MangaBlog

Today is the 63rd anniversary of the Hiroshima bombings, John Thomas reminds us, and he takes a look at two manga that deal with that event and its aftermath: Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms and Barefoot Gen.

The MangaCast team weighs in with their selections from this week’s new manga, and Ed has covers and commentary on the new titles from Viz.

Also Erin Finnegan posts cover images and lots of other info about the upcoming foodie manga Oishinbo.

Matt Blind presents the week’s manga rankings (online sales) at Rocket Bomber, and they are more readable now that he posts the top 10 and puts the rest behind a cut. Somehow 500 titles at once was just too much to digest.

I don’t usually cover anime, but I was interested to read about Scott’s VonSchilling’s experiment at Anime Almanac: He went a month without fansubs and found that there was plenty out there to see for not very much money.

Reviews: Sam Kusek gives vol. 3 of Fairy Tail an A at PopCultureShock’s Manga Recon blog. EvilOmar posts some brief manga reviews, including Aspirin Crayon Shinchan, and Me and the Devil Blues, at About Heroes. Lissa Pattillo reads Love Circumstances and Love Lesson, and D.M. Evans checks out vol. 5 of Wild Adapter, at Manga Jouhou. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie posts her take on vols. 16, 17, and 18 of Berserk, vol. 12 of Iron Wok Jan, vol. 35 of Dragon Ball, vol. 5 of Go Go Heaven, vol. 20 of Eyeshield 21, vol. 13 of Saint Seiya, vol. 8 of Click, and vol. 5 of Kashimashi.

I’m starting with this just because the art is so pretty: The Malaysian blog Voize interviews Kathryn Chong, whose manga Puppet Eyes was first runner-up in the latest Morning International Manga Competition. (Image from Chong’s deviantART page; click on it to see more.)

Secondly, everyone who posted an answer to my question about reading manga in bookstores vs. illicitly online gets an A. That provided a lot of food for thought. The kid in question is not mine, but I think I’ll suggest the library to her. I find that I can get quite a few manga via inter-library loan, but there are two problems: They tend to only have the earlier volumes, and they don’t have many of the more mature titles. John Thomas mentioned that Dark Horse donates manga to libraries, which is great, but my library still shelves most manga in the YA section, and even if they put it in the adult section, they may be wary of titles with graphic sex and violence.

Mark Crilley’s delightful Miki Falls is soon to be a major motion picture; Paramount and Brad Pitt’s production company have picked up the movie rights.

Here’s a great resource for parents, teachers, and librarians: Lori Henderson has listed all the currently available All Ages manga on a single page, with handy links to the publishers’ catalog pages. Lori also posts her thoughts on reading manga on the Nintendo.

Ed Chavez has the full menu of the upcoming food manga, Oishinbo, at the MangaCast.

Erica Friedman rounds up the yuri news of the week at Okazu.

ComiPress posts an informative history of Comiket.

ICv2 reports that the Dabel Brothers will produce manga versions of two Dark-Hunter novels by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Vampire manga? Who knew.

News from Japan: Comic Alive will launch two new game-based manga, Queen’s Blade and Chaos;HEAd. And because you can never have too much pastry porn, Natsumi Matsumoto, creator of St. Dragon Girl, is starting a new manga titled Yumi-Iro Pâtissière (Dream-Colored Pastry Chef) in Ribon magazine. (Art lifted from the ANN post.)

Reviews: Let’s start with two from The Comics Reporter: Tom Spurgeon reviews Tokyo Zombie and David Welsh weighs in on Yen+ magazine. I think David sums it up nicely:

The magazine has variety and it has heft, but it doesn’t yet possess the flashes of oddball brilliance that might keep a reader coming back.

