Having release the prequel, Kizumonogatari, Vertical is about to release NISIOISIN's hit modern folklore mystery BAKEMONOGATARI novels in English with Part 1: Monster Tale on December 20th, part two on February 28th, 2017 and, now listed and up for pre-order, part 3 on April 25th, 2017. With that first book fast approaching, the first volume's cover has been previewed.

This features series illustrator VOFAN's cover from the July 2016 Japanese e-book edition rather than the cover from the original 2006 Japanese release. Bakemonogatari, the first part of the Monogatari series, features five stories, "Hitagi Crab," "Mayoi Snail," "Suruga Monkey," Nadeko Snake" and "Tsubasa Cat."

There’s a girl at their school who is always ill. She routinely arrives late, leaves early, or doesn’t show up at all, and skips gym as a matter of course. She’s pretty, and the boys take to whispering that she’s a cloistered princess. As the self-described worst loser in her class soon finds out, they just don’t know what a monster she is.



So begins a tale of mysterious maladies that are supernatural in origin yet deeply revealing of the human psyche, a set of case files as given to unexpected feeling as it is to irreverent humor. So begins the legendary novel that kicked off the MONOGATARI series, whose anime adaptations have enjoyed international popularity and critical acclaim.



This first of three parts introduces Senjogahara and Hachikuji, and fans of the blockbuster prequel KIZUMONOGATARI will be delighted to meet their favorite crazies again: the weirdly reliable narrator Araragi, class president among class presidents Hanekawa, shady problem-solver Oshino, and a certain pale, blonde former vampire.

Japanese covers for E-Book edition

Original covers

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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.