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Review: Fist of the North Star Vol. 1

In an postapocalyptic world, a wanderer appears out of the wasteland to bring justice. Ken bears seven scars upon his chest and holds the secret of a mysterious martial art known as Hokuto Shinken, the Divine Fist of the North Star!

Story: Buronson
Art: Tetsuo Hara
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Touch-up Art & Lettering: John Hunt

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Amazon
Kindle
comiXology
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Bookshop


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NYCC 2019: VIZ Media Announces New Manga, Novels, and More for 2020

VIZ Media expands its publishing catalog as it announced a wide range of new acquisitions set for summer 2020 release during its official panels held this past weekend at New York Comic Con.

New VIZ Signature titles arriving in summer 2020 include Maison Collector’s Edition, the definitive release of the classic Rumiko Takahashi series, Naoki Urasawa’s Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams, and Ping Pong, the tale of two boys’ passion for table tennis from Eisner Award winner Taiyo Matsumoto. The inspiration for the Netflix Original series Kingdom, The Kingdom of the Gods, was also announced.

Shonen Jump titles announced at the Shonen Jump-dedicated panel include Masashi Kishimoto’s latest series Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachumaru; Act-Age, a gripping tale of an actor surviving her inner demons and Spy X Family, an action-packed comedy about a fake family that includes a spy, an assassin and a telepath. The official manga adaptation of the hit Rooster Teeth series RWBY: The Official Manga also receives a release as well as new novels from bestselling series Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece.

On the Shojo Beat side, new titles include Fushigi Yûgi: Byakko Senki, the final installment of the popular fantasy series and Not Your Idol, a thriller about a former idol dealing with a psychotic stalker.

Last but not least, the roster of titles includes How Do We Relationship?, a rom-com about two college women in a “fake” relationship, and the massive, full-color guide Monster Hunter: World – Official Complete Works, a must have for fans of the video game franchise.

Summer 2020 New Acquisitions:

ACT-AGE
Story by Tatsuya Matsuki, Art By Shiro Usazaki

Kei Yonagi must delve deep into her psyche to succeed in the cutthroat world of acting, but can she keep her sanity while doing so? Is there a method to Kei Yonagi’s madness when it comes to acting? The young actor has a family of siblings to feed, but she finds herself struggling with her psychological demons when playing a role. Her desperate acting catches the eye of a famous director, Sumiji Kuroyama, who’s looking for raw talent to mold. Can he help Yonagi navigate the cutthroat world of acting without losing her sanity?

BLEACH: CAN’T FEAR YOUR OWN WORLD
By Ryohgo Narita, Original Concept by Tite Kubo

The bestselling paranormal action adventure manga series BLEACH continues in novel form as an all-new threat arises! The Quincies’ Thousand Year Blood War is over, but the embers of turmoil still smolder in the Soul Society. Tokinada Tsunayashiro, elevated to head of his clan after a slew of assassinations take out every other claimant to the title, has a grand plan to create a new Soul King. His dark ambitions soon sow the seeds of a new total war across the realms, but all is not lost. There is one unlikely Soul Reaper who holds the key to defusing the conflict—Shuhei Hisagi, Assistant Captain of the Ninth Company and reporter for the Seireitei Bulletin

FUSHIGI YÛGI: BYAKKO SENKI
By Yuu Watase

The final FUSHIGI YÛGI story in the Universe of the Four Gods begins! The year is 1923. Suzuno Osugi’s father Takao warns her to stay away from The Universe of the Four Gods, telling her it’s a book that only men can touch. Takao worked with late Einosuke Okuda, who translated its text. He knows that in order to enact its story, the book needs one last heroine: the priestess of Byakko!

HOW DO WE RELATIONSHIP?
By Tamifull

A romance of convenience between two college women soon becomes the real thing. Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult—especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to increase her romantic odds until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests they might as well start dating each other since it’s not like either of them have other options. At first it seems like things won’t work out as their personalities clash and misunderstandings abound. But when their casual friendship starts to become something more Miwa begins to wonder—can a pragmatic proposal lead to true love?