New reviews are up at Comics Village: John Thomas on Tokyo Zombie, Sabrina on vol. 1 of The Gorgeous Life of Strawberry-Chan, Lori Henderson on vol. 11 of Nana and vol. 18 of One Piece, and Charles Tan on vol. 5 of Eyeshield 21 and vol. 2 of Gyo. Dan Grendell pulls on the Manga Zubon and posts short reviews of a number of titles at Comic Pants. Michelle Smith reviews vol. 1 of Slam Dunk at PopCultureShock. Dave Ferraro reviews kids’ title Cowa! at Comics-and-More. Continuing in the all-ages vein, Lori Henderson checks out The Palette of 12 Secret Colors at Manga Xanadu. Guest reviewer Jen has the lowdown on vol. 1 of Hidamari Sketch (Sunshine Sketch) at Okazu. At the Manga Maniac Cafe, Julie has Shirley, vol. 12 of Tail of the Moon, vol. 8 of Chibi-Vampire, and vol. 5 of I Hate You More Than Anyone! stacked on the table next to her. Kethylia reviews vol. 1 of A Wise Man Sleeps, vol. 1 of B.O.D.Y., and Caged Slave.

Here’s the hot skinny on the new licenses Viz announced at SDCC. 20th Century Boys FTW!

VIZ MEDIA PREVIEWS DRAMATIC NEW MANGA TITLES SET FOR RELEASE IN 2009

Eight Series Announced Including New Shojo Stories And Two New Award-Winning Titles From Creative Mastermind Naoki Urasawa

San Francisco, CA, August 4, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has provided a preview of a variety of compelling new manga titles set to debut under the VIZ SIGNATURE, VIZ MEDIA and SHOJO BEAT imprints in the first half of 2009.

VIZ SIGNATURE releases will include two new series from manga mastermind Naoki Urasawa, and include NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS and PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA, which offers a unique collaboration between Urasawa and manga titan Osamu Tezuka. New releases from the VIZ MEDIA imprint will include Shirow Miwa’s series DOGS and Mase Motoro’s IKIGAMI. Four new SHOJO BEAT series round out the first quarter releases and will feature Miki Aihara’s HONEY HUNT, Izumi Tsubaki’s THE MAGIC TOUCH, Aya Kanno’s OTOMEN and a new VIZBIG Edition of Miki Aihara’s acclaimed series HOT GIMMICK.

“MONSTER-creator Naoki Urasawa’s two new series, 20th CENTURY BOYS and PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA, which is based on Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga ASTRO BOY, show this master artist at the height of his powers. Those wondering what are the manga equivalents of WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS need look no further,” said Alvin Lu, Vice President, Publishing, VIZ Media. “In Japan, these two series are considered masterpieces of the form, along the lines of Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA and Takehiko Inoue’s VAGABOND. With our other new releases for 2009, we’re extremely excited this season to be presenting some of the absolute best the manga medium has to offer.”

NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS • Rated “T+” for Older Teens •
MSRP: $12.99 • February 2009
Considered by manga cognoscenti as one of the absolute masterpieces of the medium, NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS is this critically acclaimed creator’s magnum opus. A sprawling decades-spanning saga about a group of childhood friends who are mankind’s last hope against an apocalyptic religious cult, NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS combines elements of brain-bending science-fiction, Stephen King novels, Bob Dylan songs, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll to create one of the most addictive manga reads ever. Find out why this title may be one of the greatest comics of all time.

PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA • Rated “T” for Teens • MSRP: $12.99 •
February 2009
A darkly-lit science-fiction thriller set in a cybernetic future reminiscent of BLADE RUNNER and I, ROBOT, PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA takes a storyline from Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga ASTRO BOY and radically retrofits Tezuka’s space-age optimism for a more chaotic age. Somebody is out to kill the world’s most powerful robots—including Astro Boy! A cyborg detective must investigate the robot-murders and solve them, before they come after him. Serialized at the same time as NAOKI URASAWA’S 20TH CENTURY BOYS in Japan, PLUTO exhibits Urasawa’s narrative skills at the top of their form, taking the thrilling plot twists of MONSTER to a new level. As a radical reimagining of a classic comic character, PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA is to Astro Boy what THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS was to Batman.

THE MAGIC TOUCH • Rated “T” for Teens • MSRP: $8.99 • February 3, 2009
The star of her high school’s Massage Research Society club, Chiaki Togu is otherwise a normal, quiet girl until she falls in love at first sight with a gorgeous back – a back that happens to belong to Yosuke, the hottest guy at her school! Unfortunately, Chiaki’s attraction to Yosuke is thwarted by her own insecurity and the scheming of other girls – especially her twin sister Saya!

