Manga Licenses/Releases in the US

[Atria35]

I was thinking that there's a thread like this in the anime section, and we need one here in the manga section! There's tons of manga coming out each month- some well-known, many not as well-known- that deserve a little love and attention.

What on earth is out and upcoming?

While it's old news by now, Kodansha (USA) is re-publishing Sailor Moon and the prequel Sailor V. Go Kodansha!
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2011-03-18/kodansha-usa-announces-the-return-of-sailor-moon

There's quite a few lesser-known titles that are also being released.

In September we're getting Stargazing Dog, a story about a man who rediscovers joy in his life thanks to his loyal and faithful companion
http://nbmpub.com/comingup/comaug.html

Drops of God has also been licensed- a story about two men who must compete in identifying 13 different wines in order to gain an inheritance. This is not a story about people getting wasted- it's serious stuff, and currently 27 volumes long in Japan. At the same time, No Longer Human, a story featured in the anime series Aoi Bungaku, has been aquired. This is also a very serious story, about insanity and abuse.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-01-27/vertical-adds-princess-knight-drops-of-god-manga

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

So Yen Press just picked up the Durarara!! manga but not the light novels. I will probably end up buying it anyways.

[Lilac#18]

[color="Plum"]I can't wait until the Sailor Moon and Sailor V manga come out this september. I'm gonna go to the book store and buy them on the first day. [/color]

[AnimeGirl]

I heard a little while back that Dark Horse has aquired the license for CLAMP's latest Gate 7. They are the ones who have re-released a lot of CLAMP's popular titles in the form of omnibus editions such as Magic Knight, Chobits, and CCS!

[Atria35]

Dark Horse has re-realeased Magic Knight Rayearth in omnibus edition (with extra color pages! The sequel is being re-released (omnibus edition!) this coming January! Pre-order, since this thing costs $20 original cost, and pre-ordering means it's only $15.

Yen Press has licensed/is releasing the titles
Olimpos by Aki- Ganymedes is a revered, handsome Trojan prince. His beauty has not gone unnoticed by the gods. The day of his coming of age parade, Ganymedes is abducted by Apollon, the sun god. Ganymedes awakens in a foreign place, surrounded by pure-white flowers and an endless, star-filled sky. Apollon reappears and informs Ganymedes that he’s imprisoned in the Garden of the Gods. For what purpose is he being kept there? (no, this isn't BL >.>")

THE INNOCENT by Avi Arad, Junichi Fujisaku, YaSung Ko - Wrongly executed for crimes he didn’t commit, a former detective is given a second chance at life. To earn that chance, though, the man now known as Ash must use the supernatural abilities with which he has been infused to prevent the deaths of other innocents. But is Ash willing to dedicate himself to helping others, or is his thirst for vengeance against those who destroyed his life and his loved ones too powerful to ignore?

[Atria35]

Kodansha Comics is really going all-out this August with a few new titles:

Animal Land - Animal Land, by manga legend and Zatch Bell creator Makoto Raiku, tells the hilarious and heartwarming story of a baby raised by animals. This one sounds like a winner!

Bloody Monday - Second year high school student, Takagi Fujimaru, appears to be an average teenager and member of the school newspaper, but he is secretly "Falcon," a genius computer hacker that's revealed crimes and outed several dirty politicians. He's currently stopped his computer hacking at his father's request, but he's forced to return to the computer when his father is wanted for murder. Throughout his investigation, Takagi discovers a deadly virus, and that virus brings with it enemies from all over the world. Friend and foe become nearly impossible to distinguish. Everyone Takagi meets becomes capable of betrayal.

Mardock Scramble - "I'd rather be dead." Rune Balot was a lost girl with nothing to live for, when a man named Shell took her in and cared for her... until he tried to murder her. Standing at the precipice of death, Rune is saved by Dr. Easter, a private investigator, who uses an experimental procedure known as "Mardock Scramble 09." The procedure grants Balot extraordinary abilities and now Rune must decide whether to use her new powers to help Dr. Easter bring Shell to justice, or if she has the will to keep living a life that's been broken so badly. This was announced as being turned into a film: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2011-06-20/sentai-filmworks-announces-license-of-mardock-scramble

Until the Full Moon - After ten years apart, aristocratic vampires and childhood friends Marlo and David are back togetherРas fianc̩s! Being half werewolf and half vampire, Marlo undergoes a peculiar transformation, becoming a woman rather than a beast under the full moon. So there's no problem for a wedding and David's womanizing fangsРright?

Gon - All the dinosaurs have gone extinct... except for Gon. Follow the adventures of this scrappy dinosaur as he encounters all kinds of creatures in the Tertiary period, and shows them anything they can do, Gon can do better. Without using any words, Masashi Tanaka tells the story of Gon, letting his beautifully detailed art do the talking.

