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With Anime Expo in the rearview mirror many new manga titles have been announced and Viz has a bunch, including new Mobile Suit Gundam and Dragon Ball titles and omnibus editions for some of their classic titles. Here’s the complete list:   New VIZ Signature Acquisition:   MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THUNDERBOLT · Available Fall 2016 […]

Arigato #rokudenashiko at #tcaf today! pic.twitter.com/EvfrJO83Jj — Shelley Savor (@shelleysavor) May 15, 2016 “Good for nothing” manko artist Rokudenashiko was the hit of TCAF and she’s in New York for a series of events. Tonights talk is sold out (DAMN IT ALL) but she’s also appearing at the Lady Tech Guild and at a Manko […]

Inio Asano's Goodnight Punpun is a surreal yet painfully relatable story of a boy who struggles to find love and some decent porn. It's the best known work of the manga artist who's been called "one of the voices of his generation" in Japan. And here's an exclusive preview of the book.

Titan Comics will publish an English translation of the Sherlock manga series. These comic books, adapted from the popular BBC television series, were originally published in Japan four years ago.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Jay, an illustrator, created the artwork. The release date for Sherlock: A Study In Pink has been scheduled for June 2016.

Here’s more from io9: “To make up for the fact that fan translations have been widely distributed in the four years since the manga released in Japan, Titan’s release will include an increased page count, new alternate covers, and bonus art from frequent Titan collaborator Alice X. Zhang. It will also be available in both physical and digital formats.” (via Comic Book Resources)

This is a book preview for FANTASY SPORTS #1 by Sam Bosma.  In Sam Bosma’s debut graphic novel, a young explorer and her musclebound friend…

Title: Planetes Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Kodansha (JP), Dark Horse Comics (US) Creator: Makoto Yukimura Serialized in: Weekly Morning Original Release Date: December 22, 2015 Review copy provided by the publisher I’ll admit that I wasn’t overly familiar with this story going in but from what I’d heard Planetes sounded like a series of loosely connected ... Read more

The post Manga Review: Planetes (Volume One) appeared first on Organization Anti-Social Geniuses.

Natsuki Takaya’s Fruits Basket was one of the greatest hits of the First Manga Era, with the English editions from TokyoPop one of the best selling manga of the time. The original was published from 1998 to 2006 in Japan and was turned into a successful anime as well. While ToykoPop's manga have been OP for five years, Yen Press knows a good thing when they see it and they're bringing back Fruits Basket in fully updated collector’s editions AND publishing more from Takaya’s list including her classic Twinkle Stars and her new Liselotte & Witch’s Forest.

Shigeru Mizuki, one of the all time great cartoonists of Japan (and the world) has passed away at age 93. Mizuki-sensei popularized the “yokai” monster genre with GeGeGe No Kitaro (to be reprinted early ext year by D&Q), as well as his award winningg Showa history of Japan. His latest work in the US is […]

In this week’s podcast, the More to Come Crew – The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald, Calvin Reid and Kate Fitzsimons – discuss the new Supergirl tv show and writing to appeal to female audiences, The New York Review of Books opening a comics publishing imprint, Attack On Titan and what its lack of American press […]

Some may have been perplexed by the "yaoi" element in last night's South Park episode but it's turns out that Trey Parker and Matt Stone were just ripping the lid off a long existing shocking secret about Craig and Tweek. Here's the startling truth!

It’s Halloween, so while you’re dressed up in your awesome cosplay, why not get new anime and manga to inspire your next costume? Amazon Amazon offers free shipping with Prime or on $35+. Dragon Ball Z Season 9 [Blu-ray] – $19.99 Fullmetal Alchemist: Complete Collection [Blu-ray] – $32.27 Is It Wrong to Try to Pick ... Read more

The post Anime & Manga Deals Roundup – Halloween Edition appeared first on Organization Anti-Social Geniuses.

So many Halloween comics are coming out this season. Here’s one that’s available as part of Halloween Comic Fest: BIRTH OF KITARO by Shigeru Mizuki, the origin story for Mizuki’s most popular character. Kitaro is a one eyed boy with strange powers—because he’s actually a 350-year-old yokai (spirit monster). While you may know Mizkui from […]

by Austin Lanari -- When "The Biggest Attack on Titan Manga Announcement Ever" panel was announced, including the likes of long-time and super-well-connected editor Jeanine Schaefer, the assumption was that some type of western comics homage to the best-selling Japanese manga was in the works. My personal guess was a miniseries or two from a couple of creators. The reality is much bigger than that.

