Manga
Manga, meaning 'whimsical pictures,' or more simply, comics, is a distinctive comic book form created and popularized in Japan through stories like Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, and classics like Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy). There is some disagreement about when manga began in Japan, with some scholars citing examples of scroll drawings all the way back in the 11th century and others pointing to the introduction of the word manga itself in the late 1700s. Vintage manga books from the post-World War II era start to look more like the Japanese comic style we associate with manga today, including the exaggerated facial expressions and wide eyes that give the characters a distinct look.
Manga caters to both male and female readers, with stories of adventure, fantasy, romance, and technology that appeal to a wide variety of fans. The two chief genres - shonen comics for boys and shojo comics for girls - feature main characters that each gender can relate to, and they're subdivided by age into categories for young through to adult readers. Manga is also known for including stories focusing on relationships and sexuality, more so than its American counterparts. There is less focus on the superhero-type characters seen in comics from publishers like DC and Marvel; instead, manga story lines often include spiritual or philosophical messages.
Our sellers offer a variety of collectible manga from collected issues and graphic novels to rare first editions and out-of-print books. Here, you can buy manga from any of the genres to expand your collection or introduce yourself to new series from these Japanese comic books. Now that manga has become more popular outside of Japan and recognized as a rich art form around the world, there are many more titles available to choose from as you shop manga from the last several decades.