The Best New Manga of October 2016

Attack on Titan Anthology, by Various
In a move that is extremely rare in the manga world, Kodansha Comics lined up some top non-Japanese creators, including Batman writer Scott Snyder, Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone, and Milk and Cheese creator Evan Dorkin to create their own comics based in the world of Attack on Titan. This anthology is in full color and sized like a comic book, and like the manga, it is filled with Titan-fighting action, crazy characters, and shocking twists. The Barnes and Noble exclusive edition features a specially drawn cover by Eisner Award Winner Faith Erin Hicks.

Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai, Vol. 1, by Hiroyuki Takei
From the creator of Shaman King comes a samurai manga with a twist: All the characters are cats. This is no cute-cat manga, though: It’s as muscular and action-packed as any human samurai manga. Norachiyo, the lead character, is a masterless samurai, although his sword still bears the bell that once signified his servitude to a person. He wanders through the countryside, righting wrongs, fighting enemies, and making vague allusions to a mysterious past. This manga manages to take everything that’s great about samurai manga and apply it to cats, with the added overlay of the tension between “kept” (pet) cats and stray cats. You’ll never look at catnip the same way again.

Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 9, by Sui Ishida
With the large-scale battles of the Aogiri Tree arc ended, Tokyo Ghoul shifts back to some of the core questions of the story, as Ken leaves the shelter of the Anteiku coffeehouse and resumes his search for the real identity of Rize Kamishiro. Meanwhile, the CCG continue their pursuit of The Gourmet and the Binge Eater, and Ishida keeps pushing us toward the climax of this 14-volume series.

I Am a Hero, Vol. 2, by Kengo Hanazawa
It should be clear by now that the title of this series is ironic. Hapless manga-ka Hideo Suzuki flees Tokyo as the zombie apocalypse ramps up, and this volume kicks off with action-packed zombie-fighting sequences on a train and in a taxicab, but Hideo is doing his best to get involved, preferring to cringe on the sidelines. Somehow he manages to evade all the madness, only to wind up in a suicide forest. But his luck seems to have changed, as he encounters a no-nonsense schoolgirl and they start working together to get to safety—although they don’t really know where that would be. It would be a stretch to call I Am a Hero a comedy, but there is a strong streak of dark humor that runs through it, as Hideo rationalizes his actions, goes off on philosophical tangents, and does his best to obey every single law, even as he flees the breakdown of civilization.

Hatsune Miku Mikubon, by Ontama
It’s moe to the max in this cute gag manga about the Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku and her companions Rin, Len, and Luka. You don’t have to be a fan of the turquoise-haired phenomenon to enjoy this story—it reads like any other gag manga about a girl and her friends going to school, with a cast that includes the clumsy heroine who keeps falling asleep in class, the girl everyone has a crush on, and the weird adult character (in this case, Vice Principal Ann, who keeps popping up in odd outfits like a nurse’s uniform and a leather bikini). Adding to the fun are a mad professor and a robot that can assume any human form, leading to all sorts of hijinks. The comic follows the 4-koma (four-panel) format, so it reads like a newspaper comic strip only vertical instead of horizontal. The story is lighthearted, with plenty of slapstick and overreaction, making for an easy read that you can easily pick up and put down again.

Tohyo Game, Vol. 1, by G.O. and Chihiro
Here’s a survival-game story with a school twist: A high school class has a popularity contest (because who wouldn’t think that was a good idea?) and the unpopular students start dying horribly. Someone is obviously manipulating these events for their own purposes—but who? You won’t have to wait too long to find out, as the series is just three volumes long.

Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, by Shigeru Mizuki
Drawn and Quarterly is releasing Shigeru Mizuki’s classic yokai stories in a series of compact volumes that make for easy reading. Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon is the second volume in this particular format, but it doesn’t matter much as, like the other volumes, it is a collection of standalone stories. Kitaro is a yokai boy who wanders the countryside accompanied by his father, a sentient eyeball. In this volume they fight off a number of enemies, including the Yokai Commander Nurarihyon, a sea giant, and a swamp-dwelling yokai known as Sawa Kozo. For those who are not familiar with yokai lore, the book includes “Yokai Files” in the back as well as a historical essay by translator Zack Davisson. The books are designed to be kid-friendly, but some of the monsters might be a bit too scary for very young children.
What’s your favorite current manga?