Kodansha has released a teaser for their NYCC panel with artwork by Tomer Hanuka and it’s…awesome. Here’s the panel teaser: The Biggest Attack on Titan Manga Announcement Ever | New York Comic Con 2015: The Biggest Attack on Titan Manga Announcement Ever Thu. October 8| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Room 1A18 Kodansha Comics, […]

  You, me, and everyone into manga around 2006 should remember Death Note, the fantastic psychological thriller about a bored teenage genius outwitting the police and a reclusive detective as he reshapes the world one murder at a time.  Following the series’ conclusion, creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata went on to create the light-hearted Bakuman, […]

Digital manga—more available than ever before. Both Weekly Shonen Jump and Kodansha have just joined Comixology and the Kindle store. The digital Weekly Shonen Jump makes such favorites as One Piece, Bleach, Blue Exorcist available on the same day as the Japanese release throughout North America, the U.K., Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. […]

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

All of the sheikh stories I have been reading are starting to blend together. I think it’s time for a break, but there seem to be so many of them!  And I really did like the cover, so I jumped into The Desert Lord’s Bride with a great deal of anticipation.

Unfortunately, the plot was pretty forgettable.  I read this one night and I could barely remember any of the plot details the next morning! Shehab, the heir to the throne, is determined to con the newly discovered princess of a neighboring kingdom into marrying him.  That kind of makes her sound like a new species of flower or butterfly – unknown princess appears on the radar!  The whole marriage game is upended!  Which handsome prince can marry her and cement his place in the succession of his kingdom?  It wasn’t even as exciting as that.

Farah’s already turned down Shehab once, so he disguises himself and pretends to not be himself.  Farah is immediately drawn to him, then agrees to go out to dinner with him.  What she doesn’t realize when they hop on his private jet, is that they’ll actually be flying somewhere.  Uh, hello, what else would you do on a plane but fly it somewhere?  If I had been Farah, I would have put the brakes on when we pulled up in front of Shehab’s aircraft.  There would be no way I would get on a plane with a guy I had met an hour ago, but then again, I am to susceptible scary news stories about stranger danger, abductions, and murders.

To make things even more uncomfortable for me, Shehab whisks her away to his private island paradise, where they enjoy a multi-week vacation. I don’t have enough vacation days to miss that much time from work!  Apparently, princesses, whether they want to be royalty or not, don’t have to worry about mundane things like that. 

I thought Shehab was a bit creepy and stalkerish. He never seemed sincere in his pursuit of Farah, but then again, he wasn’t. He concealed his identity for almost the entire time and then ended up professing his undying love for her – I just didn’t buy it.  I liked the art, though, so the story wasn’t a total loss.

Grade:  C / C-

Review copy purchased from Amazon

“I promise to give you the best moment of your life,” whispers a beautiful, mysterious man after a passionate kiss. Those words make Farah throw all reason out the door. Career woman Farah is actually a desert princess, and had just found out that she is to be in an arranged marriage with a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Farah has always wanted to marry the man she falls in love with, and hoped that this man, who made her crazy, would be the one. Hot passion takes her over. Please, take me now! At that moment, the man’s eyes shine like a beast.

I bemoaned Kohei Horikoshi’s lack of success. Oumagadoki Zoo was a manga that had a solid 5 volume run, and once Barrage hit English Weekly Shonen Jump, I was thinking the sky’s the limit. That’s why I blogged it. …It ended in 16 chapters. Not everyone can trot out a One Piece or Naruto and ... Read more

The post Instant Analysis: My Hero Academia appeared first on Organization Anti-Social Geniuses.

You heard it folks - the creator of the sensational Berserk series, Kentaro Miura, is bringing his first new work in 20 years to Dark Horse (and the US) in 2016. No word on how long this story will be, but going by Miura's track record, you may want to reserve a shelf or 3 for this one.

Contains Spoilers

Review:

It’s been a while since I read the first two volumes of LIMIT, but I didn’t have any problems jumping back into the series again.  This is a survival story; a bus of high schoolers is headed to the mountains for a camping trip.  There’s a terrible accident, and the bus plunges off the road and down the mountainside.  There’s only a handful of survivors, and they are all girls.  Bickering and power struggles begin at once, and Morishige, the only one with a weapon, quickly takes charge.  Morishige has issues.  She has grudges against the other girls, and establishes herself as the leader of her battered, hungry, and terrified classmates.  When Isui changes to power dynamic by running off with Morishige’s scythe, there’s a rebellion against Morishige’s cruel leadership.

Things are pretty grim for our tiny group of survivors.  Usui has run off into the fog and hasn’t been seen since.  There’s only a little food to share, and Morishige is still trying to keep herself in control through threats and violence.  Since she doesn’t have her weapon anymore, that is only getting her so far.  She and Ichinose fight, bickering about how misguided Morishige’s behavior has been.  In a fit of rage, Morishige storms off.

In the morning, Konno goes off in search of Isui.  Weak and cold, she falls into a lake and almost drowns.  At the last minute, she’s saved!  By Hinata, who everyone thought was dead.  And boy am I glad he’s not, because I really like Hinata!  If I was stranded on a mountain with bleak prospects for rescue, I’d want to see his cheerful face.  Hinata is a force of positive thoughts and good vibes, and if anyone can make the impossible come true, I firmly believe it’s him.  Of course, his sudden resurrection doesn’t sit well with Morishige, especially after he calls her out for her previous “leadership” skills.  Morishige, getting back to her issues, has a real problem with males.  After a flashback to her dreadful homelife, one can’t help but understand where her lack of people skills stems from.  The victim of abuse, she doesn’t know how else to deal with her problems other than to strike out against them.

