The Comics Waiting Room Newswire

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

VIZ MEDIA INVITES MANGA FANS TO KICK OFF SUMMER READING WITH NEW SERIES DEBUTS ON VIZMANGA.COM AND THE VIZ MANGA APP

Brand New Sports Series CROSS MANAGE Joins Acclaimed Manga Titles For The First-Half Of June Including LOVE*COM, RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION And SAND LAND

VIZ Media kicks off summer 2013 with a super-hot dose of exciting new digital manga (graphic novel) series available now with others set to launch throughout the first-half of June adding to the company’s extensive digital library at VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App.

Making its exclusive North American digital debut comes – CROSS MANAGE – creator Kaito’s tense sports drama about the male manager of women's lacrosse team. The series is also presently featured in VIZ Media’s Weekly Shonen Jump digital manga magazine. Fans are further invited to dive into the action, historical drama, shojo romance, and sci-fi fantasy contained in additional digital debuts that include GABA KAWA (manga one-shot), GUN BLAZE WEST, LOVE*COM, RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION, and SAND LAND.

VIZ Media’s innovative digital manga platform allows users to access and read manga from the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, and supported Android-powered smart phones and tablets (including the Kindle Fire), with VIZManga.com for desktop and laptop computers. Manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application starting from only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

Available Now!

CROSS MANAGE · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages · Available Now!

Talented but aimless Sakurai just can’t find a place to belong. After trying (and failing at) one extracurricular activity after another, his life changes thanks to a chance encounter with lacrosse fanatic Toyoguchi, who thinks Sakurai has just what it takes to propel her girls’ lacrosse team to victory! Despite Sakurai’s multiple refusals, Toyoguchi won’t take no for an answer when it comes to recruiting him to manage the girls’ lacrosse team. What’s more, her boundless enthusiasm is starting to win Sakurai over…

LOVE*COM · Rated ‘T’ for Teens

In this shojo gem created by Aya Nakaharam, middle school student Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Ôtani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo.

RUROUNI KENSHIN: RESTORATION · Rated ‘T’ for Teens

RUROUNI KENSHIN creator Nobohiro Watsuki reprises his most acclaimed manga swordsman in a brand new version of his classic story set during the violent upheaval of the Bakumatsu era. Hitokiri Battosai was once a feared and ruthless assassin, but now that the Meiji Restoration has begun to heal the wounds of civil war, he has taken up a new name… and a new calling! He is now Himura Kenshin, a “rurouni” wanderer who has vowed to only draw his sword to protect those in need. But not everyone is pleased with Kenshin’s new direction, and enemies from his dark past have vowed to bring him down!

SAND LAND · Rated ‘A’ for All Ages

Fans won’t want to miss this travel adventure and tank action story by Akira Toriyama, the creator of DRAGON BALL! In the far future, war has destroyed the entire Earth, leaving only a barren wasteland where the supply of water is controlled by the greedy king. In search of a long-lost lake, Sheriff Rao asked the king of the demons for help...and got the king's son, Beelzebub, and his assistant, Thief. Together the unlikely trio sets off across the desert, facing dragons, bandits and the deadliest foe of all... the King's army itself!

Digital Manga Titles Launching June 11^th

GABA KAWA · Rated ‘T’ for Teens

In this hilarious shojo manga one-shot by Rie Takada, demons like Rara are supposed to cause mischief in the mortal world and draw humans to darkness. They're certainly not supposed to help mortals and they're definitely not supposed to fall in love with them! But that's just what happens when Rara enters high school, where a hot guy named Retsu Aku calls her "Gaba Kawa!”

GUN BLAZE WEST · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens

From the Shonen Jump imprint comes this action series by Nobuhiro Watsuki (creator of RUROUNI KENSHIN and BUSO RENKIN). In the Old West only the strong survive. Viu Bannes is a boy on a mission to be the best gunfighter in the West. When Viu meets a vagabond gunslinger named Marcus Homer, his desire to be the best becomes even stronger. He knows it's his destiny to travel to the legendary land known as Gun Blaze West--where only the toughest gunmen dare set foot!

The free VIZ Manga App is the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular manga series in the world. The platform includes a rapidly growing catalog of the most popular manga series, with over 1,300 volumes across more than 125 different series currently available. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday and readers can explore all titles with free Chapter 1 previews of most series.

Download the free VIZ Manga App for your Android and iOS devices at VIZ.com/apps.

For more information on VIZ Manga digital titles, please visit VIZManga.com or www.VIZ.com/apps.

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