MAISON IKKOKU COLLECTOR’S EDITION

MAISON IKKOKU COLLECTOR’S EDITION
By Rumiko Takahashi

Acclaimed author Rumiko Takahashi’s classic romantic comedy about finding a path in life. Yusaku Godai didn’t get accepted into college on the first try, so he’s studying to retake the entrance exams. But living in a dilapidated building full of eccentric and noisy tenants is making it hard for him to achieve his goals. Now that a beautiful woman has moved in to become the new resident manager, Godai is driven to distraction!

MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD – OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS

Dive into this monstrously massive guide and explore all of the hunting fields, monsters, weaponry and lore that turned Capcom’s beloved Monster Hunter franchise into a global hit! Monster Hunter: World is one of the biggest games to hit shelves in years, and an epic game deserves an epic book! This 560-page tome features all of the lore, myths and monster designs that made Monster Hunter: World such a hit. Get all of the details on the ecosystems of the hunting grounds, find out just what makes a Rathalos such a ferocious predator and explore the New World!

MUJIRUSHI: THE SIGN OF DREAMS

MUJIRUSHI: THE SIGN OF DREAMS
By Naoki Urasawa

From award-winning author Naoki Urasawa comes a tale of crushing debt, a broken marriage, and the painting that can fix it all—if Kasumi and her dad can manage to steal it. Kamoda will do anything to earn a quick buck, even if it means skipping out on his taxes to take his wife on a luxury cruise. But when a random tax audit bankrupts his family, Kamoda soon discovers his wife has taken that cruise after all—only without Kamoda or their daughter Kasumi. Desperate to provide, Kamoda invests in a scheme to mass-produce masks of controversial American presidential candidate Beverly Duncan. But a lackluster election kills their sales potential, burying Kamoda under a mountain of masks and debt. On the verge of despair, Kamoda discovers a sign that leads him to the Director, an art fanatic who vows he can make all of Kamoda and Kasumi’s dreams come true.

NARUTO: NARUTO’S STORY – FAMILY DAY
By Mirei Miyamoto, Original Concept By Masashi Kishimoto

The ninja adventures continue in these stories featuring the characters of NARUTO and BORUTO! In this first of three new stand-alone tales set in the BORUTO timeline, the village of Konohagakure has established a new holiday, Family Day. In an attempt to celebrate, Naruto and his daughter Himawari race around looking for a must-have item that just keeps eluding them. Hinata wants to make the day memorable for her father Hiashi, her younger sister Hanabi and her son Boruto. Even Sasuke makes time to do something special with his daughter Sarada and his wife Sakura! When all is said and done, will the new holiday be considered a success?

NOT YOUR IDOL
By Aoi Makino

A psychological suspense series about a girl who has given up her life as an idol after being assaulted by a fan. In the wake of an assault, Nina Kamiyama, a former idol in the group Pure Club, shuns her femininity and starts dressing as a boy. At high school she keeps to herself, but fellow student Hikaru Horiuchi realizes who she is. What secrets is she keeping? The shocking drama starts.

ONE PIECE: ACE’S STORY
By Sho Hinata, Original Concept by Eiichiro Oda

Get the backstory on Luffy’s brother Ace in this first of two prose stories that continue the high seas adventure ONE PIECE! This volume contains the origin story of Luffy’s adopted brother Ace, and tells of his thrilling quest for the legendary One Piece treasure.

PING PONG
By Taiyo Matsumoto

Ace high school table tennis players push their passion to the limit in this story of self-discovery, told by Eisner Award winner Taiyo Matsumoto and later adapted to anime by Masaaki Yuasa (Devilman Crybaby). Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto doesn’t smile even though he’s got a natural talent for playing ping pong. As one of the best players in school, all hopes are on him to win the regional high school tournament, but winning is not what Smile really wants to do. Will the fierce competition to be number one bring out his best or drive him away from the game? PING PONG is Taiyo Matsumoto’s masterwork reflection on friendship and self-discovery, presented here in two volumes, featuring color art, the bonus story Tamura and an afterward by the original Japanese series editor.

