Welcome to a brand new feature here at No Flying No Tights, Opposing ReViewpoints.
It’s important, as reviewers and collection builders, to acknowledge our own biases and work to maintain balanced selections. That doesn’t mean we don’t have those titles we can’t like, and get a tiny bit of glee out of sharing those dislikes. We all acknowledge, in this discussion, that the titles and creators mentioned have merit for many readers. They just didn’t work for us.
In our Opposing ReViewpoints series, we at NFNT will be duking it out (verbally, only occasionally physically) over titles, creators, and other comics issues. Our staff will take sides: hate or love, offense or defense. Since it’s comics, everyone, no matter how open-minded, has that one thing that just irks them (flames, flames on the side of my face!), we hope this will be an entertaining forum for critiquing the format and acknowledging just how subjective reading and reviewing can be.
In our first installment, I invited the entire staff to chime in with a basic example: the book or series they hated that everyone else loved.
TOON Books and The Stone Frog
Jennifer W.: I am not an unadulterated fan of TOON books. I love the idea and they’ve done some great things for comics, especially for beginning readers, but many of their books seem to sacrifice story to art. I particularly disliked Stone Frog, their foray into graphics for middle grade. It received generally positive reviews and I’ve had some vigorous arguments with people about it. People seem to like the complexity of the art, but I feel it lacks in child-appeal – and that goes for many of TOON’s titles, which have significantly lower circulation numbers than most easy readers.
If you haven’t read it, Stone Frog is a dream-like blend of Alice in Wonderland and Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend with intricate black and white illustrations and a sometimes marvelous, often terrifying dream landscape that combines to create a new adventure that is firmly rooted in classic children’s literature.
Unfortunately, I can’t think of a single child who’d be interested in reading this. It’s about a beginning chapter level, very simple dialogue, old-fashioned clothes and behavior, some very frightening images, and the whole “dream fantasy” plot is rather cliche.
Tiny Titans
Snow: My quibble with Tiny Titans is also appeal-related. I don’t doubt that the comic attracts kids, particularly because of the adorable art. And I’m sure they think the comics are silly. Why are those crazy characters doing those crazy things? But therein lies the problem: it’s not a comic for folks (of any age) who don’t know the entire DC Universe backstory. Too many of the jokes depend upon the reader knowing about various “crises” or different incarnations of characters and stuff like that. Tiny Titans is a comic for devoted fans to buy and maybe share with their kids, not a comic to get readers hooked on American superheroes. I’d rather see DC (and Marvel) spend the time and effort to create comics for kids that introduce their characters in a kid appropriate fashion. They give kids tons of opportunities to buy shirts and toys and a ton of other stuff with their characters’ images on them. Why can’t they create some actual comic books at the same time? Isn’t that why a comic book company exists?
Okay, so my rant might be more about the availability of superhero titles for kids from the big two. But I’m sick of folks saying, “But Tiny Titans is for kids!” No, it’s for fans, and it’s appropriate for kids. There’s a difference.
Jennifer W.: I definitely agree Snow. I found Tiny Titans mildly amusing (even though I know very little of the universe) but I didn’t purchase it for the library because my patrons aren’t really interested in that type of comic – they want “real” stories about the superheroes they love, like Batman the Brave and the Bold! But they’re all 6-8 years old. Sigh.
Sword Art Online
Jessikah: Everyone seems to applaud Sword Art Online (SAO) for the story, the depth of the characters, and the darker psychological elements.
Here’s my beef. I like the idea of SAO. People all around the world are playing a multiplayer online role-playing game, and suddenly their minds are trapped in the world. Disconnecting could kill them! I especially liked it the first time when it was called .hack//Sign. Seriously. .hack//Sign isn’t that old of a series. Do people not realize that SAO is basically the same plot?
But, I digress: similar scenarios between anime series isn’t all that uncommon. My real issue is that I felt SAO did nothing to improve upon the ground had .hack//Sign covered. Sure, SAO is super pretty and all, but I didn’t find the characters to be all that intriguing. The protagonist, Kirito, felt kind of dull, and in the spirit of a cliche harem anime, every girl he runs meets falls in love with him! Eventually he develops a meaningful relationship with a girl called Asuna who is far more interesting than Kirito himself. By the 13th episode, the story in SAO is seemingly wrapped up in a haphazard manner, but then you find out that it’s not actually freaking over yet! Basically there is a whole other half season and this time, they turn Asuna into a damsel in distress! Why? Maybe if the original story was drawn out across these episodes, the motivation of the (first) villain would not have felt so contrived, and the characters could have been better developed. I felt that failed to live up to the precedent set by its big sister, which kept plot twists coming up until the very last scene.
Attack on Titan
Allen: I’ve got beef with Attack on Titan. At first, I think the show does a BRILLIANT job of conveying the terror and sheer horror of a population having their world turned upside down by the invading Titan. Eren’s rage is palpable and understandable (if a bit over the top) and the method of fighting Titans is pretty damn cool. It’s like Spider-Man but with swords!
What really kills the show is the twist. SPOILER WARNING!!!
(Having Eren turn into a Titan was pretty weak and infuriating to me. The show ceased being about the challenge of humanity and how they will respond in the face of apocalyptic horror and turns into a fight between monsters. I have yet to finish it, but the twist really sucked the wind out from the sails.)
Jessikah: Allen, I did enjoy AOT, but I totally agree with you. I almost quit after that happened. I was so angry, I refused to pick it back up. Then curiosity got the best of me.
My Boyfriend is a Monster Book #3 (My Boyfriend Bites)
Andrew: Yes, clearly I was not the intended audience for this book, but I read the first one and thought it was actually pretty decent as it tossed out some of the horrid cliched stereotypes, such as the female lead being dependent upon the guy. Instead in the first book we had a female lead that was a star athlete, star student, well respected and could handle her own. I had thought (mistakenly as it turns out) that the series would follow that couple along. Instead, they did one offs showing different “monsters” and the third one, of course, is vampire related.
And maybe, maybe I should have stopped at the vampire part, but I figured I had started reading it, I should at least give it a try. Instead I read a book that made my brain hurt from the sheer insanity of events that happen. A good fantasy book that’s set in a recognizable realistic universe, like this one tries to be, has a good balance of both elements. In this one Jean-Paul, the “vampire” saves the female lead when she falls into an empty elevator shaft…by jumping down and landing before her and catching her. And I can get that. And I can kinda stretch my brain to see him stopping the falling elevator. My brain breaks when the walls collapse on top of the elevator…and he’s still able to hold it. And then it only takes two hours for rescue crews to get them out and let them leave…even though clearly what he did was beyond weird. And that they were going to take an elevator down in a two story building even though they walked up the stairs to begin with. And the female lead doesn’t figure there’s something weird with the dude for being able to hold up an elevator?? It takes her another chapter before she goes “Hey…maybe he’s not human.” Basically it felt like a really, really, really bad B movie that had gone awry and they just went “eh…we’ll just keep going.”
But everyone else that reviewed it seems to love it!
Jennifer W.: Heh. I love that series, but only specific ones. The vampire one…uh, no. Some of them the plots are really strained and I felt that the quality of the artwork really varied. The first two are my personal favorites.
Jeffrey Brown’s autobiographical comics
Thomas: Any time Jeffrey Brown writes about his own life, I want serial killers to appear in his book and end the story.
Don’t get me wrong, Brown’s proven over the course of multiple books and genres that he can flex his humor and creativity, as in the Star Wars books. His autobiographical works, however, are as aimless and shoegazing as a wordless “mumblecore” movie. I read Every Girl Is The End of The World For Me and A Matter of Life and dread the thought that the rest of his growing catalog might be just as dull. Maybe I’m reading his books incorrectly or don’t have a properly calibrated sense of humanity, but his sad-sack earnestness and white-bread existence only take the plot so far before I get impatient with watching him live a painfully ordinary life.
How far can emotional nuance get stretched before it’s just a monotone signal, signifying nothing?
The Walking Dead
Jessikah: I know everyone loves The Walking Dead, but it just bores me to tears. People are always talking about the characters, their interaction, the story, etc. I believe that they all really find these things worthy. I’ve tried to give it another shot, but the only emotion I get out of reading it is, “Meh”. I really wish I didn’t feel this way, because I constantly hear friends and colleagues discussing it, and get that distinct memory of how I felt as a child when I was too sick to go to a birthday party. Everyone else is having a good time with it, dammit!
Allen: I don’t blame you on that, Jessikah. For the comic, I was pretty much done with the whole thing around the time the characters found themselves in DC. I really liked it at first because the characters were interesting and I liked the idea of an ongoing zombie adventure. Problem is, it gets rote real fast. As for the TV show, I wish I stopped before season 3.
Thomas: The series is often sold on the notion that it depicts what surviving a zombie apocalypse would *really* require, but the story became, as Allen said, rote. I stuck with the series, partially because the hardcover editions were so nice to read, and the series had its ups and downs as it went, but the main villain who eventually replaced the Governor as the “big bad” was so over the top and juvenile I had to quit. For the record, it was hardcover book nine that broke me, which included the polarizing issue #100.
