Features:
Roundtable: How Graphic Novels and Manga Are Doing in Middle School
With comics and manga getting further respect in schools and libraries, we checked in with middle-school librarians to see what they had to say --- what issues they faced bringing graphic novels into the schools, what young readers were responding to, and what the positives and negatives are for their jobs. By John Hogan

OP-ED: The Rights Wars
When a writer and an artist both contribute to the creation of a character in comics, who owns the rights? Is the character's powers more defining and more important than the creation of the world he inhabits? That's the question, and the cause of many feuds in the comics industry.

Southern California's Anime Expo
Each year, Southern California's Anime Expo draws tens of thousands of people ready to celebrate the joys of the medium. Here's an inside report on what happened this year, including some upcoming manga news. By Courtney Kraft

Video: Matt Phelan's The Storm in the Barn
Matt Phelan's upcoming graphic novel The Storm in the Barn gets a trailer to match the awesome graphics in the books. Watch it here!

Books into Movies
Honey and Clover, the popular anime series based on the popular manga series, is now available for sale on iTunes. Find out how you can get the first episode as a free download here.

Behind the Scenes with Joe Keatinge
Joe Keatinge, the PR and marketing coordinator for Image Comics, answers our questions and gives us a look at his past and present with comics.

Bestseller List: Comic Masters in Whitehall, PA
Whitehall, PA's Comic Masters is a constantly changing store that serves its customers' needs in new and diverse ways. Meet the owner of the store and see what his hottest titles are right now.


Recent Blog Posts:
Green Lantern Is Cast
Times Get Tough for Heroes in Times Square
The Return of…Tron!
This Weekend: Asian American Comicon
2009 Harvey Nominees Announced

Creator Interviews:
War Stories
When C. Tyler went looking for her father's past, his story of his experiences in World War II, she found a wall built up around him. With her father not wanting to share what he went through, Tyler thought that part of his life would be lost to history forever. Until one day he opened up. Here, she discusses how that day turned into the incredible memoir You'll Never Know. By John Hogan

A Dork Is Born
Rachel Renée Russell is putting dorks on the map with her hilarious and charming new kids' series Dork Diaries, starring the irrepressible Nikki Maxwell, unlikely eighth-grade star. Here, Rachel discusses how Nikki and the series came about --- and why it has hit so big. By John Hogan

Fiction Reviews:
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
Asterios Polyp, former teacher and architect and toast of the literary scene, is now something quite different: a man who seems to have lost everything but his vivid memories. David Mazzucchelli takes us through one man's life in one of the best graphic novels of the year. Reviewed by John Hogan

The Guilty, Vol. 2: Original Sin by Katsura Izumi and Hinako Takanaga
Literary editor Toya Sakurai has had great success with his newfound author and secret lover Kai Hodaka. Toya looks forward to working on Hodaka's next novel until he meets Yo Amano, a young, handsome, up-and-coming writer. Business seems to be going well until both Hodaka and Amano want to mix it with pleasure. Reviewed by Courtney Kraft

Swallowing the Earth by Osamu Tezuku
Osamu Tezuka's 40-year-old classic Swallowing the Earth has been reprinted, with a new introduction that places its iconoclasm and seemingly politically incorrect commentary in full context. A mix of beautiful art and thought-provoking tale, it is indeed worthy of its timeless praise. Reviewed by Eva Volin

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
V for Vendetta is another certified classic by living comics legend Alan Moore. A masked man, V, carries out an anarchistic war against a totalitarian state in a fantastic book that questions terrorism, patriotism, oppression, and heroism. Reviewed by William Jones

Teen Reviews:
Brilliant Blue, Vol. 1 by Saemi Yorita
When Shouzo Mita moved out of his parents' home, he thought it was for good. He never wanted to return to the small town life he grew up with; but when his father gets injured, he must run the family business for a while. Home hasn't changed much, but one young friend has grown up to be quite the swan. Reviewed by Courtney Kraft

Black Jack, Volumes 1-5 by Osamu Tezuka
Black Jack is a brilliant surgeon, able to operate successfully on a score of patients in a matter of minutes. But due to a series of conflicts with the medical profession, he remains unlicensed. Instead, he operates outside the law, remaining one step ahead of authorities as he moves from one country to another, charging patients exorbitant rates for his services and remaining cold to their pleas for mercy --- or for a discount. Reviewed by Eva Volin

Final Crisis by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones, and Carlos Pacheco
The ultimate evil --- Darkseid and his anti-life equation --- has engulfed the earth, taking over even the world's mightiest superheroes. Only a shrinking band of them remains to hold off the onslaught in the epic adventure from DC Comics. Reviewed by John Hogan

Kids Reviews:
DC Superheroes Chapter Books
Bringing Superman and Batman to third- and fourth-grade readers, the DC Superheroes collection of illustrated chapter books distills everything we love about comics into kid-friendly language and pictures, but is it all appropriate? Reviewed by Collin David

Simpsons Comics Hit the Road! by Matt Groening
Simpsons Comics marches on into this 24th collection of tales from Springfield, including five issues with the usual Simpsons suspension of disbelief. Simpsons devotees, there's enough in here to keep you busy for a while. Reviewed by Collin David

Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell
It's the dork's time to shine! Nikki Maxwell survives eighth grade and all its ups and downs in Rachel Renée Russell's new series Dork Diaries. Reviewed by John Hogan