2009 Best Manga - Continuing Series, Books and More

Author: Tetsu Kariya
Artist: Akira Hanasaki
Publisher: VIZ Signature VIZ Media (US)
Read a review of Oishinbo Ala Carte: Japanese Cuisine
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Technically, this culinary comic series belongs on the Best New Manga list, but it deserves a special mention for being the manga that got almost everyone talking (and made them incredibly hungry) all year long. Over seven volumes that focused on various aspects of Japanese cuisine and culture, Oishinbo taught even the most die-hard foodies a few tasty facts about sake, rice, ramen and fish, and gave us family drama and workplace comedy in the bargain too.

Now that the last course of Oishinbo is served, foodie fans are asking: Can we have more?

Author and Artist: Koji Kumeta
Publisher: Del Rey Manga
Read a review of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Vol. 1
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Translators are often the unsung heroes of manga publishing. But every now and then, a translator gets assigned a series that forces him/her to go above and beyond the call of duty -- one such series is Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

Koji Kumeta's black comedy is based on numerous blink-and-you'll-miss-'em references to Japanese pop culture and literature. Even the most devoted student of Japanese culture would be left befuddled by Zetsubou-Sensei's jokes if not for Aurino's extensive and illuminating translation notes. Don't despair Aurino-san! Gambatte!

Author and Artist: Helen McCarthy
Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
Compare prices for The Art of Osamu Tezuka

Most manga fans know about the "God of Manga," Osamu Tezuka -- but most don't realize that Astro Boy, Black Jack and Princess Knight are just a handful of the hundreds of characters and thousands of stories that this manga master created in his 40-year career. There have been several books about manga that have devoted whole chapters to Tezuka's enduring influence in Japanese manga, but few have delved deep into his life, career and vast creative output.

The Art of Osamu Tezuka fills this void and gives manga fans a gorgeous art book worthy of Tezuka's memory. It also has a DVD featuring Tezuka at the peak of his creative powers.

Publisher: Yen Press
Subscribe to Yen Plus

Alas, 2009 was the year we shed a tear for the passing of Shojo Beat America's first, only, and hopefully not last shojo manga-focused magazine. (A moment of silence, please.)

While the rest of the publishing industry have been ringing death knells for print magazines, Yen Plus keeps bringing fans a chunky hunk of manga and manhwa goodness every month. With new series like Black Butler, Pandora Hearts, Hero Tales added to its line-up in 2009, and buzz title Gossip Girl to follow in 2010, Yen Plus is doing its part to keep the dream of American manga anthologies alive.

Author and Artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Compare prices for Akira Vol. 1

When word first got out that Japanese manga publishing powerhouse Kodansha would be publishing manga in the U.S., expectations ran high. While Kodansha has been publishing manga in the U.S. through Del Rey, we've only seen a fraction of Kodansha's vast library of current and classic manga titles. One such classic title is Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo's epic sci-fi adventure, which was selected as Kodansha Comics' first release.

So imagine the disappointment when this new edition of Akira was found to be essentially the same as the prior Dark Horse edition with only minor changes. Come on, Kodansha -- surely this isn't all you have planned, is it?

Author: Ken Faggio
Artist: Fernando Heinz Furukawa
Publisher: TokyoPop
Read a review of Tantric Strip-Fighter Trina Vol. 1
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With a plot as thin and insubstantial as its warrior/heroine's outfits, Tantric Strip-Fighter Trina fell into this no-man's land of manga mediocrity where it wasn't good enough to be interesting, and it wasn't bad enough to be funny. An excruciatingly stupid, follow-the-bouncing-boobs sci-fi story that I endured so you don't have to.

Author and Artist: Izumi Tsubaki
Publisher: Shojo Beat / VIZ Media
Compare prices for Magic Touch Vol. 1

A girl with a talent for massage falls for a brawny guy because his back looks like it could really use some serious kneading. Okay, come on. Is shojo manga a genre that's so tapped out of story ideas that it has come down to this? A high school with a massage club? Inter-mural massage competitions? AND the heroine can see marshmallow ghost critters that represent pressure points? Uh, yeah. Whatevs.

Also, a cautionary note to other manga artists: If you're going to draw a story about massage, learn how to draw human bodies and limbs that don't constantly look awkward and painfully out of proportion. I'm just sayin'.