Recommended Reading - Top 10 Lists of Essential Manga Must-Reads
- 2007 Readers Polls (4)
- 2008 Readers Polls (12)
- 2009 Readers Polls (12)
- 2011 Readers Choice (2)
- 2012 Readers Choice (16)
2012 Comic-Con Best and Worst Manga
A panel of five manga critics gathered at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 to give their picks for the best and worst manga for 2011 – 2012. See which titles topped the list for best manga for teens / all-ages and best manga for grown-ups, which manga got dissed as the worst, and which upcoming and unlicensed titles are on their most wanted list.
2012 About.com Manga Readers' Choice Awards
Nominate your favorite new manga series, one-shot and digital-only manga released in the 2012 About.com Manga Readers' Choice Awards. Send in your choices for the best new manga in ten categories, including Best New Shojo Manga, Best New Shonen Manga and more. Nominations will be accepted from January 18 – February 15, 2012. Voting runs from...
Critics' Choice: Best Manga of 2011
See the top 10 manga that were included in the most critics' end of the year best manga lists, including critically acclaimed titles like Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths and A Bride's Story, plus a few fan favorites like Blue Exorcist and 20th Century Boys.
Best Continuing Manga of 2011
See my picks for 2011's best continuing manga series, including Cross Game, One Piece, Kimi ni Todoke and 20th Century Boys. Also see my choices for best under-appreciated gems and the worst manga of the year.
2012 Preview: 25 Hot New Manga
See About.com's Manga picks for the most anticipated new manga titles due to hit the stores, including Heart of Thomas, Durarara!!, Alice in the Country of Clover, Soul Eater Not! And NonNonBa.
2011 Best New Manga
See my picks for 2011's best new manga, including much-anticipated titles like Sailor Moon, Wandering Son, and A Bride's Story, as well as some surprise hits like Blue Exorcist and To All Corners of the World.
15 New Must-Read Manga Released in 2011
See my picks for 2011's best new manga, including much-anticipated titles like Sailor Moon, Wandering Son, and A Bride's Story, as well as some surprise hits like Blue Exorcist and To All Corners of the World.
Manga Gifts Guide
Find gift-worthy art books, hardcover editions, boxed sets, DVDs and kid-friendly fare that manga readers will love. See my picks for great manga gifts, including the Fullmetal Alchemist box set, the MegaMan Tribute art book and Mameshiba Loves Winter.
Critics' Choice: Best Manga of 2010
See a round-up of this year's standout new manga releases, as selected by over 30 comics and manga critics across the web. Find out which manga were the top 10 most selected titles, as chosen by comics experts, bloggers and reviewers.
2011 Preview: 25 Hot New Manga
While many publishers cut back on their release schedules in recent years (and a few faded away) in 2010, there's no shortage of interesting new manga due to debut in 2011. There are lots of action-packed seinen manga titles in this year's batch, but no worries shojo and shonen manga fans -- there's stuff here for you too.
Based on the...
Best Continuing Manga of 2010
See which ongoing series topped my must-read list again and again, and see which manga got the nod for best reprint edition, best book, best under-appreciated gem and the two titles that irked me the most this year.
Also, check out my picks for the Best New Manga of 2010 , and just for fun, see which titles made it to the 2009's Best...
Best New Manga of 2010
See my picks for the best new shojo, shonen, drama, comedy, one-shot and all-ages manga for 2010
Top 20 Manga Must-Reads
New to the joys of manga ? Before you read the rest, check out some of the best. Our top 20 list includes recommended reads for every age and every taste. Choose from action-packed shonen manga and romantic shojo manga for kids and teens or cutting-edge graphic novels for adults you're sure to discover a comic book that will blow you away.
50 Essential Manga for Libraries
Want to add manga to your library's collection, but don't know where to start? Or want to get your local library to stock more of what you want to read? This list of 50 essential manga for libraries include a mix of timeless, critically-acclaimed classics and some of the most popular titles that kids, teens and grown-up graphic novel readers...
Top 10 Shonen Manga Must-Reads
Hooked on the adrenaline-rush of shonen manga, but looking for some new thrills? Take a chance on of the most action-packed, hilarious and addictive Japanese comics for boys with our top 10 list of current and classic shonen manga titles.
Top 10 Shojo Manga Must-Reads
Discover some of the most romantic, hilarious, magical and memorable Japanese comics for girls with our top 10 recommended reading list, including favorites such as Fruits Basket, Vampire Knight and Card Captor Sakura.
