Webcomics are hot properties in print this season. Readers can also look forward to edgy science fiction, offbeat romance, gentle comedies, and eternally crowd-pleasing cat manga.
Top 10
The Climber
Yoshio Nabeda, Hiroshi Takano, and Shin-Ichi Sakamoto, trans. by John Werry. Viz Media, Apr. 15 ($22.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-9747-5152-5)
After he accepts a dare to scale his high school building, a teenager discovers a passion for solo mountain climbing.
Face Meat
Taro Bonten, trans. by Ryan Holmberg. Smudge, May 20 ($19.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-961581-07-4)
This volume collects horror manga by outlaw artist Bonten, who drew hardboiled manga and femmes fatale for men’s magazines in the 1960s.
Farewell, My Odin
Chihiro Yoshioka, trans. by Cynthia Caraturo. Titan Manga, Feb. 25 ($12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-78774-439-4)
In this bloody historical epic, a warrior known as the War-Wolf sets out on a quest for vengeance against Viking raiders.
Gene Bride
Hitomi Takano, trans. by Kristjan Rohde. Seven Seas, Apr. 8 ($14.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89373-137-8)
A woman’s daily struggles with sexism take on a sci-fi twist when an old junior high experiment in genetic matchmaking comes back to haunt her.
Helena and Mr. Big Bad Wolf
Bliss, trans. by Xiao. Yen Press, Feb. 25 ($15 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-8554-0954-3)
This storybook-inspired webtoon follows a traumatized girl who finds refuge in stories and forges a friendship with a mysterious author.
Issak
Shinji Makari and Double-S, trans. by Kevin Steinbach. Kodansha, June 10 ($22.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-88877-495-3)
A 17th-century samurai travels to Europe on a mission of revenge and gets embroiled in the Thirty Years’ War.
Miss Ruki
Fumiko Takano, trans. by Alexa Frank. New York Review Comics, June 24 ($19.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-68137-940-1)
In this lighthearted 1980s classic, an offbeat young woman rejects the rat race and consumer culture, to the consternation of her more conventional friend.
Raging Clouds
Yudori. Fantagraphics, May 27 ($34.95, ISBN 979-8-8750-0106-2)
Two desperate women—a 16th-century Dutch wife and the foreign woman her husband brings home as a slave—are drawn together in Korean artist Yudori’s debut.
Veil
Kotteri!, trans. by Jocelyne Allen. Udon, Mar. 11 ($19.99, trade paper, ISBN 978-1-77294-361-0)
This cryptic full-color romance tracks the love affair between a runaway heiress and an off-duty police officer.
Wash It All Away
Mitsuru Hattori, trans. by Sawa Matsueda Savage. Square Enix Manga, Apr. 22 ($14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64609-374-8)
An amnesiac woman runs a laundry service in a seaside resort town in Hattori’s soothing slice-of-life drama.
Manga Longlist
Airship
Bowing to Love: The Noble and the Gladiator by Saki Aida and Yamimaru Enjin, trans. by Piyo (July 29, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89373-301-3). A handsome but socially awkward Roman aristocrat falls in love with the gladiator who saved his life.
Dark Horse Manga
Cat + Crazy by Wataru Nadatani, trans. by Zack Davisson (June 24, trade paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-50674-708-8). In the newest series from the creator of Cat + Gamer, a cat-loving teenager whose family is allergic becomes a disciple of a guru called the Ultimate Cat Whisperer. Ages 14 and up.
Gunsmith Cats Omnibus by Kenichi Sonoda, trans. by Dana Lewis and Toren Smith (Mar. 4, $29.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5067-4622-7). The outrageous 1990s action series about two female bounty hunters in Chicago is back in a new omnibus edition.
Kylooe by Little Thunder, trans. by Montana Kane (Mar. 25, $29.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5067-4600-5) is a full-color collection of dreamlike fantasy stories by a Hong Kong based artist.
Graphix
Hikaru in the Light! by Mai Matsuda, trans. by Azuki (Mar. 4, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5461-4099-3; $11.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5461-4098-6). A girl from a family that runs a public bathhouse enters a competition to become a pop star.
