SuBLime Offers Steamy Yaoi Manga Titles for the Summer Reading

GLOBAL YAOI MANGA PUBLISHER SuBLime CONTINUES THE SUMMER SIZZLE WITH THE DEBUT OF BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE AND STARTING WITH A KISS

Bold English-Language Yaoi Publisher Will Delight Fans With Both Debuts Available Now In Print And STARTING WITH A KISS Also Available Digitally From SuBLimeManga.com

San Francisco, CA, August 14, 2012 – SuBLime, the global yaoi manga (graphic novel) publisher, delivers more hot summer romance with the debut of Yaya Sakuragi’s BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE, and Youka Nitta’s STARTING WITH A KISS. Both new series launch today, are rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and carry a print-version MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN.

STARTING WITH A KISS is also available as a digital edition worldwide from www.SuBLimeManga.com for $5.99 (USD), and is downloadable as a PDF for viewing on any enabled eReader device or computer, as well as accessible via the online manga viewer found on the SuBLime web site.

BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE Vol. 1, by Yaya Sakuragi • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN

High school student Ao has been dreaming about his longtime neighbor Ryomei, a priest at the local Shinto shrine. A little freaked out—and a lot excited—at the prospect of having a relationship with Ryomei, Ao gathers up his courage, confesses his feelings...and gets turned down flat. Luckily, Ao's not the kind to give up easily. Thanks to some creative persistence (and Ryomei's weakening resolve), he finally gets a kiss. But one single kiss won't satisfy him for long!

Yaya Sakuragi’s previous English-language releases include Tea For Two, Hey, Sensei? and Stay Close to Me. She is also a prolific novel illustrator.

STARTING WITH A KISS Vol. 1, by Youka Nitta • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN • $5.99 Digital From SuBLimeManga.com

Tohru, the son of a yakuza boss, is sent into exile on a deserted island for his own protection during a gang feud. Fiery and impetuous, he isn't thrilled to be sidelined when he'd rather be in the fight, and is even less thrilled that Mutsumi, son of the gang's second in command, is going with him. The serious, studious Mutsumi is Tohru’s opposite in every way, and it doesn't take long before the sparks between them begin to fly!

Youka Nitta made her publishing debut with GROUPIE in 1995, and since then has become one of the most prolific and popular yaoi creators worldwide. Her most well-known series, Embracing Love, has been adapted into both a drama CD as well as an anime series. More information about Youka Nitta is available on her English-language website at: http://nittayouka.com. “Hot yaoi romances continue to sizzle this month for fans worldwide with the print release of BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE and the print and digital release of Starting with a kiss,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “Yaya Sakuragi shows how a not-so-innocent kiss, mixed with plenty of determination, can lead to so much more, while Youka Nitta demonstrates her prowess as one of the genre’s greatest creators with a sultry tropical gangster love story. We also invite readers to visit SuBLimeManga.com and heat up the rest of their summer season with a variety of other sexy yaoi titles available now!”

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at www.SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga and Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga.


About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi manga publisher, and is a partnership between VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate). This bold, global publishing initiative will present English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime will offer titles digitally worldwide available at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

Bleach: Vice It

I read Bleach, Vol. 44


I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Graphic Novel Review: RIGHT STATE

RIGHT STATE
DC COMICS/VERTIGO @vertigo_comics

WRITER: Mat Johnson
ARTIST: Andrea Mutti
LETTERS: Pat Brosseau
COVER: IAAH, Daymon Gardner, Nessim Higson, Lizzy Margiotta
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2943-6; hardcover
144pp, B&W, $24.99 U.S., $27.99 CAN

Right State is a new graphic novel from Mat Johnson, the author of the non-fiction book, The Great Negro Plot. The award-winning author currently teaches at The University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Johnson has been writing comic books since the 2005 miniseries, Hellblazer: Papa Midnite. He has also written the graphic novels, Incognegro (2008) and Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story (2010). DC Comics’ imprint, Vertigo Comics, published all three of these works.

