Two weekends ago, we had our first Dark Horse Manga panel of the season in New England, at Anime Boston. This Saturday, April 9, we hit our home territory in the Pacific Northwest, with a Dark Horse Manga panel at Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle! Come see us between 1:30 and 2:30 PM in room T305 in the Washington State Convention Center! Joining us on the panel will be the translator of The Art of Satoshi Kon, Satoshi Kon’s OPUS, and Seraphim 266613336 Wings…not to mention Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Zack Davisson!

I couldn’t think of a more timely image for discussing manga at a comic-con than this—the cover of this month’s issue of Previews. If you’re a “long box customer” at a comics store, or a comics retailer, you already know this catalog is the industry bible, containing almost every comic book that’s going to be available on the market that month. This month’s Previews cover is celebrating Dark Horse’s 30th anniversary year with some of our most famous characters.

What you see here on this cover is just the left side of the anniversary image (the right side is on a foldout)—but notice Itto Ogami and Daigoro from Lone Wolf and Cub (our best-selling manga ever) and on the stairs, Belldandy from Oh My Goddess! (our longest-running manga ever). Both of these titles began in the comics market, and we never forget that it was comics fans who pioneered reading manga in North America! I also notice that a bloodstained Marv from Sin City is plunging straight towards the samurai father and son, but my guess is that Belldandy will manage to keep everyone from fighting.

—Carl Horn

Manga Editor