Comics – Page 13 – ÜberSciFiGeek

Paranormal Anime Adventure “Blue Exorcist” Premieres on VIZAnime.com This Month

VIZ Media has announced that it will serve as an official distribution partner for Aniplex of America’s domestic debut of the Blue Exorcist anime series. VIZ Media will carry the new action series (subtitled) on its VIZAnime website beginning Wednesday, April 20th, just days after its eagerly anticipated debut on Japanese TV on April 17th. New episodes will stream on the site every Wednesday.

In the animated series, Rin, along with his twin brother Yukio Okumura are raised by an eminent priest, Shiro Fujimoto, but one day Rin discovers that their biological father is actually Satan! As the border between “Assiah” (the human world) and “Gehenna” (demon’s world) is intruded upon by evils, Rin vows to become the ultimate exorcist to defeat his own father, Satan. To hone his raw skills, Rin enters True Cross Academy to train with other exorcist candidates. Can Rin fight the demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

VIZ Media is the official North American publisher of the Blue Exorcist manga (graphic novel) series, created Kazue Kato. Volume 1 is on sale now and is published under the company’s Shonen Jump Advanced imprint. Blue Exorcist is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and carries an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Blue Exorcist Volume 1 will also available on April 11th as part of VIZ Media’s expansive digital manga library available exclusively for the VIZ Manga App for the Apple iPad mobile device. For more information on the VIZ Manga App, please visit VIZ.com/apps/.

Manga creator, writer and illustrator Kazue Kato won the prestigious Tezuka Award when she was only 19 for her work, Rabbit and I, published in Japan in Akamaru Jump magazine. Her latest manga series, Blue Exorcist, debuted in Jump Square magazine in April of 2009.

Free Comic Book Day 2011 is One Month Away!

from Free Comic Book Day:

Free Comic Book Day is only a month away, with anticipation building and excitement mounting for the tenth annual event. Close to 2,000 stores in the U.S. and around the world have signed up as participating retailers, and will be giving away more than 2.7 million comics! Make sure you bookmark your favorite store now by visiting the FCBD Shop Locator!

ElfQuest: A Fan Imagining

ElfQuest: A Fan Imagining

“Absolute Boyfriend”, “Black Bird”, “Blue Exorcist” and “Kekkaishi” Join the Latest Additions to 12 Other Popular VIZ Media Manga Titles

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media continues the expansion of its digital manga manga (graphic novel) library available exclusively for the VIZ Manga App for the Apple iPad mobile device with several new series that will premiere during the first half of April.

The latest update features the launch of the shojo series Absolute Boyfriend and the fantasy-action of Kekkaishi on April 4th. Another popular shojo manga series, Black Bird, and the supernatural adventure Blue Exorcist will premiere on April 11th. The VIZ Manga App is available for free through the iTunes Store and all manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume. More than 100 manga volumes are now available for download.

Absolute Boyfriend (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) is the romantic shojo drama created by Yuu Watase (Arata: The Legend, Fushigi Yûgi, Ceres: Celestial Legend). Rejected way too many times by good-looking (and unattainable) guys, shy Riiko Izawa goes online to sign up for a free trial of a mysterious Nightly Lover “figure.” The very next day a cute naked guy is delivered to her door, and he wants to be her boyfriend! Has Riiko died and gone to heaven? The cute guy turns out to be sweet, smart, a great cook, and lots more. And he looks like a million bucks, which is what he’s going to cost Riiko if she doesn’t return him in time…

Kekkaishi (rated ‘T’ for Teens) is an action series created by Yellow Tanabe. By night, junior high student Yoshimori Sumimura is a “kekkaishi” — a demon-hunter who specializes in creating magical barriers around his prey. By day, Yoshimori’s got some other demons to battle: an addiction to sweets and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty 16-year-old neighbor and childhood friend, Tokine Yukimura, is also a kekkaishi, but their families are feuding over who is the “true practitioner” of the art. In the opening volume, Yoshimori couldn’t care less about catching demons… until he realizes that his apathetic attitude is taking a toll on his friendship with Tokine. Just as he decides to take matters into his own hands, a couple of amphibious demons and the pesky ghost of a pastry-chef show up to complicate matters!

Black Bird (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) is the award-winning shojo manga series by Kanoko Sakurakoji. There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand… or her life!

Blue Exorcist (Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) was created by Kazue Kato and introduces Rin Okumura, a boy who is the son of a famous exorcist but never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto, the priest who raised Rin, forces the boy to face a terrible truth — the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight the demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

April updates also include new additions to 12 other popular VIZ Media series currently available. Readers should check the app regularly, as new additions and free Chapter 1 previews of forthcoming manga series for the iPad are also featured.

