Welcome one, welcome all, to Mangaversity! This is my attempt to continue my contribution to the Soliciting Multiversity column while messing with the format to make it my own. Special thanks again to Zack Davisson for pointing out this should’ve been my choice for the title from the get go.
You know, I nearly forgot to write a real intro to this. Guess getting over a nasty cold will do that. March didn’t have quite as many clear choices as I would have liked, which is actually a blessing in disguise because I got to pick some milestones and a few out there titles. Still way too many Viz books made it onto the main list. They got the heavy hitters, what can I say?
Perennial Favorites:
My love for these titles are very well documented and you will not go wrong reading them, though some titles that get featured here come with more caveats than others (“Berserk,” for instance, gets my full endorsement, but is certainly not for everyone.)
#drcl Midnight Children, Vol. 4
Written and Illustrated by Shin'ichi Sakamoto
Published by Viz
One of the weirdest manga you will read. Exceptionally horny. Intensely surreal.
Dracula meets manga in this surreally beautiful and chilling retelling of Bram Stoker’s quintessential horror classic.
In this beautiful, evocative, and often surreal retelling of Dracula, a fearsome enemy comes from the east, bringing with it horrors the likes of which have never been seen in the British Empire. Standing opposed are Wilhelmina “Mina” Murray and her stalwart companions, united in a cabal that eclipses gender, nationality, and station until the day that they can achieve victory.
The nature of time, reality, and fantasy intertwine as Jonathan Harker’s ill-fated journey to meet with Count Dracula begins. Traveling through strange, foreign lands, a young boy will confront unimaginable terrors that his short time in this world could scarce prepare him for. Yet even after escaping the fearsome beasts and ghosts of the wild, he will find within the stone walls of Dracula’s castle terrible monsters waiting to devour him all the same.
Call of the Night, Vol. 19
Written and Illustrated by Kotoyama
Published by Viz
Vampires but fun! A bit of a guilty pleasure manga but less and less as the volumes go on.
Antisocial, dorky boy seeks fun-loving, sexy vampire for blood-sucking and transforming into her minion.
One sleepless night, Ko slips out to walk the streets. Life after dark is a revelation! Especially when he meets flirtatious Nazuna. Except that she’s a vampire. That’s okay. He wants to become a creature of the night too. But transformation doesn’t come that easily...
Nazuna gets jealous when Ko starts spending most of his time at school and with his human friends. Is he secretly dating someone? At the same time, Ko notices that Nazuna hasn’t been sucking his blood. Is she sourcing her meals elsewhere? One thing’s for sure—it’s time they both face their true feelings for each other and deal with the consequences!
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 7
Written and Illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa
Translated by Amanda Haley
Lettered by Tania Biswas
Published by Viz
Maybe not Arakawa’s strongest story but I’ll take what I can get.
Hiromu Arakawa, award-winning manga creator of the best-selling smash hit Fullmetal Alchemist, draws readers into an intricate new web of magic, intrigue, and life-or-death stakes!
In a world where certain humans command mighty supernatural duos called Daemons, it is the birthright of “the children who sunder day and night”—twins Yuru and Asa—to rule over these powerful entities.
Separated from a young age and unaware of the truth of their birth, brother and sister must fight to make their way back to each other, claim their birthright, and save the world…
Ancient Daemons awaken to fight a new battle in an age-old war!!
All Yuru wants is to live a normal life with his family, but the world has other plans for him. At the warehouse district, Right and Left continue to duel Ivan while Gonzo and his entourage make quick work of Hayato Shingo’s goons. Back at the Kagemori manor, a traitor falls into a deadly trap set by Jin and Gabby. Elsewhere in the city, Asa follows a familiar distress signal, only to come face-to-face with her imposter again!
Show-ha Shoten!, Vol. 7
Written by Akinari Asakura
Illustrated by Takeshi Obata
Published by Viz
People. Stop sleeping on this gem. Nothing else makes me laugh as hard or as consistently as this.
A pair of dreamers strive to rise to the top of the comedy world in this story by Akinari Asakura with art by Takeshi Obata (Death Note)!
Shy Azemichi Shijima has secretly been studying the art of comedy. His outgoing classmate Taiyo Higashikata has big dreams of being funny but no follow-through. When the two team up, they just might take the comedy world by storm!