Andrew: I enjoyed the first few issues of The Walking Dead because it was different, or at least different enough for me for a time. It reminded me of one of my favorite sci-fi stories, The Day of the Triffids which looks at surviving the apocalypse after living plants wipe out humanity. And those first few issues captured that pretty well…but after that…it was just so much of the same and dystopia type future that I keep seeing that it just became dull and boring to me. The Gutters webcomic did a strip about it that sums up how I feel about it pretty well.
Garrett: I’m not a huge fan of horror in general, and I really don’t like zombies in particular. Already, the series had two strikes against it as far as I was concerned when I started reading it, but I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because I was really enjoying Invincible.
I got through book 5 of the skinny trades, and I just couldn’t be bothered to purchase any more. I think my problems with the series mostly stem from my complete disregard for the use of zombies. I think that zombies have utterly ceased to be useful for representing anything anymore…they are tired, overdone, and have long since overstepped their roots in symbolizing capitalist consumerism or anything else remotely analogous to metaphor. As far as I’m concerned, they have become nothing better than disaster porn that lacks anything sympathetic about the nature of the destruction. If you look at Godzilla, for example, you see a creature that is capable of emotion despite being a force of nature. With zombies, they might as well just be a another earthquake or something. I do not find anything interesting about them, at all. I saw a trailer for some ridiculous super-storm movie (I can’t even remember the name) at the theater for X-Men and zombies might as well be the exact same thing. With The Walking Dead specifically, I also simply grew weary with the story. It’s all grim, all the time, and while I understand that grim is a big part of horror, I just can’t get behind following a story so non-stop fraught with peril. The plotting and the dialogue became a bit juvenile for me, and that’s an argument I have with Invincible as well…they seem to have irrevocably moved into soap opera territory and that bores me to tears.
Nana
Jessikah: I started off enjoying it as it was a shoujo manga with a punk rock edge. As people suggested I might, I really dug the art work and the characters. Then they all started making insanely awful choices, and acting like flakes! And it kept getting worse! I wanted to scream at both Nanas through the pages. There was a point when I literally (not even joking here) threw the book across the room in frustration. After that I stopped. I actually was emotionally invested in the story, but I couldn’t stomach it anymore. That was a huge disappointment to me.
Frank Quitely
Robin: I’ll finish this installment. Those who have spoken to me know already that I just really, really cannot stand the way that Frank Quitely draws people. There are many admirable things about the man’s work, from his pacing to his panel layout to his perspectives. All good. And yet, I cannot help but cringe when I see his character designs.
This really punched me in the gut when I was reading Warren Ellis’s The Authority, way back in 2000 (and now I feel especially old.) I adored the whole package, from Ellis’s writing to the elegant art crafted by penciler from Bryan Hitch. Then in came Frank Quitely (and Mark Millar on writing) and…I almost had to give the series up.
We went from this:
To this:
And, as an example, Apollo and Midnighter went from looking like this:
To this:
Always with the heavy jaws and creases around the mouth and heavy, heavy limbs. Don’t get me started on how frightening the women look.
I’ve warned new comics readers, when diving in to traditional superhero comics, they need to be prepared for the fact that the writers and artists will change. It’s especially unsettling to those who are used to media (manga, television) that rarely if ever change the basic look of characters. It’s a bit like watching your favorite TV show, and then suddenly, mid-season, the showrunners swap out all the actors for folks who look a lot like the original cast of characters but are not actually the same people. This can happen with the writing, too, but we’re all more used to writing shifting over the course of serials. Art, on the other hand, causes much more of a gut reaction.
What do you think?
Come on, share with us your deepest, darkest criticisms. There has yet to be a list that no one wants to argue about. Bring it.
Highlights from the past week, with commentary from the NFNT gang:
Deltora Quest – The Complete Series (New Video Group)
Jessikah: I am pleased to see the Deltora Quest anime listed here. I’ve been wanting to check it out, since it might be a child friendly series for my department’s DVD shelves. It already has a built in audience with Deltora fans.
God is Dead Volume 1 (Avatar, 9781592912292)
Andrew S: “God is Dead” caught my eye because I’ve really enjoyed Jonathan Hickman’s writing in the other series that he’s done and the idea of the gods coming back to earth is just one of those concepts that has always interested me. I can’t wait to see how Hickman handles it.
Hellboy in Hell Volume 1: Descent (Dark Horse, 9781616554446)
Andrew S: “Hellboy in Hell” is one of the books I’ve looked forward to for quite some time now. I’ve always enjoyed the Hellboy series and I’ve been really interested to see how Mike Mignola was going to handle Hellboy being back at home given that he’s a protector instead of a being of destruction. Can’t wait to read it.
JSA Omnibus Volume 1 (DC, 9781401247614)
Thomas: The JSA Omnibus is irresistible to me, especially after the early James Robinson issues were added.
She-Hulk by Dan Slott: the Complete Collection Volume 2 (Marvel, 9780785154709)
Renata: So excited for She-Hulk Vol 2! I know it’s a few years old, but I only started reading the series after the first TPB was released and I LOVED it. So funny and I love the courtroom drama aspect of it.
Thomas: I’m currently reading through the first She-Hulk trade and pacing myself so that it’s not over too soon.
This One Summer (First Second, 9781596437746)
Andrew S: “This one summer” from First Second is one of the best graphic novels of the year, hands down. Mariko has crafted a story that has the ring of authenticity, that we’re really watching kids on the street over the course of the summer. And Jillian’s artwork is stunning with a two tone color palette that captures the intensity and chaos of growing up.
Tessa: Second the excitement for This One Summer!
AND NOW FOR THE COMPLETE LIST
The following list of new releases is compiled from Diamond Comic Distributors’ complete weekly shipping list and Anime News Network’s Releases encyclopedia
Graphic Novels
Abrams
KYLE BAKER NAT TURNER SC NEW PTG
Action Lab
PRINCELESS SHORT STORIES TP VOL 01
Antarctic Press
GOLD DIGGER TECH MANUAL TP
Arcana
WORTH HC
Archie Comics
ARCHIE 1000 PG COMICS BONANZA TP
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ARCHIVES TP VOL 02 NEW PTG
Avatar
GOD IS DEAD TP VOL 01
BOOM! Studios
ADVENTURE TIME CANDY CAPERS TP VOL 01
HEROBEAR AND KID TP VOL 01 INHERITANCE
RUST HC VOL 03 DEATH OF ROCKET BOY
Broadsword Comics
SCHOOL BITES GN EASTER BUNDLE
Cinebook
DARWINS DIARIES GN VOL 01 EYE OF CELTS
DARWINS DIARIES GN VOL 03 DUAL NATURE
IZNOGOUD GN VOL 06 MAGIC CARPET
IZNOGOUD GN VOL 07 INFAMOUS
LAMENT OF THE LOST MOORS GN VOL 02 BLACKMORE
PANDORA BOX GN VOL 03 GLUTTONY
Dark Horse
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL TP VOL 29 BEYOND GOOD & EVIL
HELLBOY IN HELL TP VOL 01 DESCENT
MANDALA TP
SAMURAI EXECUTIONER OMNIBUS TP VOL 01
DC Comics
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN BATMAN HC VOL 02
AQUAMAN HC VOL 04 DEATH OF A KING
AQUAMAN TP VOL 03 THRONE OF ATLANTIS
ARROW TP VOL 02
AUTHORITY TP VOL 01
BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT TP VOL 02
COFFIN HILL TP VOL 01 FOREST OF THE NIGHT
JSA OMNIBUS HC VOL 01
SPECTRE TP VOL 01 CRIMES AND JUDGEMENTS
SUPERMAN MAN OF TOMORROW ARCHIVES HC VOL 03
Disney
FRANKENWEENIE GN
SPACE MOUNTAIN GN
Fantagraphics
ROY CRANE BUZ SAWYER HC VOL 03 TYPHOONS HONEYMOONS
First Second
ANDRE THE GIANT LIFE & LEGEND GN
THIS ONE SUMMER
Harper Collins
BIG NATE MR POPULARITY TP
IDW
BEN 10 TP VOL 01
DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON & JUNGLE JIM HC VOL 04
JACK KIRBY NEW GODS ARTIST ED HC
JUDGE DREDD (IDW) TP VOL 04
JUDGE DREDD CLASSICS HC VOL 01 APOCALYPSE WAR
RED STAR TREASURY ED
TMNT CLASSICS TP VOL 08
TRANSFORMERS REGENERATION ONE TP VOL 04
Image
MANIFEST DESTINY TP VOL 01
TALES FROM THE CON YEAR ONE
Kodansha
FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 38
MONSTER SOUL GN VOL 01
SEVEN DEADLY SINS GN VOL 02
SHERLOCK BONES GN VOL 05
Marvel
AGE OF ULTRON COMPANION TP
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP PETER PARKER ONE AND ONLY
HULK BY JEPH LOEB TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 02
IRON MAN PREM HC VOL 04 IRON METROPOLITAN
MARVEL KNIGHTS X-MEN TP HAUNTED
MMW DAREDEVIL HC VOL 08
SHE-HULK BY SLOTT TP VOL 02 COMPLETE COLLECTION
TWELVE TP COMPLETE SERIES
One Peace Books
WHISPERED WORDS GN VOL 01
Oni
COURTNEY CRUMRIN SPEC ED HC VOL 05
POWER LUNCH HC VOL 02
Papercutz
LEGO LEGENDS OF CHIMA VOL 01 HIGH RISK
Seven Seas Entertainment
ALICE I/T COUNTRY OF HEARTS LOVE LABYRINTH OF THORNS GN
MAYO CHICKI GN VOL 06
MONSTER MUSUME GN VOL 03
ZEROS FAMILIAR CHEVALIER GN VOL 01
Titan
BURNE HOGARTH TARZAN HC VOL 01 IN THE CITY OF GOLD
Valiant
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG DLX HC VOL 01
Vertical
FROM THE NEW WORLD GN VOL 04
Viz
07 GHOST GN VOL 10
Witch House Media
TRANSREALITY GN
Anime
Funimation
Dragon Ball Z – Season Four
Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends NEXT
New Video Group
Deltora Quest – the Complete Series
Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 5 Volume 1
Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 5 Volume 2
Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 5 Volume 3
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Official Fifth Season
Sentai
The Book of Bantorra – Complete Collection
Keep in mind that titles are not always available from book vendors on the same dates as they are released in comic book stores, so not all of these will be available everywhere at the same time. Check with your vendors, just to be sure!