OTOMEN • Rated “T” for Teens • MSRP: $8.99 • Available: February 3, 2009
Asuka Masamune is the coolest, manliest guy in his whole school. He’s a kendo master and even excels in judo and karate…but he has a secret! He loves girly things – sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. Unfortunately, in a world where boys are expected to act manly, Asuka must hide his beloved hobbies and play the part of a masculine jock instead. Ryo Miyakozuka, on the other hand, is a girl who can’t sew or bake a cake to save her life. Asuka finds himself drawn to Ryo, but she likes only the manliest of men! Can Asuka ever show his true self to anyone, much less to the girl that he’s falling for? Find out in this new SHOJO BEAT manga series by Aya Kanno.

DOGS • Rated “M” for Mature Audiences • MSRP: $12.99 • April 14, 2009
Boasting furious action, switchback plotting, magnetic characters and dazzling art, Dogs tells the story of four individuals struggling to survive a dystopian urban future by gun and sword and courage and luck. Haine, the “Stray Dog”: a cipher of a young man with a mysterious metal collar bolted to his neck and a serious taste for mayhem. Badou: a hired gun for petty jobs legal and not, whose reckless façade hides a serious intent. Naoto: a preternaturally skilled swordswoman searching for the assassin who cut down her family and mentor. Mihai: a middle-aged former hitman, now trying live a quiet life but haunted by the deaths of his lover and protégé. Driven by their ghosts—both dead and alive—and a desire for truth, all are inexorably drawn to the “Underground,” the dark and dangerous sector below the city that holds all the secrets—but secrets that can only be had for a price.

IKIGAMI: THE ULTIMATE LIMIT • Rated “M” for Mature Audiences •
MSRP: $12.99 • May 12, 2009
“Dear Citizen: You’ve no doubt noticed that the world is a troubled place. People are apathetic, lazy, unmotivated. You’ve probably asked yourself: Why isn’t anything being done to stop this systematic decline? Well, you’ll be happy to know measures are being taken. We, your government, have decided society needs a wake-up call. So beginning today, we will randomly select a different citizen who will be killed within 24 hours of notification. We believe this will help remind all people how precious life is, and how important it is to be productive, active members of society…CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN RANDOMLY SELECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT…TO DIE IN 24 HOURS!”

HONEY HUNT • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $8.99 •
April 7, 2009
At last, the new series from HOT GIMMICK creator Miki Aihara! Life’s not easy when you’re living in the shadow of your famous parents. Can shy Yura, the daughter of an award-winning composer and a world-renowned actress, find the courage to step out on her own now that her super-celebrity parents are getting divorced? Find out in this new SHOJO BEAT series.

HOT GIMMICK VIZBIG EDITION • Rated “T+” for Older Teens • MSRP: $17.99 • March 17, 2009
A new omnibus edition bundling the first three volumes of the critically acclaimed manga series by Miki Aihara, HOT GIMMICK introduces readers to a company-owned rabbit-hutch apartment complex filled with tenants who can’t afford to live anywhere else. High-school girl Hatsumi Narita resides in this complex, which is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana’s bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs. Tachibana’s son, Ryoki, who used to bully Hatsumi as a kid, promises not to tell the world about Hatsumi’s secret, only if she becomes his slave. Suddenly Azusa, Hatsumi’s protector in their youth, reappears to save her again! He’s moving back into the neighborhood! Despite the budding romance between Hatsumi and Azusa, Ryoki has control over her through the secret that could ruin the lives of everyone in Hatsumi’s family, and he hasn’t forgotten who his slave is!

Rikki Simons has some bad news for Shutterbox fans: Tokyopop has cancelled the series, which he co-creates with wife Tavisha, although vol. 5 is complete. Simons is philosophical:

I know that this is an impossible thing to ask of the Internet’s denizens, but please don’t lash out at Tokyopop over this. That doesn’t help us or them. This is just the way publishing goes sometimes. We own our copyright and we have a termination clause and our manager is going over it with them. Tokyopop is responding very kindly and we have a sense that everything will work itself out in the end.

From this LJ post, it looks like the earlier volumes will be out of print as well, but presumably Rikki and Tavisha will find a new home for the series soon.

UPDATE: More bad news: Off*Beat, one of my favorite global titles, is on indefinite hiatus. (H/T: NarwhalTortellini.)