The Wara-1 Koshien finals have finally begun! Despite having the first (and worst) spot in the line-up, Glass Slipper kicks off the competition with an unprecedented performance, setting a score that’s nearly impossible to beat! And as if the contestants didn’t already have odds stacked against them, One-Way Ticket’s rivals Brutus have hatched a plan to sabotage the whole event… Are Azemichi and Taiyo’s chances of winning about to go up in smoke?!
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13
Written and Illustrated by Kousuke Oono
Published by Viz
Diminishing returns hit around volume 10 but I will never not be entranced by Tatsu and his merry band of misfit gangsters.
It’s a day in the life of your average househusband—if your average househusband is the legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon”!
A former yakuza legend leaves 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!
These days, car camping is all the rage! And Tatsu’s father-in-law isn’t immune to its appeal. It’s always been his dream to spend the night in his car, and he’s roped Tatsu into his overnight adventure. But when a kind old man comes a-knockin’, things suddenly get a whole lot more cramped!
Deluxe Den:
Every so often, there’s a new deluxe edition of a beloved manga that I think is worth shouting out but not at the expense of another item on the list. Usually this is the case for interstitial volumes, like the ones this month.
Gunsmith Cats Omnibus 1
Written and Illustrated by Kenichi Sonoda
Published by Dark Horse Comics
This manga is legendary among oldtaku and I wanna know why.
Chicago in the 1990s—a city of crime that means good business for two young women: bounty hunter partners Rally and Minnie-May, the Gunsmith Cats!
Fans will love this crime manga classic from the ‘90s from the character designer of Bubblegum Crisis, printed in an over-sized format and high-quality paper.
Rally Vincent runs Gunsmith Cats—a gun shop in Illinois with her partner, demolitions expert and former call girl Minnie-May Hopkins. But Rally’s “real” job doesn’t pay the bills, her hobby does. And her hobby is bounty hunting: bringing the most wanted men and women in the Chicago area to justice—dressed in her sharp suit and tie, and driving her Shelby Cobra GT 500!
But Rally and Minnie-May have their work cut out for them in Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Volume 1, with corrupt lawyers and cops, fetish-fueled hitmen, and crazed cocaine kingpins bringing the copters, the big rigs, and even the anti-tank guns onto the streets and the freeways of Chicagoland in a windshield whirlwind of double-crosses, car chases, and shootouts!
Initial D Omnibus, Vol 5
Written and Illustrated by Shuichi Shigeno
Translated by Kevin Steinbach
Published by Kodansha Comics
Let the eurobeat flow through you.
Remember me? Relive Takumi Fujiwara's journey from tofu delivery boy to street-racing legend in an all-new, large-sized, 2-in-1 print edition of the series that made Japanese street racing into a worldwide phenomenon.
Contains a new translation of Initial D Vol. 9-10.
Slashed-up stickers of Gunma's teams is the hot pursuit of the invading Emperor team. The hot-headed Seiji Iwaki has challenged Takumi to a race on Mount Akina, overflowing with confidence that an old Eight-Six has nothing against his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. But what does it mean when team leader, Kyoichi Sudo, advises Seiji to do "Simulation 3"? On the other side, Bunta has acquired a new engine for the Eight-Six, but he will only give it if Takumi loses. How will this battle end?
This edition is still running in the '90s but features a refreshed translation and lettering for the 2020s, as well as a special large size.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus 6
Written by Eiji Otsuka
Illustrated by Housui Yamazaki
Translated by Bunpei Yorifuiji and Toshifumi Yoshida
Published by Dark Horse Comics
I still gotta read omnibus 5. Bring it to Hoopla already Dark Horse!
Five students at a Buddhist college in Japan find there’s little call for their job skills…among the living, that is! But their unique talents allow them to work with the dead…carrying out the last wishes of those whose spirits are still trapped in their corpses, and can’t move on to the next life!
Book Six brings Kurosagi back to work…on some of their oddest jobs yet! When Numata’s fujoshi acupuncturist becomes the target of a manga-banning politician, it’s up to the Kurosagi gang to stick the needle into his power-hungry scheme. Next, a contest prize vacation to Shanghai turns into a side gig on the set of a Chinese zombie movie…but are all those corpses method acting? Then, we know the tragic story of Yata’s sister, but will things turn out happier for his partner Kereellis? For Kereellis’s sister, that is. His puppet sister.