12 Great All-Ages Manga for Kids
From sports to fantasy, comedies, adventures and even how-to books, here are a few kid-friendly graphic novels to introduce young readers to the many joys of manga.
Cool New Manga for Grown-up Graphic Novel Fans
Looking for manga that's just a little bit edgier, more artistically innovative, thought-provoking or just plain old more "grown-up?" U.S. publishers have heard you and they've got a great array of graphic novels that's just for you.
2010 Comic-Con Best and Worst Manga Panel
At the Best and Worst Manga Panel at San Diego Comic-Con, manga critics Carlo Santos ( Anime News Network ), Jason Thompson ( Otaku USA ), Shaenon Garrity ( Comixology and The Comics Journal ), Christopher Butcher ( Comics212.net ) and Deb Aoki ( About.com ) shared their picks for the past year's best, worst and most-wanted manga. See their...
Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers
Yaoi manga is about boys loving boys and yuri manga is about girls in love with girls, but in Japan, these genres are mostly bought and read by straight readers. Can these genres be relevant, and hot for gay readers too? See a recommended reading list of as selected by the panelists at the Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLT Readers Panel at...
Drawing From Life: Manga About Manga
So you want to be a manga artist? Well, there's more to it than just drawing pictures on paper. There are several manga about making manga. Check out these humorous, harrowing and insightful peeks behind the scenes (and behind the drawing boards) into the Japanese manga business.
Strange Love: Shojo Manga's Weirdest Romances
Ah, love stories. Boy meets girl and sparks fly – but in shojo manga, sometimes things aren't so simple. A masochist falls for a narcissist. A dog turns into a girl who falls for a neighborhood hunk. A shy girl discovers that her neighbor was her lover in a past life... on the moon? See some of the oddest odd couples in shojo manga.
Chinese Manhua, Comics and Graphic Novels
While relatively new to the US comics scene, Chinese manhua has been making its presence felt in recent years. From tales of contemporary teen angst like Orange to historical dramas like The History of the West Wing , Chinese comics showcase the creativity and unique perspectives of these up-and-coming creators. Here's a sampling of Chinese...
2010 Preview: 25 Hot New Manga
Based on previews and announcements I've heard throughout 2009, here are my picks for the most anticipated new manga releases of 2010.
Critics' Choice: Best Manga of 2009
Now that all of the Best Graphic Novels/Comics/Manga lists are out, which new graphic novels made the cut on other critics' lists? Here's a compilation of the standouts as picked by comics critics from across the Internet, listed in order of popularity.
2009 Best Manga - Continuing Series, Books and More
While these continuing manga series didn't make their debut in 2009, each new volume consistently made it worthwhile for readers to come back for more again and again. See which continuing series got props for being awesome in 2009.
2009 Best New Manga
See my picks for 2009's best new manga, including much-anticipated titles like Pluto and Moyasimon, and Otomen.
Manga Gift Books Guide
So you want to give someone the gift of manga, but you don't want to stick 'em with the long-term commitment of a multi-volume series, or worry that they've already picked up what you're giving to them. Or perhaps you're hoping to share the fun with a reader who's new to manga. But before you despair and reach for the bookstore gift card, here's a few gift-worthy picks to consider.
Readers' Choice: Yaoi Manga
Sure, there's manga for boys and girls — but what about something a little spicier? Yaoi or "boys love" manga offers romance with a sexy twist that fans love. I asked yaoi readers which titles do they love to read? Here's their most frequently recommended picks.
17 Manga by Osamu Tezuka
Influential, artistically innovative and prodigiously productive, Osamu Tezuka is widely regarded as the "God of Manga ." In his 40-year career, he created over 700 manga series, and drew over 150,000 pages. A mere fraction of his works have been published in English so far, but what is available shows a wide range of Tezuka- sensei 's...
28 Great Manga Missed by the Eisner Awards
Sure, there were some great manga nominated for an Eisner award in 2008 but what about the ones that didn't get the nod from the nominating committee? See 2008's best manga that got missed by the Eisner Awards, but are still worth your money and attention, as recommended by some of the web's top bloggers, critics, journalists and comics...
2009 Preview: 20 Hot New Manga
There's lots of buzzworthy new manga due out in 2009. From exciting shonen manga and romantic shojo manga to edgy seinen manga and artistically innnovative gekiga collections, these are the top 20 picks that are generating the most excitment with critics and fans.
2008 Best Continuing Manga
These manga aren't exactly new, but they're still worth cheering for as the series that kept readers coming back for more in 2008. See 11 picks of the best shojo, shonen, seinen, josei and all-ages manga, plus the best manga magazine and 2 that get the dubious honor as the year's worst.