Classic Fantastic is our series of features on the classics of the format — check out our other picks for the most important titles in terms of appeal, innovation, and storytelling, which every library should own.
What’s it about?
Cowboy Bebop is an anime series that presents the exploits of intergalactic bounty hunters as they venture throughout Earth’s planetary colonies in search of wanted criminals and other unsavory individuals. Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine make up the crew of the Bebop, a weathered but dependable spaceship that serves as home for these space-faring guns for hire. They are assisted by Edward, an aloof master hacker, and a hyper intelligent Welsh corgi named Ein. Together, this ragtag band of mercenaries bounce around through space looking for work to satiate their empty bellies and bank accounts.
Notable notes
Cowboy Bebop earned its reputation as a critically acclaimed series because it showcases the depth and complexity of the main cast, building a fascinating and well developed world that these characters live in, and wrapping the experience together with a memorable soundtrack performed by a live jazz group. Each of these individual elements come together quite nicely, giving the show a significant amount of charm and a distinct identity.
The heroes and villains of Cowboy Bebop stand out as their individual beliefs and values are put to the test through a multitude of challenges that define their personalities. Out of the entire crew of the Bebop, Spike, Jet, and Faye prove to be the show’s most interesting characters. They are united by their own personal tragedies and shady histories. Each of them bring to the table a past that has left them emotionally, or in some cases, physically scarred and broken. Painful as those injuries are, it is those experiences that define them. Jet, an ex-cop who was injured in the line of duty by corrupt officers, has become a jack of all trades and near master of all. He uses his skills as a former cop to track down bounties, shows exceptional skill in games of strategy, and has a passion for bonsai. Faye Valentine, a femme fatale and amnesiac, lives a conflicted lifestyle. She is desperate for money in order to pay off a massive debt but has developed a gambling addiction, causing her to throw away reward money faster than she can earn it. Spike Spiegel, emerging as the real star of the show, is prone to laziness and chooses to ignore bounty opportunities that don’t interest him. An expert in gun warfare and martial arts, Spike has a tendency to be incredibly cocky, though his proficiency in combat has earned him that right. Spike is a true man of mystery, and very little is known about his past until he is forced to confront it. Coping with one’s past is a major theme in Cowboy Bebop. Faye is the only character who actively tries to find out what happened to her while Jet and Spike are comfortable to let sleeping dogs lie—that is, until they are forced into situations that reacquaint them with old ghosts.
The universe that Jet, Spike, Faye, Edward, and Ein play in is just as interesting as the characters themselves. Set in the distant future, mankind has moved away from Earth out of necessity. Earth has been battered and bruised after a hyperspace gate located near the moon malfunctions and explodes. Colonizing the solar system’s inner planets, humans live on in a new civilization that bears similarities to Joss Whedon’s Firefly television series. Although humans have mastered faster-than-light travel, they still use automobiles to get around and shoot at each other with standard firearms. Planets and moons closest to Mars are modern, comfortable, and technologically advanced while frontier worlds are governed by the old world sensibilities of the Wild West. Bounty hunters are colloquially known as “cowboys” who regularly tune into “Big Shot,” a light hearted, Western-themed version of America’s Most Wanted starring slick cowboy Punch and cute cowgirl Judy. Throughout the show, there is attention to every type of person trying to eke out an existence, from criminal syndicate enforcers to blue collar space truckers, giving the show’s universe a genuine “lived in” feeling.
No discussion of Cowboy Bebop is complete without addressing its soundtrack. Though the characters and world building drive the series forward, the music by Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts gives it heart, soul, and a high sense of style. The music of Cowboy Bebop employs a variety of different musical styles, most notably blues and jazz as well as subgenres including bebop and fusion. In any anime series, there is much consideration for the opening and closing credits and the songs produced for both. I normally skip them after the first time, but not so with Cowboy Bebop. The music is so well done, so incredibly produced that it can easily be enjoyed by itself, making the purchase of the show’s numerous soundtracks a wise investment.
Significance
Cowboy Bebop remains one of the most popular anime series of all time, having earned top honors in many “Best Of” and “Top 10” lists from numerous print and online sources. The show ranked second in Newtype USA’s 2004 Top 25 Anime Of All Time and earned recognition in the 1999 and 2000 Anime Grand Prix awards. The success of Cowboy Bebop spawned a short-lived manga series, a feature film and video game. Besides its critical accolades, the influence of Shinichiro Watanabe’s slick direction has carried over into his other productions, Samurai Champloo and, more recently, Space Dandy.
Appeal
Cowboy Bebop is the perfect gateway show for those looking to break into the world of Japanese animation as it is readily accessible and lacks some of the more notorious elements the format is known for. The show relies heavily on high quality animation, thoughtful storytelling, and deep, complex characters while simultaneously avoiding gratuitous violence and sexuality.
Why should you own this?
Cowboy Bebop has withstood the test of time, becoming the genre’s most talked about and revered television series and an essential addition to any personal or organizational library. With a long lasting and influential legacy, it is easily accessible to each and every type of anime fan.
Our criteria for this list is simple: these are the titles that are solid additions to your teen collection.
We’re updating the original list posted in December 2011. We went through and removed series waning in popularity and add in new favorites. In order to help librarians predict how much shelf space and funding they’ll need, we’ve also added an annotation to each entry to let you all know whether the series is complete, and if not, how many volumes the series currently has in print. We’ve marked series still running as such, and if they are complete in Japan, how many volumes we have to go until the end.
As with the previous list, we’re not necessarily talking rich language or literary merit — these are the titles that are proven, through circulation and reader enthusiasm, to be engaging and popular with teen readers. Think of it as similar to YALSA’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults — popularity is the key. The titles must be readily available, so you’ll see only titles you should be able to purchase via library vendors. We’ve also noted when omnibus (like the VIZBIG editions) printings are available, though keep in mind the binding on omnibus editions has generally proven to be weaker than with traditional length volumes.
Everyone here at NFNT helped brainstorm the list, but special kudos are due to Jennifer, Emma, Jennifer W., Jenny, Bonnie, Allen, Nichole, Matt (Morrison), Nic, Snow, Abby, Russ, Gretchen, Michael, Jessikah, Thomas, Renata, and Marissa for contributing annotations and updating title entries.
13th Boy
by SangEun Lee Yen Press, 2010-2012 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Appeals to: fans of slightly fantastical realistic, dramatic, and comedic high school romance (one character has supernatural powers that, among other things, result in a cactus / human roommate for the protagonist), complicated love quadrangles, and stubbornly proactive heroines. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Beatrice, the cactus, has a tendency to shift into his human form in his birthday suit, but it’s tamely dealt with; a character kills another anthropomorphic character, but it is later revealed that it was unintentionally so and the victim doesn’t hold too much of a grudge; the protagonist’s amusing dating history occasionally drifts into the creepy (at least one of her “boyfriends” was an older boy and a would-be pedophile who got in trouble with the law before she cluelessly became a victim). This is manhwa (Korean.) Series status: Complete in 12 volumes
Afterschool Charisma
by Kumiko Suekane VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: seinen Appeals to: Readers who enjoy historical connections (after all, it is all about clones of famous figures from history), unsettling questions about fate and scientific ethics, all mixed together with high school angst. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: The creepier side of this story increases as the volumes progress, although frequently it is more unsettling because of the idea rather than any explicitness on the page. Series status: Still running (up to 9 volumes)
Alice in the Country of Hearts
by Quinrose Art by Soumei Hoshino Yen Press, 2012 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: Teen fantasy/romance fans, fans of other Alice in Wonderland adaptations Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: A bit of violence. Series status: Complete in 3 omnibus volumes.
Arata, the Legend
by Yuu Watase VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of slightly edgy romantic fantasy, world-crossing , role-/identity-swapping Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: See Robin’s notes regarding Watase’s pushing genre boundaries with authentic voices, only the other way around as it’s published in a boy’s magazine but with appeal for girls; some rather dark violence on the part of the baddies. Series status: Still running (up to 18 volumes)
Azumanga Daioh
by Kiyohiko Azuma Yen Press, 2010 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers who enjoy awkward comedy and silly, short episodes rather than a longer story arc or wit-driven humor. Azuma has a great knack for expressions and comic timing, as is true of his series Yotsuba&! It’s also a solid example of 4-koma manga, or comic strip adventures related in 4 (typically vertical) panels. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: All of the characters are high school age, and thus the humor and activities reflect what high school kids might get up to in their day to day life, including smoking, petting cats, and making mischief. Series status: Complete in 1 omnibus edition.