And that’s just three of nine all-new bizarre stories in omnibus Book Six of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service!
X-men: The Manga - Remastered, Vol. 2
Written and Illustrated by Reiji Hagiwara, Hirofumi Ichikawa, Uoriya Ohashi, Kenichi Watanabe, and Koji Yasue
Published by Viz
DANANANANANANA! DANANANANANANA! DANANANANANANA! DANANA!
A deluxe manga take on your favorite X-Men stories!
Jubilation Lee is a teenager with a secret: she’s a mutant, the next level of human evolution, and has fantastic powers. All she wants is a normal life with trips to the mall to get away from her parents, but when the mutant-hunting robots known as Sentinels come after her, that normal life is pushed out of her reach! Discover the X-Men—mutant heroes hated and feared by a world they’re sworn to protect—alongside Jubilee in this classic manga series!
The world of the X-Men expands!
After escaping Genosha, the X-Men return home to find Professor X’s mansion completely flattened! Who in the world can stop the unstoppable Juggernaut?! Who is Bishop, the mysterious mutant from the future? Is there anyone who can stand against Apocalypse and the chaos he leaves in his wake? The X-Men have protected the innocent and saved the day before, but they’ve never faced challenges like these!
Caught My Eye:
A very scattershot list this time around, as they usually are. I’m trying out having short, capsule comments on most of the volumes. Let me know if you like them.
- Always a Catch!, Vol. 2: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince
- What a title. What a premise. This seems like a barrel of laughs drawn with an artstyle that’s best described as “mid-tier at best.”
- Assassin & Cinderella, Vol. 1
- ~She’s booby, he’s a fella. Seductive and a killer. They’re altogether mellow. Assassin and Cinderella!~
- Betrayers Love Song, Vol. 1
- The cover is really all this has going for it.
- Burst Angel, Vol. 3
- A rare prologue manga to an anime original project. I always thought it was flip-flopped.
- Dead Rock, Vol. 1
- Hiro, my Hiro. I thought this was a re-release of a 2000s manga and not your new project.
- Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 6
- Dinosaurs! They’re so cute!
- Failure at God School, Vol. 1
- Is this a delinquent manga? A terrible workplace comedy? I gotta know!
- Fist of the North Star, Vol. 16
- It’s still good! Just not as good as before the timeskip.
- Friday at Atelier, Vol. 3
- I like the fish and the abstract colors. This seems cozy but not all that impactful.
- Gazing at the Star Next Door, Vol. 5
- I really dropped most of my shojo picks this month, didn’t I?
- Gogogogo-go-ghost!, Vol. 3
- This shit is right up my alley and yet I’m STILL not reading it. Stupid catch-up months.
- One-punch Man, Vol. 30
- Don’t get me wrong. This series still rocks. But it’s definitely a “read six volumes at once” kind of manga.
- Sakamoto Days, Vol. 16
- The series may have plateaued at a solid 7 out of 10 but those covers continue to be some of the most striking on the market.
- Seraph of the End, Vol. 32
- How has this series not ended yet?!! Another “read six volumes at once” kind of manga, but far less engaging per volume. Let Yuichiro and Mika be happy dammit! Let me be freeeeeeee.
- A Sinner of Deep Sea, Vol. 3
- I’m still curious about this one. Apparently this is the final volume?
- The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 5
- Very close to making my perennial favs list. Excellent supernatural thriller but is just confusing enough to make me hold off.
WTF is this:
A corollary to the Caught My Eye subset are the comics I don’t actually think are potentially worth a read - or at least don’t strike me as list worthy - but have a certain je ne sais quoi that are absolutely worth pointing out and gawking at.
- Mansect
Living the Line publishes the weird shit. The gnarly shit. The manga that the big publishers stay the hell away from. I’m grateful for it, and also a little afraid.
- Ninja Vs. Gokudo, Vol. 6
WHAT IS THIS MANGA? SOMEONE EXPLAIN IT TO ME. THE ARMS! THE ARMS! AHHHHHHHHHH.
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The List:
13. My Discount Dress-Up
On the one hand, I think the only way this series can succeed is by having a strong emotional core. On the other, this is a comedy competition series but with cosplay so it could skate by on big emotions and technical detail. Either way, I wanna see these two clash.
