In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush in the wilderness of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it! Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.
(Publisher Description)
Golden Kamuy By Satoru Noda ISBN: 9781421594880 VIZ, 2017 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 22
At seventeen years of age, Miyamoto Musashi–still known by his childhood name, Shinmen Takezo–was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword.
In the aftermath of the epic Battle of Sekigahara, Takezo finds himself a fugitive survivor on the losing side of the war. Takez?’s vicious nature has made him an outcast even in his own village, and he is hunted down like an animal. At this crucial crossroads in Takez?’s life, an eccentric monk and a childhood friend are the only ones who can help him find his way.
(Publisher Description)
Vagabond By Takehiko Inoue ISBN: 9781421520544 VIZ, 2008 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 12 (Series complete)
Kurouzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but a pattern: UZUMAKI, the spiral—the hypnotic secret shape of the world. The bizarre masterpiece horror manga is now available all in a single volume. Fall into a whirlpool of terror!
(Publisher Description)
Uzumaki By Junji Ito ISBN: 9781421561325 VIZ, 2013 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+)
Shiro Kakei, lawyer by day and gourmand by night, lives with his boyfriend, Kenji Yabuki, an out-going salon stylist. While the pair navigate the personal and professional minefields of modern gay life, Kenji serves as enthusiastic taste-tester for Shiro’s wide and varied made-from-scratch meals.
(Publisher Description)
What Did You Eat Yesterday? By Fumi Yoshinaga ISBN: 9781939130389 Vertical, 2007 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 14
Calling upon his former governess, William Jones, gentleman, is startled when his knock is answered by an uncommonly beautiful servant, the soft-spoken Emma. Throughout his visit, William’s eyes drift to the maid whenever she enters the room, and he contrives to meet Emma socially as she goes about her errands. But London society is a web of strict codes and divisions. For the son of a wealthy merchant, seeking out a working-class girl is simply not done! William’s father plans for his son to marry into the peerage and elevate the Jones family to greater heights, but although William says and does what is expected of him, he longs only for Emma’s company…
(Publisher Description)
This title has not (yet) been reviewed by our staff, but it is a title that we highly recommend for the majority of libraries building collections for this age range.
Emma: A Victorian Romance By Kaoru Mori ISBN: 9780316302234 Yen Press, 2015 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 10 (Series complete)
In Edo period Japan, a strange new disease called the Redface Pox has begun to prey on the country’s men. Within eighty years of the first outbreak, the male population has fallen by seventy-five percent. Women have taken on all the roles traditionally granted to men, even that of the shogun. The men, precious providers of life, are carefully protected. And the most beautiful of the men are sent to serve in the shogun’s Inner Chamber…
(Publisher Description)
Ôoku: The Inner Chambers By Fumi Yoshinaga ISBN: 9781421527475 VIZ, 2009 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 18
He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day he walked away from it all to travel another path—the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this cozy yakuza comedy!
(Publisher Description)
Way of the Househusband By Kousouke Ono ISBN: 9781974709403 VIZ, 2019 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 5
Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren’t for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a group of boys who try to save the world.
(Publisher Description)
This title has not (yet) been reviewed by our staff, but it is a title that we highly recommend for the majority of libraries building collections for this age range.
20th Century Boys By Naoki Urasawa ISBN: 9781421599618 VIZ, 2018 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 11 (Series complete)
In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born to women who’d previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, “To save the world.”
These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again.
(Publisher Description)
This title has not (yet) been reviewed by our staff, but it is a title that we highly recommend for the majority of libraries building collections for this age range.
Umbrella Academy By Gerard Way Art By Gabriel Bá ISBN: 9781506715476 Dark Horse, 2019 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Volumes available: 4
An innovative, dramatic graphic novel about the treacherous pursuit of the foundations of mathematics. This graphic novel recounts the spiritual odyssey of philosopher Bertrand Russell. In his agonized search for absolute truth, he crosses paths with thinkers like Gottlob Frege, David Hilbert & Kurt Gödel, & finds a passionate student in Ludwig Wittgenstein. But his most ambitious goal—to establish unshakable logical foundations of mathematics—continues to loom before him. Thru love & hate, peace & war, he persists in the mission threatening to claim both his career & happiness, finally driving him to the brink of insanity.
This story is at the same time a historical novel & an accessible explication of some of the biggest ideas of mathematics & modern philosophy. With rich characterizations & atmospheric artwork, it spins the pursuit of such ideas into a satisfying tale. Probing, layered, the book throws light on Russell’s inner struggles while setting them in the context of the timeless questions he tried to answer. At its heart, Logicomix is a story about the conflict between ideal rationality & the flawed fabric of reality.
(Publisher Description)
This title has not (yet) been reviewed by our staff, but it is a title that we highly recommend for the majority of libraries building collections for this age range.
Logicomix By Apostolos Doxiadis Christos H. Papadimitriou Art By Alecos Papadatos Annie Di Donna ISBN: 9781596914520 Bloomsbury, 2009 NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+)
In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush in the wilderness of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it! Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.
