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Another month, another Diamond Previews catalog!  So settle in as I pick out the best manga offerings in the August 2010 catalog.  All product descriptions are from Previews unless otherwise noted.

Here’s my personal pull list, which after a month or two of next to nothing (or nothing at all), finally has some books to add:

Tezuka’s Ayako GN, by Osamu Tezuka, from Veritcal INC.  “Long considered as one of Osamu Tezuka’s most political narratives, Ayako is also considered to be one of his most challenging as it defies the conventions of his manga by utilizing a completely original cast and relying solely on historical drama to drive the plot.  Set in the aftermath of World War II, Ayako focuses its attention on the Tenge clan, a once powerful family of landowners living in a rural community in northern Japan.  The war and American occupation have begun to erode the fabric that binds them all together.  And when the family seems to have completely fallen apart, they decide to turn their collective rage on what they believe to be the source of their troubles – the newest member of the Tenge family, the youngest sister Ayako.”  October 2010, HC, $26.95.

Black Butler vol. 3, by Yana Toboso, from Yen Press.  “This butler is just too good to be true – or maybe he’s just too good to be human!  Grelle’s chainsaw-like scythe cuts through anything, quickly overpowering Sebastian as Madame Red attacks Ciel.  Memories of her sister and her sister’s husband are played out.  Unable to deal with the pain, [Madame] Red and Grelle join forces and the two become Jack the Ripper.”  October 2010, $10.99.

Black Bird vol. 6, by Kanoko Sakurakoji, from Viz Media.  “Misao and Kyo have traveled to the Tengu Village to end Sho’s claim on the leadership of the clan once and for all.  Misao knows there will be bloodshed, and things will only get worse if the battle is drawn out.”  November 2010, $9.99.

The Story of Saiunkoku vol. 1, by Sai Yukino, with art by Kairi Yura, from Viz Media.  “Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office.”  November 2010, $9.99.

From Dark Horse Comics:

Stellar line up from Dark Horse this month.

Vampire Hunter D volume 16, by Hideyuki Kikuchi, with illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano.  “In this chilling adventure, Vampire Hunter D has been dispatched to vanquish the ancient vampiric Noble Count Braujou, guardian of an ancient buried treasure.  But when a mysterious object crashes into the earth, destroying half of the northern Frontier, D faces an even more terrifying opponent – the renegade vampire Valcua, the Ultimate Noble!  Having been exiled to outer space, Valcua took his entire kingdom of strange and deadly creatures with him, and swore that when the time was right they would return to have their revenge.  Unfortunately for D, that time is now…”  With Digital Manga Publishing, December 2010, $14.99.

Oh My Goddess! volume 37, by Kosuke Fujishima.  “Clumsy, naive, spacey – just the qualities you want in a goddess tasked with delivering an important magical program to Belldandy.  And Chrono, the newest goddess to appear in the OMG! saga, possesses these qualities admirably!”  December 2010, $10.99.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project volume 7, by Osamu Takahashi.  “You didn’treally think all this raising being inflicted on Shinji by his parents and guardian was without constructive purpose, did you…a purpose, perhaps, related to giant, robotlike things?  As Yui deals with the fallout from the Jet Alone affair, her son tries to mind his own affairs…but usually just ends up falling!”  December 2010, $9.99.

Devil, by Torajiro Kishi and Madhouse Studios.  “A vampire virus threatens humanity, and it may come down to a rogue cop and his strait-laced partner to contain the freakishly superhuman devils from rampaging across Japan.  Why did the government create this virus, and what will result from its perfection?  And more importantly, have the humans created a being that will now take the throne at the top of the food chain?”  TPB, December 2010, $14.99.

From Bandai Entertainment:

Gundam-00 Season 2 volume 3, by Kozo Omori.  “The manga adaptation of Gundam-00‘s second season continues!  Innovator Ribbons Almark’s plot to lead humanity to its proper future is finally revealed!”  November 2010, $10.99.

Gurren Lagann volume 6, by Kotaro Mori.  “An older Simon and Yoko lead Team Dai-Gurren as new conflicts arise to challenge humanity’s claim to the surface!”  November 2010, $10.99.