It’s All Your Fault, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by merryhachi
Translated by Kashi Kamitoma
Published by Yen Press
Shiho is a troublemaking otaku aiming to create the most perfectly accurate costumes. Yotogi is a popular cosplayer with over 200,000 followers who is known for her revealing outfits. These girls are like fire and ice, clashing as they strive to become superstars in the world of cosplay!!?
12. Manga, Manga, Manga. Get Your Graphix Here!
Scholastic is entering the manga game. I cannot believe it. This is how you know manga has truly penetrated the deepest layers of the American pop-culture psyche. It’s also indicative of the dearth of juvenile manga titles that have made their way over here. Plenty of teen oriented ones (Shonen Jump) but none for the real youngins. I’m happy to see this and to come from such a big name.
Hikaru in the Light!, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Mai Matsuda
Published by Graphix
Middle-school student Hikaru Ogino sings as she cleans her family’s bathhouse after school in Tokyo and gets the chance of a lifetime when best friend Ran invites her to try out for pop star survival camp together.
11. The Game is Afoot
I wish I had known this was a murder mystery show when season one was first airing so I wasn’t hopelessly behind now. I LOVE murder mysteries and I have only heard rave reviews thus far. For anyone else in the same boat, maybe we’ll have a better shot reading the manga adaptation? I can say for sure I’m not going to have the time to read the original light novels.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 13
Story by Natsu Hyuuga
Illustrated by Nekokurage
Compiled by Itsuki Nanao
Translated by Julie Goniwich
Lettered by Tania Biswas
Published by Square Enix Manga
Maomao has accompanied Jinshi on a hunting trip in which Jinshi is keeping his true identity a secret. But then they were suddenly shot by flintlocks and managed to get away by hiding in a cave where Maomao learns one of the many secrets that Jinshi has been keeping. Now she has to work with Lihaku to identify their would-be assassins. While she’s able to work out their motive, could it be that there’s much more to this incident than she realizes? Once this case is closed, Maomao is once again called upon to solve a mystery in the inner court!
10. Tragedy! When the Morning Cries and You Don't Know Why
Books like this are Elias-bait. Sad boys. Ghosts. A race against the odds. Give it to me and give it now.
23:45
Written and Illustrated by Ohana
Published by Vertical Inc
“I won’t ever let you die again.”
New Tokyoite and college freshman Iku is living the otaku dream—except for the fact that he can now see ghosts. One day, he bumps into Mimori, a super friendly spirit that haunts a local bridge, and reluctantly lets the lonely specter into his home. But every night at 23:45, Mimori is drawn back to the bridge and forced to replay his downfall. Will Mimori be stuck in this loop forever, or can Iku find a way to save him from an eternity of unending tragedy?
9. 100 Coins and a Mushroom
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it till the sun burns out: I love these collections of big creators’ early works. It makes the medium feel more established and legitimate. They’re these windows into creative ids and developing talents. I love ‘em, even if I think Tatsuya Endo’s early works are probably going to be rougher than some of the others we’ve gotten.
Four Lives Remain - Tatsuya Endo Before Spy X Family
Written and Illustrated by Tatsuya Endo
Published by Viz
A dark and gritty collection of short stories from Tatsuya Endo before Spy x Family!
A young girl fighting her way through bounty hunter school. A princess forced to flee her moon empire after a coup. Witch-hunters hell-bent on killing with bloodsucking swords. And a group of ragtag musketeers tracking down armed robbers.
In these early works by Tatsuya Endo, creator of the hit series Spy x Family, follow the adventures of four resourceful and unexpected heroes as they discover that true strength, power, and beauty can be found in walking the path one believes in.
8. Intent vs Understanding
The reason Eizouken resonated with such a wide swath of people when it first aired was its unvarnished, though optimistic, insight into what it takes to make anime. Not in an “unparalleled, singular genius” way but in the everyday collaborations that make it work and the deep wells of passion the people behind it have. How to get funding? How to budget time? Why shortcuts are taken and why they’re not (usually) a sign of shoddy work?
Masaaki Yuasa and Science Saru’s masterful adaptation married this deep knowledge of animation process work with an ability to present that knowledge with clarity through boundlessly creative sequences. The manga may not have the benefit of motion, but it is the source and, now, the only place to see these characters encounter new to them, familiar to us challenges.
