Figures, I finally manage to get out and DO stuff on a weekend, and something actually HAPPENS.

So, if you’ve got a single anime news feed on your reader, odds are good that you’ve already heard that Go! Comi has licensed 07-Ghost, Yuki Amemiya’s 2005 shounen fantasy (and debut manga). It revolves around Teito Klein, an elite student at a military academy where he is among the top student users of “zaiphon,” basically a magic ability. Just as he’s passed his final exam to get into the army, he overhears something he isn’t supposed to and becomes a fugitive. Oops!

Also of note, I spotted this in their store. If you’re a fan of Aimee Major Steinberger, who created Go! Comi’s Japan Ai comic, they’re selling a limited quantity of her doujinshi sketchbook, Water Lily. Just thought it was kinda neat.

On a sidenote releating to 07-Ghost, it runs in Ichinjinsha’s Zero-Sum anthology. Canned Dogs has a report from Ichijinsha about the readership of Zero-Sum and its other anthologies. It’s interesting data; be sure and check it out.

The American Library Association has released its list of Great Graphic Novels for 2008, and ADV, TOKYOPOP, Del Rey, Go! Comi, CMX, VIZ, Dark Horse, Vertical, and Digital Manga Publishing all took home prizes this year.

For Del Rey it was Pumpkin Scissors 1, Alive 1 and 2, and Mushishi 1 and 2 (natch).

TOKYOPOP got honors for King of Thorn 1 and 2, VIZ’s Love*Com 1 and Kekkaishi 7 and 8 are mentioned, and ADV’s Yotsuba& volume 4.

CMX wins for Emma, of course, volumes 1-5. Dark Horse took home one for the well-received shoujo manga Translucent, and Vertical’s prize is for To Terra 1-3. Digital Manga Publishing got awards for Flower of Life, by Fumi Yoshinaga (who is an amazing mangaka, best known for her BL– unfortunately for her non-BL titles like Flower or Antique Bakery, which are phenomenal).

I think Go! Comi wins for the actual number of books mentioned: Train+Train 1-3 and After School Nightmare 1-5, a total of 8 books (versus Del Rey and CMX who got 5 each).

And finally, the well-regarded manga Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms by Fuyimo Kouno also made the list.

Also of note: Mark Crilley’s extremely manga-inspired graphic novel series Miki made the list for three volumes, and the first volume of SoHee Park’s manhwa Goong gives some last-second acclaim to the defunct ICE Kunion.

Original source: ALA
Secondary source: Blog@Newsarama