J-Comi launches English beta

Manga-ka Ken Akamatsu has pioneered online manga in Japan with his J-Comi site, and on Friday he announced a beta version for foreign languages, including English, as well as a Japanese and English iOS app, JReader.

Most people think of the late Jerry Robinson, who passed away this week, as the early Batman creator who helped come up with The Joker; thanks to Anime News Network for reminding us that he was also one of the creators of the sci-fi comedy manga Astra.

Lori Henderson has the list of this week’s all-ages comics and manga at Good Comics for Kids.

Lissa Pattillo notes that Digital Manga has shifted Starry☆Sky from their yaoi imprint June to their DMP line, which makes sense as the series is not a BL title.

Red River is the featured series in the latest of Jason Thompson’s House of 1000 Manga columns at ANN.

SLJ’s Rocco Staino interviewed Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima at NYCC.

Scott Green has a lengthy piece with lots of background information on Princess Knight, Sailor Moon, Codename Sailor V, and Gon, as well as critiques of all four, at Ain’t It Cool News.

Manga Bookshelf welcomes two new columnists: Angela Eastman, who will write a column titled Comic Conversion about graphic novel adaptations—she kicks it off with a look at Witch & Wizard—and Paul Beasi, who will write about Japanese games.

Also at Manga Bookshelf, Matt Blind takes a look at the best-selling manga via online bookstores for the week ending November 20.

JManga is offering a free gift to anyone who signs up for a monthly subscription between now and December 27: Volume 1 of Sherlock Holmes.

Vampire Hunter D artist Yoshitaka Amano will be a guest at Kawaii Kon in Honolulu next March.

If you can read French, Manganews has a nice interview with the late manga creator Shingo Araki.

News from Japan: Japan Airlines is partnering with Shogakukan to offer manga via seatback e-readers in its 787 Dreamliner flights, starting next year. The cooking manga Dashi Master has been put on indefinite hiatus following allegations that manga-ka Naotsugu Matsueda traced photos taken by others to depict foods, backgrounds, and other visual elements. Keisuke Itagaki, creator of the martial arts manga Baki the Grappler, has a new series, Shaman, launching in Weekly Manga Goraku magazine this week. Toko Kawai’s Shinzuku Hanabira Ringo no Kaori BL manga, which has been licensed by Viz, is coming to an end. Cross Game creator Mitsuru Adachi Professionals ranked their top manga choices for the Kono Manga ga Sugoi 2012 guidebook, and ANN has the results.

Reviews: Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith discuss a diverse quartet of recent manga in their latest Off the Shelf column at Manga Bookshelf. Connie looks at the Mitsukazu Mihara artbook Alice Addict at Slightly Biased Manga. Other reviews of note:

Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 16 of 20th Century Boys (I Reads You)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 17 of 20th Century Boys (The Comic Book Bin)
Connie on vol. 7 of Arata: The Legend (Slightly Biased Manga)
Carlo Santos on vol. 5 of Blue Exorcist (ANN)
Ash Brown on Breathe Deeply (Experiments in Manga)
Jocelyne Allen on vols. 1 and 2 of A Bride’s Story (Otoyomegatari) (Brain Vs. Book)
Connie on Finder Series 2: Cage in the Finder (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 1 of Fist of the North Star (Slightly Biased Manga)
Sweetpea616 on The Hour of the Mice (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Connie on vol. 2 of In the Walnut (Slightly Biased Manga)
Greg Laden on The Manga Guide to Relativity (Greg Laden’s Blog)
Chad Orzel on The Manga Guide to the Universe (Uncertain Principles)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 8 of Maoh: Juvenile Remix (The Comic Book Bin)
Erica Friedman on Megame Lily magazine (Okazu)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 2 of Monster Hunter Orage (ANN)
AstroNerdBoy on vol. 1 of Natsu no Arashi (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Connie on vol. 20 of Please Save My Earth (Slightly Biased Manga)
Erica Friedman on vol. 2 of Renai Joshika (Okazu)
Connie on vol. 4 of Sakura Hime (Slightly Biased Manga)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 7 of Soul Eater (The Fandom Post)
Kristin on vol. 13 of Vampire Knight (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Wonder (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Kris on Yakuza Cafe (Manic About Manga)

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