The Mammoth Book of Best New Manga 3 - Softcover

Nearly three dozen stories from around the world share space in this year’s mostly full-color collection. The top three manga jiman (six-page stories), several installments of Joanna Zhou’s page-long funny-animal strip Carlos and Sakura, sci-fi, punk, shojo, yaoi, and yuri each and all receive well-selected representation. Standouts include autobiographical work by Asia Alfasi, a warm tale of cat and human bonding by Shari Chankhamma, and a ghost story by Chi-Tan. Each piece is introduced by the editor, with brief remarks from the story’s creator(s) and a listing of his or her other works and Web sites. Not only is the array splendid, but its arrangement creates a cohesive whole as well. For libraries, the one word of caution is the fragility of the perfect binding. Fans and experimenting readers alike will appreciate this anthology, which has staying power on account of the breadth of styles and subjects it embraces, one far wider than most libraries’ present manga holdings affords. --Francisca Goldsmith