After paying tribute to 2008's Best New Manga, I wanted to spotlight manga that aren't exactly new, but deserved kudos for consistently delivering great stories that kept me coming back for more.
Check out my picks for the best continuing shojo, seinen, josei, and shonen manga, plus the best manga magazine, two manga books and a manga series that got the dubious honor of the first "Dear God, Make It Stop" award for overstaying its welcome. Got your own choices? Sound off in the forums and share your favorites or stay tuned for the 2008 readers' polls!
Best Manga Magazine - Yen Plus
© Atsushi Ohkubo / SQUARE ENIX
Publisher: Yen Press
Visit Yen Press' Yen Plus page
Read a review of Yen Plus Issue 1
Subscribe to Yen Plus
Yen Plus is the new kid on the magazine rack, and it decided right off the top to be a manga magazine that wouldn't be afraid to break a few rules. First, it mixed Japanese manga, Korean manhwa and original English manga in one chunky, double-sided package. Next, it choose stories that were unabashedly eclectic and definitely not just for boys, not just for girls or and even not just for teens.
So for its sheer audacity of hope, and its brave venture into the "they said it can't be done" world of manga magazines, a tip of the hat is due to Yen Plus.
Underappreciated Gem in Continuing Manga (tie) - Nodame Cantabile
© Tomoko Ninomiya / Kodansha Ltd.
Publisher: Del Rey Manga
Visit Del Rey Manga's Nodame Cantabile page
Compare prices for Nodame Cantabile Volume 1
Megumi Noda, a.k.a. "Nodame" is a piano prodigy who has a problem: she can't sight read sheet music. She also can't cook, she's a total slob, and she's kind of a kook. She's convinced that uptight aspiring conductor Chiaki is the guy for her, even though he doesn’t think so. But eventually, even Chiaki succumbs to Nodame's offbeat charms.
A critically-acclaimed success in Japan, Nodame Cantabile is credited with introducing a new generation to the joys of classical music. Like Nodame herself, it's a quirky but endearing manga that will grow on you, if just given a chance.
Underappreciated Gem in Continuing Manga (tie) - Kekkaishi
© Yellow TANABE / Shogakukan Inc.
Publisher: VIZ Media
Visit VIZ Media's Kekkaishi page
Compare prices for Kekkaishi Volume 1
With its spunky, never-say-die high school hero, his calm, yet capable female friend / rival / companion, and its focus on supernatural adventures with a Japanese twist, Kekkaishi could easily be just your garden variety, nothin' special shonen manga series. But as I've been digging into this series, I've been impressed with its clean, crisp artwork, its appealing characters and well-crafted stories.
It's not going to win too many points for being wildly original, but it does what it does very, very well, and in my book, that's gotta count for something.
Best Book About Manga - One Thousand Years of Manga
© Flammarion, 2007
Publisher: Flammarion
Visit Flammarion's One Thousand Years of Manga page
Compare prices for One Thousand Years of Manga
While most authors tend to focus on the last 100 years of manga, art historian Koyama-Richards set her sights farther back -- way, way farther back, as she spends over half of this book discussing the influence of scrolls and ukiyo-e prints on the evolution of modern manga.
But she doesn't stop there, as she includes an exhaustive array of manga in a variety of styles and includes some rare interviews with legendary creators like Jiro Taniguchi, Shigeru Mizuki and Leiji Matsumoto. A beautifully-presented book that'll open your eyes to the roots and the future of manga.
Worst So-Called Excuse for Manga - The Manga Bible
© Siku
Publisher: Doubleday
The Manga Bible page
Read a review of The Manga Bible
Compare prices for The Manga Bible
The greatest story every told got a sub-par interpretation that reeked of "let's get on that manga bandwagon" opportunism. Populated with generic stick-figures and panels that were cluttered with text instead of clear and compelling graphic storytelling, this comic book adaptation of the Bible had very little inspiration or entertainment to offer to readers who looking for a fresh take on these timeless stories.
Dear God Make It Stop Manga - Princess Ai
© TOKYOPOP Inc. and Kitty Radio, Inc.
Artists: Misaho Kujiradou and various
Publisher: TokyoPop
Visit TokyoPop's Princess Ai page
Compare prices for Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn Volume 1
2008 brought us an overload of Princess Ai product: Princess Ai music videos. Princess Ai songs on iTunes. Princess Ai comic strips. Not one, but TWO 'tribute' anthologies with TokyoPop artists drawing their take on D.J. Milky's (a.k.a. TokyoPop honcho Stuart Levy) rock and roll princess, and the "long awaited sequel," Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn.
Can someone tell me who are these hordes of mysterious "fans" who are clamoring for more Princess Ai, while I'm left waiting in vain for Suppli Volume 4? Siigh.