From Del Rey Manga:

The Wallflower volumes 22-24 Omnibus, by Tomoko Hayakawa.  From Amazon: “It’s summertime, and all Sunako wants to do is stay in the darkest depths of her room.  But the guys are desperate to complete Sunako’s transformation into a lady—which means a weekend at a beachside resort.  Now Sunako is trapped in a fancy five-star hotel and surrounded by creatures of the light.  To escape on the train back to Tokyo she needs cash, and winning the Capture the Flag competition will solve that problem.  Victory seems like a sure thing for Sunako—until she meets her competition: none other than Kyohei!”  October 2010, $21.99.

xxxHolic volume 16, by CLAMP.  From Amazon:  “The witch Yûko is gone, vanished and forgotten by the world with the exception of a small handful of people.  But Kimihiro is determined to keep the wish-granting shop going, even if the shop’s arcane rules nearly kill him for the crime of setting a wrong price.  Now begins a new chapter: xxxHOLiC Rô!”  October 2010, $10.99.

From Digital Manga Publishing:

Love Water (Novel), by Venio Tachibana, and illustrated by Tooko Miyagi.  “It’s the beginning of the Meiji Era, and the world is turning upside-down.  Misao doesn’t think his life of tradition will ever change.  Born into the pleasure quarters and raised as a courtesan, he knows that emotions are fickle things, changing with every hour.  But when a rich man’s son visits Misao’s teahouse, Misao opens his heart for the first time.  He pursues this reckless love on the cusp between two ages, yearning only for happiness and expecting nothing but pain.  Can the world ever change for this prisoner of love?”  October 2010, $8.95.

A Bloody Kiss Tonight, by Makoto Tateno.  “Riku works for a local flower shop as a delivery boy.  During one of his [deliveries] to a western style mansion he encounters three exceptionally beautiful men.  Since then, he has been plagued with terrifying yet sensual wet dreams every night!  Who was fondling him!?  Riku couldn’t help feeling violated, bewildered, and angry all at the same time…  Keito, one of the 3 occupants of th western mansion, is the culprit of Riku’s downfall.  He’s on the hunt for Riku to fulfill a destiny intertwined with love and betrayal, thus a vampire legend unfolds.”  October 2010, $12.95.

Finder 2: Cage in the Viewfinder, by Ayano Yamane.  “Akihito thought he left the cutthroat dangers of the Underworld behind after barely escaping his last adventure alive.  However, he soon finds himself reunited with the mysterious and powerful crime lord Asami, and he is once again thrust into an unseemly world of decadence and bloodshed.  Will Takaba be lucky enough to escape a deadly fate twice in a row, or are Asami’s plans for him of a more amorous nature?  This volume also focuses on the backstory of FieLong and Asami, and how they met.”  October 2010, $13.95.

From 801 Media INC:

Under Grand Hotel vol. 2, by Mika Sadahiro.  From Previews Adult:  “Sen Owari, a student from Japan, was studying at Columbia University.  He is sentenced to serve 80 years in prison at ‘Under Grand Hotel’ for the murder of his lover’s husband.  While serving his time in jail, new evidence surfaces for Sen and he thinks it may be a chance for him to be released early… and this was all a set up… but it was a set up for whom?  Why would somebody want to frame Sen?”  October 2010, $14.99.

From Kodansha Comics:

Akira volume 4 (Kodansha Edition), by Katsuhiro Otomo.  From Amazon:  “Set off by the bullet of a would-be assassin, Neo-Tokyo has been leveled by Akira`s godlike psychic fury.  Now cut off from the rest of world, the Great Tokyo Empire rises, with Akira its king, Tetsuo its mad prime minister, and a growing army of fanatic acolytes.  Forces on the outside still search for a way to stop Akira, and the answer may lie in the hands of the mysterious Lady Miyako, a powerful member of Akira`s psychic brotherhood.  But the solution to harnessing Akira may ultimately be more dangerous than Akira himself!”  Not sure on the date.  Not sure if these are even being released.  Has anyone seen any books from Kodansha on the shelves?  They keep listing them.  $27.99.

From Seven Seas Entertainment LLC:

Strawberry Panic Omnibus Edition, by Sakuro Kimino, with art by Namuchi Takumi.  “For new transfer student Aoi Nagisa, St. Miator Girls’ Academy offers her the chance at a fresh start and a way to redefine herself.  But these noble intentions go out the window when she catches her first glimpse of honor student Hanazono Shizuma, whose porcelain white skin and goddess0like beauty leave Nagisa speechless.  It’s puppy love at first sight, but naive Nagisa is unaware that Shizuma is a serial heartbreaker who has set her sights on Nagisa herself.  Will Nagisa end up as another notch on Shzuma’s belt, or does fate have other plans in store for the new couple?”  September 2010, $14.99.