Drawn in black and white by Italian artist Andrea Mutti, Right State is a political thriller that involves an apparent plot by a militia group to assassinate the second African-American President of the United States. The focus of the story is former Marine, Ted Akers, a conservative media pundit and an activist for military veterans. Asif, a Muslim-American who is an agent for the U.S. Secret Service, convinces Akers to infiltrate the Roots of Liberty, a military group based in rural Pennsylvania. This group is apparently planning to assassinate the second black President during a speech he will give on the Lincoln Memorial. When Akers accepts the assignment, the speech is four days away.

Infiltrating the militia group is a relatively easy task for Akers who is popular with conservatives and right-wing types because he is a frequent guest of Jay Bremen, who hosts his own conservative television talk show (on a FOX-like network). What is difficult is making contact with Ezekiel Dutton, a Gulf War marine and Department of Homeland Security agent who has apparently gone rogue or native and may now lead the Roots of Liberty. As the day of the speech grows closer, Akers discovers that the conspiracy is more complicated than Asif and his agency imagined and that there are also all kinds of shady types involved in the assassination plot.

First, Right State, for all its timely political commentary and pertinent satire, is a pure summer potboiler. Right State is like the proverbial John Grisham thriller that people supposedly take to the beach with them. It is a page-turning thriller that keeps you guessing with a number of twists and turns that actually make sense, instead of seeming contrived for cheap thrills. This is one of those times when I understand what it means to tear oneself away from something. I thought someone would have to tear this book out of my hands, as that would be practically the only way to stop me from reading it. Talk about some riveting reading.

Johnson weaves several themes throughout Right State, including depictions of the ways in which prejudice and bigotry impede progress in a complex society, which is what the United States is. The dominant theme concerns the characters inability to see the bigger picture of anything: the future of the country, their own lives, and even their own plots and schemes. Their racial animus, class resentment, and stereotypes blind men and women. The characters, both protagonists and antagonists, carry so much ignorance and bigotry about people who are different from them or groups of people that they just don’t like. Ultimately, the survivors have to see beyond their preferences, and if they want to win, they have to view things from a new perspective.

It is a testament to Mat Johnson’s ability as a storyteller that he can fashion complex characters that are too complicated to fit easily into the molds of heroes and villains. Artist Andrea Mutti turns Johnson’s story and characters into one of the edgiest non-fantasy comic books in years. Mutti offers a bleak interpretation of the contemporary American malaise. Rather than just draw a comic book, Mutti offers up modern fiction and proves that comic books can grapple with contemporary issues with genre flair. Right State also proves that Mat Johnson is the great emerging graphic novelist.

A

http://www.vertigocomics.com/

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

DC COMICS

MAY120291 BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM TP VOL 03 HOUSE OF HUSH $17.99

JUN120188 BATWOMAN #12 $2.99

JUN120129 BEFORE WATCHMEN RORSCHACH #1 (MR) $3.99

JUN120132 BEFORE WATCHMEN RORSCHACH #1 COMBO PACK (MR) $4.99

JUN120192 BIRDS OF PREY #12 $2.99

JUN120220 BLUE BEETLE #12 $2.99

JUN120156 CAPTAIN ATOM #12 $2.99

JUN120193 CATWOMAN #12 $2.99

JUN120157 DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #12 $2.99

JUN120196 GREEN LANTERN #12 $2.99

JUN120198 GREEN LANTERN #12 COMBO PACK $3.99

JUN120200 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #12 $2.99

MAY120290 GREEN LANTERN GREEN ARROW TP $29.99

JUN120261 GREEN LANTERN THE ANIMATED SERIES #5 $2.99

MAY120281 HAWK AND DOVE TP VOL 01 FIRST STRIKES $16.99

JUN120276 HELLBLAZER #294 (MR) $2.99

JUN120224 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #12 $2.99

JUN120194 NIGHTWING #12 $2.99

JUN120195 RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #12 $2.99

JUN120287 SAUCER COUNTRY #6 (MR) $2.99

JUN120232 SHADE #11 $2.99

JUN120172 SUPERGIRL #12 $2.99

JUN120154 WONDER WOMAN #12 $2.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES
APR120307 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE DARWYN COOKE $89.95

