As 2007 draws to a close, it's a great time to look back on some of the best manga that came out this past year. I'll be posting a full list of picks for best new and continuing shojo, shonen, josei, and seinen manga series over the coming week, but wanted to share my first pick for Best New Manga for 2007, Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara from Del Rey Manga.

When you've read as much mediocre manga as I have, one can't help but wonder, is that all there is? Is modern manga just an endless barrage of hyper-dramatic battle scenes, wildly unrealistic high school romances, nosebleeds, panty shots and predictable, forgettable characters? Thankfully, with Mushishi, I discovered that the answer is "No, not necessarily."

Mushishi is a rare breed of manga: a smartly-written, original story that's told with simple yet mesmerizing imagery. It defies simple descriptions: Is it a Japanese ghost story? Is it a haunting fable of strange events and supernatural beings? Is it a heartwarming tale of compassion, friendship and love? Mushishi is all of these things and more.

If you haven't already discovered Mushishi, well, what are you waiting for? Check out my review of Mushishi Volume 1 and series profile for Mushishi and see why it tops my list as 2007's Best New Manga.

Image credit: © Yuki Urushibara / Del Rey Manga