Lissa Pattillo
May 29, 2013 Today is one of those days where shipping just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Yen Press, for example, has a truck load of new titles out, supposedly this week, but while big online retailers have their copies, other book distributors are still left waiting—and thus us readers, too. Even a couple Vertical Inc. books have been gobbled up in the fray. Will we see these books next week? My fingers are crossed!
Kodansha Comics seems to have escaped the end-of-the-month void, however, and has three new books for our reading pleasure.
First up is Cage of Eden (Vol.10), which is just about reaching its halfway point. In this volume, Team Akira is facing the Gigantopithecus! At first I thought the name might’ve been made up to sound super intimidating – being paired with the imagery of a giant, feral ape – but turns out it’s an actual name for a creature that existed thousands of years ago. Remembering that the forces on this island all once existed around the world in real life makes them all the scarier. Elsewhere, Eiken stumbles upon a man-made object that offers a clue as to what trapped them on all on this island in the first place. It’s like King Kong and Lost all rolled into one, but hopefully with some happier endings coming down the road.
And in Sailor Moon (Vol.11), you’ll also be left wanting for a happy ending after the events of this volume. Peace has been restored to the solar system and all the Sailor Guardians are enjoying a return to regular teenage life. But that’s all short lived. A new group of Guardians have arrived on Earth, but this time they’re not all on the side of good. While we and the regular group get to learn more about the universe they protect and those who inhabit it, it’s at great sacrifice. Watching the loss of individuals is upsetting, but it’s even worse seeing how it affects those left behind and whether they can confront the grizzly truth. On a brighter note, this volume introduces the tiniest Guardian – Sailor Chibi Chibi!
KODANSHA COMICS
• Cage of Eden (Vol.10), ($10.99/US, $11.99/CAN)
• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Vol.04), ($10.99/US, $11.99/CAN)
• Sailor Moon (Vol.11), ($10.99/US, $11.99/CAN)
Vertical Inc’s title is the fifth volume of Limit. There’s only one book left after this one, so things are really ramping up for the finale. Murder, suspicion, a potential rescue — will those who escaped the original wreckage survive each other long enough to be saved?
Check out our review of Limit vol. 5 here
VERTICAL INC.
• Limit (Vol.05), ($10.95/US, $11.95/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 ship prior to or after the date listed above varying by location and availability.