Any creative worth their salt should read “Eizouken!” if only to see themselves mirrored, in one way or another, in these three girls and their triumphs and tribulations.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Vol. 7
Written and Illustrated by Summito Oowara
Translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Beyond the anime—the Eizouken storyline continues!
When Mizusaki begs Kanamori to fill in for her on a fashion shoot, Kanamori finds her campus rival in willpower, student council secretary Sowande, has been booked for the same gig!
But as always, the real rivalry in Eizouken is the creative one, as Mizusaki also realizes that she’s not the only talented amateur animator out there, and writer and director Asakusa ponders what it means to be able to successfully complete a work on their terms, if an outside audience doesn’t understand what they were trying to say! Student screenings are one thing, but how will Clutch That Machete With Strength! fare before festival judges at an anime tournament…?
7. A Rare Ito Sequel
That’s really the reason this made it to the full list. I’ve yet to read the original “The Liminal Zone” so I don’t know if this is following up on plot or just thematic throughlines. But I mean, it’s Junji Ito. There’s little I need to say to sell another of his collections.
The Liminal Zone, Vol. 2
Written and Illustrated by Junji Ito
Published by Viz
Four-time Eisner Award winner Junji Ito presents brand-new nightmares!
Welcome to the liminal zone, where things beyond your wildest imagination await.
What fate awaits when death is not the end?
A group of four university students stumbles upon a deserted, decaying village deep in the mountains only to find an enormous perpetual motion machine still at work there. Before they can answer the questions of who made it and to what end, the friends begin to disappear, one after the other. Another story sees the return of the strange Hikizuri siblings! A girl weighed down since birth by an invisible burden meets the odd siblings and moves in with them in order to understand the truth about herself. But after a string of bizarre occurrences, the siblings’ uncle appears on the scene…
6. The End of an Era
For years, decades even, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” has trailed its anime counterparts here in the US. The original, never finished release of “Stardust Crusaders” followed after that part’s OVA in 2005 while David Production’s releases of Parts 1 through 6 preceded their deluxe edition releases by a good year or two. With Part 7 but a pipe dream as of writing - those horses, and other contractual obligations, are probably holding the adaptation up - this volume represents the final piece of legally available “JoJo” in the states before we enter uncharted territory. Savor that moment folks, and savor the gorgeous covers Araki gives this final volume.
Ora!
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Part 6: Stone Ocean, Vol. 9
Written and Illustrated by Hirohiko Araki
Published by Viz
A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil!
The legendary Shonen Jump series is now available in deluxe hardcover editions featuring color pages! JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a groundbreaking manga famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles.
After having narrowly escaped from Weather Forecast, Pucchi finally reaches the Time for Heaven and unlocks the Stand Maiden Heaven. Both the Stand and Pucchi himself fight with what is close to godlike, universe-destroying power. Can Jolyne and her friends manage to stop the evil priest once and for all? Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6: Stone Ocean.
5. A High School Romance? In College!!??
How rare is it for a shojo series to advance beyond the tender high school years and into the lofty echelons of the ivory tower. I am shocked, shook, and in disbelief. But if anyone could do it, it’s Takeo Goda. Go Goda! Experience the epic highs and lows of college…murder????????
My Love Story!!, Vol. 14: In College!!
Written by Kazune Kawahara
Illustrated by Aruko
Published by Viz
A gentle giant with a heart of gold finally stops being a love underdog in this hilarious romantic comedy!
Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don’t want him! (They want his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn!
Takeo and Yamato’s love story in high school was a happy one, and now it’s time for college! Along with Sunakawa, the couple are excited to attend the same school. They even have a chance to work together over the winter break, but a series of ominous events occur. Will this new chapter in their life end with…murder?!
4. Doing Anything Responsibly Everyday
I recently read a story by Ted Chiang called “Seventy-Two Letters” which seems to have a similar conceit to “Meth-e-meth:” a world where technology is built on a mystical framework of divine names. Hence the title, a play on emet aka truth, which becomes met, dead, when you wipe away the aleph at the top. Golem stuff, you know? No amphetamines to be seen.
