2008 Preview: 20 Hot New Manga
Looking ahead to 2008, there's a lot of great manga coming soon to a comics shop or bookstore near you. According to ICV2, we can expect to see 1,731 new volumes of manga this year, an 18% increase over 2007. But what are the titles that are generating the most pre-publication buzz?
Based on the previews I've seen at conventions, in magazines and online blogs, here are the top 20 graphic novels, books and magazines that I'm most looking forward to reading in 2008, plus 10 trends for 2008.
Publisher:Dark Horse
Read more about Gantz
Read a review of Gantz Vol. 1
Release Date: Summer 2008
Calling it "one of the most requested manga ever to be released," Dark Horse addedGantz to their 2008 roster in mid-2007. With the anime licensed by ADV Films, dazzling art and lots of fan buzz, Gantz has a built-in audience waiting eagerly for this action/sci-fi series.
In Gantz, a team of dead people are forced to complete a series of dangerous and complicated missions by a strange device called Gantz. On these missions characters can die again, only to be quickly replaced by others like them. As the plot progresses, so does the intricacy of relationships between characters.More »
Publisher:VIZ Media
Read more about Slam Dunk
Read a review of Slam Dunk Vol. 1
Release Date: September 2008
This was one of the most exciting announcements to come out of Comic-Con 2007: The return of Slam Dunk. After its aborted run with now defunct Raijin Comics, Takehiko Inoue's hugely popular sports manga is returning to the U.S. market in 2008 under the guidance of the editors at VIZ Media. Given VIZ's top-notch editions of Inoue's other series Vagabond, the second time around just might be the charm for this incredibly addictive basketball shonen manga series.More »
Publisher:VIZ Media
Read more about Real
Read a review of Real Vol. 1
Release Date: July 2008
Following their announcement of the return of Slam Dunk, VIZ Media followed it up with even more Inoue for 2008 with the addition of his other basketball manga series, Real. In Real, the action takes place outside of the high school gymnasium and follows the struggles and triumphs of wheelchair-bound athletes whose disabilities do not diminish their passion for basketball. Drawn in a more serious, realistic style than Slam Dunk, Real will be making its U.S. debut in July 2008.More »
Publisher:Del Rey Manga
Read more about Me and the Devil Blues
Read a review of Me and the Devil Blues Vol. 1
Release Date: Summer 2008
When Del Rey Manga announced this title at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con, Me and the Devil Blues immediately caught my eye. The legend of bluesman Robert Johnson and his deal with the Devil at The Crossroads is a rich theme for visual storytelling and an unusual subject for manga. I'm a fan of Johnson's music and have long been fascinated by his mystique, so this one has a lot of personal interest for me.
Japanese manga artists have a mixed history of depicting African-Americans, so I'll also be looking to see if Hiramoto breaks new ground with his story.More »
Publisher:Pantheon
Read more about Bat Manga!
Read a review of Bat-Manga!
See a preview gallery of pages from Bat-Manga!
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Holy rice balls, Batman! Long before Del Rey and Marvel decided to give The X-Men a manga makeover, DC Comics and Shonen King magazine published a manga version of Batman in 1966.
Compiled by book designer and comics connoisseur Chip Kidd, fellow collector Saul Ferris and Geoff Spear, Bat Manga! presents a collection of original Batman stories by Jiro Kuwata, the artist of 8 Man.These stories have never been compiled before, so Bat Manga! gives readers a rare look at a forgotten era of Japanese-American comics cultural exchange.More »
Artist: Takeshi Obata
Publisher:VIZ Media
Read a review of Ral Ω Grad Volume 1
Read more about Ral Ω Grad
Release Date: February 5. 2008
Fans of Takeshi Obata, the artist of Death Note and Hikaru no Go are eagerly awaiting the U.S. debut of his next new series. This time he's collaborating with author Tsuneo Takano to bring us Ral Ω Grad (a.k.a. Blue Dragon Ral Grado).