RWBY: THE OFFICIAL MANGA
By Bunta Kinami, Based on the Rooster Teeth Series Created By Monty Oum

Experience the Beacon Academy arc of the international smash hit animated series RWBY in a whole new way—manga! In the world of Remnant, monsters known as Grimm wreak havoc. They’re kept in check by Huntsmen and Huntresses, highly-skilled warriors experienced in monster extermination who utilize special abilities in battle. Ruby is a ferociously talented young girl who comes to Beacon Academy to hone her skills and serve as a Huntress herself. Alongside her sister Yang Xiao Long, rival Weiss Schnee and newfound friend Blake Belladonna, Ruby leads Team RWBY, the coolest new group at Beacon!

SAMURAI 8: THE TALE OF HACHIMARU
Story by Masashi Kishimoto, Art by Akira Okubo

A futuristic tale of samurai adventure from the creator of NARUTO! Becoming a samurai seems like an impossible dream for Hachimaru, a boy who can’t even survive without the help of his father. But when a samurai cat appears before him, his whole life changes. A legendary manga creator and a rising star come together to bring you this science fiction samurai epic!

SPY X FAMILY

SPY X FAMILY
By Tatsuya Endo

An action-packed comedy about a fake family that includes a spy, an assassin and a telepath! Master spy Twilight is the best at what he does when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions in the name of a better world. But when he receives the ultimate impossible assignment—get married and have a kid—he may finally be in over his head!

THE KINGDOM OF THE GODS
Story By In-Wan Youn, Art By Kyung-Il Yang, Original Concept by Eun-hee Kim

Discover the comic that inspired the Netflix Original zombie series Kingdom! Years of war and famine and have plunged Joseon into chaos. Young Prince Yi Moon, after losing all his bodyguards to an assassination attempt, has no choice but to turn to the mountain bandit Jae-ha for help. But as the unlikely pair race to find safety in a world gone mad, it becomes horrifyingly clear that humans aren’t the only thing they must fear! In a bonus story, a secluded island becomes a private battlefield as the notorious Japanese criminal Juu and the infamous Korean felon Han face off against each other. But they aren’t the only ones on the island…

VIZ Media Announces New Manga for the Fall

VIZ Media has announced new manga publishing acquisitions set for release this coming fall.

New fall titles joining the VIZ Signature imprint include Cats of the Louvre, the latest masterpiece from Eisner Award-winning creator Taiyo Matsumoto. Acclaimed author Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human is adapted into chilling graphic novel form by the famed horror manga creator Junji Ito.

Additional acquisitions include Levius, a hardcover deluxe edition of the science fiction battle manga and its ongoing sequel series, Levius/Est. The Way of the HouseHusband is an action-packed comedy about a former yakuza legend trying to lead a law-abiding, domestic life as a househusband. And in No Guns Life, a gritty new action series, a former soldier with a cyborg body finds the war never ends for people with bodies like his. Finally, the Assassination Classroom Complete Box Set rounds out the new releases, collecting all 21 volumes of the hit high school action-adventure-comedy from Shonen Jump.

CATS OF THE LOUVRE

A surreal tale of the secret world of the cats of the Louvre by Eisner-Award winning creator Taiyo Matsumoto. The world-renowned Louvre museum in Paris contains more than just the most famous works of art in history. At night, within the darkened galleries, an unseen and surreal world comes alive – a world only witnessed by the small family of cats that live in the attic. Until now…

CATS OF THE LOUVRE

NO LONGER HUMAN

Plagued by a maddening anxiety, the terrible disconnect between his own concept of happiness and the joy of the rest of the world, Yozo Oba plays the clown in his dissolute life, holding up a mask for those around him as he spirals ever downward, locked arm-in-arm with death. Osamu Dazai’s immortal—and supposedly autobiographical—work of Japanese literature, is perfectly adapted here into a manga by Junji Ito. The imagery wrenches open the text of the novel one line at a time to sublimate Yozo’s mental landscape into something even more delicate and grotesque. This is the ultimate in art by Ito, proof that nothing can surpass the terror of the human psyche.

LEVIUS

It’s the 19th Century and the world has entered the Era of Rebirth, recovering from the devastating flames of war. The sport of Mechanical Martial Arts has galvanized many nations. Cybernetically augmented fighters turn their blood into steam and their bodies into brutal fighting—and killing—machines. Young Levius is one of those arena battlers, hellbent on winning so he can simply survive.

