in Loveless, and Michelle Smith joins her for a discussion of some recent releases in their latest Off the Shelf column. And Justin Stroman asks the readers: What’s your favorite Weekly Shonen Jump title?

Erica Friedman has the latest Yuri news at Okazu.

News from Japan: Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist) is drawing an adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka’s novel series The Heroic Legend of Arslan. Give My Regards to Black Jack creator Shuho Sato will release his newest manga series, Secure Samba wo Yoroshiku, for free next week as part of Japan IT Week.

Reviews: Carlo Santos takes on recent volumes of 21st Century Boys, Knights of Sidonia, and Tokyo Babylon in his latest Right Turn Only!! column at ANN. The Manga Bookshelf team checks in with a new set of Bookshelf Briefs.

Rebecca Silverman on vols. 8 and 9 of Dawn of the Arcana (ANN)
Carlo Santos on vol. 5 of The Flowers of Evil (ANN)
Katherine Hanson on vol. 1 of Golondrina (Yuri no Boke)
Michael Buntag on vol. 10 of Honey and Clover (NonSensical Words)
Erica Friedman on vol. 7 of Ichigo Mashimaro (Okazu)
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber on vol. 4 of Kizuna (All About Manga)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (Experiments in Manga)
Anna N. on Pepita: Inoue Meets Gaudi (Manga Report)
Mark Thomas on vol. 28 of Skip Beat (The Fandom Post)
Anna N on vol. 4 of Strobe Edge (Manga Report)
Matthew Cycyk on vols. 1-3 of Summit of the Gods (Matt Talks About Manga)
Jocelyne Allen on Sunny (Brain Vs. Book)
Manjiorin on Unico (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Rebecca Silverman on vols. 15 and 16 of Vampire Knight (ANN)

Busted! When one of SuBLime’s PDFs showed up on an aggregator site, fans were quick to denounce it—and report the transgression to the publisher, which took swift action.

Jason Thompson writes about the body-horror manga Franken Fran in his latest House of 1000 Manga column at ANN.

Reviews

Mark Thomas on vol. 12 of Arata: The Legend (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 3 of Beauty Pop (Blogcritics)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 10 of Case Closed (Blogcritics)
Naru on The Cat in the Box (Organization ASG)
Justin on chapter 30 of Cross Manage (Organization ASG)
Manjiorin on vol. 1 of Demon Love Spell (Organization ASG)
Connie C. on Dragon Head, Limit, and The Drifting Classroom (Comics Should Be Good)
John Rose on vol. 24 of Fairy Tail (The Fandom Post)
L.B. Bryant on Hiroaki Samura’s Emerald and Other Stories (ICv2)
Mark Thomas on vol. 35 of Kekkaishi (The Fandom Post)
Ken H. on vol. 1 of Mega Man Gigamix (Comics Should Be Good)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 15 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (The Fandom Post)
Mark Thomas on vol. 60 of Naruto (The Fandom Post)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 15 of Pandora Hearts (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of The Prince of Tennis (Blogcritics)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 2 of Skip Beat! (Blogcritics)
Kristin on vol. 1 of Tiger and Bunny (Comic Attack)
Ken H. on Unico (Comics Should Be Good)
Connie C. on What’s Michael?, Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs, and Stargazing Dog (Comics Should Be Good)

This used to be heresy, but I actually think it makes sense: Japanese manga critic Kentaro Takekuma makes the argument for creating manga that reads left to right, to make it more accessible to English and Chinese readers.

The Kaori Yuki Manga Moveable Feast has wound up, but Foxy Lady Ayame has an archive page up so you can check out any posts you missed.

The Manga Bookshelf team has a digital Pick of the Week this week.

Michelle Smith and Karen Peck have undertaken The CMX Project—that’s right, they are reading all those classic manga that CMX published back in the day. The latest selection: Minako Narita’s Cipher.

News from Japan: The historical manga Kingdom has won the 17th annual Osamu Tezuka Award; it’s just the latest in a string of historical manga to take the honor. Both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gantz will be wrapping up soon.

Reviews: Three Steps Over Japan reviews Sekai no Hatedomo Mangakaki, a travel manga by Thermae Romae creator Mari Yamazaki. The Manga Bookshelf team takes a quick look at some recent releases in their latest set of Bookshelf Briefs. Ash Brown closes the books on another week’s worth of manga reading.

Victoria Erica on vol. 1 of Attack on Titan (Anime Expo)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 5 of Bleach (Blogcritics)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 8 of Bunny Drop (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Matthew Cycyk on vols. 1-5 of The Flowers of Evil (Matt Talks About Manga)
A Library Girl on vol. 2 of Gamerz Heaven (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Grand Guignol Orchestra (Experiments in Manga)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 8 of Kamisama Kiss (Blogcritics)
TSOTE on vol. 12 of Moyashimon (Three Steps Over Japan)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 38 of Negima (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
TSOTE on vol. 1 of Sanshiro^2 (Three Steps Over Japan)
Derek Bown on the April 29 issue of Shonen Jump (Manga Bookshelf)
Helen on vol. 1 of Sugar Sugar Rune (Narrative Investigations)
TSOTE on vols. 5 and 6 of Tamashin (Three Steps Over Japan)
Anna N. on vol. 1 of Tiger & Bunny (Manga Report)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 7 of Tsubasa (Blogcritics)