Based on the Blue Dragon video game, Ral Ω Grad is a fantasy adventure story that revolves around Ral, a young man who grew up in isolation, his Shadow / blue dragon named Grad, and their quest to defeat the evil Shadows that threaten to engulf the kingdom of Sphaein.More »
Artist: Takeshi Obata
Publisher:VIZ Media
Read more about Death Note Volume 13
Release Date: February 19, 2008
One the most talked-about manga series in recent memory, Death Note wrapped up its 12-volume run in July 2007. But that's not the end of the story. The 13th volume, a "how to read" guide offers readers some answers to some of the questions that were left floating around after the conclusion of Death Note Volume 12. What happened to Misa? And what's L's real name? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed when Death Note 13 arrives in stores in February.More »
Publisher:Vertical
Read more about Black Jack
Read a review of Black Jack Vol. 1Release Date: September 2008
Vertical continues its successful run of Osamu Tezuka's graphic novels with two new series for 2008: Black Jack and Dororo. Like Slam Dunk, Black Jack is another critically acclaimed and much-beloved series that was originally released in the pre-manga boom days, only to go out of print. Vertical resuscitates Tezuka's tale of a brilliant rogue doctor and presents it in first class edition that will give it a new life with today's manga fans.More »
Publisher:Vertical
Read more about Dororo
Read a review of Dororo Volume 1
Read a review of Dororo Volume 2
Release Date: April 2008
A Tezuka story from the Sixties, Dororo has gotten more attention lately thanks to a new Japanese live-action, special effects-laden feature film based on this story. No word on when the movie will be released in the States, but check out the trailers at the official movie Web site, they're pretty surreal. Special effects are a must, especially if you're making a movie about a hero whose parents has sold his body parts to gain power from demon gods, and his quest to battle these demons to get his real limbs and organs back.More »
Publisher:Del Rey Manga
Read more about Faust
Release Date: Summer 2008
Although technically not a graphic novel, Del Rey Manga's new anthology magazine Faust has a lot to offer to manga readers. Surfing the wave of manga and anime-inspired light novels that have been hitting the shelves lately, theU.S. edition ofthis influential Japanese literary / manga magazine promises stories and artwork by CLAMP, Yun Kouga (Loveless), Takeshi Obata (Death Note) and Ueda Hajime (FLCL, Q-Ko Chan).Think of it as the New Yorker for the otaku generation.More »
Based on the previews I've seen at conventions, in magazines and online blogs, here are the top 20 graphic novels, books and magazines that I'm most looking forward to reading in 2008, plus 10 trends for 2008.
1. Gantz
Author and Artist: Hiroya OkuPublisher:Dark Horse
Read more about Gantz
Read a review of Gantz Vol. 1
Release Date: Summer 2008
Calling it "one of the most requested manga ever to be released," Dark Horse addedGantz to their 2008 roster in mid-2007. With the anime licensed by ADV Films, dazzling art and lots of fan buzz, Gantz has a built-in audience waiting eagerly for this action/sci-fi series.
In Gantz, a team of dead people are forced to complete a series of dangerous and complicated missions by a strange device called Gantz. On these missions characters can die again, only to be quickly replaced by others like them. As the plot progresses, so does the intricacy of relationships between characters.More »
2. Slam Dunk
Author and Artist:Takehiko InouePublisher:VIZ Media
Read more about Slam Dunk
Read a review of Slam Dunk Vol. 1
Release Date: September 2008
This was one of the most exciting announcements to come out of Comic-Con 2007: The return of Slam Dunk. After its aborted run with now defunct Raijin Comics, Takehiko Inoue's hugely popular sports manga is returning to the U.S. market in 2008 under the guidance of the editors at VIZ Media. Given VIZ's top-notch editions of Inoue's other series Vagabond, the second time around just might be the charm for this incredibly addictive basketball shonen manga series.More »
3. Real
Author and Artist:Takehiko InouePublisher:VIZ Media
Read more about Real
Read a review of Real Vol. 1
Release Date: July 2008
Following their announcement of the return of Slam Dunk, VIZ Media followed it up with even more Inoue for 2008 with the addition of his other basketball manga series, Real. In Real, the action takes place outside of the high school gymnasium and follows the struggles and triumphs of wheelchair-bound athletes whose disabilities do not diminish their passion for basketball. Drawn in a more serious, realistic style than Slam Dunk, Real will be making its U.S. debut in July 2008.More »
4. Me & the Devil Blues
Author and Artist: Akira HiramotoPublisher:Del Rey Manga
Read more about Me and the Devil Blues
Read a review of Me and the Devil Blues Vol. 1
Release Date: Summer 2008
When Del Rey Manga announced this title at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con, Me and the Devil Blues immediately caught my eye. The legend of bluesman Robert Johnson and his deal with the Devil at The Crossroads is a rich theme for visual storytelling and an unusual subject for manga. I'm a fan of Johnson's music and have long been fascinated by his mystique, so this one has a lot of personal interest for me.