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

MARVEL COMICS

JUN120620 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #691 $3.99

JUN120605 AVENGERS #29 AVX $3.99

JUN120610 AVENGERS ACADEMY #35 $2.99

JUN120599 AVENGERS VS X-MEN #10 AVX $3.99

JUN120740 CABLE CLASSIC TP VOL 03 $24.99

MAY120760 CAPTAIN AMERICA BY ED BRUBAKER TP VOL 01 $16.99

JUN120653 CAPTAIN MARVEL #2 $2.99

JUN120656 DAREDEVIL #17 $2.99

JUN120613 DARK AVENGERS #179 $2.99

JUN120662 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER MAN IN BLACK #3 $3.99

JUN120699 DEADPOOL #59 $2.99

JUN120702 DEADPOOL KILLS MARVEL UNIVERSE #3 $2.99

JUN120739 ELEKTRA ASSASSIN TP $19.99

JUN120746 ESSENTIAL WARLOCK TP VOL 01 $19.99

JUN120641 HULK #56 $2.99

MAY120746 HULK SEASON ONE PREM HC $24.99

JUN120687 NEW MUTANTS #47 $2.99

JUN120626 SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #33.2 $2.99

MAY120769 ULT COMICS SPIDER-MAN BY BENDIS TP VOL 01 $19.99

JUN120691 UNCANNY X-FORCE #29 $3.99

JUN120731 UNCANNY X-FORCE TP VOL 04 DARK ANGEL SAGA BOOK 2 $19.99

JUN120686 X-FACTOR #242 $2.99

JUN120690 X-MEN #34 $3.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

IDW PUBLISHING

JUN120328 BATTLE BEASTS #2 [DIG] $3.99

JUN120397 CLASSIC POPEYE ONGOING #1 $3.99

MAY120464 CREATIVITY OF STEVE DITKO HC $39.99

JUN120321 CROW #2 [DIG] $3.99

JUN120334 DEADWORLD WAR O/T DEAD #3 [DIG] $3.99

APR120400 DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON & JUNGLE JIM HC VOL 02 $75.00

JUN120344 DOCTOR WHO DAVE GIBBONS TREASURY ED #1 $9.99

MAY120445 GI JOE DISAVOWED TP VOL 06 $19.99

JUN120366 GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #16 [DIG] $3.99

JUN120420 INFESTATION 2 TP VOL 03 $17.99

MAY120353 JERICHO SEASON 4 #1 [DIG] $3.99

MAY128217 KISS #1 2ND PTG $3.99

MAY128216 MARS ATTACKS #1 2ND PTG $3.99

JUN120345 STAR TREK 100 PAGE SPECTACULAR SUMMER 2012 $7.99

APR120368 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES CLASSICS TP VOL 01 $17.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUN120019 ALABASTER WOLVES #5 $3.50

APR120025 BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 03 RUSSIA $19.99

APR120033 CONAN DAUGHTERS OF MIDORA & OTHER STORIES TP $14.99

APR120045 EMPOWERED DELUXE ED HC VOL 02 $59.99

FEB120078 GAME OF THRONES COFFEE MUG BARATHEON $12.99

APR120056 GAME OF THRONES COFFEE MUG GREYJOY $12.99

FEB120077 GAME OF THRONES COFFEE MUG LANNISTER $12.99

APR120059 GAME OF THRONES SEASON 2 COASTER SET $9.99

FEB120071 GOOD LUCK TROLLS 2.5 IN FIG MYSTERY BOX PI

APR120048 MANARA LIBRARY HC VOL 03 (MR) $59.99

JUN120025 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS THE VICTORIES #1 $3.99

APR120031 ROBERT E HOWARDS SAVAGE SWORD #5 $7.99

APR120041 STAR WARS THE CLONE WARS SITH HUNTERS TP $7.99