From TOKYOPOP:

V.B. Rose volume 10, by Banri Hidaka.  “Yukari’s estranged mother finally makes her appearance!  But the gorgeous Ran Kashiwagi is not at all what Ageha expected… and now she’s got eighteen years of bad blood between mother and son to sort out — talk about awkward!”  November 2010, $10.99.

Maria Holic volume 5, by Minari Endou.  “On trial for trying to eat Yonakuni the dog, Kanako is so stressed out that she totally forgets about studying for final exams.  As a result, she becomes the first student in the Academy’s history to fail all of her classes!”  November 2010, $10.99.

Future Diary volume 8, by Sakae Esuno.  “Yukiteru discovers the truth about the cause of his mother’s death and is determined to bring the person responsible to swift justice!  And while Yuki and Yuno recuperate from heir defeat, another player puts an evil plan into action!”  November 2010, $10.99.

From Udon Entertainment:

Darkstalkers/Red Earth: Maleficarum vol. 1, by Itou Mami.  “Featuring two Capcom video game classics, Darkstalkers/Red Earth: Maleficarum is video game manga at [its] funniest!  The sexy seductresses and vicious monsters known as the Darkstalkers burst [out of] the night!  Morrigan, Lillith, Demitri, Talbain, Jedah and more battle for control of the demon dimension!  Also included are the adventures of Red Earth.  In this unique fantasy world ninjas, witches and lions battle dinosaurs, knights and sorceresses, with excitement around every corner!”  November 2010, $12.95.

Also from Vertical INC:

Chi’s Sweet Home volume 3, by Kanata Konami.  “A tender fun adventure focusing on the life of a newborn kitten and the young family that decides to raise her.  The Yamadas have decided to not only keep Chi but to move to a new apartment to [accommodate] their kitten.  The new environment looks like a […] new world full of all sorts of adventures for little Chi.”  October 2010, $13.95.

7 Billion Needles volume 2, by Nobuaki Tadano.  “Loosely inspired by Hal Clement’s novel Needle, 7 Billion Needles follows the life of a teenage girl whose life is dramatically changed when her body is possessed by an alien life form caught up in an intergalactic manhunt.  As strange as ‘normal’ might seem to her now, ‘happy days are much more welcomed than the surreal days Hikaru experienced with Celistial.  Having wasted Maelstrom in battle, she has been freed from the voices and is moving on with her life.  But not only is Maelstrom still around and possibly more determined than ever to defeat Celestial, but Celestial has been in her blood all along!”  November 2010, $10.95.

Twin Spica volume 4, by Kou Yaginuma.  “Asumi is now in her second term at the Tokyo Space School.  After struggling to be accepted into this elite program and some hardships once she was admitted, she quickly found herself developing her skills and her character through the many [trials] the school administered.  When she is confronted by protestors demonstrating against Japan’s space program, she is torn by the memories of her past, which include her deceased mother, and the dreams she is working so hard to attain.”  November 2010, $10.95.

Also from Yen Press:

Pandora Hearts volume 3, by Jun Mochizuki.  “A gothic fantasy with an Alice in Wonderland twist!  Oz, Alice, and Gil go out to town, where Oz rescues a boy who’s being bullied.  Suddenly Echo, sent by the Nightray Family, comes to claim the [boy] which forces Oz to remember the childhood trauma he would much rather forget.”  October 2010, $10.99.

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya novel, by Nagaru Tanigawa.  “What if you woke up one morning, and everything changed?  It’s one week before Christmas Eve, and Haruhi and the S.O.S. Brigade are gearing up for holiday festivities.  But just before the fun kicks off, Kyon, the only ‘normal’ member, wakes up in a weird alternate dimension, one where Haruhi attends another school entirely, Nagato the time traveling robot is just an ordinary human, and Mikuru doesn’t even recognize him.  In other words, S.O.S. Brigade never existed!  Kyon must travel back in time to set things right in an adventure reminiscent of It’s a Wonder Life.”  November 2010, $8.99.

Also from Viz Media:

Maoh: Juvenile Remix vol. 3, by Megumi Osuga.  “Ando’s desperate attempt to prevent a gas station explosion will bring him face-to-face with Inukai.  But will their confrontation only spur on Ando’s decision to fight, or will new challenges be too much for him to bear…?”  November 2010, $9.99.