Cage of Eden - Danger and action abound after Akira Sengoku and his classmates crash-land on a deserted island while flying home from a class trip. The island doesn't exist on any maps but that's not even the strangest part: the animals they find on the island are prehistoric beasts that are supposed to have been extinct for thousands of years! Now Akira and his friends are in danger as the island's residents start eyeing the humans for their next meal. Will they ever solve the mystery of the island and find their way home?

A few other publishers are bringing out a few new titles:

Vertical is releasing Velveteen & Mandara, a title I think few of us would be interested in. The world of Velveteen & Mandara is a dystopia. Tokyo where the youth used to waste their time search for answers, is now barren. For a pair of teens who still live along the outskirts of town, Velveteen and Mandala, Tokyo is a nightmare that can only compare to the nightmare that is slowly tring to take over the metropolis. These two teens are the last line of defence for a nation in ruins. Armed with a fully-operational tank the pair must fight off the zombie hordes while they catfight each other for food, entertainment and maybe even the affection and attention of the opposite sex. They have nothing to lose in this world except their humanity, but then again who are the zombies in this world? Are they the undead or are these two teens who must live among them even still human? It relies on some scatalogical humor and other very brutal imagery.

Bandai is going with something very different: Tales of the Abyss: Asch the Bloody. Asch is the lost prince of a country torn asunder by prophecy. Cloned and replaced by a new prince, Asch finds himself amongst the ranks of God-Generals, fighting to destroy the very prophecy for peace that his clone will fulfill. War, magic & science clash, but at their heart stands Asch the Bloody.Tales of the Abyss: Asch the Bloody is a manga adaptation of a story line from the "Tales of the Abyss" video game license. Their property, a video game RPG much like the Final Fantasy franchise, has spun off dozens of successful sub-properties in Japan and the US over the past 2 decades. This manga adaptation from the POV of one of the series most popular characters, is timed for release alongside the US release of the series' anime adaptation.

[Atria35]

Week of September 6, 2011
A Fallen Saint’s Kiss [Digital Manga Publishing]
Mr. Tiger and Mr. Wolf [Digital Manga Publishing]
Only Serious About You, Vol. 1 [Digital Manga Publishing]
Private Teacher!, Vol. 1 [Digital Manga Publishing]
Seven Days: Friday – Sunday [Digital Manga Publishing]

Week of September 13, 2011
An Even More Beautiful Lie [Digital Manga Publishing]
Codename: Sailor V, Vol. 1 [Kodansha Comics]
Drifters, Vol. 1 [Dark Horse]
Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 [Kodansha Comics]
Sky Link [Digital Manga Publishing]
Warning! Whispers of Love [Digital Manga Publishing]

Week of September 20, 2011
Book of Human Insects [Vertical]

Week of September 27, 2011
Drops of God, Vol. 1 [Vertical]
My Boyfriend is a Vampire, Vol. 1-2 [Seven Seas]
No Longer Human, Vol. 1 [Vertical]

[Atria35]

For October:

Psyren, Vol. 1 [VIZ Media] (10/4)
Lovephobia, Vol. 1 [Digital Manga Publishing] (10/11)
Yakuza Cafe [Digital Manga Publishing] (10/11)
Drops of God, Vol. 1 [Vertical] (10/18)
Gate 7, Vol. 1 [Dark Horse] (10/25)
Higurashi When They Cry: Atonement Arc, Vol. 1 [Yen Press] (10/25)
Love Hina, Omnibus Vol. 1 [Kodansha Comics] (10/25)
No Longer Human, Vol. 1 [Vertical] (10/25)
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! Box Set [VIZ Media] (10/25)
Tokyo Mew Mew, Omnibus Vol. 1 [Kodansha Comics] (10/25)

[Lynna]

I suppose there's no sign of ARIA, Fruits Basket, or Gakuen Alice getting re-licenced is there?

[Atria35]

None so far. Fairy Tale has already been licensed and is being republished by Kodansha at the moment.

[Atria35]

Wow, it has been so long since I've updated this.

Tezuka's Adolf will be republished later this year in a 2-volume format. Excited? I am! They also finally graised enough to publish his work Barabara in English.

Dawn of the Arcana was released late last year. It's a stand-out shoujo once you get past the first volume, and even the first volume marks it as something special.

Devil’s Infirmary by 801 Publishing
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Last Gasp
Fluffy, Fluffy Cinnamoroll from Viz (betting this is a kid's title)
Durarara!! from Yen started publishing earlier this month! It's in the mail for many!
GTO: 14 Days in Shonan - this is a sequel to GTO

[Neane]

Vertical has licensed Tsutomu Nihei's Knights of Sidonia.

[Atria35]

A lot of Tokyopop titles are being rescued by JManga, like Your and My Secret. I am very much not happy with this particular title - that license money should have gone somewhere else - but they're making up for it with Tactics.

Viz has picked up Strobe Edge and Demon Love Spell. Strobe Edge is a good investment, it's really popular.

Tezuka Awards were announced, and Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Historie won.

[Neane]

Kodansha USA Adds Vinland Saga, Sankarea, No. 6, Tokyo Mew Mew A la Mode