Oh dearie me. (deep breath)

Bandai is shipping the 4th volume of Code Geass: Knight, the doujinshi anthology series that focuses on the male characters for female fans of the series. Expect lots of BL tease with no actual BL.

If you want actual BL, then DMP is the place for you. We get new volumes of the awkwardly titled Great Place High School Student Council, the deluxe edition of Kizuna, Seven Days, and The Tyrant Falls in Love. And there are three new series debuting: Mr. Tiger and Mr. Wolf (no, it’s not a Tiger and Bunny spinoff), Only Serious About You, and Private Teacher. I think this giant pile of BL will satisfy even the most hungry enthusiasts.

Remember when I said we’d get the rest of Kodansha’a October this week? I was indeed correct! New Air Gear, which has hit 20 volumes of rollerblading frenzy. Vol. 2 of Bloody Monday’s intrigue and Cage of Eden’s potboiler antics. And two new thick omnibuses: Love Hina 1-3 (which I reviewed here a couple of weeks ago), and Tokyo Mew Mew 1-2 (for those who can’t get enough magical girl shoujo and can’t wait for Sailor Moon/V).

Speaking of omnibuses, Seven Seas is releasing Vols. 7 & 8 of Gunslinger Girl, which I believe means we’re now caught up with ADV and getting new material. Yes, it’s about killer loli assassins and their kindly adult male guardians, but it actually manages to deal with the serious issues surrounding such a plot and not be too skeezy. Mostly. Well, a lot. OK, over 60% not skeezy. Seven Seas also has the third volume of Toradora, which does star a tsundere, but it actually manages to deal with the serious issues surrounding such a girl and not have her be too tsun. Mostly. OK, maybe 40% dere? Perhaps an actual math degree would help.

Vertical is debuting its new Furuya title, a modern updating of the famous Japanese novel No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. I’ve also reviewed this, and it maintains Vertical’s reputation for cutting edge manga that makes you think.

And Viz has its first-week madness. From the Jump and Jump Square file, we have new volumes of Claymore, D.Gray-Man, the Death Note “Black Edition”, and Tegami Bachi. On the shoujo side, we have new Ai Ore! and Black Bird, some Dengeki Daisy (which I warn you has another nasty cliffhanger), Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time (earlier BL manga, I’m sorry I called you unwieldy after reading this), The 11th volume of Kimi ni Todoke (wait, you mean it keeps going after they get together?!?!), and new Oresama Teacher and Story of Saiunkoku. It is a very Viz week.

So, in among that deluge, what do you want to buy?

As is traditional with the last week of the month, we have a nice, reasonable, quiet week. Oh, if only they were all like this.

It is rather scary that Blade of the Immortal 1 came out in 1997, and here we are 14 years later getting Volume 24. But hey, that’s what happens when you are the very last manga series in the West to cease coming out in monthly floppies. This particular volume is entitled Massacre, and I’ve no doubt it will deliver on that. Speaking of old-school Dark Horse titles, they are almost caught up with their Oh My Goddess re-release unflipped. Volume 19 is out next week, and wraps up the Phantom Racer story, as well as giving us another plot with Skuld’s ‘robot girl’.

Kodansha put out 3 books this week, and this is Diamond Comics, so that must mean we have three books coming out next week. Hey, they’re getting closer! The second volume of Animal Land is out, which Dallas Middaugh praised highly at NYCC. There’s also a second volume of cyberpunk mystery Mardock Scramble. And for those who have been despairing, fear not! Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei has hit Volume 11. Now with 100% more body doubles.

So does anything please you? Or will you spend the week getting everything you put aside as it all came out the first week in October?

After a smaller Week 2, Week 3 is fairly hefty!

Dark Horse brings us Volume 19 of Gantz, another title that seems designed purely for the comic book store fan. But hey, it seems to sell well enough, so good design! And they’ve also got the debut of CLAMP’s new title, Gate 7! Like most CLAMP titles, I expect the beginning to be fantastic. The ending, I make no promises.

Kodansha brings us Volume 2 of Gon, the highly underrated seinen manga that kids can also love about a small dinosaur with a big attitude! (Hey, who said I can’t write copy?)

Vertical gives us the penultimate volume of Black Jack. Ed Chavez has hinted they will announce a new Tezuka title at NYCC. If it’s to take the place of Black Jack, it’ll have its work cut out for it; Tezuka’s medical series is top notch.

Viz has two new IKKI titles, the 4th volume of cloned famous people high school thriller Afterschool Charisma and relaxing manga-loving slice of life Kingyo Used Books. And they have the 3rd omnibus edition of Tenjo Tenge, which will have fighting and fanservice as always. But the fanservice is DEEP and MEANINGFUL, honest.

And Yen has a pile of stuff. New Black Butler! It may not last quite as long on the bestseller lists as it once did, but it still hangs out there all the time. The 2nd Bride’s Story hardcover, which I’m hoping will be a bit warmer and more engaging than Vol. 1 (though just as well-written and drawn as 1 was). New volumes for Cirque Du Freak (aka Darren Shan), Pandora Hearts, Soul Eater, and Spice & Wolf. Higurashi When They Cry begins a new arc, this one finally focusing on its ‘poster child’ Rena. And a new volume of Yotsuba&!, which will no doubt make the internet explode in cute glee once more.

My shop is only getting in a few of the Yen titles (Bride’s Story and Soul Eater aren’t on my shop’s list for some reason), but there’s still plenty for everyone. Enjoy!

I’m off to New York Comic Con and Anime Fest for the next few days. Expect daily news updates, and no reviews in the interim.