On The Shelf – January 18, 2012
Sailor Moon, Code Geass Queen and more!

This year may have had some rocky points so far but it's also showing signs of the innovation we're bound to see more of over the next twelve months. Opinions on the method are varied, but everyone agrees that the publication of more niche titles is a welcome treat from Digital Manga's recent Kickstarter to publish Osamu Tezuka's Barbara. With hopes to publish in July 2012 now that they've reached their fund raising goal, it looks I could be writing about the first license-and-print on-demand manga title in English this coming Summer.

Returning back to thoughts of today, we see another of Bandai Entertainment's final volumes of manga. This week it's the last of Code Geass Queen, the entertaining fan-service title of shorts starring the girls of Code Geass. With over a dozen different artists contributing to the series, there's plenty of diversity in these pages, a great way to see amusing interpretations and situations based on a fan-favorite story.

BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT

Code Geass Queen (Vol.04), ($10.99/US, $13.99/CAN)

Kodansha Comics delivers the newest volumes of two shoujo series that each harbor plenty of dark drama beneath their beautiful artwork. The previous volume of Arisa ended with a big cliffhanger as Tsubasa's adversary is kidnapped, severely turning the tables on who's on the offensive against the conniving 'King'. Will the true identity of the current King finally be revealed? If not, I hope Tsubasa at least garners a bit more support in her quest to figure it out—at the rate things are going, she's going to need the help just to survive this high-stakes high school drama!

Sailor Moon (Vol.03) will likely be the big must-have for many readers this week as the chart-topping magical girl series continues. The story really flew forward in volume two with four guardians and their Moon Princess now revealed, not to mention a host of new villains. The person Sailor Moon is up against now, though, is a shock she might not be able to overcome. With pasts unearthed and futures in question, I'm super excited to revisit this series that I adored so much when it first came out years ago. It's been just long enough that I don't remember all the little details, making every page like a new experience all over again.

KODANSHA COMICS

Arisa (Vol.06), ($10.99/US, $11.99/CAN)

Sailor Moon (Vol.03), ($10.99/US, $11.99/CAN)

Offering up a different kind of 'blast from the past' is Viz Media's Afterschool Charisma (Vol.05). Hitler is this book's cover character and I'm in fearful anticipation of what this book has in store for him and the other students who are still reeling from the huge attack on their school. Will the clones fall victim to the fates of their predecessors? After four volumes of getting attached to many of them, I certainly hope not!

VIZ MEDIA

Afterschool Charisma (Vol.05), ($12.99/US, $14.99/CAN)

That does it for this week's On The Shelf—what on the list are you most eager to buy? Any must-have recommendations? Share your thoughts in our handy comment area for all our readers to see!

* All dates are based on distributor listings and may not necessarily reflect exact release dates. Some books may be ship prior to or after the date listed above varying by location and availability.