Bakuman
by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata VIZ, 2010-2013 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Manga fans who dream of creating their own manga someday. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: The main characters, both teenage boys, have some ideas about women that might come across as dated or old-fashioned to American audiences. Series status: Complete in 20 volumes
Black Bird
by Kanoko Sakurakoji VIZ 2009-2014 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of romantic melodrama, prophecy, and human / supernatural-being pairings Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: One of the major plot points is what will or won’t happen to the human female protagonist if she sleeps with her tengu (crow demon) lover (or if a rival demon gets ahold of her first); occasional violence as the different tengu clans vie for power and influence. Series status: Complete in 18 volumes
Black Butler
by Yana Toboso Yen Press, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Older Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Fans of cosplay, dark humor, and bloody mayhem. Less melodrama and more humor, but similar style to Kaori Yuki’s Godchild. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: There’s a significant amount of bloody violence in this series which keeps it most appropriate for teen collections in public libraries and generally not in school libraries. Series status: Still running (up to 17 volumes)
Bleach
by Tite Kubo VIZ, 2007- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers who’ve enjoyed Naruto and want to sink their teeth into something a tiny bit older (but not by much.) Features strong female characters and a wonderfully complex mythology, so for fans of figuring out a supernatural world’s rules and codes. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: There’s a fair amount of human on creature violence in Bleach, and it will get icky when it needs to. There’s also a bit of fan service when it comes to the ladies, but nothing off-putting or inappropriate for the age range. Series status: Still running (up to 60 volumes). Also available in VIZBIG editions.
Blue Exorcist
by Kazue Kato VIZ, 2011- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Fans of magical boarding school stories, humorous sibling relationships, and cool battle scenes. Also has some fun, accessible touches of Japanese culture, like characters who love manga. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Some bloody violence, and frequent less-bloody violence, as the characters fight demons. Series status: Still running (up to 11 volumes)
Bride of the Water God
by Mi-kyung Yun Dark Horse, 2010 Publisher Age Rating: 12+ Appeals to: fans of atmospheric, gentle romance and supernatural surroundings. It’s not a nail-biter, but instead a slow build, with absolutely stunning art. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: The main character is sacrificed to appease vengeful gods and the gods are a rather petty and backstabbing, but beyond that there isn’t much violence or sexual content. This is manhwa (Korean.) Series status: Still running (up to 14 volumes)
Cactus’s Secret
by Nana Haruta VIZ, 2010 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of light-hearted romances that don’t skimp on the melodrama but never get too grim Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Given that the premise of the series is that the heroine’s object of affection is too dense to realize she’s confessing her love to him, and thus she whacks him upside the head out of frustration, there’s a good bit of comedic violence. The intention is never serious, but the knocking about is certainly visible and repeated. Series status: Complete in 4 volumes
Case Closed
by Gosho Aoyama VIZ, 2004- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of detective stories, adults who’ve turned into kids (you know it’s not that rare a plot point), and unbeatable optimism and smarts. Great for readers who want an episodic, crime-of-the-week experience, a la CSI or Law & Order. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: There is violence depicted in the crimes solved, but rarely anything too explicit. Series status: Still running (up to 51 volumes)
Children of the Sea
by Daisuke Igarashi VIZ, 2009-2013 Publisher Age Rating: Older Teen Original intended audience: seinen Appeals to:Anyone who enjoys Satoshi Kon’s Tropic of the Sea will also enjoy this. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: Some blood, although the violence is largely between war machines. Occasional male character acting perverted around female officers with suggestive humor. Series status: Complete in 5 volumes
D. Gray-man
by Katsura Hoshino VIZ, 2006- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of supernatural action adventure a la similar titles on this list (like Fullmetal Alchemist), especially given the alternate ninteenth century setting Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: The lead character is an exorcist, which leads to various ceremonies and alternate versions of religious and supernatural machinations. Violence is generally supernatural but can be gory, especially as the series veers into horror territory in later volumes. Series status: Still running (up to 23 volumes)
Death Note
by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata VIZ, 2010-2011, Black edition Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers who enjoy thrilling mysteries, clever chases, supernatural touches, and a good strong dose of suspense combined with complex ethical questions Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes:Death Note is famous for being challenged because of its very premise — that one teen takes over the power to kill and uses it to make what he believes is a better world. Death is everywhere, but the violence is minimal and mostly off screen. What makes Death Note unsettling are the ideas more than the images, but the questionable ethics on display that do make it a bit much for younger teen readers. Series status: Complete in 6 volumes in the Black edition.
Dengeki Daisy
by Kyousuke Motomi VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of romantic thrillhttp://noflyingnotights.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=23544&action=edit&message=10ers, tragic pasts, and secret identities / guardian angels Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Female high school protagonist is in mutual (though so far unacted on) love with twenty-something janitor at her school (who often suffers the “pedophile” jokes of his other adult friends); bad guys will stoop to murder if necessary. Series status: Still running (up to 14 volumes)
Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z
by Akira Toriyama VIZ, 2008- (new edition) Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers looking for crazy action plus amazingly elaborate hair styles. Rife with potty humor, random nudity (but not sexual nudity), and wise-cracks, this series is light, silly, and full of ridiculous fights. Sometimes, that’s just what you want. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: The jokes based around nudity and genitalia, which work because one character is completely innocent of the differences between the sexes and thus investigates, have caused raised eyebrows over the years. Dragon Ball Z has zero content like this, while Dragon Ball has a fair amount, if you only want to get one part of the series. Series status: Dragonball complete in 16 volumes. Dragonball Z complete in 26 volumes. Both titles also available in the VIZBIG editions.
Eyeshield 21
by Riichiro Inagaki VIZ, 2005-2011 Publisher Age Rating: Older Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to:Sports fans, slapstick comedy fans. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes:Slapstick humor. One of the football players often bullies other students into playing/training on the team sometimes with the gag of firing a machine gun at them. Series status: Complete in 37 volumes
Fairy Tail
by Hiro Mashima Kodansha USA 2012- Publisher Age Rating: T (Ages 13+) Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of the more slapstick adventures including Trigun and One Piece, Fairy Tail is a rollicking adventure full of humor, grand quests, and references to indigestion and scatological humor. The art style is so similar to One Piece that many readers presume it’s the same creator, but it’s not. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: The female characters are blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with the usual buxom physique and tight clothing of many a teen shonen manga, but they are also kick-butt characters and their attitude generally negates the jiggle factor. Series status: Still running (up to 37 volumes)
Fullmetal Alchemist
by Hiromu Arakawa VIZ, 2005-2011 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers who love rich world-building, family portraits, complex politics mixed with personal stories, and a strong emotional through line. The brothers in this series are remarkable and vulnerable, and the way the story expands is like any rich fantasy series. Would appeal to fans of Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series and similarly steampunk universes, but also just works as a portrait of the price one pays for over-reaching. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Supernatural violence, some occasionally revealing clothing, and harsh situations. Series status: Complete in 27 volumes. Also available in VIZBIG editions.
Fushigi Yugi
by Yuu Watase VIZ, 2009- (VIZBIG edition) Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: readers looking for fairly traditional fantasy adventure, complete with magical circumstances, hot guys vying for the lead heroine’s attention, and a good dose of angst. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes:Anything by Yuu Watase will push the boundaries of shojo a little bit, and she frequently includes nudity, violence, and sexuality on par with prose novels like Kristin Cashore’s Graceling. She won’t talk down to her readers, or presume they’re not experiencing desire or trauma, but she does it in a visual medium, though rarely explicity. Her authentic voice, however, is what makes her so popular. Series status: Complete in 6 VIZBIG volumes.
Hana Kimi
by Hisaya Nakajo VIZ, 2004-2008 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of cross-dressing, gender-benders, high school romance Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Teen admirer disguises herself as a boy and rooms with her high-jump idol at his all-boys school, with all the expected awkward situations and orientation humor / confusion. Series status: Complete in 23 volumes. Also available in VIZBIG editions.
Hikaru no Go
by Yumi Hotta VIZ, 2004-2011 Publisher Age Rating: All Ages Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to:This series turns the strategic board game of Go into a team-centric hero’s journey that can match any shonen for heightened drama and competition. It has been particularly popular with middle schoolers at my library. It has general appeal for boys and girls of various ages. Great coming-of-age story with likeable characters. However, teens looking for a series with non-stop action may want to look elsewhere. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: High quality, “clean” series. No violence or romance. Includes a few flashbacks to Japan’s past, but always with context for the reader. Series status: Complete in 23 volumes.
Inuyasha
by Rumiko Takahashi VIZ, 2008-2014 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Fantasy readers who like historical settings for their magical battles and anyone who likes strong female characters. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Nudity and violence. Series status: Complete in 56 volumes or 18 VIZBIG volumes.
