According to the good folks at Midtown Comics, only three new titles will be arriving in stores next week: volume five of Empowered (Dark Horse), volume five of Gantz (Dark Horse), and volume five of Kiichi and the Magic Books (CMX). I was surprised that Swallowing the Earth didn’t make the list, as DMP’s website originally gave the street date as June 24th. Thanks to fellow Twitterer @mizelle (author of the awesome blog Confessions of a Retconned Fangirl), I discovered that Amazon is now giving July 8th as the ship date for Swallowing the Earth. (An aside: why does every pervy spammer feel the need to “comment” on my STE post? Are Tezuka fans terribly eager to see Photoshopped pictures of C-list nude celebrities?!)

As for what’s actually going to be on shelves, I strongly encourage folks to give Empowered and Kiichi and the Magic Books a try — Empowered because it’s a funny, raunchy, and oddly sweet superhero parody, and Kiichi because it’s a great, teen-friendly fantasy with beautiful, distinctive artwork. In fact, I was so impressed with Kiichi that I included it in my list of 2008’s best kid-friendly manga. Here’s what I had to say about it:

This poignant coming-of-age story will resonate with anyone who’s felt conspicuously different from his peers. The hero, Kiichi, is a young oni (a one-horned demon) whose lonely existence is transformed by a chance encounter with a traveling librarian. Inspired by the information in one of Mototaro’s books, Kiichi decides to leave his village in search of others like himself. Kiichi’s journey brings him into contact with a variety of people, many of whom seek to harm or profit from his unique abilities, or who simply fear his appearance.

Taka Amano never shies away from the darker implications of her story, showing us just how unscrupulous, ignorant, and venal people of all ages can be. Yet Kiichi and the Magic Books is never mawkish or didactic; the fantasy elements add considerable interest and charm, while Kiichi proves emotionally resilient in the face of prejudice and mistrust. Tweens more accustomed to the look and feel of Naruto may not initially respond to Amano’s starkly beautiful pen-and-ink drawings. Encourage them to try Kiichi anyway, as this series offers the same degree of complexity, imagination, and emotional authenticity as an Ursula LeGuin or Phillip Pullman novel.

Go, buy — you won’t regret it. Recommended for ages 10 and up.