Checking the numbers

The New York Times Graphic Book Best Seller List is out, and the usual suspects are there—Naruto, Negima, xxxHolic, Fruits Basket—plus a newcomer, vol. 1 of Negima?! neo, a Negima spinoff with obvious appeal to fans of the original. Kevin Melrose of Robot 6 questions the usefulness of the list and Christopher Butcher responds with an explanation of why some lesser-known comics make a single appearance and then disappear.

Relying on a more straightforward data set, Matt Blind lists the top manga series and volumes for March at ComiPress.

Scott Robins interviews Jim Zubkavich of UDON about their new line of kids’ manga at Good Comics for Kids. And Michelle Smith and the rest of the Manga Recon team have a Q&A with Nick Mamatas, who is heading up Viz’s Haikasoru sci-fi novel imprint.

At the Yen Press blog, Kurt Hassler confirms what Lissa Pattillo had already figured out: Yen has “rescued” Pandora Hearts, previously licensed by Broccoli, and has also licensed Jun Mochizuki’s earlier title, Crimson Shell.

Gia made it to the Dark Horse panel at Sakura Con, where she caught wind of a new Blade of the Immortal manga, among other things

Melinda Beasi files a con report from ConBust 2009.

News from Japan: ANN has more details on Rumiko Takahashi’s new manga, Kyōkai no Rinne, which will begin in the issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday that ships on April 22. Publisher Square Enix is posting Hiromu Arakawa’s four-panel gag manga based on her best-known title, Fullmetal Alchemist, online for free. Anime scriptwriter Akinori Endo will launch a historical manga in Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Magazine starting on May 2. Ribon magazine will feature a new manga inspired by the comedy anime Higepiyo. Berserk is coming off hiatus, and a new Getter Robo manga will launch soon in Young Animal. The Eastern Edge has a sample of Hayao Miyazaki’s new manga, Kaze Tachinu.

Reviews: Lori Henderson celebrates Easter by highlighting manga that have rabbits in them at Manga Xanadu, and the Manga Recon crew post a bumper crop of Manga Minis.

Michelle Smith on vol. 2 of 10, 20, and 30 (soliloquy in blue)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 9 of After School Nightmare (Kuriousity)
Erica Friedman on vol. 2 of Akatsuki-iro no Senpuku Majyo (Okazu)
Scott Campbell on vol. 11 of Battle Angel Alita (Active Anime)
Graeme Flory on Battlestar Galactica: Echoes of New Caprica (Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review)
Scott Campbell on vol. 27 of Berserk (Active Anime)
Connie on vol. 5 of B.O.D.Y. (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vols. 1-7 of Bride of Deimos (Manga Recon)
J. Caleb Mozzocco on The Color of Earth (Blog@Newsarama)
Michelle Smith on vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Crimson Hero (soliloquy in blue)
Connie on vols. 21 and 22 of Hana-Kimi (Slightly Biased Manga)
Amanda on Heaven’s Will (Blogcritics)
Oyceter on vols. 6-8 of High School Debut (spoilers) (Sakura of DOOM)
Kiara on vol. 1 of Kasumi (Manga Jouhou)
Julie on vol. 6 of Kurohime (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Snow Wildsmith on Love Machine (Fujoshi Librarian)
Amanda on vol. 1 of The Magic Touch (Blogcritics)
Lori Henderson on vol. 3 of Mamotte! Lollipop (Manga Xanadu)
John Thomas on vol. 8 of MPD-Psycho (Comics Village)
Edward Zacharias on vol. 33 of Naruto (Animanga Nation)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 6 of Nightmare Inspector (Kuriousity)
Rachel Bentham on vol. 6 of Our Kingdom (Active Anime)
Melinda Beasi on vol. 1 of Otomen (there it is, plain as daylight)
Julie on vol. 2 of Otomen (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Julie on vol. 6 of The Prince of Tennis (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Connie on vol. 1 of Real (Slightly Biased Manga)
Dan Polley on vol. 1 of Samurai 7 (Comics Village)
Snow Wildsmith on Solanin (Fujoshi Librarian)
Alex Hoffman on vol. 1 of Strawberry 100% (Comics Village)
Grant Goodman on vol. 1 of Tengu-Jin (Manga Recon)
Connie on vol. 1 of We Were There (Slightly Biased Manga)