Kamisama Kiss
by Julietta Suzuki VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of Japanese folklore, supernatural romance Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: Fox spirit Tomoe indulges in women and booze when he goes off the rails early on; he and the protagonist, his teen female master, seal their contract with smooches. Series status: Still running (up to 15 volumes)
Kekkaishi
by Yellow Tanabe VIZ, 2010-2012 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of fantasy action with depth, some giggles, and a wee bit of romance Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: The author’s not afraid to kill off characters the readers know and love if it truly serves the story; some of the baddies are pretty scary, cold, and violent. Series status: Complete in 35 volumes
Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You
by Karuho Shiina VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of slow, gentle, high school romance and stories of misunderstood shrinking violets learning to bloom Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Teen side character’s boyfriend(s) is / are less than role model material (which she wisely realizes and breaks it off) and the story jokes around about setting her up with an amusingly annoying teacher. Series status: Still running (up to 19 volumes)
Library Wars
by Kiiro Yumi VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: library lovers, romance readers, and militant supporters of the freedom to read who don’t mind a little (or a lot of) unintentional cheese with their plot Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Lots of guns, some of which get used; social / political commentary that leans decidedly left. Series status: Still running (up to 11 volumes)
Maoh: Juvenile Remix
by Kotaro Isaka VIZ, 2010-2012 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of moral grey areas, social / political intrigue, and hints of the supernatural Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Real-world and fantasy violence (including assassins), messiah complexes, and those moral grey areas. Series status: Complete in 10 volumes
Millennium Snow
by Bisco Hatori VIZ, 2002-2014 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of paranormal romance, vampires, and melodrama Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Terminally ill teen tries to convince a depressed, cynical vampire to drink her blood and make her his partner so she can keep him company for the next 1000 years. Series status: Complete in 4 volumes, with the final volume due out December 2014.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
by Yoshikazu Yashuhiko Vertical, 2013- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to:Those who love giant robots and their pilots. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes:Some blood, although the violence is largely between war machines. Occasional male character acting perverted around female officers with suggestive humor. Series status: Still running (up to 4 volumes) in hardcover.
Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation
by Yoshiyuki Nishi VIZ, 2007-2010 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of snarky, dark, supernatural mysteries and investigative teams Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Fantasy violence and assassins. Series status: Complete in 18 volumes
Naruto
by Masashi Kishimoto VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Readers who like classic shonen action with a touch of comedy and lot of character drama. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: There’s a good amount of violence and some slight gross-out and sexual humor. Series status: Still running (up to 66 volumes). Also available in 3-in-1 editions.
Natsume’s Book of Friends
by Yuki Midorikawa VIZ, 2010- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of Japanese folklore, talking yokai kitties, and (mostly) quiet, heartwarming, melancholy yet hopeful stories of the mundane and supernatural worlds mingling Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Natsume may be as warm and gentle as they come, but some of the yokai, and some of the humans, he encounters share none of those qualities and the series flirts with real / fantasy violence (and every now and then comes right out with it); his kitty’s pretty sloshed pretty often. Series status: Still running (up to 16 volumes)
by Hayao Miyazaki VIZ, 2004 (softcover), 2012 (hardcover) Publisher Age Rating: Teen Appeals to:Fans of the anime film, environmentalists, anyone with a pulse. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes:Violence, scenes of war that include dead bodies and blood. Series status: Complete in 7 volumes (softcover) or 2 volumes (hardcover)
Negima
by Ken Akamatsu Kodansha, 2011- (Omnibus edition) Publisher Age Rating: OT (Ages 16+) Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers seeking out the cartoon equivalent of raunchy teen comedies like American Pie. Very funny and filled with awkward moments, it’s a harem manga (i.e. hapless hero surrounded by a bevvy of beautiful young ladies vying for his attention), so that target audience of teenage guys are the one’s that will most likely check it out. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: There’s a lot of jiggle on display, though our hapless hero is more embarrassed than suave in his interactions with the ladies. Series status: Complete at 38 traditional volumes, still running in omnibus edition (up to 9 volumes.)
Nura, Rise of the Yokai Clan
by Hiroshi Shiibashi VIZ, 2011- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers who enjoy Japanese folklore (in this case, yokai or demons/monsters) mixed in with their reluctant hero action adventure Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Although the violence is magical, it is prevalent, as this is a fighting series at its core. Series status: Still running (up to 21 volumes). Will be complete in 25 volumes.
O-Parts Hunter
by Seishi Kishimoto VIZ, 2006-2009 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Naruto, action/adventure Manga. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: Some fan service and slapstick humor. Content draws heavily on Kabbala as well as Abrahamic religion and demonology and, less frequently, Japanese folklore and mythology. Series status: Complete in 19 volumes
One Piece
by Eiichiro Oda VIZ, 2003- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of ridiculously over the top humor, pirates with a significantly weird twist, and brilliant caricatures. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Stylized violence. Series status: Still running (up to 71 volumes)
Oresama Teacher
by Izumi Tsubaki VIZ, 2011- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of feisty, athletic heroines, former delinquents, silly alter egos, and comedic school stories Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Teen protagonist realizes her wise bully of a teacher is her childhood gang boss / idol, further muddying the waters concerning with whom she may or may not develop romance–she could just as easily steer clear of matters of the heart all together, but there’s always the possibility she won’t. Series status: Still running (up to 16 volumes)
Ouran High School Host Club
by Bisco Hatori VIZ, 2005-2012 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: Fans of romantic comedy, Japanese culture, and pretty, pretty boys. Or indeed, pretty art in general: the gorgeous costumes and scenery are also a treat for the eyes. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Frequent allusions to romantic love between a pair of twins in the Host Club (played up for the club’s female customers); some suggestive talk and behavior. Series status: Complete in 18 volumes
Rosario+Vampire
by Ikeda Akihisa VIZ, 2008-2014 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers looking for humorous horror/fantasy adventure, stories about magical high schools, and light romance – especially of the ‘many girls all interested in the same average guy’ category Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Set in a high school for monsters, this title doesn’t shy away from bloody and graphic violence. It’s also definitely from the the ‘harem manga’ tradition, where many cute girls vie for the attentions of the main character. So there are lots of semi-sexual situations played for laughs, romantic mix-ups and innuendo, and plenty of fan-service which, while not overly graphic, is prevalent both in the comedy and action sequences. Series status: Complete at 10 volumes. The sequel series Rosario + Vampire Season II will be complete in 14 volumes in 2014.
Sailor Moon (aka Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon)
by Naoko Takeuchi Kodansha Comics, 2011-2013 Publisher Age Rating: T (Ages 13+) Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of magical girl stories such as Cardcaptor Sakura who want to read one of the classics of that genre Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: The main character is air-headed and somewhat disrespectful of authority and there is some comedic violence. Series status: Complete in 12 volumes
Sand Chronicles
by Hinako Ashihara VIZ, 2008-2011 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: readers looking for the manga equivalent of Sarah Dessen. Realistic relationships, complete with overwhelming emotions and foibles, make this series feel true and refreshingly free of the contrivance common in shojo manga plots. Best of all, it’s complete in ten volumes, so you can get the whole series! Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Like any solid examination of teens growing up and entering into relationships, sex and sexuality are presented. None of it is adult-level explicit, but it is more than just blowing curtains. Series status: Complete in 10 volumes
Shugo Chara!
by Momo no Tane Kodansha USA, 2007-2011 Publisher Age Rating: T (Ages 13+) Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: readers who enjoy gentle adventures with a touch of magic, as well as charming magical creatures. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: This series is aimed at the younger end of teen, so it’s suitably innocent in its content. Series status: Complete in 12 volumes
Skip Beat!
by Yosiki Nakamura VIZ, 2006-2012 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: girls who love romance, but who are tired of female character who act like doormats to their men Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: There is a good amount of comedic violence, particularly when Kyoko’s temper gets the better of her; Kyoko is living with Sho with no parents after having dropped out of school, though it isn’t clear if they are sleeping together. This is for the most part a clean read, although it has been hinting at Ren’s dark and probably violent past. Kyoko, despite her scary hatred of Sho, is pretty naive and sweet. Series status: Still running (up to 32 volumes) Also available in VIZBIG editions.
Soul Eater
by Atsushi Okubo Yen Press, 2004- Publisher Age Rating: Older Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: Fans of Naruto and Fairy Tail will feel right at home here. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Some violence involving ninja weapons can be a bit bloody. There is also some suggestive humor, especially when the character of Blair is introduced. Maka’s father has a bit of a wandering eye when it comes to the ladies. Series status: Still ongoing (up to 20 volumes)
Story of Saiunkoku
by Sai Yukino VIZ, 2010-2013 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of fantasy-tinged historical fiction, strong young women with ambitions who aren’t afraid to challenge the “man’s world” in which they live, romance, and court intrigue Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: A principal character is pretty open about having had physical relationships with both women and men in his past; attempted assassination, manslaughter in self-defense, and other incidents of violence. Series status: Complete in 9 volumes
Strobe Edge
by Io Sakisaka VIZ, 2012-2014 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to:Big fans of romance and the rush of finding your first love. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: None! A clean manga romance Series status: Complete in 10 volumes.
