Ben Applegate of Kodansha Comics had some announcements to make at Anime Boston this week: They will publish The Heroic Legend of Arslan, by Fullmetal Alchemist manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa, and they also announced a digital re-release of Mushishi. And that Attack on Titan: Colossal Edition will include 15 color pages that have never been collected in book form before; they only appeared in the magazine serialization.
License rescues! Well, sort of: Viz will be republishing Chibi Vampire and DN Angel in digital-only editions, available via their own digital service and e-book platforms. These two series were originally published by Tokyopop and Viz is using the Tokyopop translations. At the moment there are no plans to complete either series; there are two volumes of Chibi Vampire that were published in Japan but not in the U.S., and Viz has no plans to translate those. As for DN Angel, the creator left that series unfinished.
The Manga Bookshelf team discusses this week’s new releases.
Sean Gaffney takes a look at the new digital manga service Comic Walker.
Erica Friedman keeps us up to date with the latest edition of Yuri Network News.
A school board in Osaka Prefecture has removed Barefoot Gen from school libraries, at the behest of the mayor and over the protest of the school principals.
Jason Thompson devotes his latest House of 1000 Manga column to the works of Usamaru Furuya.
David Brothers writes about Shotaro Ishinomori and Cyborg 009 in the afterword to Archaia’s adaptation; this is a nice essay and a good introduction to the original.
Matt Emery at Sequential has a great interview with manga translator Kumar Sivasubramanian (Knights of Sidonia, Message to Adolf, Blade of the Immortal), who talks about how he got his first gig, how he approaches his work, and how page rates and demand have changed over the years. It’s an interesting insider’s take on the industry, sprinkled with fun anecdotes.
The first volume of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall tops the New York Times manga best-seller list.
It’s Manga Month at Diamond Previews, so Drawn and Quarterly pulls together a checklist of all their manga series.
News from Japan: Lots of farewells here: The long-running series Oh My Goddess is coming to an end. The 26th volume of The World God Only Knows will be the last. Btooom! is going into its final story arc. Feel Young has a new series by Yamaji Ebine. ANN has the latest Japanese comic rankings.
Reviews
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 9 of 07-Ghost (The Comic Book Bin)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Attack on Titan: Junior High (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 11 of Blue Exorcist (The Comic Book Bin)
AstroNerdBoy on vol. 23 of Hayate the Combat Butler (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Reviews)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 23 of Hayate the Combat Butler (I Reads You)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 2 of Judge (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of Midnight Secretary (The Comic Book Bin)
David Brothers on My Grandpa’s Stories Can’t Be This Weird (4thletter!)
Anna N on vol. 1 of One-Punch Man (Manga Report)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 16 of Oresama Teacher (The Comic Book Bin)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Phantom Thief Jeanne (Lesley’s Musings… on Manga)
Erica Friedman on vols. 3 and 4 of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Perfect Edition) (Okazu)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 1 of Ranma 1/2 (2-in-1 edition) (ANN)
Ash Brown on vol. 4 of Real (Experiments in Manga)
Lesley Aeschliman on the March 17 issue of Shonen Jump (Lesley’s Musings… on Manga)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 8 of Strobe Edge (Lesley’s Musings… on Manga)
Ken H on vol. 1 of Takasugi-San’s Obento (Comics Should Be Good)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 1 of Umineko When They Cry, Episode 3: Banquet of the Golden Witch (ANN)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of UQ Holder (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
David Brothers on World Trigger (4thletter!)