DC has put out a press release on its investment in Flex Comics. Here’s the part we care about:
Flex Comix will create original manga titles that will be distributed digitally across the web and on mobile phones with subsequent print editions available through traditional book trade outlets throughout Japan.
The agreement will position DC Comics as the worldwide English language print and digital publisher of titles created by Flex Comix. In March 2007, DC established DC Comics Japan, Ltd. to invest into and manage its interest in Flex Comix. This marks the first time an English-language publisher has made a significant investment in an overseas manga company. The move will complement DC’s existing manga imprint, CMX.
The rest is mostly self-congratulation. ICv2 expands a bit more, noting that DC is likely to benefit from Flex’s experience in this area (althought the company is only seven months old).
At Comicsnob, Matt Blind posts this week’s manga watch list. And at PopCultureShock, Katherine Dacey-Tsuei starts a new feature, Weekly Recon, in which she lists the week’s new manga and provides brief reviews of a few. Over in Tokyospace, her alter-ego, ChunHyang72 skims off the cream in this week’s Tokyopop Round-Up. Matt Brady looks at this week’s new comics, and his selections include a few manga.
Tokyopop confirmed 38 new titles, including New Pet Shop of Horrors, Futari H, and Your and My Secret (to be titled Boku to Kanojo no XXX). Seventeen of the titles were spotted on Amazon.com by members of the Rosetta Stone Cafe shojo manga group and posted on this thread at Anime on DVD. Simon Jones has a little more on Futari H.
Meanwhile, sharp-eyed Andre finds some listings for future CPM titles.
David Welsh reads Shojo Beat, not his usual fare, and has a few comments. He also picks apart the May sales numbers from ICv2.
Michael Aronson reviews vol. 1 of Tsubasa and vol. 15 of Hunter x Hunter at Manga Life. Active Anime has some new reviewers, and they are jumping right in: Katie Gallant checks out vol. 3 of Scrapped Princess and Sandra Scholes reviews Only Words, while veteran Holly Ellingwood takes an advance look at vol. 1 of Love is a Hurricane. At the Mangamaniaccafe, Julie reviews vol. 2 of Backstage Prince and vol. 3 of Fullmetal Alchemist. Kethylia enjoys vol. 1 of Audition but compares vol. 2 of The Man Who Doesn’t Take Off His Clothes, the light novel, to being stuck on the Jersey Turnpike, which is never a good thing. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie is reading Lovers in the Night, vol. 5 of Loveless, vol. 6 of Boy Princess, vol. 1 of Innocent Bird, and vol. 1 of My Heavenly Hockey Club. Mangaijin checks out chapter 1 of the award-winning only-in-scanlation Ookiku Furikabutte. du9 translates Xavier Guilbert’s review of The Drifting Classroom; it’s worth a click just to see the French cover. At Q-ko-kun, Cameron reviews the light novel Boogiepop and Others. In this week’s Flipped column, David Welsh looks at vol. 1 of King of Thorn and vol. 1 of MPD Psycho.