John Thomas has some good news and bad news for Dark Horse fans: Three series that people have been wondering about, Bride of the Water God, Shaman Warrior, and Translucent, will all be back, but not for another year. The delay is caused by a change in translators.

Sharpen your pencils! Dust off your Wacoms! Entries are now being accepted for the 3rd Morning International Manga Competition.

And maybe this will help: The Manga University folks have relaunched their website, and they have added a lot of new content, including drawing tutorials and a webcomic version of Moe U.S.A. Check out the preview of their super-cute Manga Cookbook as well.

Fanfare has landed another Jiro Taniguchi manga: Harukana Machi-e, to be retitled A Distant Neighborhood.

SDCC followups: A. E. Sparrow of IGN interviews Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima and Bleach manga-ka Tite Kubo and files a report on the Shonen Jump panel. Erin F. covers the Shojo Beat panel for Manga Recon. Deb Aoki posts her interview with Kubo at About.com. At the MangaCast, Ed Chavez has info and cover images for new releases from Bandai, CMX, Dark Horse, and Del Rey.

Reaching back a bit farther, Ed posts his Anime Expo con report on Go! Comi.

I’m going through my in-box and realized that I missed a couple of worthy stories, such as Sandra Scholes’ interview with translator Andrew Cunningham at Active Anime. Andrew talks about Death Note: Another Note and the work of the novelist Nisioisin. Also, The Wise Martian has an interesting post on portrayals of America in manga.

Here’s an interesting discussion of manga leechers who hang out in the bookstores and read manga for free all day. Different voices weigh in in comments. I don’t see much of this in my area, but one of my daughter’s friends admits doing it because she loves manga but has no money to buy it. Discussion question: Given that she’s not going to buy the books anyway, would it be an improvement to direct her to one of the many illicit free manga sites on the web, so at least she won’t be damaging books in the store?

Avid magazine reader Kowai Klack critiques Japanese shoujo manga magazines.

Tiamat’s Disciple thinks manga are getting sexier, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

News from Japan: Manga artist Fujio Akatsuka has died; Mainichi has a nice obituary ANN reports that Death Note creators Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Ohba are about to launch a new manga, Bakuman, and Arina Tanemura is working on a Gentlemen’s Alliance side story. Adam Stephanides takes a look at this month’s issue of Monthly Comic Beam, which sounds interesting and a bit different. At the MangaCast, Ed Chavez bids farewell to Young Sunday, which published its last issue last week, and he starts his Big List of August releases with the BL titles.

Reviews: Erin F. has a thorough review of the first issue of Yen+ at PopCultureShock. I dare you to get through it without laughing out loud. Erin’s Manga Recon colleagues post some mini-reviews of various manga as well. Writer Tanthalos reviews the one-shot BL title In the End at the Escapist Magazine forums and finds a lot to like. At The Star of Malaysia, Pauline Wong says vol. 2 of Sand Chronicles “may be the best shojo manga I have read so far this year.” Chris checks out vol. 1 of Kujibiki Unbalance at Super Hapy Anime Fun Time. The Anime Pulse podcast team reviews vol. 1 of Kujibiki Unbalance and all of Peach Girl. Leroy Douresseaux reviews an all-ages title, vol. 1 of Sugar Princess, at The Comic Book Bin. Jessica Severs posts a brief review of Samurai Champloo for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Tiamat’s Disciple has had a busy weekend, filing reviews of vol. 3 of Comic, vol. 2 of Forest of Gray City, vol. 5 of The Antique Gift Shop, vol. 3 of Legend, vols. 1-20 of Salary Man Kintaro, and vol. 2 of Goong: The Royal Palace. He also gives Go! Comi’s online game O-Play a try. Lissa Pattillo reads vol. 1 of Daemonium at Kuriousity. Ed Chavez has a podcast review of vol. 1 of Kamisama Kazoku up at the MangaCast.

Here are Del Rey’s latest press releases on their newest titles and the CLAMP fan guide. I’m not a big CLAMP fan, myself, but I am a big Shaenon Garrity fan (if you haven’t read her Overlooked Manga Festival posts, well, cancel your appointments and check them out), so I’m looking forward to it.

