San Diego Comic-Con got rolling in earnest on Thursday, but there wasn’t a huge amount of manga news—we’ll probably see more today. The big story was the launch of the VIZManga.com online manga site, which syncs with their iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch apps and can be used on Android devices with a built-in web browser (which I would assume is all of them, but who knows). Manga is priced there, as on the apps, at $4.99 per volume, but they are giving a 40% discount on the first volume of every series through July 31. Calvin and Heidi have more on the new site at PWCW. On the blogs, David Welsh asks his readers which manga they would like to see on the website, and Lori Henderson applauds the move because it makes manga more widely available.
Square Enix got in on the web manga act a while ago, and they are offering a free volume 1 on their site as well; I posted all the details here yesterday.
And ANN has some early press on the JManga.com website, which will launch August 17 with a robust line of manga in English. Their panel is scheduled for 11 a.m., so we should get more details then.
Kodansha Comics had no new announcements at their panel but they highlighted some already announced series, including Sailor Moon, and reassured fans that a Facebook page and Twitter account are in the works.
Carlo Santos had some good coverage of the Manga: Lost in Translation panel at ANN, and Mike from Anime Diet liveblogged it as well.
In other news…
Erica Friedman kicks off her Magazine no Mori column at Manga Bookshelf with a look at Shounen Sunday.
News from Japan: The new manga magazine Monthly Hero’s will launch in October with a lineup that includes Ultraman.
Reviews: I reviewed Mameshiba on the Loose! at MTV Geek—it’s not exactly manga, but it’s from Viz and based on a Japanse property, and it’s pretty good, too. Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith discuss a stack of yaoi manga in their latest BL Bookrack column at Manga Bookshelf. Other reviews of note:
Chris Kirby on vol. 9 of Detroit Metal City (The Fandom Post)
Chris Kirby on vol. 3 of Genkaku Picasso (The Fandom Post)
Ed Sizemore on Ill-Fated Relationship (Comics Worth Reading)
Jocelyne Allen on vol. 2 of Kaze to Ki no Uta (Song of the Wind and Trees) (Brain vs. Book)
John Rose on vol. 1 of Kobato (The Fandom Post)
Kristin on vol. 3 of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (Comic Attack)
Sakura Eries on vol. 2 of Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura (The Fandom Post)
Julie Opipari on vol. 12 of Vampire Knight (Manga Maniac Cafe)
John Rose on vol. 1 of Zombie-Loan (The Fandom Post)