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It’s that time again.  Diamond’s June Previews is out, though it’s hardly worth taking a look at.  It’s a barren wasteland this month.  And, as if to add insult to injury (though personally I suspected this would happen), it seems that Previews went to print before DC Comics unceremoniously axed CMX, and the three pages taunt us with now canceled titles, including the much anticipated first volume of 51 Ways to Save Her.  So just ignore those pages, shed a little tear for your loss, and move along.  I’ve done my best to dig some gold out of this month’s scant offerings, so let’s try to look forward to something better, shall we?  All quoted product descriptions are from Previews unless noted otherwise.

Kris’s Pull List

We Were There, vol. 12, by Yuki Obata.  From Amazon.com: “I love you.  That’s why I promised myself……the next time we meet…I’ll never let you go.”  September 2010, $9.99, from Viz Media.

From Dark Horse:

Oh My Goddess volume 16, by Kosuke Fujishima.  Dark Horse’s only manga offering this month is another volume of one of the longest-running manga series in America.  “After epic mishaps such as Belldandy and Keiichi’s hands becoming unable to part, or Skuld’s robot Banpei falling in love, what harm could the arrival of a cute young boy at the temple to to its residents…the earth…the universe?  They say when disaster strikes, time seems to slow down…  The problem is, it’s slowing down for everybody…for real!  Plus a message from creator Kosuke Fujishima, and your fan art and letters!”  October 2010, $11.99.

From Bandai Entertainment:

Gundam-00F volume 4, by Koichi Tokita.  Personally I am not a Gundam fan, but in my quest to find something to fill this column with, and as it’s a final volume….  “The official side-story of Gundam-00 continues!  The year is 2307, and the world is not united.  A private organization calling themselves Celestial Being rises up to intervene with the goal of ending all war through the use of the Mobile weapon GUNDAM.  However, there’s another organization operating in its shadow!  This is the story of that organization and its Gundam Meister, Fon Spaak.”  September 2010, $10.99.

From Digital Manga Publishing:

Finder 1: Target in the Viewfinder, by Ayano Yamane.  The highly anticipated yaoi title is finally here!  “While out on assignment trying to document the illegal activities of the Japanese underworld, photographer Takaba crosses paths with the dark and mysterious leader Asami.  Asami takes Takaba captive, in an attempt to subjugate and possess him.  But when the son of the Chinese mafia enters demanding evidence that Takaba may have, will Takaba be able to survive being caught in the crosshairs of a deadly underworld feud?”  August 2010, on their Juné imprint, $13.95.

Crimson Cross, by Kyoko Negishi, with art by Sakae Maeda.  “You can see his ivory-colored sharp teeth through his distorted lips when he laughs…  And the crimson colored blood was dripping like it wanted to Baptize a person.  Carl van Hellsing has vowed to hunt down the vampire Elliot for eternity.  But, that’s exactly what Elliot wants.”  August 2010, $12.95.

From DMF Comics Inc.:

Super Kawaii Magazine #1.  It sounds like Cosmo for otaku girls.  Unfortunately there’s nothing at their website yet, so I really have no other information other than what the product description says.  “Super Kawaii covers everything cute and cool in cosplay culture!  Featuring over 150 cosplay photos from North America.  In this issue: Dragonball Z voice actors Eric Vale and Kyle Hebert, Bento Box Art, and a cute shopping guide.”  A little pricey at $14.99 for 88 pages.

From Fanfare/Ponent Mon:

A Distant Neighborhood, by Jiro Taniguchi.  Volumes 1 and 2 of this 2010 Eisner Nominee (Best Graphic Album, Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia) are re-offered here.  “Hiroshi Nakahara is a salaryman, returning to Tokyo, only to discover he is traveling back to the town of his upbringing, not Tokyo.  Arriving in his hometown, he returns tho his 14 year-old life and body while retaining all his adult character and experiences.  That day his father disappeared without explanation, the death of his mother, will he change his past or be forever condemned to relive each painful moment?  And will he ever see his wife and daughters again?”  $23.00 each.

From Fantagraphics:

A Drunken Dream and Other Stories, by Moto Hagio.  “Moto Hagio is considered the most beloved shojo manga artist of all time.  Unconstrained by genre, she has built a career exemplified by intellectual curiosity, psychological authenticity and a mature aesthetic sense akin to Osamu Tezuka as opposed to Sailor Moon.  For the first time in English, Fantagraphics is proud to present a Hagio primer: a selection of short stories spanning from 1971-2007 by an artist at the peak of her powers.”  September 2010, hardcover, $24.99.

Vertical Inc:

Thank goodness for Vertical, a shining beacon of content this month.

