Comic Book Resources

Ha!

I love that you got the column in on time even after telling me you didn't think you would.

Good stuff, as usual, Danielle.

Thanks for being understanding, Brian -- this isn't what I would consider a "real" column (it is more something I can do on weeks I might not have time for a longer piece) but it was still something I've been wanting to do for a long time...and now I can here on this blog!

Looking over that list (as well as a few things that aren't on it but I know are supposed to be out around now), I'll be picking up:

Excel Saga #17 (the first volume I haven't acquired in the original Japanese first--not that I can read it, but still...)
Love*Com #5 (not earth-shattering, but solidly entertaining shoujo romantic comedy)
Skip Beat! #11 (a series I didn't think I'd get into, because Shojo Beat's preview ended before the main character undergoes the life-changing revelation that the series hinges on, but that I picked up on a friend's recommendation. The main character's ignoble motives are a refreshing change, and it's an interesting entry in the comparatively small field of shoujo competition manga, although that fact may not be obvious at first)
Welcome to the NHK #6 (at some point; I have #5 but haven't read it yet. I think the shrinkwrap is probably a factor there)
Yakitate!! Japan #10

At some point I'll also be picking up the second volumes of the hardcover compilations of Battle Royale and Fruits Basket, as well. (I already own the originals, but I want to encourage this trend toward multi-volume compilation editions.)

I keep meaning to start on Emma as well, and I should probably do it while my Borders has the whole series. (There are some series I started late in their run, such as Beck, Chibi Vampire, and Kekkaishi, where I've been stuck for long periods due to gaps in my local bookstores' collections. I could order the volumes online, but if I made a habit of that I'd never stop...)

hi Doug --ooohhh, Skip Beat is one of my favorites but it shipped last week so in the interests of fairness I left it off my list (also to make the list of manga I pick up look a litte more sane -- otherwise between this week and last I'm looking at over 10 titles I'm taking home, scary!)

Eventually I'll probably do a column on the best of shojo being published in the states and I know Skip Beat will be high up on that list! By volume 11 our main character has softened a bit but the title still remains true to its premise (she hasn't realized she's softened!)

I neither liked nor disliked the first volume of Welcome to the NHK so I haven't continued with the series although I have the novel waiting for me at home...just haven't had time to crack it open yet, sigh!

Doug, how does the Excel Saga manga stack up to the anime series? I really enjoyed that, and if the manga could hold up, I think that would be a good gateway.

I admit I've never read manga, but I enjoy the column. I like the brief reviews that give me a bit more insight into what's out there. No doubt some of these descriptions grab me. I just wish my local B&N carried more of the titles you mention. I really want to read the Corpse Delivery Service series that another blogger here was so high on.

So, even as someone on the outside of the manga world looking in, I find your column informative and extremely well-written.

Personally, I like both versions of Excel Saga. The manga is less hyperkinetically wacky (and doesn't have Pedro, Nabeshin or the Great Will of the Universe) but has more in the way of multi-chapter stories, and has really good end notes explaining the more obscure jokes. By the most recent volumes it's developed an ongoing storyline and is a bit less gag-oriented, but that's a gradual development. The manga also develops the story beyond the point the anime adapted, so it has characters who weren't in the anime (including ACROSS's third agent, Elgala, who changes the team dynamic in interesting ways).

Basically, if you're familiar with the anime, you'll find the characters and situations in the first half-dozen volumes familiar, and it wouldn't hurt to check out the first volume to see what you think.

if you like uptight German intelligence officers and gay British aristocratic art theives this title is for you!

Sold.

I know I asked this question before, but I never did get a reply to this one:

My comic shop retailer told me that he was ordered to destroy all copies of MPD-PSYCHO vol. 4 (which came out last week);

Was this the same anywhere else?
and
Does anyone know why this was so?

I haven't heard anything about MPD-Psycho on the anime sites I visit; on the other hand, Amazon lists it as shipping "in 3 to 6 weeks", which usually translates to "we were supposed to have it available now but don't for some reason and aren't sure when to expect it." I don't know why offhand, but I'd guess there was something wrong with the volumes that went out (a misprint or something) and they're being corrected and reprinted. It's hard to say for sure, though.

Thank you very much for the reply, Doug. It does sound like a fun read. As you said, I am interested to see how it translates to still images. Based on your brief description I am going to give the first volume a shot and see how I like it.

[...] David Welsh looks over the week’s new crop of manga at Precocious Curmudgeon, and Danielle Leigh lists her picks at Manga Over Flowers. [...]

Regarding more Emma, CMX made the announcement at Comic-con last year that they will be releasing:

Emma vol 8: a collection of short stories about the supporting characters, with some follow-up for William and Emma.

Shirley: a Victorian era maid saga along the lines of Emma. Shirley is a different exploration of Emma's world with different characters.

I still have to get to my comic shop to pick up Emma v.7! >.

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