Inklore
Wet Sand by Doyak, trans. by Somin Parker (May 6, $20 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-87463-9) finds a gangster trying to escape
the criminal life trapped in a love triangle with a handsome photographer and an ex who won’t let him go.
Ize Press
Kill the Villainess by Haegi and Your April (Feb. 18, $20 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-4009-0286-4). A woman is sucked into a romance novel and finds herself in the role of the villainess, a life she’s desperate to escape before the story plays out.
Kodansha
Dead Rock by Hiro Mashima, trans. by Erin Subramanian (Mar. 4, $11.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-88877-350-5). The creator of Fairy Tail is back with an action fantasy set
at an underworld academy where demons train to rule the world.
Gaea-Tima the Gigantis by Kent (Apr. 29, $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-88877-436-6). Years after a giant monster attack, the town it ravaged has become a tourist
attraction—and then the monster returns.
Spacewalking with You by Inuhiko Doronoda (May 27, $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-88877-438-0) chronicles the unlikely friendship between a teen delinquent and a spacey new transfer student.
Last Gasp
Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa, trans. by Project Gen (July 15, $35, ISBN 978-0-86719-951-2). The new edition of Nakazawa’s semi-autobiographical manga about surviving the bombing of Hiroshima includes an introduction by Art Spiegelman and a comics afterword by Raina Telgemeier.
LoveLove
The Little Bird Sleeps by the Sea and Yuu Minaduki, trans. by Christine Dashiell (Apr. 15, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4278-8089-5). After losing his parents and sister, a young man moves to a seaside town with his nephew and builds a new family in this boys’-love tearjerker.
Merry Witches’ Life: The Three Widows of Berlebagille by Menota, trans. by Katie Kimura (May 6, $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4278-8093-2). Three recently widowed witches join forces to study magic and find happiness together.
My Contract with the Apothecary Monster by Ayaka Sakuraze and Ino Manmaru, trans. by Katie Kimura (Feb. 4, $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4278-8057-4). The Songbearer of the Land of Weem trades her lifespan to the powerful, handsome Apothecary Monster in exchange for granting her wishes.
Rockport/Saturday AM
Saturday Wars: The Manga Multiverse Crossover by Frederick L. Jones and Eddy Frye (June 3, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7603-9038-2). The heroes of Saturday AM titles, including Apple Black, Clock Striker, and Bully Eater, unite to stop the evil Chillian Veyn from conquering the multiverse.
Seven Seas
Cat Man by Parari, trans. by Nicole Frasik (Apr. 29, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89373-282-5). In a world where humans and cat people coexist, Hachisuke, a cat man, deals with prejudice against felines.
Eat by Nagabe, trans. by Adrienne Beck (Feb. 25, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89373-260-3). A wolf professor is tempted to give in to his animal appetites in this anthropomorphic boys’-love romance from the creator of The Girl from the Other Side.
Wolf’s Daughter: A Werewolf’s Tale by Yuki Kodama, trans. by Nicole Frasik (June 24, $13.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89373-440-9). In this paranormal coming-of-age story, a teenage girl discovers she’s a werewolf.
What It Means to Be You by Leebora, Lanyong, and Ocean (June 3, $21.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89373-390-7). A noblewoman and her husband get a second chance at love when they unexpectedly switch bodies. 50,000-copy announced first printing.
Smudge
Mansect by Shinichi Koga, trans. by Ryan Holmberg (Feb. 24, $19.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-961581-08-1). Humans metamorphose into ravenous creatures with insectoid abilities in this 1970s pulp horror classic.
Square Enix Manga
Love in the Palm of His Hand by Rinteku, trans. by Jacqueline Fung (May 20, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64609-364-9). An aspiring actor falls in love with a Deaf classmate and learns to express his feelings through sign language in this boys’-love romance.
On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance by Shinnosuke Kanazawa, trans. by Jenny McKeon (May 20, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64609-367-0). Two coworkers bond after hours without recognizing each other: she turns into a punk after work, while he dresses in frilly drag.
