SDCC 2015 – Best (and Worst) Manga of 2015!

SDCC 2015 – Best (and Worst) Manga of 2015!

From Saturday night’s Best and Worst Manga panel at San Diego Comic-Con International 2015, here’s the presentation of the best new and continuing manga titles, as picked by our all-star roster of panelists.

Between five panelists, we picked 26 current releases, 7 upcoming new manga series, diss’ed 4 horrible manga as our worst, and wished for 5 as-of-yet unlicensed manga series. Here they are!

UPDATE: Jamie Coville has posted audio recordings of several panels from San Diego Comic-Con 2015, including this year’s Best & Worst Manga panel. Go listen!
Big thanks to our panelists for this year’s manga cheers and jeers fest!
Eva Volin, Brigid Alverson, Christopher Butcher, Deb Aoki, and David Brothers

Eva Volin, Brigid Alverson, Christopher Butcher, Deb Aoki, and David Brothers

Here’s the complete list for your shopping convenience!

 

BEST NEW MANGA FOR KIDS/TEENS

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA © 2014 by Kohei Horikoshi/SHUEISHA Inc.

My Hero Academia 1 by Kouhei Horikoshi (Shonen Jump / VIZ Media)

  • My Hero Academia
    Kohei Horikoshi
    Shonen Jump / Viz Media
    Also available from ComiXology and VIZManga.com
  • The Legend Of Zelda: Link To The Past
    Shotaro Ishinomori
    Perfect Square / Viz Media
  • A Silent Voice
    Yoshitoki Oima
    Kodansha Comics
    www.Kodanshacomics.Com – Also Available On Kindle, Nook And Crunchyroll Manga
  • Your Lie In April
    Naoshi Arakawa
    Kodansha Comics
    www.Kodanshacomics.Com – Also Available On Kindle And Nook
  • My Neighbor Seki
    Takuma Morishige
    Vertical Comics
  • Assassination Classroom
    Yusei Matsui
    Shonen Jump / Viz Media
    Also Available On Vizmanga.Com, Kindle, And Comixology.Com
  • The Demon Prince Of Momochi House
    Aya Shouto
    Shojo Beat / Viz Media
    Also available on VIZManga.com and ComiXology

BEST NEW MANGA FOR GROWN-UPS

Ajin: Demi-human Vol. 1 by Tsuina Miura & Gamon Sakurai  | Vertical Comics

Ajin: Demi-human Vol. 1 by Tsuina Miura & Gamon Sakurai | Vertical Comics

  • Ajin: Demi-human
    Tsuina Miura & Gamon Sakurai
    Vertical Comics
    SDCC Booth #1631
    Also available on Kindle and Crunchyroll Manga
  • Prophecy
    Tetsuya Tsutsui
    Vertical Comics
    SDCC Booth #1631
    Also available on Kindle
  • The Ancient Magus’ Bride
    Kore Yamazaki
    Seven Seas Manga
  • Tokyo Ghoul
    Sui Ishida
    Viz Signature / Viz Media
    Also available on VIZManga.com and ComiXology
  • Massive: Gay Japanese Manga And The Men Who Make It
    Various Artists
    Fantagraphics
  • Henshin
    Ken Niimura
    Image Comics
    Also available on Image.com and Comixology.com

BEST CONTINUING MANGA SERIES FOR KIDS / TEENS

   SHOKUGEKI NO SOMA © 2012 by Yuto Tsukuda, Shun Saeki /SHUEISHA Inc..

Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma Vol. 6 by Yuto Tsukuda & Shun Saeki | Shonen Jump / VIZ Media

  • My Love Story!!
    Kazune Kawahara & Aruko
    Shojo Beat / Viz Media
    Also available on Vizmanga.Com Nook, Kindle and Comixology.com
  • Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
    Yuto Tsukuda & Shun Saeki
    Shonen Jump / Viz Media
    Also available on Vizmanga.Com, Kindle, Nook, Comixology.com
  • Nisekoi: False Love
    Naoshi Komi
    Shonen Jump / Viz Media
    Also Available On Vizmanga.Com, Kindle, Nook, Comixology.com
  • Barakamon
    Satsuki Yoshino
    Yen Press
    Also available on Kindle

BEST CONTINUING MANGA SERIES FOR GROWN-UPS

Showa: A History of Japan 1953-89 © Shigeru Mizuki / Mizuki Productions

SHOWA: A History of Japan 1953-1989 by Shigeru Mizuki | Drawn & Quarterly

  • What Did You Eat Yesterday?
    Fumi Yoshinaga
    Vertical Comics
  • Vinland Saga
    Makoto Yukimura
    Kodansha Comics
    www.Kodanshacomics.com and Kindle
  • Vagabond
    Takehiko Inoue
    Viz Signature / Viz Media
  • Master Keaton
    Naoki Urasawa & Takashi Nagasaki
    Viz Signature / Viz Media
  • Showa: A History Of Japan
    Shigeru Mizuki
    Drawn & Quarterly

