New comics day

In this week’s PWCW, I interview Tokyopop editor-in-chief Rob Tokar about the Battle Royale Ultimate Edition.

The MangaCast crew comb through this week’s new manga and list their picks. If this week’s selection doesn’t do it for you, David Welsh has some suggestions.

Borderline Hikkikomori tackles a problem for those of us who read manga but don’t watch anime (or speak Japanese): Commonly mispronounced Japanese terms.

New comic news: You don’t see too many manga released in color pamphlet form these days, so this is really news: C.B. Cebulski, Akihide Yanagi, and Petit Eva artist Ryusuke Hamamoto are creating a new monthly comic, Compass, to be published by Image. You can check out a preview here. I’m curious about this: Will dedicated manga readers, accustomed to getting 200 pages for $10-$12, pay $2.99 for a 32-page comic? Does the color compensate for the extra cost, or is it a distraction? Or will this comic reach a different segment of the market, rather than regular manga readers?

ComiPress notes that Flex Comics is starting a free online manga magazine (in Japanese) targeted at female readers.

In international news, some guy who isn’t uber-otaku Taro Aso was chosen as the prime minister of Japan. Aso has decided to take some time off to “rest,” which is probably code for “catch up on my stack of unread Big Comic Spirits.”

Reviews: If you’re wondering how your favorite series are doing, check out the Small Bodied Manga Reviews at Anime on DVD. Also up at AoD: Danielle Van Gorder checks out Fumi Yoshinaga’s Lovers in the Night. A. E. Sparrow posts a lengthy essay about Tekkonkinkreet at IGN. At Active Anime, Scott Campbell reads vol. 3 of Kamiyadori, Katie Gallant checks out vol. 9 of Ghost Hunt, and Holly Ellingwood reviews vol. 1 of Invisible Boy. Dave Ferraro looks at vol. 1 of Andromeda Stories, by Keiko Takemiya, at Comics-and-More. At Manga Life, Michael Aronson reviews vols. 7 and 8 of Astro Boy and vol. 4 of Key Princess Story: Eternal Alice Rondo. Nick gives a solid A to vol. 1 of East Coast Rising at Hobotaku. Ed Chavez podcasts his thoughts on the 18+ title Juicy Fruits at MangaCast. At the BasuGasuBakuhatsu Anime Blog, Hung reviews vol. 7 of Nodame Cantabile. Kethylia reviews the short yaoi collection Picnic. At Prospero’s Manga, Miranda reviews Baku and Ferdinand checks out vol. 1 of Rure. At the Manga Maniac Cafe, Julie gets an early look at Dragon Sword and Wind Child. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie finishes out a series with vol. 6 of Can’t Lose You. Ken Haley finds Portus rather mediocre at PopCultureShock. At Mecha Mecha Media, John T looks at two horror manga, vol. 1 of Parasyte and vol. 2 of MPD Psycho.

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Comments

  1. It’s funny how any reference to Keith Giffen’s controversial dialogue adaptation is conspicuosly absent from the promotion of the BR repackage, in the PWCW interview and elsewhere. I doubt it means they’re doing a new, more faithful translation, although I wish they did. But it’s like they’re ashamed of it, which was a crucial aspect of the first edition, prominently displayed on the covers and all.

  2. As for the color comic, I dont think fans will have an actual problem since BW comics sell well at cons for 5$ and doujinshi can cost more then a GN.

    but I would prefer this comic to be in tone cause the coloring is not that detailed to be need instead of just the tone. In a way to me it just looks ‘toned’ but in color. (dont know if I make sense)

    I think the ‘witch blade’ comic version done well in color. for example

  3. I guess I am not quite clear. Will the entire Battle Royale series be squished into three volumes, or will it be three original volumes to one new one?

  4. Sorry that wasn’t clear, John. There is no squishing: Each volume of the Ultimate Edition contains three of the old one.

  5. That makes sense. Thanks Brigid.

    I think this is an interesting direction for Tokyopop. Though licensing BR isn’t rocket-science, it’s got all the things that force a mature rating. Sex, drugs, violence, swearing, all by 9th graders. It’s not “borderline” M rating. It’s a harm M. Despite the big chains not carrying it, the title must have put up some strong sales.

    Wonder if VIZ will do the same thing with Death Note?

  6. “It’s funny how any reference to Keith Giffen’s controversial dialogue adaptation is conspicuosly absent from the promotion of the BR repackage, in the PWCW interview and elsewhere. I doubt it means they’re doing a new, more faithful translation, although I wish they did.”

    I had the same hope, but Tokyopop sucks.

    from Amazon.com:
    “The chilling first three volumes of the groundbreaking manga series—collected here in one blood-soaked volume . . . with a hard-hitting English adaptation by acclaimed writer Keith Giffen, this series is brutal, honest…and not to be missed.”

    I’ve always wondered how there seems to be little backlash over Keith Giffen butchering and dumbing down this series.

  7. A slight correction: the first issue of C.B. Cebulski and Co.’s book Compass is already available….I believe it came out 2 weeks ago. I haven’t read it yet, but the art in it certainly looks fantastic.