Steamship
Loving Moon Dog by Nanpei Yamada, trans. by Jennifer Ward (Feb. 18, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-89160-886-3) sees a dog groomer hounded by love when the Doberman she rescues transforms into a handsome man on the prowl for a mate.
Titan Manga
Speed Grapher by Tomozo, trans. by Motoko Tammuro and Jonathan Clements (Feb. 18, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-78774-250-5). After a photographer tries to save a mysterious teenage girl, he’s cursed with a deadly power.
Toxic Super Beasts by Nykken, trans. by Cynthia Caraturo (Apr. 15, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-78774-445-5). Giant monsters rampage across Earth in this no-holds-barred kaiju action horror series.
Yan by Chang Sheng, trans. by Vanessa Liu (May 6, $12.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-78774-442-4). In this Taiwanese horror thriller with a sci-fi twist, a woman believed to be dead returns to get revenge
for the massacre of her family.
Tuttle
Lala the Memory Collector by Sui Kohno (Apr. 22, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-4-8053-1915-4). Memory Collectors visit humans at their moment of death to gather and preserve their memories, but one Collector gets dangerously involved with
the human world.
The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening: Detailed Tips for Growing 50 Types of Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs (with Over 2,000 Drawings and Photos) by Hideki Yoda (May 13, $18.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-4-8053-1908-6). Learn the basics of organic gardening through step-by-step comics, humorous illustrations, and color photos.
Tales from the Kyoto Ghost Story Priest: True Horror Stories from Japan by Daiun Miki and Tatsuya Morino (Apr. 1, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-4-8053-1887-4). Buddhist priest Daiun Miki shares tales of his real-life encounters with the supernatural.
Vertical Comics
Hauntress by Minetaro Mochizuki, trans. by Annelise Ogaard (Feb. 25, $13.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64729-456-4). In this 1990s horror classic by the creator of cult favorite Dragon Head, a college student accidentally attracts the attention of an eerie female stalker.
Viz Media
Dogsred by Satoru Noda, trans. by John Werry (Mar. 18, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-9747-4892-1). A disgraced figure skater joins a struggling Hokkaido hockey team in the latest series from the creator of Golden Kamuy.
Dr. Mashirito’s Ultimate Manga Techniques by Kazuhiko Torishima and Takanaka Shimotsuki, trans. by David Evelyn (Apr. 22, $25 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-9747-5266-9) offers guidance on creating hit manga from Torishima, the Shonen Jump editor.
Mujina into the Deep by Inio Asano (Feb. 18, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-9747-4999-7) envisions a world where human rights are up for sale and a new Covid pandemic raises the stakes of survival.
Pink Candy Kiss by Ami Uozumi, trans. by Jan Mitsuko Cash (Apr. 1, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-9747-5167-9). A woman reconnects with the female classmate she had a crush on and discovers she’s more in love than ever—too bad the other woman is now married.
Webtoon Unscrolled
The Mafia Nanny by sh00 et al. (Feb. 4, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-998341-
20-7), finds a combat-trained “Elite Nanny” assigned to protect the son of a handsome crime boss. 50,000-copy announced first printing.
Viral Hit by Taejun Pak and Kim Junghyun (Apr. 1, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-998854-72-1) sees a bullied high schooler fight back and become an online sensation by streaming his battles.
Yen Press
It’s All Your Fault by Merryhachi, trans. by Kashi Kamitoma (Mar. 18, $13 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-8554-0019-9). Two fangirls with clashing personalities team up to take the cosplay world by storm.
Super Ball Girls by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akira Hiramoto, trans. by Ko Ransom (Mar. 18, $15 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-8554-0580-4). Beautiful, deadly women emerge from “super balls” in this horror/sci-fi/harem mash-up.
Victoria of Many Faces by Syuu, trans. by Andria McKnight and Komo Ushino (Feb. 18, $13 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-8554-0546-0). A former spy is trying to live quietly in the country when her old life catches up to her.