That Hebrew appears on the cover gives me pause. There’s a bad history of decontextualized Jewish mysticism (or even just iconography) in manga. Rarely is it offensive - “Spriggan” may be one of the worst offenders there - but it’s pretty pervasive even in works I like: see the appropriate but still purely aesthetic use of the tree of life on Truth’s door in “Fullmetal Alchemist.” There’s an even worse history of it in Christian Europe, which probably goes to explain some of its usage in those works.
This is getting quite long, and I don’t have it in me to research and write an essay about appropriation in occultism so I’m going to wrap it up. Here’s hoping “Meth-e-meth” is more like “Seventy-Two Letters” than “Spriggan” in its sensitive use of these Jewish mystical concepts and did its damn research.
Meth-e-meth: The Complete Edition
Written and Illustrated by Kenji Tsurubuchi
Translated by Ko Ransom
Lettered by Phil Christie
Published by Yen Press
Long ago, humanity discovered the weapons later known as Autoscrolls—and the Oath-Making technology that allows command of them. In modern day Japan, not only have Autoscrolls become a part of everyday life, but Oath-Making is now a systematized science. When high school student and scroll enthusiast of the Oath Club Kyouta Yuzuki gets into an accident after finding a mysterious scroll, his new transplanted Oath-Heart turns him into a new being!
3. 50 Issue Celebration!
With volume 50’s release, “Skip Beat!” has now become the only single-part manga I’ve ever read that’s reached this milestone. Huzzah! If only it came out faster. Or was more compressed. This arc is so juicy. I need more, NOW!
Skip·beat!, Vol 50
Written and Illustrated by Yoshiki Nakamura
Published by Viz
When Kyoko’s heart is broken, she decides that revenge is a dish best served in the spotlight!
Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he’s casting her out now that he’s famous! Kyoko won’t suffer in silence—she’s going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!
Welcome to Hollywood! Kyoko is thrilled as the Route project takes off in sunny California. But even the excitement of exploring a real American movie studio isn’t enough to distract her from the current calamity—when Ren says “Kyoko,” she can tell he means her real name and not her stage name. How can Kyoko act normal when he keeps doing that?!
2. Off the Boat, Off the Island
Here it is, the first volume of “Berserk” released after Kentaro Miura’s death. The first step of Koji Mori and Studio Gaga’s commitment to seeing his work to completion. It is bittersweet, but I am happy to see it back. Onwards, Guts. Onwards.
Berserk, Vol. 42
Original Work by Kentaro Miura
Written and Illustrated by Studio Gaga and Koji Mori
Published by Dark Horse Comics
The dark fantasy horror manga Berserk returns with a new volume to continue the saga and carry forth creator Kentaro Miura’s legacy.
The first new BERSERK chapter since the passing of original creator Kentaro Miura in 2021! Volume 42 has been made by Miura’s longtime assistants Studio Gaga, under the supervision of his closest friend, Koji Mori.
The shocking appearance of Griffith on Elf Island has provoked rage and terror in Guts and Casca…and carved a rift into the enchanted isle itself, setting loose a corrosive horde of devourers from beneath the earth! If the Black Swordsman cannot rely upon even his legendary blade, escape by ship seems the only hope for survival…but not everyone is leaving Elf Island together!
FOR MATURE READERS.
CONTAINS A DOUBLE-SIDED, FULL-COVER ILLUSTRATED FOLDOUT!
1. Check, Please!
Bet you didn’t see this one coming! I don’t even know if it’s any good because I’ve been waiting with baited breath to read this one in physical format. It’s hockey! Drawn by the “Golden Kamuy” guy! About a former figure skater! Even the worst version of this is worthy of the top spot.
Dogsred, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Satoru Noda
Published by Viz
Ice hockey action from the creator of Golden Kamuy!
Rou once chased figure-skating glory. Now he chases redemption in the ice hockey rink.
After winning the national championship, 15-year-old figure skater Rou Shirakawa was on his way to the Olympics. But with his mother’s tragic death on his mind, he threw it all away in an outburst of rage. Banned from figure skating, he and his sister move to Hokkaido. When he meets some local kids at the skating pond, they convince him to be a stand-in player for their soon-to-be-disbanded hockey team. The team has never won a game, and they’re up against the local champs—but if they’ve got to go down, they want to score at least one goal before it’s all over. Rou hasn’t got a clue how to play ice hockey, but he sure knows how to skate!
Elias Rosner
Elias Rosner
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