LEVIUS/EST

In this ongoing series that picks up where LEVIUS ended, things look bleak in the aftermath of the Mechanical Arts arena battle. A new arrival inspires a sense of hope – but she might also signal the end of everything!

THE WAY OF THE HOUSEHUSBAND

It’s a day in the life of your average househusband – if your average househusband is the legendary yakuza the “Immortal Dragon”!Yes, this former yakuza legend has left it all behind to become your everyday househusband. But it’s not easy to walk away from the gangster life, and what should be mundane household tasks are anything but!

THE WAY OF THE HOUSEHUSBAND

NO GUNS LIFE

After the war, cyborg soldiers known as the Extended were discharged. Juzo Inui is one of them, a man whose body was transformed, his head replaced with a giant gun! With no memory of his previous life—or who replaced his head and why—Inui now scratches out a living in the dark streets of the city as a Resolver, taking on cases involving the Extended.

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM COMPLETE BOX SET

The complete box set collection includes all 21 volumes of Assassination Classroom along with a premium two-sided color poster and a 32-page full-color mini artbook.

Ever caught yourself screaming, “I could just kill that teacher”? What would it take to justify such antisocial behavior and weeks of detention? Especially if he’s the best teacher you’ve ever had? How about blowing up the moon and threatening to do the same to Mother Earth—unless you take him out first?! Plus a reward of a cool 100 million from the Ministry of Defense!

Classic Urusei Yatsura Manga Returns In New Deluxe Editions From VIZ

Urusei Yatsura

VIZ Media has announced the return of the classic manga comedy from Rumiko Takahashi Urusei Yatsura in all-new deluxe editions on February 19th.

Set for publication under the VIZ Signature imprint, Urusei Yatsura depicts the hilarious misadventures of an unlucky human boy who meets a beautiful alien princess. The series is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens; Volume 1 will carry a print MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $26.99 CAN. Urusei Yatsura ’s volumes will present 400 pages of content in the larger VIZ Signature trim size. The complete series is scheduled for English publication by VIZ Media on a quarterly basis.

In Urusei Yatsura , beautiful space alien princess Lum invades Earth on her UFO, and unlucky Ataru Moroboshi’s world gets turned upside down! Will Lum become Earth’s electrifying new leader? Or will Ataru somehow miraculously save Earth from space alien onslaught?

Review: Ran and the Gray World Vol. 1

Ran Uruma can’t wait to grow up and become a sorceress like her mother, so with the help of a magical pair of sneakers, she transforms into an adult and sets off! Her father and older brother Jin try to keep her home safe, but Ran is determined to advance her powers and have adventures of her own!

Ran and the Gray World is written and illustrated by Aki Irie and is… interesting.

Get your copy in comic shops and book stores starting this week! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Amazon/Kindle/comiXology

 

VIZ Media provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Ran and the Gray World is Out Through VIZ Signature November 20

VIZ Media releases the beautifully illustrated Ran and the Gray World on November 20th.

Ran and the Gray World is written and illustrated by Aki Irie and will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint. The series will carry a print MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN. Ran and the Gray World also launches digitally on November 20th for $10.99 via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores. Future volumes of the series will be published on a quarterly basis.

Ran Uruma can’t wait to grow up and become a sorceress like her mother, so with the help of a magical pair of sneakers, she transforms into an adult and sets off! Her father and older brother Jin try to keep her home safe, but Ran is determined to advance her powers and have adventures of her own!

Junji Ito’s Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection is Out October 16

VIZ Media has announces the release of Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection on October 16th.

The latest release from the famed horror manga creator will receive a hardcover print release under the VIZ Signature imprint and will carry an MSRP of $22.99 U.S. / $32.00 CAN. Digital editions of Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection will also be available for $15.99 via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores.

Junji Ito meets Mary Shelley! The master of horror manga bends all his skill into bringing the anguished and solitary monster—and the fouler beast who created him—to life with the brilliantly detailed chiaroscuro he is known for. Also included are six tales of Oshikiri—a high school student who lives in a decaying mansion connected to a haunted parallel world. Uncanny doppelgangers, unfortunately murdered friends, and a whole lot more are in store for him. Bonus: The Ito family dog! Thrill to the adventures of Non-non Ito, an adorable Maltese!