Biomega vol. 4, by Tsutomu Nihei.  From Amazon:  “In a bid to remake the planet according to her design, Niarudi—Matriarch of the DRF—has unleashed the Reverse Morphic Polymer.  This substance triggers a radical transformation of the Earth, preparing it for “restoration.”  Meanwhile, Zoichi goes all out to recover Eon Green before it’s too late and Fuyu learns more about what happened on Mars seven hundred years ago—secrets that shed light on the unbelievable metamorphosis about to take place!”  November 2010, $12.99.

Saturn Apartments vol. 2, by Hisae Iwaoka.  From Amazon:  “Mitsu has just started working as a window washer, a dangerous job that five years earlier led to the loss of his father.  As Mitsu struggles with being the new guy—making mistakes, struggling to keep up, petty workplace resentments—he also discovers the simple pleasures of befriending his coworkers, enjoying time off and getting to know his absent father through the eyes of his colleagues.”  November 2010, $12.99.

InuYasha vol. 54, by Rumiko Takahashi.  From Amazon:  “The demon Naraku begins to absorb the Shikon Jewel and its unfathomable power.  All our friends fly into action to prevent him: Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Sesshomaru.  But Naraku defends himself by dividing and manipulating his attackers.  And then Inuyasha’s demon half takes him over, putting Rin and Kagome in deadly danger…!”  November 2010, $9.99.

Hikaru no Go vol. 21, by Yumi Hotta, with art by Takeshi Obata.  From Amazon:  “The Hokuto Cup, a new tournament for young players from Japan, China and Korea, is looming, and Hikaru’s rival Akira has already secured one of the coveted three places on Japan’s team.  While Hikaru battles his way to one of the two remaining spots, Akira’s father baffles the go world with his unexpected retirement!”  November 2010, $9.99.

Misc.:

Japanese Animation, by Brigitte Koyama-Richard, from Flammarion.  From Amazon:  “A sweeping journey through the history of Japanese animation, tracing this cultural phenomenon from its origins in traditional art to the present day.  A dominant force in its home country since the 1970s, Japanese animation has become a global phenomenon in recent years.  But far from being a contemporary invention, anime draws on the same centuries-old artistic traditions that form the basis of manga.  Widely disparaged when it first appeared in the West, today the real value of Japanese animation is recognized, and it has inspired international film directors.  Fairy tale, romance, adventure, fantasy, science-fiction: anime encompasses many genres and its creativity knows no bounds.  Brigitte Koyama-Richard studies the evolution of Japanese animation through the centuries, retracing its history from painted scrolls to woodblock prints, to animated films, first in black and white, and then in color.  A number of prominent artists are showcased, including Tezuka Osamu, the “godfather of anime,” and Hayao Miyazaki, founder of the world-renowned Studio Ghibli and creator of films such as Spirited Away—the first anime film to win an Academy Award.  Illustrated with over 500 images, many rarely seen in the West, this book bridges the gap between art history and pop culture.”  October 2010, HC, $49.95.

Ninja Attack!  True Tales of Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws, by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, with art by Yutaka Kondo, from Kodansha International.  From Amazon:  “An entire generation has become fascinated with the stealth, ferocity and wisdom of the ninja–the epitome of the Japanese “tough guy.”  Ninja Attack! is the ultimate reference for those who want to know more about them and their legendary lives.
This book covers the most unforgettable ninja in history, ranging from the leaders of ninja clans to solo artists, occult masters, warlords who used their cunning to help their climb to the top, and vicious assassins and warriors.  Each of these real-life figures is presented with a full-page illustration, smaller illustrations and photos, along with detailed descriptions and anecdotes about his life, weapons, weaknesses — and how he met his end.
While the book is research-based and factual, it is most definitely not a dry history tome.  Instead, it is a lively and accessible source of entertainment that provides readers with a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and history.”  November 2010, $14.95.

Pinky Street: Kimi ni Todoke – Sawako Kuronuma Action Figure.  “Pinky Street (also known as pinky:st) is a series of vinyl figures designed by modeler Yuki Kanaya.  Sawaro Kuronuma, the main character of the shoujo manga Kimi ni Todoke, is brought to life in the Pinky Street style.  Pinky Street figures feature fully interchangeable female characters that are part anime-style, part current Tokyo fashion trends.  Mix and match your figures to different outfits as you like.  Each stands 5″ tall and comes with interchangeable heads, body parts, clothing, and feet.”  October 2010, $26.99.

Pre-orders for August Previews are due at your local comic shop by August 14.  Happy pre-ordering!

Kris
kristin@comicattack.net
@girlg33k_Kris