Tegami Bachi
by Hiroyuki Asada VIZ, 2009- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: readers who enjoy stories set in a detailed fantasy world with its own magic, culture, and creatures, as well as tales of heroism, heart, and never giving up Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: The action centers around the exploits of ‘letter bees’ – couriers who have to traverse dangerous territories as part of their delivery routes. There are some battles with insect-like monsters called Gaichuu, but the letter bees’ weapons carry ‘heart’ and not bullets, so the battle scenes feature sparkly stars more like a kids’ video game than a blood bath. Series status: Still running (up to 16 volumes)
Tiger & Bunny
by Mizuki Sakakibara VIZ, 2013- Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to:Although the superhero team is largely male, the series has broad appeal. Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes:One of the female superheroes wears a revealing costume. This is an adaptation of an anime series, rather than the usual pattern of the manga inspiring an anime series. Series status: Still running (up to 4 volumes)
Tokyo Mew Mew
by Reiko Yoshida Kodansha, 2011-2014 Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: readers looking for light, magical adventure without too much angst or violence Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: As with Sailor Moon, Tokyo Mew Mew was one of the first magical girl manga translated here in the US, and it still has a strong appeal for girls looking for adventure. The new editions from Kodansha will be welcome to the younger readers who want their heroines sparkly. Series status: Complete in 3 omnibus volumes. Extras volumne Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode complete in 1 omnibus volume.
Vampire Knight
by Hino Matsuri VIZ, 2007-2014 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Plus, for older teens Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: fans of vampire love triangles, political intrigue, and dark, twisty melodrama Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: The blood-drinking can be a little suggestive, the politics and love triangle are quite bitter, and the violence takes no great pains to be light. Series status: Still running (up to 18 volumes). Will be complete at 19 volumes in 2014.
Wallflower
by Tomoko Hayakawa Kodansha USA, 2004-2013 Publisher Age Rating: Original intended audience: shojo Appeals to: Anyone who likes romantic comedies or beautiful boys in manga. Especially those stories that turn expectations on their heads. Suitable for middle school? No. Content notes: Horror images used for humorous effect. Some discussion of sexual situations, rampant nosebleeds (indicating feeling turned on), cartoon violence, physical objectification of characters. Series status: Complete at 31 volumes
Yu Yu Hakusho
by Yoshihiro Togashi VIZ, 2003-2010 Publisher Age Rating: Teen Original intended audience: shonen Appeals to: fans of paranormal investigation stories, tournament stories, comedy Suitable for middle school? Yes. Content notes: Fantasy violence. Series status: Complete in 19 volumes
Highlights from the past two weeks, with commentary from the NFNT gang:
Adventure Time Volume 4 (BOOM! Studios, 9781608863518)
Jennifer W: I still don’t get the appeal of Adventure Time, but every comic collection I’ve got is checked out (except the ones I bought in paperback, which promptly disintegrated)
Aliens vs. Parker Volume 1 (BOOM! Studios, 9781608863501)
Renata: I’m excited for Aliens Vs Parker! I think Paul Scheer is hilarious but I hardly ever read single issue comics, so I haven’t seen it yet.
Alone Forever: the Singles Collection (Top Shelf, 9781603093224)
Andrew S: I “discovered” Liz Prince last fall when I went up to SPX and fell in love with her stuff then and there. Her style reminds me of Jeffrey Brown, both in terms of art style and her ability to share openly and freely her life, and I just love that. I added her to my list to keep an eye on, but completely forgot that this was coming out until I saw this email. So I ordered it for myself last night and can’t wait to read it:D
Ant Colony (Drawn & Quarterly, 9781770461376)
Garrett: Ant Colony looks like a trippy, weirdo visual feast. I’ve been in a funk lately with comics just being satisfying and not being, “whoa, what just happened,” and I need more of the latter in my brain.
Antique Bakery – Complete Collection (The Right Stuf International)
Saeyong: Antique Bakery is shockingly good, and I’d love to see what it reads (“sounds”?) like in English.
Avatar: the Last Airbender, the Search (Library Edition) (Dark Horse, 9781616552268)
Jessikah: As a fan of the Avatar series (as in Aang and friends), I am happy to see, “The Search” in a collection. It may not have been the exact resolutionthis Avatar fan was expecting, but I am glad that the fate of Zuko’s mom was resolved. Andrew S: After reading the previous series, The Promise, I vowed to wait to read The Search all at once, because I didn’t want to have to wait so many months between each volume. So I downloaded the ARC last week and loved it! It answered so many questions and I really liked the ending and the journey that the characters took. I can’t wait to see what happens in this next series. Jennifer W: Avatar comics are still popular at our library and they are still intact, which is quite something for paperbacks.
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order Omnibus Volume 3 (Kodansha, 9781612622934)
Thomas: Battle Angel Alita Last Order’s releases were (and are) so spaced out that I would love to reread the series in one fluid trip, and the omnibus releases seem to be a perfect cue.
Constantine Volume 1: the Spark and the Flame (DC Comics, 9781401243234)
Saeyong: I’m completely unfamiliar with comics, except for Sandman, and have been looking for a non-intimidating entryway for some time; I wonder if Constantine might be one? I have the impression that it is a relatively standalone series…?
Deadpool by Posehn & Duggan Volume 1 (Marvel, 9780785154464)
Renata: I didn’t know Brian Posehn was writing Deadpool! I’ll have to check that out. I guess this week I’m just excited for actor-comedians writing comics? Jennifer W: I’ve had kids asking for Deadpool for some time now, but I felt doubtful about putting it in the teen area and I don’t purchase for the adult collection. But then I thought, hey, I have Marvel Zombies in teen so…personally speaking though, I didn’t much care for the Posehn story (and have had many vigorous arguments about the art and storylines with my local comic shop!) My preference is for the Daniel Way stories.
Dial H Volume 2: Exchange (DC Comics, 9781401243838)
Jennifer W: I finally got a copy of Dial H from inter-library loan…and was really, really disappointed. Somehow none of the descriptions had conveyed that it was about a mid-life crisis. I found it boring and depressing.
Fruits Basket – Complete Collection (Funimation)
Jessikah: I am glad to see “Fruits Basket” is back on DVD. Eva: Is that a rerelease of the Fruits Basket anime? If so, Yay! I love that teens who never got to read the manga (it’s been out of print for awhile now, yes?) will have a chance to be introduced to this fab story.
Kimi ni Todoke – From Me to You – Volume 1-3 (NIS America) Jessikah: Kimi ni Todoke (From me to you) is always fantastic.
Lobster Johnson Volume 3: Satan Smells a Rat (Dark Horse, 9781616552039)
Anna: I’ve been meaning to get into Lobster Johnson. Other Hellboy fans claim that it’s just great, which matches the trend of the other Hellboy spinoffs. Andrew S: I’ve only read a handful of the comics, but I really, really like the character so far. It’s classic Mignola, but a different type of character than Hellboy, at least from what I’ve read. But I’ve enjoyed the action and the characters and I can’t wait to read more. Garrett: Anna and Andrew, Lobster Johnson is fantastic. I’ve been following the series since it started and I love it much more than BPRD…I got real tired of BPRD after the 7th or 8th book and I realized that I simply wanted either just Hellboy or just Lobster Johnson.
Locke & Key Volume 6: Alpha and Omega (IDW, 9781613778531)
Marissa: I am so excited for the 6th Locke & Key! Mark: Excited to see Locke and Key v. 6 finally released, we’ve got a ton of holds on that one at the library.
Lunch Lady & the Schoolwide Scuffle (Knopf, 9780385752794) Jessikah: The kids at my library really enjoy the “Lunch Lady” series. Marissa: I’m looking forward to the new Lunch Lady graphic novel. I’ve enjoyed them so far, and the kids at my library devour them. Jennifer W: Yay Lunch Lady! Always popular at the library.
Moomin and the Golden Tail (Drawn & Quarterly, 9781770461338)
Moomin’s Desert Island (Drawn & Quarterly, 9781770461345)
Saeyong: Anything Moomin must be good. [puts on to-read list] Jennifer W: The Moomin comics are small paperbacks with a single story in color. I had to weed our big black and white collections *sob* (I own the complete collection myself) but these little ones have actually checked out some at my library, so they seem to attract kids more than?the bigger, black and white collections.
Power Girl: Power Trip (DC Comics, 9781401243074)
Mark: I’m interested to see that DC is republishing some of the Gray/Conner Power Girl run in a new printing. That was a fun book. I hope it does well.
Prophet Volume 3: Empire (Image, 9781607068587)
Anna: Prophet is another one I watch, which I did initially because my patrons liked it, but eventually did because it’s neat. Brandon Graham’s funky style really complements the super weird setting.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Magic Within Volume 4 (Archie Comics, 9781936975761)
Saeyong: Sabrina as a comic is something I want to take a look at, just to check the art style and how they depict the magic, and whether Salem is still cynical and put-upon. I hope the aunts are larger than life.
Sixth Gun Volume 6 (Oni Press, 9781620100165)
Jennifer W: I’ve fallen behind on Sixth Gun and this reminds me to remind our adult purchaser to get the next volumes so I can read them! I recommend these a lot to teens who have read all the Marvel Zombies and want something else that’s equally gory but has a good story.
Superman Family Adventures Volume 2 (DC Comics, 9781401244156)
Jennifer W: I thought Superman Family Adventures would be popular, but to my surprise not many kids are interested in them. I think they may be too “cute” compared to the other, more exciting comics.