Chi’s Sweet Home volume 2, by Kanata Konami.  “In the second volume of Chi’s Sweet Home, Chi’s new world slowly begins to grow.  As Kouhei Yamada grows up, it is rapidly becoming apparent to his parents that Chi grows up twice as fast!  Now moving into the feline version of the ‘terrible twos’, Chi’s increasingly curious and independent behavior begins to wear on each member of the Yamada household!”  August 2010, $13.95.

7 Billion Needles volume 1, by Nobuaki Tadano.  “Modern-day Japan is the stage for a new form of hard science-fiction, as author Nobuaki Tadano revisits one of the genre’s Grand Masters, Hal Clement, in his debut series 7 Billion Needles.  Loosely based on Clement’s golden age title Needle, Tadano’s gripping homage follows the life of a teenage girl whose melancholy days are dramatically changed when her body becomes host to an alien life form caught up in an intergalactic manhunt.  Always sporting her headphones to try to close out the people and the world around her, Hikaru is a somewhat reclusive teenaged girl.  Within her body resides another lifeform known as Ciel, a hunter in search of an intergalactic murderer intent on wiping out humanity.  In 7 Billion Needles, two lives share one heart as they race to protect each other and the memories they cherish.”  August 2010, $12.99.

Tezuka’s Apollo’s Song Part 1, by Osamu Tezuka.  In 2007, a single volume version of Apollo’s Song was offered by Vertical; this is the same book split into two volumes.  Been meaning to pick it up myself, so if I can’t find the single volume (which is $19.95, making is just slightly cheaper to buy that way), I may pick these up.  “Scarred by a childhood without true love, Shogo is a young man who harbors dangerously sociopathic tendancies.  When his callousness and cruelty to others comes to the attention of the Goddess of Love, Shogo is sentenced to a horrible fate: He will fall in love and lose his heart’s desire over and course of several lifetimes.”  August 2010, $10.95 each.

Twin Spica volume 3, by Kou Yaginuma.  “Mankind’s hopes and dreams are realized in Asumi Kamogawa, the lead character of Twin Spica.  A teenage girl with a troubled past, looks to the stars to bring her a better future as she has ambitions to become a member of Japan’s first manned space mission!”  September 2010, $10.95.

From Viz Media:

Relistings of the following Eisner Nominated titles: 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Oishinbo: Japanese Cuisine

Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse, by Otsuichi.  “Two short novels, including the title story and Black Fairy Tale, plus a bonus short story.  Summer is the simple story of a nine-year-old girl who dies while on summer vacation.  While her youthful killers try to hide her body, she tells us the story – from the point of view of her dead body – of the boys’ attempt to get away with murder.
Black Fairy Tale is classic J-horror: a young girl loses an eye in an accident but receives a transplant.  Now she can see again, but what she sees out of her new left eye is the experiences and memories of its previous owner.  Its previous deceased owner.”  September 2010, $14.99.

Miscellaneous Goodies for Your Shelves:

Bleach Play Arts -Kai- Action Figures, from Square Enix.  These incredibly detailed, quality figures are imported from Japan.  This set includes Ichigo Kurosaki in his bankai form (9.9″ tall), Rukia Kuchiki in her Soul Reaper uniform (8.2″), and Toshiro Hitsugaya (8.4″).  However, at a pricey $42.99 each, they’re less of an impulse buy, and more something you have to budget for.  I’m glad Square is making better quality figures, but their Play Arts action figures used to cost around $25, which was a lot easier to justify (and they still looked pretty good).  November 2010.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Evangelion 2.0 Mari Illustrious RAH Figure and Rei Ayanami RAH Movie Version Figure, from Medicom’s Real Action Hero (RAH) figure line.  I have to admit, these look pretty incredible.  They each stand 12″ tall, but also run $200.  If they look even half as good as they do in the photos, then they’re probably well worth that price.  Rei is scheduled for September, Mari is scheduled for October.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood Part 2, from FUNimation.  The next part of the new FMA series, this set contains episodes 14-26.  The DVDs will cost you $49.99, or you can get them on Blu-ray for $54.99.

Vampire Knight volume 1, from Viz Media.  This first disc contains the first four original, uncut episodes of the series.  $19.99.

The last thing that caught my eye was a sexy looking Ezio figure from Assassin’s Creed 2.  At 7″ tall, it’ll tower over my tiny Altair that I got with the collector’s edition of the first game, but my shelf is desperate for another badass assassin.  He’ll come in two different styles – the standard figure will sport Ezio in his white cloak, and the black figure with his black cloak.  August 2010, $17.99.

And that’s it for this month.  The last two months had some great titles, a lot of titles, so it’s not surprising that this month is a bit lack luster (and also, in terms of volumes, there wasn’t much listed).  Pre-orders are due at your local comic shop by June 12.

Kris
kristin@comicattack.net
@girlg33k_Kris