ACF 731: MARCH STORY manga due from VIZ October 19th

MARCH STORY © 2008 Hyung Min KIM, Kyung Il YANG/Shogakukan

BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF ART ARE HAUNTED

IN NEW MANGA SERIES MARCH STORY FROM VIZ MEDIA

Evil Lurks Beneath The Surface of Great Masterworks

And Only One Demon Hunter Can Vanquish The Fiendish Spirits

In A Dark New Tale From The VIZ Signature Imprint

VIZ Media has announced that it will release the supernatural manga (graphic novel) series MARCH STORY next Tuesday, October 19th. The latest addition to the VIZ Signature imprint, by Hyung Min Kim with artwork by Kyung Il Yang, is rated ‘M’ for Mature readers and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Kim and Yang were both born in Korea and make a terrific team. I devoured my reviewer's copy of the first volume, which contains four stories, in what seemed like no time at all. Each tale is engrossing and the artwork is "to-die-for." It's so intricate and detailed that it often reminded me of some of the "stoner" underground comics that came out in the U.S. in the late 60s and early 70s. MARCH STORY certainly warrants its 'M' rating: its bloody, glory, and has a bit of nudity as well. But it's all to the good.

I give it an ACF Rating of 3.5 out of 4 stars - highly recommended. Treat yourself to a fantastic, collection of Gothic tales of terror. Plus it's coming out well in time for Halloween!


Here's some background descriptive info from the good folks at VIZ:

Among the quiet villages and towns of 18th century Europe, demons known as the Ill hide within the most beautiful works of art and are sparked to life by the torment of their creators. Attracted by their jewel-like allure, unwary viewers can find themselves possessed by the Ill and will be driven to horrific acts of violence. Only the hunters of the Ciste Vihad can dispel the Ill. March is one such hunter, tracking the Ill from town to town to find the antiques that contain the demons before they can possess anyone. If the worst has come to pass, March’s full powers are unleashed to battle the fiendish Ill.

“Great works of art are not what they appear in this intriguing new series,” says Mike Montesa, Senior Editor for VIZ Signature. “Each haunted masterpiece has a dark tale to tell, as do their creators and untimely victims. And March’s own past is filled with similar tragedy. With its elaborate artwork and quick-paced action, MARCH STORY arrives just in time for Halloween and we look forward to adventure fans never viewing pieces of art quite the same way again.”

Writer Hyung Min Kim was born in Jinju, Korea. In 2002 he entered the manga world, and in 2007 he debuted as a storywriter with MARCH STORY, originally published in Japan in Sunday GX. Artist Kyung Il Yang was born March 26, 1970. His debut work, Soma Shinhwa Jeongi, appeared in Weekly Shonen Champ in Korea. Notable works include Zombie Hunter (original story by Kazumasa Hirai) and Shin Angyo Onshi (Blade of the Phantom Master, original story by In Wan Youn). Yang also works on Defense Devil, currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday.

More information on this and other titles from VIZ Media can be found at http://www.viz.com/.