USNA: the United States of North America (USNA Publishing, 9780980970104)
Saeyong: The title United States of North America is intriguing enough that I googled it. Looks good.
AND NOW FOR THE COMPLETE LIST
The following list of new releases is compiled from Diamond Comic Distributors’ complete weekly shipping list and Anime News Network’s Releases encyclopedia
Graphic Novels
Action Lab Entertainment
NFL RUSH ZONE SUPER BOWL SPECIAL TP
Antarctic Press
GOLD DIGGER PLATINUM VOL 06
Arcana
7 HOLES FOR AIR GN
Archie Comics
ARCHIE 1000 PG COMICS PALOOZA TP
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH MAGIC WITHIN TP VOL 04
Avatar
FERALS TP VOL 03
BOOM! Studios
ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 04
ALIENS VS PARKER TP VOL 01
BRAVEST WARRIORS TP VOL 02
SUPURBIA TP VOL 03
Dark Horse
AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER SEARCH LIBRARY ED HC
AXE COP TP VOL 05 AXE COP GETS MARRIED
BERSERK TP
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT TP VOL 01
CONAN PHANTOMS O/T BLACK COAST TP
CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 18
EC ARCHIVES VAULT OF HORROR HC VOL 03
FORBIDDEN WORLDS ARCHIVES HC VOL 03
LOBSTER JOHNSON TP VOL 03 SATAN SMELLS A RAT
MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION TP VOL 01
SHERLOCK HOLMES & VAMPIRES OF LONDON HC
STAR WARS LEGACY HC VOL 03
STRAIN FALL TP VOL 01
DC Comics
BATMAN DARK VICTORY TP NEW ED
CONSTANTINE TP VOL 01 SPARK AND THE FLAME
DEATHSTROKE TP VOL 02 LOBO HUNT
DIAL H TP VOL 02 EXCHANGE
DMZ DELUXE EDITION HC BOOK 01
FABLES DELUXE EDITION HC VOL 08
FLASH HC VOL 03 GORILLA WARFARE
FLASH TP VOL 02 ROGUES REVOLUTION
INVISIBLES HC BOOK 01 DELUXE EDITION
JLA TP VOL 04
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES GREAT DARKNESS SAGA TP NEW ED
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES TP VOL 03 FATAL FIVE
POWER GIRL POWER TRIP TP
RAVAGERS TP VOL 02 HEAVENLY DESTRUCTION
SPACEMAN TP
STRANGE ADVENTURES TP
SUPERGIRL TP VOL 03 SANCTUARY
SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES TP VOL 02
Devil’s Panties LLC
DEVIL’S PANTIES GN VOL 07
Drawn & Quarterly
ANT COLONY HC
BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS HC
MOOMIN & GOLDEN TAIL GN
MOOMIN DESERT ISLAND GN
Dynamite
BEST OF PANTHA THE WARREN STORIES HC
DEJAH THORIS & GREEN MEN OF MARS TP VOL 01 RED MEAT
MOCKING DEAD TP VOL 01
ZORRO RIDES AGAIN TP VOL 02 WRATH OF LADY ZORRO
Fantagraphics
EC GRAHAM INGELS SUCKER BAIT & OTHER STORIES HC
EC JACK KAMEN ZERO HOUR & OTHER STORIES HC
First Second
BABY’S IN BLACK TP
Hermes Press
TERRY & PIRATES GEORGE WUNDER YEARS HC VOL 01 1946-1948
Humanoids
MILAN K HC PART 01 TEENAGE YEARS
RETROWORLD HC
IDW
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FELLS FIVE HC
GI JOE TP VOL 02 THREAT MATRIX
KISS GREATEST HITS TP VOL 05
LOCKE & KEY HC VOL 06 ALPHA & OMEGA
MARS ATTACKS JUDGE DREDD TP
MY LITTLE PONY TALES TP VOL 02
POPEYE CLASSICS HC VOL 03
RED LIGHT PROPERTIES GN
RED PANDA MASK O/T RED PANDA TP
TMNT ONGOING TP VOL 07 CITY FALL PT 2
TRUE BLOOD TP VOL 03 THE FRENCH QUARTER
X-FILES CLASSICS HC VOL 03
Image
FATALE TP VOL 04 PRAY FOR RAIN
HOAX HUNTERS TP VOL 03 BOOK OF MOTHMAN
PROPHET TP VOL 03 EMPIRE
Knopf
LUNCH LADY & SCHOOLWIDE SCUFFLE YR GN
Kodansha
AIR GEAR GN VOL 30
BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER OMNIBUS VOL 03
SANKAREA GN VOL 05
Marvel
AVENGERS TP VOL 01 AVENGERS WORLD
CAPTAIN AMERICA TP VOL 01 CASTAWAY DIMENSION Z BOOK 1
CAPTAIN AMERICA TP LIVING LEGEND
CASTLE TP RICHARD CASTLES STORM SEASON
DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID HC VOL 02
DEADPOOL BY POSEHN AND DUGGAN HC VOL 01
FEARLESS DEFENDERS TP VOL 02 MOST FAB FIGHTING TEAM OF ALL
INFINITY HC
INFINITY TP HEIST HUNT
IRON MAN TP VOL 01 BELIEVE
MMW DEFENDERS HC VOL 04
SAVAGE WOLVERINE PREM HC VOL 02 HANDS ON DEAD BODY
SCARLET SPIDER TP VOL 04 INTO GRAVE
SHE-HULK BY SLOTT TP VOL 01 COMPLETE COLLECTION
ULTIMATES 3 TP WHO KILLED SCARLET WITCH NEW PTG
X-MEN HC PHALANX COVENANT
Oni
MYSTERIOUS STRANGERS TP VOL 01 STRANGE WAYS
SIXTH GUN TP VOL 06
Pocket Books
US JUDGE DREDD COMP CASE FILES TP VOL 07
PS Artbooks
ACG COLL WORKS OUT OF THE NIGHT SLIPCASE ED VOL 02
HARVEY HORRORS BLACK CAT MYSTERY SLIPCASE ED VOL 03
HARVEY HORRORS TOMB OF TERROR SLIPCASE ED VOL 03
PRE CODE CLASSIC THING HC VOL 01
PRE CODE CLASSIC THING HC VOL 02
ROY THOMAS PRESENTS VOL 03 PLANET COMICS HC
ROY THOMAS PRESENTS PLANET COMICS SLIPCASE ED VOL 03
THING BOXSET EDITION
Renegade Arts Entertainment
LOXLEYS AND THE WAR OF 1812 HC 2ND ED
Seven Seas Entertainment
A CENTAURS LIFE GN VOL 02
ALICE I/T COUNTRY OF JOKER CIRCUS & LIARS GAME VOL 04
DRAGONAR ACADEMY GN VOL 01
HAGANAI I DON’T HAVE MANY FRIENDS GN VOL 05
LOVE IN HELL GN VOL 02
MY BOYFRIEND IS A VAMPIRE GN COLL ED VOL 06
Titan Books
ABSENCE HC
TOON Books
TIPPY & NIGHT PARADE TOON BOOKS YR HC GN
Top Shelf
ALONE FOREVER GN
BOJEFFRIES SAGA GN
Udon
BRAVOMAN HC VOL 01
STREET FIGHTER CLASSIC HC VOL 02 CANNON STRIKE
USNA Publishing
USNA UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA GN
Valiant
HARBINGER TP VOL 04 PERFECT DAY
Vertical
KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA GN VOL 07
Viz
HAPPY MARRIAGE GN VOL 04
KAMISAMA KISS GN VOL 14
TIGER & BUNNY GN VOL 04
Zenescope
GFT NO TOMORROW TP
Anime
Funimation
Fairy Tail – Part 8
Fruits Basket – Complete Collection
Kamisama Kiss – Complete Collection
Strike Witches – Complete Collection
Strike Witches 2 – Complete Collection
New Video Group
Saint Seiya – Sanctuary Classic Collection
NIS America
kimi ni todoke – From Me to You – Volume 1
kimi ni todoke – From Me to You – Volume 2
kimi ni todoke – From Me to You – Volume 3
Natsume’s Book of Friends – Season 1 & 2
Wagnaria!!2 – Complete Second Series
The Right Stuf International
Antique Bakery – Complete Collection
Blessing of the Campanella – Complete Collection
Sentai
AKB0048 next stage – Complete Collection
MM! Complete Collection
Keep in mind that titles are not always available from book vendors on the same dates as they are released in comic book stores, so not all of these will be available everywhere at the same time. Check with your vendors, just to be sure!
Highlights from the past week, with commentary from the NFNT gang:
High School Debut 3-in-1 Volume 1 (Viz, 9781421565880)
Abby: I have to say I’m really excited for the 3-in-1 edition High School Debut. The copies in my teen room are looking pretty ragged from use, so this is the perfect excuse to replace them. Plus, it’s one of the first manga I ever read, so it will always have a place in my heart. And Yoh is just so dreamy.
