Talk to longtime prose editors at the sci-fi and fantasy publisher Tor Books about the house’s joint venture with independent manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment, and they’ll say that it’s a match made in pop culture heaven. “We’re all into comics here anyway,” said Linda Quinton, Tor Books v-p and associate publisher. “Manga is very fan and community based, just like science fiction.” Tor Books senior editor Melissa Ann Singer agreed, “We understand stuff like cosplay from publishing science fiction. We deal with dedicated fans and readers, just like manga fans, all the time. We know the kind of books they want and we know how to work with the retailers.”

In early December , Steve Kleckner, Macmillan v-p of merchandise and sales, and Jason DeAngelis, founder and president of the Los Angeles-based Seven Seas Entertainment, announced plans to create a Tor/Seven Seas manga imprint at Tor Books. Tor Books publisher Tom Doherty said that the house has been considering the move to manga for a while. “But I’m not a manga expert, and I never thought we had the skill,” Doherty said. “But with Jason, we can do it.” In an interview held at the Tor offices in Manhattan about the new venture, Doherty and members of his editorial staff outlined their interest in manga and comics publishing and discussed the future of the new Tor/Seven Seas imprint.

In Shanower's latest installment of his monumental, Eisner award–winning retelling of the Trojan War, the Achaean fleet finally arrives at the shore of Troy. Before the war can begin, the story's many vivid characters get another chance to display their natures, including Achilles impulsively pursuing glory, young Troilus yearning over Cressida, Hektor preaching reasonable compromise in an impossible situation, slippery Odysseus orating, and Helen and Paris so besotted with each other and themselves that they'll let kingdoms drift into ruin. Shanower's people are well drawn in more ways than one, so readers can enjoy picking out the postures and expressions of individuals in a crowd scene. Impressive as the black and white art is, some of the panels are crammed with details, just as the pages are filled with text as the characters have their say. Then, readers notice how cleverly Troilus's lovesick funk is treated in repetitious, mostly silent panels—or how subtly the climactic appearance of an Achaean embassy to Trojan King Priam, the last chance to prevent the impending war, is managed with a mixture of closeups and long shots, open line work and encroaching shadows. On all levels, this is a brilliant work. (Jan.)

Kio Shimoku is the manga-ka of the beloved Japanese geek-culture series Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture. The nine-volume series, which completed publication this month by Del Rey Manga, revolves around a college visual media club where a small group of otaku (a term for fanatical anime and manga fans) gather to obsess about their favorite anime, manga, videogames and related activities.

• Beyond (Marvel)
• Grifter and Midnighter (DC/ Wildstorm)
• Little Scrowlie Vol. 3: Apocalypse Scrowl (Amaze Ink/ Slave Labor Graphics)
• Cover Girl (Boom! Entertainment)
• 365 Days (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Graphic Biography: J. Edgar Hoover (Hill and Wang)
• Students for a Democratic Society (Hill and Wang)
• Le Chevalier Deon Vol. 3 (Del Ray)
• Purgatory Kabuki Vol. 1 (DR Masters Productions)
• Voiceful Vol. 1 (Seven Seas Entertainment)
• Manga Sutra Vol. 1: Futari H (Tokyopop)
• Togari Vol. 4 (Viz Media)

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• Best Comics/Manga Lists
• NYT On 'Comics in the Classroom'
• New Zenescope Series
• PW On David Hajdu