In a week in which a new volume of Yotsuba&! is arriving at your local comic store, my weekly recommendation column may seem a little… well, unnecessary. What is there to say beyond, “Go, buy,” right? Well, I can think of a few things that deserve mention. First, that Yen Press is re-releasing volumes one through five in addition to volume six, providing fans an opportunity to purchase volumes that have been out of print for almost two years. Second, that newcomers don’t need to purchase all six volumes to enjoy Yotsuba&!; the series is episodic, not epic, and easy to follow regardless of the order in which you read the chapters. And third, that Yotsuba&! is one of the few all-ages titles on the market that appeals in equal measure to grade schoolers, teens, and adults, thanks to Kiyohiko Azuma’s great writing and great illustrations. If you haven’t yet succumbed to its charms, I highly recommend that you pick up a volume this week; Yotsuba is as fresh and memorable character as Ramona Quimby or Harriet the Spy, a curious, feisty, kinetic kid who just wants to get to the bottom of such cosmic mysteries as doorbells and air conditioners.

The rest of the this week’s shipping list is rather slim, with just a sprinkling of VIZ and Yen Press titles, including new volumes of Higurashi: When They Cry (Yen Press), InuYasha (VIZ) and With the Light (Yen Press). One final note: new books will be in comic book stores on Thursday, not Wednesday.

NEW SERIES/ONE-SHOTS

• BioGraphical Novel: Che Guevara (Emotional Content)
• Gundam-00, Vol. 1
• The Tale of the Waning Moon, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)

CONTINUING SERIES

• B. Ichi, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
• Bamboo Blade, Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
• Bastard, Vol. 19 (VIZ)
• Brilliant Blue, Vol. 2 (DMP)
• Higurashi: When They Cry, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
• InuYasha, Vol. 40 (VIZ)
• With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 5 (Yen Press)
• Yotsuba&!, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
• Yotsuba&!, Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
• Yotsuba&!, Vol. 3 (Yen Press)
• Yotsuba&!, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
• Yotsuba&!, Vol. 5 (Yen Press)
• Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6 (Yen Press)