Media Release -- Three (well, actually, more like thirty-one…see below ^_^) Dark Horse manga books just hit the stores. First, Berserk. We know that many of the volumes of this series have been hard to find in recent months, and we're pleased to announce that we've reprinted all the volumes that were low in stock (which was nearly all of them). That's part of the good news…and the other part is that the reason so many volumes of Berserk became low in stock is that we just passed the three-quarters-of-a-million mark in series sales! If you're a fan, you know Berserk is a genuine epic that deserves its success (I say, use Berserk to get Game of Thrones fans into manga), but if you're a fan, you're also one of the people who's made it a success, so thank you once again!
"Epic" is a term that gets thrown around, but I think it's fair to apply it not only to Berserk but to Gantz, whose latest volume, 29, arrived in stores last week. When I read Gantz, I feel like I'm watching a big Hollywood CG action movie—the kind that costs $200 million to make—except the same effects and thrills are being achieved by Hiroya Oku and his staff for a tiny fraction of that budget. But even if it were adapted into a major studio relesase, I wonder if you would get the full force of Oku's unholy union of horror and science fiction up on screen. It goes beyond Gantz's high-tech gore; the manga's portrayal in vol. 29 of the "civilian" life of those giant humanoid invaders we first saw last volume is creepy and unsettling because they're actually so normal; the horror (and genocidal violence) comes from the way we view each other—monsters to us, vermin to them.
A different kind of book that's earned a loyal readership is Bride of the Water God. From Korean creator Mi-Kyung Yun, it's the most successful of the manhwa Dark Horse has published, and its latest installment, vol. 14, is out right now! Editor Philip Simon wants readers to know that "Bride of the Water God Volume 14 features not only the exquisitely detailed artwork of Mi-Kyung Yun that our readers have come to enjoy, but a few excellent plot twists that'll floor faithful fans. Yun takes us on another journey through the ever-changing, strange realm of the elemental gods, but she also makes an interesting return to some settings on Earth that are just as gorgeous. Back to Earth? Yes! Were you shocked by the surprises in Volume 13? Well, Volume 14 delivers some bigger surprises! Yun continues to explore the complicated emotions that both of our main, star-crossed lovers are feeling as they are constantly manipulated (and tormented), and she adds some new elements to the story's main premise to ensure that the world of Bride of the Water God and its intricate character relationships will remain fresh and engaging for many years to come. Our latest volume also features four of Yun's beautiful, rare color pages, as well as the popular "Closing Diary" bonus strips that give us a peek into Yun's creative process and manhwa-related studio mishaps! Don't miss this excursion into fantasy-filled romance! Readers are encouraged to send in their letters, thoughts on Yun's plot twists, and high resolution fan art to bride@darkhorse.com!"
That's all for now, but don't forget this is Dark Horse's 25th anniversary year of manga publishing, and we'll be back before long to tell you more!