LIMIT is a very fast read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  It’s brutal, suspenseful, and creepy.  The dire situation isn’t bringing out the best in everyone, and in fact, the utter hopelessness is turning some of the cast into evil little monsters.  There’s very little one for all and all for one until Hinata shows up.  There’s a lot of self-destruction and back-stabbing, as well as resource hogging, because who wants to share when it means that you may not have enough to eat and starve to death?  Desperate times means really, really bad behavior! 

I love the art, which matches the tenor of the story perfectly.  It’s detailed and expressive, but also dark and brooding.  Moods change in an instant from hopeful to oh my gosh we are all going to die, and the art clearly reflects that.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by publisher

In the third volume of The Limit the survivors’ worst fears have come true. One of their members has fallen. And this death amongst them will test the limits of their unity. New fears will be born from this tragedy and instead of using their combined strength to search for a way home, their lack of trust will force them all to retreat into their own micro-cliques. The balance of power is now undone, and a new face-another survivor-will eventually turn things upside down!

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I am trying to get back into the swing of reading multi volume manga series again.  It has definitely gotten more difficult for me to maintain any level of enthusiasm when there is a wait of months, sometimes many, many months, between volumes.  When my favorite series go on hiatus, or get canceled by the US publisher, it breaks my heart.  I love comics, I get all caught up in the stories and the characters, and when all of that grinds to a premature halt, it stings.  I’m not a happy camper, and I’m reluctant to become invested in other series.  That’s one of the reasons I enjoy the Harlequin manga adaptations so much; it’s usually only volume and you’re done.  I was also burnt out on all of the series I had been following.  Now, though, I feel the urge to dip a toe back into the manga waters. I’d like to finish up some series that have concluded, and maybe test drive a few new ones.  Tokyo Ghoul looked interesting, so I decided to give it a spin.

This is the second volume that I’ve read.  The story is finally starting to pick up some momentum for me.  The world building is getting more complex, and Kaneki has more to worry about than how he’s going to keep himself fed.  The Ghoul Investigators are descending on the 20th Ward, searching for ghouls trying to blend into human society.  When Kaneki witnesses the brutal murder of a customer of the café he works at by the ghoul police, he is distraught over his sense of helplessness.  After Touka takes matters into her own hands, and fails to achieve the vengeance she sought, Kaneki asks her to show him how to use his kagune, or weapon.  While he still refuses to kill humans, at least he’ll be able to defend himself or his friends if they are attacked.

The investigators are a shady bunch, and Mado is one creepy dude.  It will be interesting to see how Kaneki and Touka keep from meeting an unpleasant end from them, because they are as ruthless as the ghouls.  The series is starting to click for me as Kaneki struggles to fit into both human and ghoul society.  He is so passive that I didn’t find him a compelling character at first, but now that he is determined to not be a doormat, I am hoping that he blossoms into a stronger individual.  I don’t have prior knowledge of this series, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

I am not overly wild about the art, maybe because so many of the characters are so unpleasant to look at. It does have a dark vibe that is perfect for the story, but it isn’t a favorite of mine.

Grade:  B-

Review copy provided by publisher

About the book:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

Unable to discard his humanity but equally unable to suppress his Ghoul hunger, Ken finds salvation in the kindness of friendly Ghouls who teach him how to pass as human and eat flesh humanely. But recent upheavals in Ghoul society attract the police like wolves to prey, and they don’t discriminate between conscientious and monstrous Ghouls.

Title: The Morose Mononokean Genre: Supernatural, slice of life Publisher: Square-Enix (JP), Crunchyroll (US) Artist/Writer: Kiri Wazawa Serialized in: Gangan Online Original Release Date: July 5, 2015 Crunchyroll is picking up more and more manga these days and they have a very nicely varied catalog by this point. There’s action, romance, and stories that cross the low-key feeling of a slice of ... Read more

Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the 205,000,000 copies in print Naruto comic, will be making an extremely rare appearance at this year's New York Comic Con with two special signings—one at Books Kinokuniya and one at the Tribeca outpost of Barnes and Noble. It's not only Kishimoto-sensei's first appearance in the US, it's also his first con appearance ever. And probably one of the few times he's left his house during the 18-year run of the international smash hit. We're kidding a little about the leaving the house bit, but as we've mentioned here many times in the past, manga creators can lead a pretty monastic lifestyle, even with the help of assistants. Since Naruto ended last year, he's been busy with various manga about Boruto, Naruto's son, and also writing the Naruto movie, but hopefully he's been enjoying some time off.

As we all know, Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan has been the shock trooper in the recent manga bounce back here in the US and Japan. A story from the Japanese language Eiga.com reported at ANN reveals AoT has 50 million copies in print worldwide , a healthy number of which 2.5 million copies are […]