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The March issue of Kodansh’s Shonen Sirius magazine out this month has announced that Devil Survivor, by Satoru Matsuba,will end in the April issue out at the end of February.
As 2015 comes to a close, so too did several manga titles, some that were only with us a little while, some that spanned some years.
What should have been a simple day out with friends turns into a mysterious disaster when powerful demonic beasts appear. Kazuya and Atsuro were supposed to meet Naoya, their enigmatic friend, but he doesn’t show up and instead sends another friend, Yuzu to meet them and give them specially modded game devices. It becomes apparent that Naoya has given them much more than they bargained for when demons spawn from these devices! These demons seem to be intent on killing humans, but could they actually be allies?! Kazuya and his friends must figure out what the devil is going on as the world around them inexplicably begins to fall apart!
Libraries are a major source of manga for many fans, especially teens who may not have the means of getting their favorite titles, so having a major publisher like Kodansha release their two biggest hits among other, on the most popular eBook library platform is a big win! At least it is for readers in areas where Overdrive has a wide selection. That is, unfortunately not my area, which I find surprising, since I live in the Southern California area. Hopefully some day soon that will change. If you have access to these titles through your library, give them a try!
Maybe “announce” is a strong word, since in 2 of the 3 titles announced in the last few weeks have been from fans discovering listings on Amazon. Only one was officially teased and announced at an event.
Viz is the top dog this week, as it has been for the last month on the New York Times and Amazon Bestseller lists. All of their shonen and shojo titles come out this week, including the final volume of Yukarism by Chika Shiomi, and new volumes of superhero titles One-Punch Man and My Hero Academia.
Last week of the month, and publishers have quite an impressive haul. Dark Horse Comics finally completes Gantz with final volume 37. Gantz is well known for its graphic content and outrageous fights. This volume will surely be no different. On the other side of this coin is the debut of the new series from Seven Seas Entertainment, Golden Time. This rom-com is from the creator of Toradora, and features college students looking for a fresh start, but just can’t seem to escape the past.
There’s a whole of manga out this week. Digital Manga Publishing makes a surprise return with two BL titles in print. Netcomics also releases some new volumes from their recent titles, such as Chiro Vol 3, Core Scramble Vol 2, and Give to the Heart Vol 5. Kodansha debuts a new shojo, LDK, that is getting mixed reviews, just judging from my twitter feed. Either way, it is making an impression.
This last week was New York Comic Con, the last big con of the season. All of the major publishers were here, as well as some online newcomers. Everyone had something to announce, from new licenses to something a little more home-grown.
With New York Comic Con in the distance, releases this week are meager. Kodansha Comics debuts a new title in print, Kiss Him Not Me Vol 1. This series has been running on Crunchyroll Manga for a while now. Fujoshi girl keeps shipping the hot boys around her with each other, even through they all want to be with her. It don’t sound like my kind of series, but I though that about Yamada and the Seven Witches and I was wrong about that, so may be I’ll be wrong about this one too.
For five years, Eren Yeager has nursed a grudge against the Titans. Now he’s about to enter junior high with these massive creatures as classmates, and he won’t let his chance for revenge go to waste! Watch as your favorite trainees take on the Titans…in class, music club and dodgeball! Attack on Titan Junior High Volume 1 By Saki Nakagawa Publisher: Kodansha Comics Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Comedy Price: $16.99 Attack on Titan has had a lot of spin-off titles. Some have been serious, like No Regrets and Before the Fall, adding to the mythos of the world. Junior High is not that kind of spin-off. Following a trend that seems to have become popular, it takes the characters from the main series and drops them into a high school setting so the hilarity can ensue. It is an irreverent take that is meant to be funny, but is more hit and miss with its humor.
It wasn’t a major con weekend, but we still got two license announcements from Kodansha Comics and Vertical Comics. It’s almost poetic when you realize that Kodansha and Vertical are related.