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Japan

This Would Be… Bad…?

And now for something altogether different… Night of the Living Cat, a new black & white manga created by Hawkman and Mecha-Roots. “A virus spreads across the world, transforming all humankind into wild, slavering, furry beasts: Cats, to be precise. Those few survivors who remain human take refuge in the dark corners of the earth as they fight back against the feline horde. Kunagi, a man with no memory of his past yet a deep knowledge of cats, struggles to hold on with only his wits and a will to survive. Yet the virus transmits merely through cuddles, and Kunagi finds kitties so hard to resist! Is his willpower strong enough to withstand this hair-raising cat-tastrophe?” Find out from Seven Seas.

image c. 2023 Seven Seas Entertainment

Cat-Spiracy

We missed out on The Evil Secret Society of Cats — but maybe we found out just in time! It’s a full-color manga series written and illustrated by Pandania. “They may seem cute and cuddly, but these kitties are up to no good! Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm.” Several volumes are available now from Seven Seas.

image c. 2023 Seven Seas

First They Look Like You…

For a while now Archaia Comics have been bringing us new series based on Jim Henson’s 1980’s TV series The Storyteller, staring John Hurt and Brian Henson. The latest addition is The Storyteller: Shapeshifters mini-series. And now, Archaia have collected all four issues together in a single hardcover omnibus. Sure enough, the stories feature everything from kids turned into swans to tricky fox-people. “Locus Award-winning writer Darcie Little Badger (A Snake Falls to Earth, Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1), and esteemed writers Andre R. Frattino (Simon Says: Nazi Hunter) and Deron Bennett, along with up-and-coming artists Nori Retherford, Alexandra Fastovets, Dani Pendergast, and celebrated cartoonist Emilia Cilento (INGOVY) bring together a timeless collection of tales about shapeshifters from around the world.” Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Shapeshifters is available from Simon & Schuster.

image c. 2023 Archaia

VR to the Next Level

We just learned about Shangri-La Frontier, a black & white manga written by Katarina and illustrated by Ryosuke Fuji. “Second-year high school student Rakuro Hizutome loves nothing more than finding so-called ‘trash games’ and beating the crap out of them. When he decides to change things up by playing a new, ‘god-tier’ VR game known as Shangri-La Frontier (a.k.a. SLF), he does what he does best: Min-maxes, skips the prologue, and jumps straight into action! Clad in nothing but shorts and a bird mask, Rakuro (player name: Sunraku) launches into the world of SLF. Things are going well at first as he takes down a goblin, a bunny, and even a python. But then Sunraku comes up against a huge, hard-hitting wolf known as Lycagon the Nightslayer. Will Sunraku’s years of ‘trash game’ experience be enough, or is he about to suffer a rude awakening just a few hours into his SLF adventure?” The series is available now from Kodansha International. What’s more, there’s already an anime adaptation series available on Crunchyroll — and YouTube has a preview.

image c. 2023 Kodansha International

Bok to the Future

Sometimes manga can go in marvelously strange directions. Like things go in Rooster Fighter by Shu Sakuratami. “The neighborhood cock of the walk is more than just an ordinary rooster — he’s humanity’s greatest defender! His opponents may be ten stories tall, but nothing is bigger than his stout heart and his fearsome battle cry — cock-a-doodle-doo!” You don’t say? Well that’s what Viz Media tell us anyhow! Several black & white issues are out now.

image c. 2023 Viz Media

Don’t Wisk the Wath of a Wizard!

Well thank you, Amazon! They pointed us at The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms, a black & white yaoi manga that’s written and illustrated by Nagabe. “Hidden away deep within the woods, far from the prying eyes of the world, lies the Wizdom’s School of Wizarding. There beasts of all kinds gather to live, to learn, and to love. From everyday animals to fantastical creatures, these BL stories are told with a realistic and light-hearted touch.” Somehow we missed this on its initial release, but it’s available now from Seven Seas.

image c. 2023 Seven Seas Entertainment

Raw Men

Hey, thanks! A new recommendation recently came across our desk: Ramen Wolf and Curry Tiger, a black & white manga written and illustrated by the creator known as Emboss. “Meet your new favorite food critics: A chubby wolf named Mita Jiro, and a ripped tiger named Yanagi Kagetora. Kagetora used to eat to live, but that changed when he met Jiro — who lives to eat! Jiro is more than happy to help his striped friend explore the restaurants and delicacies tucked within their city, and he enjoys all their finds with great relish. There’s nothing better than a hot meal to bring two (animal) people together in this deliciously illustrated story.” Comixology has sample pages to check out.

image c. 2023 Seven Seas

Ruff Ruff Ronin

So here’s a brand new comic book series from Aftershock, with a very straight-forward title: Samurai Doggy. “During the Fourth War of the Sun, a small dog named Doggy experienced an irreparable trauma: His mother was brutally murdered, and his eight brothers, still puppies, were kidnapped by a mysterious man. To save them, Doggy fought bravely against the terrible killer, but all his efforts were in vain, and he was left for dead. What nobody imagined was that a technological vulture scavenging the region for corpses would be the one to rescue the dying dog from death’s scythe. Now, Doggy has become Samurai Doggy, and his only goal is to quench his thirst for revenge.” As told to us by writer Chris Tex and illustrator Santtos, the team behind Blackout.

image c. 2023 Aftershock

What A Big Katana You Have!

Sticking with Source Point Press, here’s how you put a new spin on an old fairy tale: Little Red Ronin, written by Garrett Gunn and illustrated by Kit Wallis. “A terrible beast has haunted the citizens of Poletown for decades. Although the monster hasn’t been seen in years, disappearances and gruesome killings still plague the townsfolk. Determined to clear her family name, Red hunts The Great Wolf in hopes of exonerating her grandmother, who lives in exile for spreading terrifying propaganda.” Once again the issues have been gathered together into a single trade paperback, available now from Simon & Schuster.

Image c. 2023 Source Point Press