11 Best New Manga Announced at Comic-Con 2008

After a shojo-heavy selection of new manga news at Anime Expo, the manga announcements at San Diego Comic-Con 2008 were much more manly and mature by comparison.
Still, there's a bit of shonen, shojo and even kodomo (kids) manga in the mix to appeal to all kinds of readers. Take a peek at my picks for the best manga for 2009 announced at Comic-Con 2008.

1. Pluto by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Signature) – February 2009


© Naoki Urasawa / Shogakukan
In Japanese comics, a story is often the work of a single creator from beginning to end, never to be trifled with by other creators. Pluto on the other hand messes with that tradition by re-imagining of the universe of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy.
But here's where things get interesting. This story doesn't really focus on Astro Boy -- instead, it revolves around a minor character from an Astro Boy story entitled "The World's Strongest Robot," and how this character and the other characters surrounding him see the same events of that original story from another point of view. As Shonen Jump Editor in Chief Marc Weidenbaum put it, "it updates (Astro Boy) in a way that's absolutely insane -- it's truly groundbreaking."
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2. 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Signature) – February 2009

© Naoki Urasawa / Shogakukan

20th Century Boys is about a group of childhood friends who have a vague sense that something has gone wrong with the world, and it might have something to do with something they all remember seeing when they were younger. The main character, Kenji, is a failed rock star, and the world he lives in is one of tyranny and oppression. True to Urasawa-sensei's strengths, 20th Century Boys is full of surprising plot twists and complicated, yet satisfying relationships between the characters.
As Weidenbaum described it, "It's a time-spanning manga, and it jumps back and forth in time. With every chapter, you never know what's going to happen next."
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3. Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan and Takahiro Arai (Yen Press) – June 2009

© Darren Shan and Takahiko Arai
With a dozen bestselling young adult novels and a feature film from Universal due out in 2009, the manga version of Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak seems primed to tap into new audiences, even beyond the usual manga faithful.
So what's it about? The most intriguing synopsis I read summarized the story this way: "Two boys who visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices."
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4. Shinjuku by mink and Yoshitaka Amano (Dark Horse) – Summer 2009

© Yoshitaka Amano

If you were expecting more of the ethereal fantasy illustrations Amano created for Vampire Hunter D, Dark Horse splashes a big bucket of black ink over that thought. The paintings created by Amano for mink's Shinjuku novel are bold and powerful. Their visceral impact is undeniable, even from viewing a small sampling of images.
From Dark Horse's PR: "Set in the year 2020, Shinjuku is the story of Daniel Legend: an American Special Forces soldier turned licensed private bounty hunter. A loner who travels the globe capturing criminals and now must journey to Shinjuku, Tokyo, to save his sister. Armed with only his wits, metal storm pistol, and a cryptic five-year-old postcard, Simon sets out to save his family, but ends up saving the world."
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5. Tegami Bachi by Hiroyuki Asada (Shonen Jump Manga) – March 2009

© Hiroyuki Asada, Shueisha

Boasting lush, detailed artwork with gripping sci-fi adventure, Tegami Bachi is set in a world of darkness where sunlight is a rare commodity only enjoyed by the very rich. The realms of Amber Ground are separated by class, where the world of the rich is separated from the progressively darker and grimmer worlds of the middle-class and the poor. Travel between the realms require traversing dangerous waters and avoiding giant insects that suck away their victim's will to live.
The only way to send messages between the realms is through Tegami Bachi, or Letter Bee messengers. The series follows the adventures of Lag Seeing, a young and determined Letter Bee delivery boy who is also seeking his mother, who was kidnapped years ago.
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6. Negima neo by Ken Akamatsu and Takuya Fujima (Del Rey Manga) - 2009

© Ken Akamatsu and Takuya Fujima

Negima by Ken Akamatsu was one of Del Rey's first releases when they made their debut in 2004 and it's always been one of their besteselling titles. So it's only natural that they've snapped up the rights to Negima neo, a remix of Akamatsu's original stories and characters done up by another creator, Takuya Fujima.
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7. World Embryo by Daisuke Moriyama (Dark Horse Manga) – Summer 2009

© Daisuke Moriyama

According to Wikipedia (which you can take with a grain of salt), World Embryo was originally licensed by TokyoPop. Now this dark sci-fi seinen thriller is in the capable hands of the folks at Dark Horse Manga.
From Dark Horse's PR: "In a time where heroes are unrecognized and forgotten, viruses can be transmitted by a cell phone call, and unseen monsters hunt the innocent, the fate of the world rests in the hands of a secret organization called F.L.A.G. and on the shoulders of Riku Amami. If that isn’t enough of a burden, Riku has a baby girl calling him "papa" ever since she emerged... from an egg inside his living room! Is she the embryo of a new world or the child of the apocalypse?"
Publisher's Site


8. CLAMP in America by Shaenon Garrity (Del Rey Manga) - 2009

© CLAMP

While technically not a manga, it is *about* manga, so in my book, that counts. In this full color retrospective, Garrity will examine the impact of this superstar manga-ka quartet in America -- from Magic Knight Rayearth's debut in TokyoPop's Mixxzine and X 1999 in Animerica magazine back in the day to their visit to Anime Expo in 2006 and their upcoming "Mangettes" project with Dark Horse, and beyond.
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9. GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class by Satoko Kiyduki (Yen Press) – April 2009

© Satoko Kiyuduki

There isn't a whole lot of yonkoma (4-panel) manga available in English, but it seems like Yen Press is looking to single-handedly turn that trend around.
This new title from the creator of Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro is set in an art school, where a bunch of very adorable looking girls learn the finer points of fine art technique. Since the girls will be learning color theory, it stands to reason that many of the pages will be in full color.
While the GA gals look more moe than emo, it still sounds like a fun and maybe educational premise for a comics strips that'll appeal to aspiring manga artists.
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10. Genghis Khan by Seiichi Morimura and Nakaba Higurashi (CMX Manga) – April 2009

© Seiichi Morimura and Nakaba Higurashi, FLEX Comics

You want manly manga? CMX is gonna give you some manly manga, about the most macho Mongol ever, Ghengis Khan. But here's the catch: This Khan looks a bit more bishonen than barbarian. Take that as a plus or minus as you will.
While Khan's conquest of the Asian continent spanned decades, this story from Flex Comics will be neatly contained in a single volume. If you'd like a taste of the art that's in store, visit artist Nakaba Higurashi's website and check out her portfolio of lovely fantasy illustrations.
Also, stay tuned for the anime adaptation of Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea from Funimation in March 2009.
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11. Leave it to PET (Makasete PET-kun) by Kenji Sonishi (VIZ Kids) - April 2009


© Sonishi Kenji

A manga for kids by the creator of Neko Ramen, Leave it to PET offers eco-conscious entertainment manga for young 'uns.
"PET" is an abbreviation for a type of plastic, most commonly used for bottles. As VIZ Media Editorial Director Beth Kawasaki explained it, Leave it to PET is about "a boy who recycles a plastic bottle that comes to life and becomes his pet."
From the looks of the cover art, and a peek at Sonishi's bold and simple artwork for Neko Ramen, Leave It to PET just might have enough surreal appeal to pique the interest of more than just the pre-tween set.