DEL REY MANGA ANNOUNCES NEW ACQUISITIONS FOR SUMMER 2009

NEW YORK, NY – August 1, 2008 – Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced last week one of their biggest titles for the Spring 2009 lineup, as well as several new acquisitions that will launch in Summer 2009. Among the new releases are a spin-off to one of Del Rey Manga’s bestselling series, new shôjo and supernatural titles, and a fantasy manga novel series featuring work from some of manga’s biggest superstars.

Del Rey Manga Associate Publisher Dallas Middaugh says, “To bring the new Negima manga to the U.S. is a big thrill for us, and we’re very excited about all of our releases this span. The manga we’re publishing are getting better and better all the time!”

MANGA

Ken Akamatsu’s Negima! Master Negi Magi was one of the four series released at the launch on the Del Rey Manga imprint in 2004, and 18 volumes later, the series continues to be a bestseller for the imprint. Del Rey Manga is proud to announce the acquisition of NEGIMA! NEO, a second series featuring the 10-year-old boy wizard and the girls of Mahora Academy. With the story and original concept by Akamatsu, and art by Takuya Fujima, NEGIMA! NEO reimagines the original Negima! storyline, and is an adaptation of the Negima! anime. Negi’s attention is back on finding his father, the famous Thousand Master. NEGIMA! NEO is set for release in April 2009.

Del Rey Manga’s newest shôjo acquisition is ORANGE PLANET, a romantic comedy by Haruka Fukushima. ORANGE PLANET goes deep into the twists and turns of a secret love triangle. With Rui in love for the first time with her dreamy classmate Kaoru—but Rui’s adorable best friend, the boy next door, is secretly in love with Rui. Throw in the good-looking teaching assistant who moves into Rui’s apartment and you’ve got a recipe for an addictive, hip and funny manga. Fukushima made her manga debut in 1999 in Japan’s Nakayoshi Magazine with her award-winning manga Sakuranbo Kiss. ORANGE PLANET will be released in May 2009.

Those looking for a twist on the typical supernatural story can look to YOKAI DOCTOR, a mystery series with laughs. In YOKAI DOCTOR, Yuki Sato’s American debut, the world is full of ghosts that can only be seen by the supernaturally gifted. Two of the gifted are an exorcist and a “Yokai Doctor”—a boy with the power to heal ghosts and monsters! YOKAI DOCTOR will be released in June 2009.

MANGA NOVELS

Written by Yoshiki Tanaka, SORYUDEN: THE NOVEL features cover art and interior illustrations by manga superstar collective CLAMP. An action-packed fantasy, SORYUDEN: THE NOVEL follows the four Ryudou brothers—who all have secret superpowers. Someone has discovered the boys’ secret, and plans to use their powers to take over the world. In the process of trying to save the world the Ryudou brothers discover a long-kept secret their grandfather had concealed to his death—they can transform into dragons who control the four elements! Yoshiki Tanaka is also the author of the popular Japanese science fiction novel, The Galactic Heroes.

Two of CLAMP’s most popular titles, Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC, were two of four series featured during the launch of the Del Rey Manga imprint in 2004. Del Rey Manga will also be publishing an original fan guide about CLAMP, called CLAMP IN AMERICA, in July 2009. SORYUDEN: THE NOVEL will hit stores in May 2009.

DEL REY MANGA TO PUBLISH FAN GUIDE ABOUT SUPERSTAR MANGA CREATOR COLLECTIVE CLAMP

Publication to coincide with CLAMP’s 20th anniversary in 2009

NEW YORK, NY – August 1, 2008 – Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group is pleased to announce a new collaborative project, CLAMP IN AMERICA—a one-of-a-kind fan guide about the popular manga creators and their influence in the United States.

2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the world-renown manga creators. CLAMP consists of four female artists, Igarashi Satsuki, Mokona, Nekoi Tsubaki, and Ohkawa Nanase, who have created some of the most memorable and unique characters and storylines in the manga world. Since their debut in Japan in 1989, CLAMP has become one of the single most recognized names in manga. CLAMP has also been at the spearhead of the current flux and rise in popularity of Japanese anime and manga in the US, with titles such as Magic Knight Rayearth, X, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles.