Manga creator Junji Ito made his professional manga debut in 1987 and has since gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest contemporary artists working in the horror genre. His titles include Tomie and Uzumaki, which have been adapted into live-action films; GYO, which was adapted into an animated film; and his short story collections Fragments of Horror and Shiver, all of which are available from VIZ Media. Ito’s influences include classic horror manga artists Kazuo Umezu and Hideshi Hino, as well as authors Yasutaka Tsutsui and H.P. Lovecraft.

Inio Asano’s Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction Arrives from VIZ on April 17

VIZ Media will release Inio Asano’s Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction on April 17th.

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction is the latest series from Eisner-nominated author Inio Asano. The series is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and will be published in print and digital editions under the VIZ Signature imprint. Volume 1 will carry a print MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN. The series will launch digitally via viz.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores. Future volumes of the series will be published in English by VIZ Media on a quarterly basis.

In Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, the Japan Self Defense Forces are still looking for a way to combat the looming alien threat three years after the invasion, but so far conventional weapons have no effect on the mother ship. Maybe it’s time to try something unconventional. Meanwhile, Kadode Koyama is in high school. She and her best friend avidly track the aliens’ movements on social media and less enthusiastically study for college entrance exams. When the end of the world is overhead, you learn to take it one step at a time.

VIZ Media Acquires Publishing Rights For RWBY Official Manga Anthology Series

VIZ Media expands its RWBY catalog with publishing plans for a line of RWBY Official Manga Anthologies this summer.

The RWBY Official Manga Anthologies will be published in English under the VIZ Signature imprint and will be rated ‘T’ for Teens. Each of the four character-focused anthologies contain more than 15 short stories by different Japanese manga creators. Bonus messages are also included from the voice actors who play the featured characters in the animated series, along with additional notes from RWBY character designer, Ein Lee, and various anthology illustrators.

Debuting Summer 2018, the first anthology features Team RWBY leader, Ruby Rose, while the second anthology, featuring Weiss Schnee, is set for publication later in 2018. More details on anthologies featuring Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long is forthcoming.

In RWBY, the world of Remnant is filled with horrific monsters bent on the destruction of humanity. Fortunately, the kingdoms of the world have risen to combat these forces by training powerful Huntsmen and Huntresses at academies around the planet. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long are four such Huntresses in training.

This anthology series of shorts allows manga creators to step into the world of RWBY. Each volume showcases a different member of Team RWBY and brings the powerful Huntresses to life!

VIZ Media recently launched the single-volume RWBY manga by creator Shirow Miwa. The manga is inspired by the popular online anime-style series originally created by Monty Oum and produced by Austin, TX-based Rooster Teeth Productions. RWBY was the first western-produced anime series to be distributed in Japan.

Manga Monday Review: Golden Kamuy Vol. 1

In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush on the wild frontier of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it! Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.

Satoru Noda‘s Golden Kamuy Vol. 1 is a fantastic debut manga volume that fills in the backstory, provides depth to characters, and delivers a solid crime story. The concept of the story is simple, a soldier attempts to find a map to a treasure that involves convicts, crooked soldiers, and a young girl to help him along. And, all of that is set upon the backdrop of the Russo-Japanese war fallout. It’s a series that crosses a whole lot of genres and pulls them off quite well.

While the story has “heist” elements to it, this first volume mainly takes place in a forest giving it a survival aspect to it all. It defies expectations in many ways and it kept me on my toes by doing so.

What’s even more interesting is its two main characters, Sugimoto and Ainu, have a lot of depth coming out of the first volume. You get a great sense of who they are, what motivates them, and their general personality. You get a backstory to them as well. That’s a hell of a lot packed into one volume and by the end you get a sense you really get these two and their dynamic.

The art by Noda is fantastic as well. There’s so much detail to everything and the juxtaposition of the nature in which a lot of the first volume takes place and the fact material wealth is the driver is fascinating. There’s an ominous feeling throughout that industrialization is right around the corner and that the encroaching technology will destroy what we’re viewing. War comes home and brings advancement and destruction.

A fantastic first volume that’s a familiar genre matched with an era you don’t see too often. An absolute must get and a great read for manga fans and those new to it.

Story: Satoru Noda Art: Satoru Noda
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

VIZ Media provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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