VIZ MEDIA Launches New ULTRAMAN Manga Series

VIZ Media announces the brand new ULTRAMAN sci-fi superhero action manga (graphic novel) series, which is set to debut in print and digitally on August 18th.

The series, written by Eiichi Shimizu with artwork by Tomohiro Shimoguchi, is inspired by the original classic Japanese superhero TV show that ran in the late 1960s and remains hugely popular in Japan as well as with international audiences. ULTRAMAN Vol. 1 is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry a print MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN. The series also launchesdigitally the same day via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Future editions of ULTRAMAN will be published quarterly under the VIZ Signature imprint. In Japan, the series currently appears inHero’s magazine.

Decades ago, a being known as the Giant of Light joined together with Shin Hayata of the Science Special Search Party to save Earth from an invasion of terrifying monsters called Kaiju. Now, many years later, those dark days are fading into memory, and the world is at peace. But in the shadows a new threat is growing, a danger that can only be faced by a new kind of hero – a new kind of ULTRAMAN… Shinjiro is an ordinary teenager, but his father is the legendary Shin Hayata. When he learns that his father passed on the “Ultraman Factor” to him and that he possesses incredible powers, nothing will ever be the same again.

VIZ Media recently welcomed Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi for their first-ever professional appearance in the U.S. as official Guests of Honor at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.

“In Japan, Ultraman is something of a national symbol, an iconic superhero that is instantly recognizable and universally loved, and we’re excited to bring the brand new manga to a new generation of fans,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “The series wonderfully updates the classic sci-fi property with cinematic action sequences and sleek character designs. Catch the exciting return of this legendary hero this summer!”

Eiichi Shimizu worked on the story, script and mechanical design for ULTRAMAN. Tomohiro Shimoguchi provided character design and art. Together, the two have formed a creative dream team to produce a number of works including ULTRAMAN (Hero’s) and Kurogane no Rainbareru(Linebarrels of Iron, Akita Shoten). In addition to comics, they have expanded their field of interest to include character designs for video games and action figures.

UDON Announces Persona 4: The Manga

When the original Persona 4 video game was released to universal acclaim in 2008, it delighted players with its engaging murder-mystery storyline, relatable characters, engaging gameplay, and stylish graphics. Persona 4 has since become a multimedia juggernaut, with a remake of the original game, three video game spin-offs, two anime adaptations, and a manga adaptation. That manga adaptation has never been available outside of Japan – until now! UDON Entertainment is proud to announce that we will begin publishing the Persona 4 manga series in English later this year!

When the small rural town of Inaba suddenly becomes the scene of a series of grisly murders, an eclectic group of high school students forms an investigation team to uncover the truth behind them and prevent more deaths. But when they discover that the murders might be connected to an urban legend about a paranormal television phenomenon called the “Midnight Channel,” a simple investigation turns into a dangerous, action-packed journey of self-discovery across two different worlds. Along the way, dark truths will shake our heroes to their very core – and help them discover an inner strength they never knew they had!

“I’ve played the Persona 4 games and I’ve seen the anime from beginning to end, and yet the manga has still offered me a fresh, new perspective on this fantastic story,” said Ash Paulsen, UDON’s Senior Editor. “It’s an experience that the games and anime can’t quite replicate, thanks to manga’s uniqueness as a storytelling medium.”

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned Persona 4 veteran or are just discovering this compelling world for the first time – the Persona 4 manga series is certain to appeal to anyone who simply enjoys murder mysteries, the paranormal, and smart storytelling dealing with existential themes. Are you ready to face your true self?

Persona 4 will be available later this year in finer comic book stores, on Amazon, and everywhere else UDON books are sold! The first volume of Persona 4 will launch in September, with future volumes releasing bi-monthly through the end of 2015 and into 2016.

