Viz Media

Golgo 13, the famed hitman manga by Takao Saito, is going on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the first time the series has suspended publication in its entire 52-year run. According to Anime News Network, the Japanese newspaper the Sankei Shimbun reported last Friday that Golgo 13 was going on hiatus in Shogakukan's Big […]

All major comic book publishers have pulled digital comics versions of new titles out this week, as they are still unable to publish them in print. There are exceptions for Archie's general market titles, collections already sold into the book market, and original graphic novels such as DC's Alt-Hero out today. Smaller publishers are less […]

Diamond Comic Distributors closed its doors to new product two weeks ago. This led to the biggest print comics publishers restricting their digital output as well. This was an attempt to support physical comic book stores, unable to receive print comics from Diamond. The suggestion is that continued digital publication right would cannibalise future print […]

Batman #92, Empyre #0: Avengers and Empyre #0: Fantastic Four lead the list of scheduled releases this week on Comixology. Bleeding Cool has taken a look at all the titles that the major comic book publishers still have scheduled on ComiXology for release this coming Wednesday, April 1st. While a number of publishers have pulled […]

It's been a hectic month full of announcements from comic book publishers reacting to the rapidly-changing business conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic. We've been keeping you informed about current matters within the industry here at Bleeding Cool, as every comic book publisher in the business assesses how to navigate these unprecedented conditions. Here's a […]

I have been writing this article for almost twenty-four hours. Been talking to senior comic book industry figure after another. The problem is, the second I get a hold of what might actually be going on, the situation changes from under me. But everyone is agreeing that this current coronavirus pandemic, and the reaction to […]

Viz Media released their list of manga titles coming out in June. Hopefully you'll be able to buy these books in the current pandemic if you want any of them. Shonen Jump Spy x Family, Vol. 1 By        Tatsuya Endo Not one to depend on others, Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both […]

Today, I have been talking to comic book retailers, publishers and distributors alike, looking at the effect that the coronavirus pandemic is having on comic book stores and the comics industry as a whole, and it is not looking good. To the extent that this could mean the end of the direct market as we […]

I may be the wrong guy to review a Transformers comic – I grew up with Japanese giant robot anime, so I always thought Transformers was a US toy company trying to ape them. I consider the Michael Bay movies crimes against Cinema and Storytelling. But I never sniffed at the fans – I envied […]

Viz Media released their solicitations for manga coming out in May. It's a big list as ever, so get those preorders in. Shonen Jump JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4–Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 5 By Hirohiko Araki Yoshikage Kira's true identity is revealed! The serial killer lurks around Morioh, killing as he pleases and enjoying a […]

Welcome to Bleeding Cool's Monthly 'Per Capita' List.  The usual comics industry marketshare shows how much share of the overall market a comics publisher has. But the Per Capita list takes that figure and divides it by the number of new titles they publish in that month. We've already looked at publisher marketshare in the […]

What happens when you're no longer the wunderkind comic creator whose bestselling manga series was the toast of the industry? That's what Downfall is about. And it's not pretty. Well, the artwork is pretty and naturalistic without exaggerated cartoon eyes and faces. That only makes it even darker and more depressing. Kaoru Fukazawa is the […]

Death Note was one of the seminal manga and anime series of the early 2000s. It was the ultimate "what if?" story – what if you could kill anyone you wanted by writing their name in a demonic notebook? Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata engaged in an epic crime thriller ran 12 volumes. That's over […]

It's that time of the month again. Viz Media has released their April titles for pre-order and it's a big list. There must be something you fancy in here. Shonen Jump We Never Learn, Vol. 9 By Taishi Tsutsui  Some people are bad at cooking, but Mafuyu Kirisu is bad on a whole new level! It takes […]

Hisato Murasaki adapted the popular videogame Persona 5 and Viz Media has brought it out in English. Popular videogames get anime and manga adaptations in Japan as part of the synergy of multimedia exposure. Japanese Role-Playing Games are especially big and unique. They're an empowerment fantasy for kids to learn to socialize, band together and finally […]

Star Wars publishing is big business, has been since the first movie premiered back in the 1970s with the novelization and Marvel comic. Disney owns both Star Wars and Marvel Comics now, so they can create synergy with Marvel publish Star Wars comics. One slightly overlooked offshoot of Star Wars publishing, however, is manga. Since […]

It's hard to keep track of all the comics and manga that come out these days. Imagine my surprise that Viz Media released a new Star Wars manga this week. Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker is an adaptation of acclaimed Science Fiction author and editor Ken Liu's 2017 book Journey to Star Wars: […]

Happy New Year, Manga fans! Viz Media just released their list of titles coming out in March. Have at it! Shonen Jump Samurai 8, Vol. 1 By Masashi Kishimoto, Art by Akira Okubo Becoming a samurai seems like an impossible dream for Hachimaru, a boy who can't even survive without the help of his father. […]

Here you go folks, in full, the Top 100 Power List of Comics, 2019 Edition. Every year, Bleeding Cool runs its Top 100 Power List of members of the English-speaking comic book industry, weighted towards the direct market. It is judged by all manner of attributes, the ability to influence what comics exist and sell, […]

I normally wait until the New Year is a little closer. Or even been. But I'm taking the kids ice skating today, and then going to a carol service, so you'll have to behave. Here are the top 100 most-read stories on Bleeding Cool over the past year. Some may be surprising. Others less so. […]