Lost at Sea (Oni, 9781620101131)
Andrew S: I’m excited about the “Lost at Sea” hardcover edition! I didn’t think it was supposed to come out for a few more weeks, but I love the story and even though I have a paperback copy of it, I’m still going to get the hardcover version. Oni’s done an excellent job with the Scott Pilgrim HC editions, and while I don’t think there will be any color in this one, I’m still excited to see the special features that they’ve added. Jessikah: I am definitely looking forward to the reissue of “Lost at Sea”! I helped my brother’s girlfriend make a Raleigh costume for NYCC a few years back.
Mr Peabody & Sherman (IDW, 9781613778722)
Jessikah: The idea of a Mr. Peabody and Sherman graphic is pretty cool, though I am not sure it is more than just for nostalgia value.
Ninjago Volume 9 (Papercutz, 9781597077071)
Jennifer W: I can’t keep enough Lego Ninjago to satisfy demand, so a new book is great! I tried to read these myself and couldn’t stomach them, but the kids, specifically 6-8 year old boys, are obsessed with them. Jessikah: Yes! We have a ton of Ninjago lovers here! They are crowd pleasers.
Prince Valiant Volume 81951-1952 (Fantagraphics, 9781606996997)
Thomas: Prince Valiant is never less than gorgeous. Hal Foster knew how to fill a newspaper page! Saeyong: I’m interested in Prince Valiant – I never read the comics but I have vague memories of a TV series. Looking up the comic strip, I am impressed with the artwork and the history attached to the series!
Snowpiercer Volume 1: the Escape (Titan Books, 9781782761334)
Tessa: I’m excited about the English translation of Snowpiercer – maybe reading it will make up for the 20 minutes Harvey Weinstein cut from the U.S. movie release?
Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode Omnibus (Kodansha, 9781612624198)
Jennifer W: I’m really exasperated with Tokyo Mew Mew – I bought the first three omnibuses, but they seem to have stopped giving information. Is this a fourth omnibus? A reissue? Baker and Taylor can’t tell me either.
Robin: I believe this is an omnibus of the sequel series, which was only a few volumes long. Anime News Network to the rescue!
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Volume 5 (Marvel, 9780785168027) Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2: Angela (Marvel, 9780785168294)
Mark: I’m looking forward to reading more of Brian Michael Bendis’ work on Guardians of the Galaxy and Ultimate Comics Spider-man. He’s definitely back in strong form the past few months.
AND NOW FOR THE COMPLETE LIST
The following list of new releases is compiled from Diamond Comic Distributors’ complete weekly shipping list and Anime News Network’s Releases encyclopedia
Graphic Novels
Adventurist
ROLL HARD GN
Archaia
SIEGFRIED HC VOL 02 VALKYRIE
Archie Comics
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ARCHIVES TP VOL 22
Dark Horse
GANTZ TP VOL 30
DC Comics
BATMAN: BATMAN AND SON TP NEW ED
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS HC VOL 03 LOVE & DEATH
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS TP VOL 02 BEYOND HOPE
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK TP VOL 03 DEATH OF MAGIC
UNWRITTEN TP VOL 08 ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLDS
Digital Manga
DEFLOWER THE BOSS
Dynamite
RED SONJA TP VOL 13 THE LONG MARCH HOME
Fantagraphics
PRINCE VALIANT HC VOL 08 1951-1952
Humanoids
DAY OF THE MAGICIANS GN
IDW
HALF PAST DANGER HC
LIBRARY OF AMERICAN COMICS ESSENTIALS HC VOL 04 ALLEY OOP 1939
MR PEABODY & SHERMAN TP
SUPERMAN GOLDEN AGE SUNDAYS 1943-1946 HC
Image
DARKNESS REBIRTH TP VOL 03
PERHAPANAUTS TP VOL 03
Knockabout
HARTLEPOOL MONKEY HC
Kodansha
ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 11
TOKYO MEW MEW A LA MODE OMNIBUS
Marvel
CABLE AND X-FORCE TP VOL 03 THIS WON’T END WELL
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY PREM HC VOL 02 ANGELA
MARVEL MASTERWORKS X-MEN TP VOL 06
SUPERIOR CARNAGE TP
THUNDERBOLTS TP VOL 03 INFINITY
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN BY BENDIS PREM HC VOL 05
WARLOCK BY JIM STARLIN TP COMPLETE COLLECTION
Oni
LOST AT SEA HC
Papercutz
NINJAGO GN VOL 09
Titan Books
ACCIDENT MAN HC
GARTH ENNIS PRESENTS BATTLE CLASSICS HC
SNOWPIERCER HC VOL 01 THE ESCAPE
Ubiworkshop
ASSASSINS CREED BRAHMAN GN
Vertical
TEZUKA BUDDHA SC 03 DEVADATTA
Viz
BLEACH GN VOL 59
BLUE MORNING GN VOL 04
BOKURANO OURS GN VOL 10
DEADMAN WONDERLAND GN VOL 01
DEVIL & HER LOVE SONG GN VOL 13
DRAGON BALL FULL COLOR TP VOL 01 SAIYAN ARC
GANGSTA GN VOL 01
HAYATE COMBAT BUTLER TP VOL 23
HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT 3IN1 TP VOL 01
INU YASHA VIZBIG ED TP VOL 18
MAGI GN VOL 04
NURA RISE O/T YOKAI CLAN GN VOL 19
ONE PIECE 3IN1 TP VOL 08
POKEMON ADV PLATINUM GN VOL 10
SAKURA HIME LEGEND OF PRINCESS SAKURA GN VOL 12
TORIKO GN VOL 20
VOICE OVER SEIYU ACADEMY GN VOL 03
Yen Press
BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 16
DURARARA SAIKA TP VOL 03
GOONG GN VOL 14 ROYAL PALACE
HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT 3IN1 TP VOL 01
KINGDOM HEARTS 358 / 2 DAYS GN VOL 02
OMAMORI HIMARI GN VOL 11
SOUL EATER TP VOL 18
TRIAGE X GN VOL 05
UMINEKO WHEN THEY CRY GN VOL 05 BANQUET O/T GOLDEN WITCH PT
Anime
Viz
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Demon Capital – Set 1
Keep in mind that titles are not always available from book vendors on the same dates as they are released in comic book stores, so not all of these will be available everywhere at the same time. Check with your vendors, just to be sure!
TOON Books and The Stone Frog
TOON Books and The Stone Frog
Tiny Titans
Attack on Titan
My Boyfriend is a Monster Book #3 (My Boyfriend Bites)
Jeffrey Brown’s autobiographical comics
The Walking Dead
Nana
Cowboy Bebop is an anime series that presents the exploits of intergalactic bounty hunters as they venture throughout Earth’s planetary colonies in search of wanted criminals and other unsavory individuals. Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine make up the crew of the Bebop, a weathered but dependable spaceship that serves as home for these space-faring guns for hire. They are assisted by Edward, an aloof master hacker, and a hyper intelligent Welsh corgi named Ein. Together, this ragtag band of mercenaries bounce around through space looking for work to satiate their empty bellies and bank accounts.
Cowboy Bebop earned its reputation as a critically acclaimed series because it showcases the depth and complexity of the main cast, building a fascinating and well developed world that these characters live in, and wrapping the experience together with a memorable soundtrack performed by a live jazz group. Each of these individual elements come together quite nicely, giving the show a significant amount of charm and a distinct identity.
The universe that Jet, Spike, Faye, Edward, and Ein play in is just as interesting as the characters themselves. Set in the distant future, mankind has moved away from Earth out of necessity. Earth has been battered and bruised after a hyperspace gate located near the moon malfunctions and explodes. Colonizing the solar system’s inner planets, humans live on in a new civilization that bears similarities to Joss Whedon’s Firefly television series. Although humans have mastered faster-than-light travel, they still use automobiles to get around and shoot at each other with standard firearms. Planets and moons closest to Mars are modern, comfortable, and technologically advanced while frontier worlds are governed by the old world sensibilities of the Wild West. Bounty hunters are colloquially known as “cowboys” who regularly tune into “Big Shot,” a light hearted, Western-themed version of America’s Most Wanted starring slick cowboy Punch and cute cowgirl Judy. Throughout the show, there is attention to every type of person trying to eke out an existence, from criminal syndicate enforcers to blue collar space truckers, giving the show’s universe a genuine “lived in” feeling.
No discussion of Cowboy Bebop is complete without addressing its soundtrack. Though the characters and world building drive the series forward, the music by Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts gives it heart, soul, and a high sense of style. The music of Cowboy Bebop employs a variety of different musical styles, most notably blues and jazz as well as subgenres including bebop and fusion. In any anime series, there is much consideration for the opening and closing credits and the songs produced for both. I normally skip them after the first time, but not so with Cowboy Bebop. The music is so well done, so incredibly produced that it can easily be enjoyed by itself, making the purchase of the show’s numerous soundtracks a wise investment.
Cowboy Bebop is the perfect gateway show for those looking to break into the world of Japanese animation as it is readily accessible and lacks some of the more notorious elements the format is known for. The show relies heavily on high quality animation, thoughtful storytelling, and deep, complex characters while simultaneously avoiding gratuitous violence and sexuality.
Alice in the Country of Hearts
Children of the Sea
Eyeshield 21
Hikaru no Go
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Nausicaa
O-Parts Hunter
Soul Eater
Strobe Edge
Tiger & Bunny
