Lissa Pattillo
November 15, 2011 
Halloween was just a couple weeks ago and already we’re surrounded by Christmas advertisements. Every year feels like it’s happening earlier and earlier. I suppose that’s all part of the seasonal change shock, isn’t it? Publishers are making gift pondering easy this year at least. Between long-requested series coming out, omnibus editions and now box set collections, there’s going to be a lot of readers extra eager to unwrap those presents. This week’s list might be a little short comparatively, but if you’re looking for some ideas of what to buy (or what to ask for!), this is a great time to start making that list.
Back in October, Bandai Entertainment released the new volume of their fanboy feeding collection of fan-service, Code Geass Queen. This month it’s the male characters’ turn to provide the silly scenarios and eye-candy with the release of Code Geass Knight (Vol.04). Intended as a treat for the ladies, the Knight collections offer one-shots, outtakes and spoof stories contributed by an assortment of different manga artists about the series’ main cast.
BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT
• Code Geass Knight (Vol.04), ($10.99/US, $13.99/CAN)
Until the Full Moon (Vol.02) from Kodansha Comics is a gender-bender comedy drama with a little for everyone. Free of fur and fangs, Marlo—the half-vampire, half-werewolf—is cursed to turn into a girl during the full moon. His parents continue their search for the cure and hope that a family friend can help. Adding to the ordeal is the fact their doctor’s son, and Marlo’s childhood friend, David, still has his eyes on Marlo‘s female form. The obvious solution to this mess must be… marriage?
KODANSHA COMICS
• Until The Full Moon (Vol.02), ($10.99/US, /CAN)
Last week Viz Media offered one heck of a bargain with its Fullmetal Alchemist box set. This week they’ve got two more collections out for sale, Legend of Zelda and Pokémon Adventures: Diamond & Pearl. The Legend of Zelda box set includes ten books adapting eight different games. The creative teams bring all the stories to manga form with really fun and complementing art and pacing. The box set would make a great gift for readers of any age, and especially if they’re fans of the franchise.
Another complete package available this week is Tesoro, a one-shot collection of shorts by Natsume Ono. It has twelve different stories that she’s created over ten years, showcasing the progression of her art and storytelling leading up to the series we know today.
VIZ MEDIA
• Kurozakuro (Vol.07), ($9.99/US, $12.99/CAN)
• Legend of Zelda Box Set, ($69.99/US, $80.99/CAN) – 10 books
• Pokémon Adventures: Diamond & Pearl Box Set, ($59.99/US, $67.99/CAN) – 8 books
• Real (Vol.10), ($12.99/US, $14.99/CAN)
• Tesoro, ($12.99/US, $14.99/CAN)
That does it for this week’s On The Shelf—what on the list are you most eager to buy? Any must-have recommendations? Share your thoughts in our handy comment area for all our readers to see!
* All dates are based on distributor listings and may not necessarily reflect exact release dates. Some books may be ship prior to or after the date listed above varying by location and availability.
