When I first started working on GraphicNovelReporter, I have to admit that I wasn't too well versed on manga. That wasn't a problem, for the most part, because we had great reviewers from all walks of life who thoroughly embraced the format. I could learn from them, and more than that, I could rely on them to bring the greatest and most important works to my attention while I was racing to get caught up. Flash-forward several months, to when I was first asked to be an Eisner judge, and I was still learning. I had gotten some education, but let's face it: There's a lot out there, and it's hard to get a grasp on it when you're just starting out. But last year, as part of the judging experience, I had to immerse myself in even more of it.

And even now, I'm still learning. There's no way around it. This is a form of literature that is so immense, so broad, and so complex that it makes all the comic-book continuity knowledge I've amassed over the decades look like small potatoes. So I had some trepidation, to be sure, when I began to compile the essential list of manga (the list for kids is online now; the lists for teens and adults will be coming in the weeks ahead). Am I really an authority on this format? Could I research it enough to get it right? Would the holes in my education come through?

The answer, it turns out, is that the situation is not that dire. Here's what I remembered as I began compiling the list: This list is not only malleable, but it's also interactive. And that goes for the graphic novel lists as well. These lists live and breathe through the feedback of GNR's readers and the incredible amount of accumulated knowledge they (you) all have. That means I not only anticipate your feedback, but also welcome it.

One of the goals I have for this entire set of core lists is that I will eventually be able to print your rebuttals. Did I miss an essential book? Do you disagree with something I've placed on the list? Write in and tell me and be heard. Sharing your knowledge will help us make the list even better and more useful. (And if you think I got it right, feel free to write in and say that too!)

Meanwhile, on to the rest of this week's update: In addition to the manga core list for kids, we bring you three exciting new interviews this week. First up, one of my favorite recent books, an absolute stunner from Daren White and Eddie Campbell known as The Playwright. This one's a real winner, and I encourage you to check it out. But first, get a little insight into the book through the GNR interview with Daren and Eddie.

Same goes for Dan Goldman's really smart Red Light Properties. Dan's a prolific creator who's been featured on GNR before, and his new work (about haunted houses getting exorcised in order to get them ready for resale) is definitely worth checking out. And finally, Sean Michael Wilson is the editor behind a really exciting new manga project from Top Shelf. It's called Ax, and it's a reprint anthology of manga independently published in Japan. The stories are bold and inventive, and if you're looking for an entry point into the world of manga, it's the book for you...there's something here for everyone, and some of the stories contained within its pages are truly exceptional.

Happy reading...

John Hogan (John@bookreporter.com)

With his supernatural thriller Red Light Properties taking off, Dan Goldman lets us in on the inspiration behind the chills. By Katie Monnin

In his Op-Ed on kids, graphic novels and publishing, John Shableski of Diamond Book Distributors offers his take on how comics and the publishing industry are serving (and not serving) the needs of young readers.