Twenty-four series will be available on the VIZ Manga App; additional new manga volumes available the weeks of April 4th and April 11th include:

April 4th:
Death Note Vol. 10
Dragon Ball Z Vol. 3
Naruto Vol. 20
One Piece Vol. 20
Otomen Vol. 5
Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 5
Rosario + Vampire Vol. 3
Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 10

April 11th:
Bleach Vol. 12
Captive Hearts Vol. 4
Claymore Vol. 7
D.Gray-man Vol. 8
Dragon Ball Z Vol. 4
Naruto Vol. 21
One Piece Vol. 21

For more information on the VIZ Manga App, please visit VIZ.com/apps/.

A Teen Boy Vanquishes Demons in the New Paranormal Manga Series “Blue Exorcist” from VIZ Media

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of the manga (graphic novel) series Blue Exorcist, by creator Kazue Kato, on April 5th. The new title will be published under the company’s Shonen Jump Advanced imprint, is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth — the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight the demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

“Kinetic action and a storyline with plenty of twists and surprises awaits readers as the material world collides with the world of demons in this gripping new series,” says Mike Montesa, Editor. “At the True Cross Academy, Rin faces many challenges and makes new friends, but becomes involved in a secret struggle between Mephisto Pheles, the principal of the school, and the Order of the True Cross. Will he ever achieve his goal to become an exorcist? Or will he become something more sinister?”

Manga creator, writer and illustrator Kazue Kato won the prestigious Tezuka Award when she was only 19 for her work, Rabbit And I, published in Japan in Akamaru Jump magazine. From 2005 to 2006 her series, Robo to Usakichi, a sci-fi adventure featuring a rabbit (again!), was published in the monthly magazine Shonen Sirius (Kodansha). Her latest manga series, Blue Exorcist, debuted in Jump Square magazine in April of 2009. Kazue Kato has used a rabbit as a self-portrait in her author’s notes and her works often have some relation to rabbits.

For more information on Blue Exorcist and other titles from Shonen Jump Advanced, please visit: ShonenJump.com.

VIZ Media Announces the North American Premiere of New Manga Series “Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will delight shojo readers and fans of creator Arina Tanemura with the North American premiere of her current manga (graphic novel) series — Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura — on April 5th. The new title launches under the company’s Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her…

“Arina Tanemura returns to fantasy in her latest series, Sakura Hime,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Editor. “The story takes place during the Heian period of Japan and interweaves the myth of the moon princess with magical shojo and the supernatural. Wanting to escape a life arranged by others, Princess Sakura runs away from an impending arranged marriage to a man she’s never met, only to find she’s caught up to her true destiny as a descendant of the moon princess. This manga features the beautiful artwork and emotional impact that has given Tanemura a worldwide following.”

Arina Tanemura began her manga career in 1996 when her short stories debuted in Ribon magazine. She gained fame with the 1997 publication of I.O.N (published by VIZ Media), and ever since her debut Tanemura has continued to be a major force in shojo manga with popular series such as Time Stranger Kyoko, Short-Tempered Melancholic, Full Moon, and The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross (all published in North America by VIZ Media) as well as Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne. Both Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne and Full Moon have been adapted into popular animated TV series.

For more information on Sakura Hime or other works by Arina Tanemura, please visit ShojoBeat.com.

March Manga Madness Excitement Continues for VIZ Manga App with Digital Manga First – “Bakuman” Volume 4 Debuts Today, Ahead of Print Counterpart

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media has excited fans and iPad users all month with its March Manga Madness promotion, and the celebration continues as the company announces its latest updates. In a digital manga first, Bakuman Volume 4 debuts today on the VIZ Manga App, before the print edition’s national release on April 5th. Volume 1 of Bakuman will also be available for FREE download for 24 hours only starting at 12PM Pacific Time today. The VIZ Manga App is free through the iTunes Store, and manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application.

VIZ Media similarly delights shojo fans as it launches Kaori Yuki’s Fairy Cube. Volume 1 will be available through the end of March for only $0.99. New additions to 7 other popular manga series complete the latest round of updates.

The VIZ Manga App is the leading application to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with an extensive downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world, and has this month surpassed 100 volumes available for download. As part of the March Manga Madness promotion, all Volume 1 titles are available this month for only $0.99 each (instead of $4.99). After shopping, fans should enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking the VIZ Manga App survey. More than 100 manga volumes will be available for download by the end of March.

In Fairy Cube (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), Ian and Rin used to just see spirits. Now Ian is one. Using the Fairy Cube, Ian must figure out how to stop the lizard spirit Tokage from taking over his life and destroying any chance he has of resurrection. Fairy Cube is the series from gothic manga mastermind Kaori Yuki, who created Angel Sanctuary, Godchild, and The Cain Saga (all published by VIZ Media).

Twenty series are now available for download in the VIZ Manga App. Additional VIZ Media manga volumes available by this week include:

Bleach Vol. 11
Claymore Vol. 6
D.Gray-man Vol. 7
Dragon Ball Z Vol. 2
Naruto Vol. 19
One Piece Vol. 19
Vampire Knight Vol. 5

The VIZ Manga App is available for free through the iTunes Store and all manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad are featured.

For more information on the VIZ Manga App, please visit VIZ.com/apps/.

VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump Website Offers Exclusive New Content and Celebrates “SJ Heroes Week” Online

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that its Shonen Jump website will feature a special week-long “SJ Heroes Week,” during which it will publish a different manga (graphic novel) hero profile online every day from March 27th to April 1st.

The SJ Heroes Week coincides with the new commemorative 100th issue of Shonen Jump magazine, which is on sale now. Fans and subscribers can log on to the Shonen Jump website at ShonenJump.com for fresh daily updates of all-time favorite manga heroes. A second round of Shonen Jump Heroes, to be featured in the upcoming May 2011 print edition (on sale April 5th), will post on the website during the second half of April with expanded entries for each manga character. This content further extends the magazine’s new subscriber initiatives featured on the Shonen Jump website.

Shonen Jump’s print and website redesign for 2011 welcomed the new decade with a fresh, contemporary look and notably expanded content. These new features complement several digital subscriber-only premiums, as well as the online debut of a brand new manga series, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (rated ‘T’ for Teens). This is Shonen Jump’s first title to be serialized digitally on ShonenJump.com. The redesigned site offers fresh content updated daily that includes special Manga Spotlight Features, Manga Profile Features, Anime Episode Updates, Weekly Fan Art submissions, Trading Card Game Tips, Video Game Features and much more!

“Shonen Jump magazine is the most popular manga magazine today, with over a million readers in its original language version in Japan, as well as hundreds of thousands of fans in the U.S.,” says Joel Enos, Shonen Jump Senior Editor. “And now Shonen Jump is expanding its online coverage with new daily updates to give readers more of what they want — features on manga, anime, card games and video games, plus exclusive online manga content for subscribers. During the next two months, we’ll also profile Shonen Jump heroes from a variety of Shonen Jump’s most loved manga series. From international sensations like Naruto and One Piece to beloved classics like Dragon Ball, we will spotlight every SJ hero that ever came out in the U.S. in either graphic novel format or in the magazine!”

For more information on Shonen Jump Magazine and other Shonen Jump titles, please visit ShonenJump.com.

March Manga Madness Continues with Debut of “Dragon Ball Z” for the VIZ Manga App for iPad

from VIZ Media:

March Manga Madness is fully underway as VIZ Media continues to offer readers special promotions and new manga (graphic novel) titles available exclusively for the VIZ Manga App for the Apple iPad mobile device. The latest round of updates features debut of the classic action manga Dragon Ball Z, as well as new updates for 8 other acclaimed manga titles currently available.

Fans should also stay tuned for an exciting digital manga first as Bakuman Volume 4 prepares to debut on the VIZ Manga App on March 28th, ahead of the print edition’s national release on April 5th.

As part of the March Manga Madness promotion, all Volume 1 manga titles are available this month for only $0.99 each (instead of $4.99). After shopping, fans are invited also enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking the VIZ Manga App survey. By the end of March the VIZ Manga App will feature more than 100 manga volumes available for download.

Creator Akira Toriyama’s much-loved manga classic, Dragon Ball Z (Rated ‘A’ for All Ages), debuts on today with Volume 2 to be available before the end of the month. After years of training and adventure, Goku has become Earth’s ultimate warrior. And his son, Gohan, shows even greater promise. But the stakes are increasing as even deadlier enemies threaten the planet. Dragon Ball Z is the ultimate science fiction-martial arts manga.

Additional new manga volumes available this week include:

Death Note Vol. 9
MeruPuri Vol. 3
Naruto Vol. 18
Natsume’s Book of Friends Vol. 2
One Piece Vol. 18
Rosario + Vampire Vol. 2
Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 9
Toriko Vol. 3

The VIZ Manga App is the leading application to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with a downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad are featured.

For more information on the VIZ Manga App, please visit VIZ.com/apps/.

Big-Screen Board-Games: The Warhammer Movie

from GeekChicDaily:

We’re all a little tired of video-game movies, right? For every Mortal Kombat, there’s a Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Sure, the Resident Evil movies keep chugging along, but that’s mainly because we love to watch Milla Jovovich doing gun-fu, which has almost nothing to do with the games themselves.

So rejoice: the movie industry has moved along to the next big thing. Tabletop games! Sound silly? Yeah, until you look at the actual details. Peter Berg, who directed The Rock’s best movie (The Rundown) is almost done with his Battleship flick starring Liam Neeson and Rihanna. Ridley Scott’s getting ready to pass go and collect more than $200 on a theatrical adaptation of Monopoly. But beating them all to the punch is Ultramarines, a snazzy all-CG feature based on Warhammer 40,000.

Set in the 41st century, Ultramarines sees a squad of genetically enhanced warriors answer a distress signal on a distant planet, only to discover that forces far beyond what they expected are at work. Terence “General Zod” Stamp voices squad leader Captain Severus, while John Hurt plays the mysterious chaplain who sent the distress call. As the movie is unrated, what ensues allows plenty of blood to be shed, and, uh, wars to be hammered out.

The only way to see this film, however, is by ordering the DVD online. Loaded with a bonus disc and a companion graphic novel, it’s an ultra-sweet deal.