VIZ Media Launches New Paranormal Action Manga Series TWIN STAR EXORCISTS

TWIN STAR EXORCISTS  to be released on July 7th. Created by Yoshiaki Sukeno, TWIN STAR EXORCISTS is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will be published in print with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally on July 7th via VizMedia.com  and the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Future volumes of the series, which is ongoing in Japan, will be published domestically twice a year under VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump imprint.

In TWIN STAR EXORCISTS, Rokuro is from a family of exorcists who exorcise the evil Kegare, but he’d rather be a singer, a soccer player or anything but! He’s forced to own up to his own incredible potential when new arrival Benio stirs his competitive spirit—and is in need of rescue. But their rivalry gets a twist when they learn they are the “Twin Star Exorcists” – two supreme fighters fated to marry and birth the prophesied child who will eliminate all the Kegare in the world. Too bad they can barely stand each other!

“TWIN STAR EXORCISTS is an electrifying and hilarious new manga series about a pair of unlikely mystical partners and their intertwined destinies that drew significant acclaim from fans and readers during its initial serialization in Japan in Jump Square magazine,” says Annette Roman, Editor. “Will these rivals fall in love? English readers now have the opportunity to dive into the action as the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance!”

Manga creator Yoshiaki Sukeno was born in 1981 in Wakayama, Japan and graduated from Kyoto Seika University’s School of Manga. In 2006, he was selected for a Tezuka Newcomer Award. In 2008, he began the supernatural manga comedy Binbougami ga!, which was later adapted into the anime series Good Luck Girl in 2012. 

SUBLIME DEBUTS NEW SERIES LOVE STAGE!!

SuBLime is proud to announce the launch of the romantic comedy LOVE STAGE!! on May 12th.

The yaoi manga series by noted creators Eiki Eiki andTaishi Zaou will be released in print and digital and is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers. Individual print volumes will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN.

A digital version of LOVE STAGE will also be available for an MSRP of $5.99 U.S.  each and will offer fans digital access to all volumes in two ways onSuBLimeManga.com – a DRM-free downloadable PDF that is viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer as well as via the online manga viewer found on the web site.

Though his family is packed with famous celebrities, Izumi Sena is just your average guy. Currently a college student, he is a huge otaku with aspirations of becoming a manga creator. But one day he gets roped into filming a TV commercial and meets hot young actor Ryoma Ichijo. Could this be the same boy he starred in a commercial with over ten years ago?!

LOVE STAGE!! has been adapted into a drama CD as well as a popular 10-episode anime series that is available both on DVD and via streaming in the U.S. The creators of the manga also publish doujinshi(independent comics) under the name "Kozouya.” Fans can find out more about Eiki Eiki and illustrator Taishi Zaou at their website, http://www.kozouya.com/.

“Fans have been very excited for this release ever since we first announced during our manga panel at last year’s YaoiCon plans to publish LOVE STAGE!!,” says SuBLime Editor Jennifer LeBlanc. “The series’ creators, Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou, are renowned among legions of yaoi and shojo manga fans for their collaborative works and we are thrilled to debut their first title for the SuBLime imprint!”

Eiki Eiki is the creator of numerous yaoi and shojo manga. Her previous English-language releases includeTrain★Train, Millennium Prime Minister, and The Art of Loving.

Manga illustrator Taishi Zaou’s works have been published in English, French, and German. Her previous English-language releases include Green Light, Fevered Kiss, Living For Tomorrow, Mysterious Love, and Electric Hands.

New Naruto Manga Series Debuts in Weekly Shonen Jump

The brand new, limited-run series by NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto depicts a new generation ofshinobi and will appear in the English incarnation of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP on the same day as its premiere in Japan.

After a short break, NARUTO is back! And the story picks up right where the series finale left off. As the newest Hokage, Naruto's face now adorns the mountain behind the village. The same one he used to paint on as a prank when he was an attention-seeking kid! After his legendary feats, Naruto has gained the respect of everyone in the ninja world...except his own son. Boruto is as bratty and stubborn as Naruto used to be! How will these two ever see eye-to-eye?!