CLAMP IN AMERICA, an extensive one-volume work, will feature:

A history of CLAMP from their humble beginnings as doujinshi (fanzine) creators to international manga superstars;

A detailed guide to their work, from RG Veda to Tsubasa, and beyond;

Behind-the-scenes looks at how the members of CLAMP work, together and separately;

CLAMP’s part in the explosive success of manga in America, and the effect of their manga on U.S. distribution and marketing;

Their work with American publishers Tokyopop, Viz, Del Rey Manga and Dark Horse;

Their 2006 visit to America;

Interviews with the American manga creators they’ve influenced;

Interviews with the editors and publishers who have had the opportunity to work with CLAMP.
The launch of the Del Rey Manga imprint in 2004 included two CLAMP titles, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles and xxxHOLiC. Both titles continue to be among Del Rey Manga’s top bestselling series. Del Rey Manga Associate Publisher Dallas Middaugh helped make CLAMP IN AMERICA a reality.

“CLAMP was one of the greatest influences in the creation of the manga market in America, and it’s past time we took a closer look at how and why that happened,” says Middaugh. “On behalf of Del Rey Manga, I’m proud to be publishing this book and for the opportunity to work closely with CLAMP again.”

CLAMP IN AMERICA will be written by Shaenon Garrity, manga editor for Viz Media, award-winning webcartoonist and editor of the webcomics site ModernTales.com.

Yen announced this acquisition at SDCC and it caught my eye right away. It’s a Japanese manga based on a series of YA novels by an Irish writer. That really stretches the definition of global manga. And Yen is timing the U.S. release to coincide with the movie based on the books. Mr. Shan must be a happy guy. Read on for more details.

YEN PRESS TO PUBLISH MANGA ADAPTATION OF DARREN SHAN’S BESTSELLING SERIES –
CIRQUE DU FREAK

MANGA PUBLICATION TO COINCIDE WITH UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ 2009 MOVIE RELEASE OF THE SAME TITLE

NEW YORK, NY (July 31, 2008) — Yen Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, today announced that it will publish the first official English-language manga adaptations of the New York Times bestselling young adult series Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan. Jointly acquired from the Christopher Little Agency (UK) and Japanese publisher Shogakukan, the new editions will be adapted into English from the original versions created by Darren Shan and Takahiro Arai which have already sold over 7 million copies in the Japanese manga and prose forms. Brought to life in black and white illustrations, the compelling saga of a young boy’s journey into a dark world of vampires will be available at major bookstores and comic book retailers at $10.99 and is rated T (Teen).

Publication of the first three Cirque du Freak manga volumes will be coordinated around the release of the Cirque du Freak movie in 2009 by Universal Pictures. Directed by Paul Weitz, the film will star John C. Reilly, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, and Ken Watanabe. Subsequent manga volumes will release every three months.

“I absolutely LOVE the manga adaptation of Cirque du Freak!” exclaimed Darren Shan, creator of the twelve original novels published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (sister imprint under Hachette Book Group). “[Takahiro Arai] brings freshness and vitality to the story that sweeps readers along in a happy blur…This is more than a worthy companion piece to the books – it’s a great piece of story-telling in its own right. It’s Shantastic!”

“This has been a great opportunity for us to publish a manga edition of Cirque du Freak not only in Japan, but also in the United States,” said Takahiro Arai. “We are honored that our manga editions will help readers discover the wonderful story of Cirque du Freak. We put our heart and soul into making this book. Enjoy!”

Kurt Hassler, Co-Publisher of Yen Press, added, “Yen Press is thrilled to bring Shogakukan’s manga adaptation of Darren Shan’s bestselling series to North America. Arai’s take on the story is sure to attract both manga fans and long-time fans of the novels alike. 2009 is definitely shaping up to be the Year of the Freak!”

Yen Press is an imprint of Hachette Book Group USA dedicated to publishing graphic novels for adults and young readers. Yen Press’ focus is primarily on licensed manga, but also publishes across the wide spectrum of the graphic novel market, including, but not limited to: original manga publications, original American comics/graphic novels, webcomics, licensed adaptations, and children’s graphic novels.

Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Book Group’s product lines include adult, illustrated, religious, children’s and audio books under the Little, Brown and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, FaithWords, Center Street, Orbit, Yen Press and Hachette Book Group Digital Media imprints.