2008 Best New Manga
There were many bright spots for manga in 2008, with the return of Slam Dunk and Black Jack, and the arrival of some hotly-anticipated series like Gantz, Real and Black Lagoon. See the 16 best newcomers of 2008, including 2 under-appreciated gems.
Best Vampire Manga
From gothic romances and gory horror to suspenseful modern mysteries and goofy comedies, these shojo, shonen and seinen manga offer lots of the bats, blood, fangs and drop-dead gorgeous creatures of the night that make vampire fans swoon.
Michael Gombos' Top 9 Manga
If you love reading GANTZ , MPD Psycho or Blood+ , you have Michael Gombos to thank for that. As Dark Horse's Director of Asian Licensing, Gombos reads a lot of manga and manhwa to find the next big thing. But out of all of the graphic novels he's read over the years, which ones have found a front and center spot on his bookshelf?
Spookiest (and Silliest) Ghosts and Zombies Manga
Ghosts, spirits, poltergeists and zombies -- the dead, the almost dead and the undead haunt the pages of these horror manga picks. Some are spooky, some are silly and some are even romantic -- but all are supernaturally entertaining reads.
11 Best New Manga Announced at Comic-Con 2008
After a shojo-heavy selection of new manga news at Anime Expo, the manga announcements at San Diego Comic-Con 2008 were much more manly and mature by comparison. See what's new and notable for 2009 from VIZ Media, Dark Horse, Del Rey Manga and more.
Top 10 New Manga from Anime Expo 2008
With representatives from TokyoPop, VIZ Media, Dark Horse, Digital Manga Publishing, CMX Manga, Aurora and Go! Comi on hand, there was lots of new manga showcased at Anime Expo. But what were the stand-out announcements? See my picks for the top 10 new manga for '09 from AX '08.
Erica Friedman's Top 10 Yuri Manga
Probably no one knows (and loves) yuri manga more than publisher, blogger and Yuricon founder Erica Friedman. So we asked her for her favorites – the girls love manga that she loves to read and recommend.
10 Major Manga Trends for 2008
Many major manga publishers announced their new titles, licenses and products for 2008 at conventions throughout 2007. When the dust settled, 10 major trends emerged, from manga movies to "mooks" and mobile phone manga.
2008 Preview: 20 Hot New Manga
Looking ahead to 2008, there's a lot of great manga coming soon to a comics shop or bookstore near you. But what are the titles that are generating the most pre-publication buzz? See my top 20 manga, books and magazines you'll most want to read.
2007 Best Continuing Manga List
We paid tribute to the Best New Manga of 2007, so now it's time to give a nod to the current manga series that kept me coming back for more. Here's my picks for the Best Manga of 2007 list, featuring the ten series that I'm hooked on and one manga I never want to read ever again.
2007 Best New Manga List
2007 was a pretty good year for manga, with a lot of new shojo, shonen, josei and seinen manga released for your reading pleasure. See my picks for the 2007 Best New Manga list, and discover new manga that just might be your next favorite.
Jason Thompson's Top 10 Manga List
Manga editor, author and expert Jason Thompson has read thousands of Japanese comics. But given the choice, what did the author of Manga: The Complete Guide pick as his top 10 all-time favorite Japanese comics? See his picks, from the popular to the obscure, in his all-time favorite manga list.
8 "War is Hell" Military Manga
After World War II, Japan's armed forces pay only a marginal role in daily life. But soldiers, sailors and pilots are center-stage in these military-focused manga series. Time-traveling commandos, post-apocalyptic warriors and even infantry rabbits battling cat Vietcong are just some of the soldiers you'll meet on this manga battlefield.
9 Cooking Manga Good Enough to Eat
From the land of Iron Chef comes cooking manga -- Japanese comics about the thrills and spills (mostly spills) that happens when you turn baking, frying and slicing into a competitive sport, and turn the kitchen into a backdrop for romance, comedy and intrigue.
Horror Manga: 13 Creepy Comics and Gruesome Graphic Novels
From the slightly spooky tales of Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation to the extremely disturbing Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show, our list of horror manga offers a chilling array of paranormal delights, ghostly lore and gruesome gore.
2011 Best Manga Lists
See all of the 2011 Best Manga Lists in one spot! See my picks for the Best New and Best Continuing Manga, the Critics' Top 10 Manga for 2011 and 2011 Readers' Choice poll results