WORST MANGA FOR ANYONE, ANY AGE

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn by Shirow Masamune & Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas Manga

Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn by Shirow Masamune & Rikudou Koushi | Seven Seas Manga

  • Attack On Avengers
    Hajime Isayama, C.B. Cebulski, Gerardo Sandoval
    Marvel Comics / Kodansha Comics
    Will be includeded in Attack On Titan Colossal Edition Vol. 2
  • Gou-Dere Sora Nagihara
    Suu Minazuki
    Yen Press
  • Pandora In The Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn
    Shirow Masamune & Rikudou Koushi
    Seven Seas Manga
  • Karneval
    Touya Mikanagi
    Yen Press

UNDER-RATED BUT GREAT MANGA – UNDER THE RADAR COMICS WORTH READING

  • Yamada-Kun And The Seven Witches
    Miki Yoshikawa
    Kodansha Comics, Also available on Kindle
  • Soredemo Machi Wa Mawatteiru / And The Town Yet Moves
    Masakazu Ishiguro
    Crunchyroll Manga
  • Maria The Virgin Witch
    Masayuki Ishikawa
    Kodansha Comics
    Also Available On Kindle
  • Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service
    Eiji Otsuka & Housui Yamazaki
    Dark Horse Comics
    Also available on Dark Horse Digital and comixology, new omnibus editions Available August 2015

ΜΟST ANTICIPATED NEW MANGA – LICENSED FOR RELEASE IN N. AMERICA, 2015-2016

ONE-PUNCH MAN Vol. 1 © 2012 by ONE, Yusuke Murata/

One Punch Man Vol.1 by ONE and Yusuke Murata | Shonen Jump / VIZ Media

  • One-Punch Man
    ONE & Yusuke Murata
    Shonen Jump / Viz Media
    Print Edition In September 2015
    Now Available On Vizmanga.Com, Kindle, Nook, Comixology
    Pre-order on Amazon.com
  • Planetes
    Makoto Yukimura
    Dark Horse
    December 2015
    Pre-order on Amazon.com
  • Princess Jellyfish
    Akiko Higashimura
    Kodansha Comics
    February 2016
    On Crunchyroll Manga: July 15
    Pre-order on Amazon.com
  • I Am A Hero
    Kengo Hanazawa
    Dark Horse
    April 2016
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon and Mu by Junji Ito | Kodansha Comics

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon and Mu by Junji Ito | Kodansha Comics

MOST WANTED MANGA NOT YET PUBLISHED / LICENSED IN ENGLISH (BUT SHOULD BE)

My Brother's Husband (Ototo no Otto) Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame (Action Comics) | © Gengoroh Tagame / FUTABASHA

My Brother’s Husband (Ototo no Otto) Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame (Action Comics)

  • My Brother’s Husband (Otouto No Otto)
    Gengoroh Tagame
    Futabasha (Serialized In Gekkan Action)
  • Hajime No Ippo
    George Morikawa
    Kodansha
    Anime On Crunchyroll.Com
  • Neighborhood Story (Gokinjo Monogatari)
    Ai Yazawa
    Shueisha
  • Tokusatsu Ga-Ga-Ga
    Niwa Tanba
    Shogakukan
  • Oyasumi Punpun
    Asano Inio
    Shogakukan

5 Comments

  1. How curious. I wouldn’t have thought of Assassination Classroom as a “manga for kids/teens”. After all, in vol. 2, Korosensei gives Ms Jelavic “the adult treatment” with his tentacles, and in vol.2/3, schoolchildren abduct other schoolchildren and threaten to rape them.

    • Kids’re the only age-range interested in reading a manga about an immortal Sesame Street character, Martin.

    • Yes, I though the same. The plot gets kind of violent (the good thing is it never goes gore, which is something I hate on mangas) for kids/teens to read.

    • We put Assassination Classroom on our list of worst manga for kids at ALA (American Library Association) confererence (List here: http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/2015/07/16/notes-from-the-best-and-worst-graphic-novels-for-kids-panel-at-ala/) for the reasons you mention.

      But what was interesting was a librarian from Oakland came up to us afterwards to tell us that Assassination Classroom was on her summer reading list for teens, because her kids “get it. They get the joke.” She mentioned that Oakland kids are surrounded by gun violence, but they could see the humor and heart in the series. While she conceded it might be a hard sell in more conservative communities, she also told us, “you just have to know your readers.”

  2. Saint Young Men is my favorite for manga that aren’t translated into English but should be. This is the one about Jesus and Buddha taking vacation together on Earth – lightly humorous, clever, and quite respectful of these sacred figures. (The title of the French version is “Les Vacances de Jesus et Bouddha.”) Apparently, there’s been concern in Japan that it would raise controversy in North America. Maybe it would, somewhat, but that would be a great way to get fascinating conversations going.

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