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is published digitally each week by VIZ Media and features the latest installments of some of the world’s most popular manga series released to English readers across North America on the same day as the magazine’s general print release in Japan. Currently featured series include BLACK CLOVER, BLEACH, BLUE EXORCIST, FOOD WARS!, GAKKYU HOTEI, MY HERO ACADEMIA, NISEKOI, ONE PIECE, ONE-PUNCH MAN, SERAPH OF THE END: VAMPIRE REIGN, TORIKO, WORLD TRIGGER and YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL. More info is available at: ShonenJump.VIZ.com.

In addition to the U.S. and Canada, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is available to readers in the U.K., Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand at ShonenJump.VIZ.com and through the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP App for iOS and Android devices. Additionally in North America, the free WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP issues are available via the VIZ Manga App and WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP App for iOS and Android devices.

Annual 1 Year Memberships to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP are available for only $25.99 (USD). Members receive 48 weekly digital issues as well as special premiums such as Yu-Gi-Oh! Collectable Trading Cards, rare one-shot manga releases, digital-only promotions, and access to additional subscriber-only content including creator interviews and insightful promo videos. (*Note: Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are only available to annual subscribers in the US and Canada.) Current subscribers can access their accounts viaVIZManga.com, the VIZ Manga App, and shonenjump.viz.com or with the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP App on iOS and Android devices.

For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and exclusive subscriber offers, please visitshonenjump.viz.com.

Marvel’s Mightiest Women Assemble! Your New Look at A-FORCE #1!

An all-new era begins this May as Marvel’s Mightiest Mavens assemble for an explosive new series launching during Secret Wars! Today, Marvel is pleased to present your new look inside the blockbuster A-FORCE#1 – from the creative team of G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel), Marguerite Bennett (Angela: Asgard’s Assassin, James Patterson’s Max Ride: First Flight)and Jorge Molina (X-Men)!

As the Secret Wars begin, the Avengers as you know them are no more – and a new team will lead the way! In a secluded corner of Battleworld lies Arcadia, an island nation fiercely protected by a team of Avengers the likes of which has never been seen before!

So who are the Marvel powerhouses taking center stage? “She-Hulk, Dazzler, Medusa, Nico Minoru and other fan favorites, will take charge,” says series co-writer G. Willow Wilson. “We've purposefully assembled a team composed of different characters from disparate parts of the Marvel U, with very different power sets, identities and ideologies.”

And there came a day unlike any other, when Earth’s Mightiest Heroines found themselves united against a common threat. Fighting to protect the small sliver of their world that’s left, they stand tall, shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to take on the horde. Ushering in a new day with a rallying cry heard across Battleworld –A-FORCE ASSEMBLE!

Heed the call, and don’t miss the start of a comic series that will have the world talking when A-FORCE#1 hits comic shops and digital devices this May! 

Lenni Reviews: Kiss of the Rose Princes vol 2 by Aya Shouoto

(Image Source)

If you recall my last review, I mentioned this manga is pretty standard shojo fare unless there's a curve ball thrown in later volumes. Boy, were my words ever prophetic...

This volume begins with Anise still searching for her lost choker. She orders her knights to locate it but can only let them look for so long as their magic is powered by her blood. But things get interesting when a new transfer student, Haruto Kisugi, is added to the mix, Anise's father sends her a message that he's coming home, and a seal holding in a demon is cracking, which will require a sacrifice to repair.

By the end of this volume, I was shocked and had a new respect for Anise. Most shojo heroines are plucky by design and want to change the sad fate presented in the plot. But (as a mild spoiler) when Anise says "Bring on my punishment" (referencing the punishment for losing the choker) I found that pretty ballsy. Things went so bad so quickly and Anise really showed her bravery. She went right on without hesitation. And she's brave and strong without being overbearing or too cliche. And I have read a LOT of shojo manga. Of course that could change but we shall see in volume three!

I can't give much more detail without spoiling all of the plot twists in this volume but to sum up, things get real and it was awesome.