Japanese manga artists have a mixed history of depicting African-Americans, so I'll also be looking to see if Hiramoto breaks new ground with his story.More »
5. Bat Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan
Authors:Chip Kidd, Geoff Spear, Saul FerrisPublisher:Pantheon
Read more about Bat Manga!
Read a review of Bat-Manga!
See a preview gallery of pages from Bat-Manga!
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Holy rice balls, Batman! Long before Del Rey and Marvel decided to give The X-Men a manga makeover, DC Comics and Shonen King magazine published a manga version of Batman in 1966.
Compiled by book designer and comics connoisseur Chip Kidd, fellow collector Saul Ferris and Geoff Spear, Bat Manga! presents a collection of original Batman stories by Jiro Kuwata, the artist of 8 Man.These stories have never been compiled before, so Bat Manga! gives readers a rare look at a forgotten era of Japanese-American comics cultural exchange.More »
6. Ral Ω Grad
Author: Tsuneo TakanoArtist: Takeshi Obata
Publisher:VIZ Media
Read a review of Ral Ω Grad Volume 1
Read more about Ral Ω Grad
Release Date: February 5. 2008
Fans of Takeshi Obata, the artist of Death Note and Hikaru no Go are eagerly awaiting the U.S. debut of his next new series. This time he's collaborating with author Tsuneo Takano to bring us Ral Ω Grad (a.k.a. Blue Dragon Ral Grado).
Based on the Blue Dragon video game, Ral Ω Grad is a fantasy adventure story that revolves around Ral, a young man who grew up in isolation, his Shadow / blue dragon named Grad, and their quest to defeat the evil Shadows that threaten to engulf the kingdom of Sphaein.More »
7. Death Note Volume 13: How to Read
Author: Tsugumi OhbaArtist: Takeshi Obata
Publisher:VIZ Media
Read more about Death Note Volume 13
Release Date: February 19, 2008
One the most talked-about manga series in recent memory, Death Note wrapped up its 12-volume run in July 2007. But that's not the end of the story. The 13th volume, a "how to read" guide offers readers some answers to some of the questions that were left floating around after the conclusion of Death Note Volume 12. What happened to Misa? And what's L's real name? The answers to these questions and more will be revealed when Death Note 13 arrives in stores in February.More »
8. Black Jack
Author and Artist:Osamu TezukaPublisher:Vertical
Read more about Black Jack
Read a review of Black Jack Vol. 1Release Date: September 2008
Vertical continues its successful run of Osamu Tezuka's graphic novels with two new series for 2008: Black Jack and Dororo. Like Slam Dunk, Black Jack is another critically acclaimed and much-beloved series that was originally released in the pre-manga boom days, only to go out of print. Vertical resuscitates Tezuka's tale of a brilliant rogue doctor and presents it in first class edition that will give it a new life with today's manga fans.More »
9. Dororo
Author and Artist:Osamu TezukaPublisher:Vertical
Read more about Dororo
Read a review of Dororo Volume 1
Read a review of Dororo Volume 2
Release Date: April 2008
A Tezuka story from the Sixties, Dororo has gotten more attention lately thanks to a new Japanese live-action, special effects-laden feature film based on this story. No word on when the movie will be released in the States, but check out the trailers at the official movie Web site, they're pretty surreal. Special effects are a must, especially if you're making a movie about a hero whose parents has sold his body parts to gain power from demon gods, and his quest to battle these demons to get his real limbs and organs back.More »
10. Faust
Authors and Artists: VariousPublisher:Del Rey Manga
Read more about Faust
Release Date: Summer 2008
Although technically not a graphic novel, Del Rey Manga's new anthology magazine Faust has a lot to offer to manga readers. Surfing the wave of manga and anime-inspired light novels that have been hitting the shelves lately, theU.S. edition ofthis influential Japanese literary / manga magazine promises stories and artwork by CLAMP, Yun Kouga (Loveless), Takeshi Obata (Death Note) and Ueda Hajime (FLCL, Q-Ko Chan).Think of it as the New Yorker for the otaku generation.More »
