3 Highlights from this Week's FOC
WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT MISS THIS WEEK?
Hello fellow Manga readers,
2026 is closing in fast and although I always get emotional at the end of the year, I have the best medicine for that now: 3 amazing manga that you and I can be excited for in 2026 (and that are on FOC right now)!
So without further ado, let’s check out these lifesavers - shall we?! 👀
🐺 Lone Wolf And Cub Deluxe Edition 2 🐺
Lone Wolf And Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 2 HC *PRE-ORDER*
€44,99
€54,99
The acclaimed genre-defining samurai epic by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima is presented in a new deluxe oversized hardcover edition and is now oriented in right-to-left reading format as originally published in Japan!Ronin samurai Ogami Itto and his young son… read more
Yes, it is now a tradition that each FOC by me will start with a classic…
I mean, can you blame me if our favorite publishers bring back so many good classics! 😭
But with Lone Wolf and Cub it was only logical that it had to be brought back one day. I mean, it is the blueprint for The Mandalorian, The Last of Us and films by Tarantino. You cannot just leave this in the dark corners of the vault…
Lone Wolf and Cub is actually a title that I haven’t read yet, but have been planning to check out for a long time. Especially because people keep saying that fans of Berserk, Vagabond and Blade of the Immortal need to read this…
I just couldn't decide how I want to approach this series the best way, because there are other formats, but they are not my favorites and some are hard to get a hold of.
And as if the manga universe listened, I am finally free and can pick up this series in a beautiful Deluxe Edition!
Oversized hardcover binding… Japanese original reading format… a ribbon bookmark… and all of that in a 3-in-1 edition – P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N.!
So, if you haven’t pre-ordered volume 1 on its past FOC… first of all, why?
And secondly, do not make the same mistake with volume 2, because it is on FOC right now!!!
(You can pre-order volume 1 still and should do that in combination with volume 2 hehe)
🌀 Asadora! 9 🌀
Asadora! Vol 09 *PRE-ORDER*
€15,29
€16,99
A deadly typhoon, a mysterious creature and a girl who won’t quit. In 2020, a large creature rampages through Tokyo, destroying everything in its path. In 1959, Asa Asada, a spunky young girl from a huge family in Nagoya, is… read more
If I see something by Urasawa in our FOC lists, it will immediately secure a spot within this Top-3 picks.
Not only is he my favorite manga writer, but also THE master of mystery and character design. Every story that you pick up by him will feature a thrilling mystery with great characters, where, when everything concludes, you can only imagine Urasawa like this while writing:
And while 20th Century Boys, Monster, Pluto and Billy Bat took my heart with their amazing mystery, Asadora! is memorable for other reasons, in my humble opinion.
Don’t get me wrong, Asadora! has some great mystery that drives the plot and develops beautifully. But whenever I think of Asadora! I just think of the great characters and especially the main character, Asa.
She is such a lovable character, whom we follow through so many years of her life. During this time, we can see what makes her so unique and so lovable. From saving people physically, to understanding others on a deeper level, which saves them emotionally – she can do all of that!
And I think this unique mystery that is connected to Asa, only works because of her unique perspective on life and how she reacts to certain situations – which also makes you shed some tears and rethink your own life… 😢
Urasawa has always been a great mystery writer with a huge talent for character design. And while I do love all his very mysterious stories, I do like to see him go back to his roots and focus on these amazing characters that drive the plot more than the mystery.
So, if you want to see what Urasawa is writing right now and want to see how good he can write character-focused stories (with some great mystery in there as well), you should try out all of the current 8 volumes of Asadora! and pick up the 9th right now – because it is on FOC :P
But if you want to check out what else this amazing writer can do, you can check out my “Beyond-The-Panels”-post about him :D
🐒 The Darwin Incident 9 🐒
The Darwin Incident 9 *PRE-ORDER*
€10,99
€12,95
Anime adaptation recently announced! This award-winning series marries a unique scifi set-up with an examination of social issues surrounding veganism, animal exploitation, and ecoterrorism.What is "life"? Time to update the definition!!Half-human, half-chimpanzee Charlie has lost the one thing he holds… read more
For this last pick in this FOC newsletter I picked out one of my insider tips: The Darwin Incident! 🐒
The plot couldn’t sound any weirder. Charlie is the first half-human and half-chimpanzee, called a humanzee – like what?!
Fifteen years ago, the Animal Liberation Alliance, an eco-terrorist group, kidnapped his chimpanzee mother and she gives birth to this new life form. After his birth, Charlie became quite a celebrity but went off the radar for a few years to enable a kind of normal life for him. Now, his foster parents (both human) send him to school, so he can socialize and become a real person. There, things do not go as smoothly, but he does gain a new friend, which is nice.
However, things will not stay peaceful for long, because the group that kidnapped his mom before she gave birth to him, is now more extreme than ever and wants Charlie to join them.
Why? Well, you should find out yourself :P
And I mean, yeah it does sound odd. But come on, we all read stuff about dragons and space wars – this is not the oddest thing out there!
Additionally, this manga is beautifully drawn and also tells a story that couldn’t be more modern. Veganism, protecting the environment and different extremisms clash in this series and bring you deep topics that will make you think for hours after closing a volume.
The underlying mystery and thriller-esque vibe are just perfeeect and will also hook you for hours! Chef’s Kiss
And last but not least, there are some great fights and action! Yes, you heard me right – Charlie can fight! 😎
Volume 9 is on FOC now, which means you have 8 volumes that you can enjoy right now – so do not miss out on this odd but meaningful journey!
This is it folks!
Gosh, I am getting emotional at the end of this newsletter. This one will be the last FOC that I will send out to you this year, my fellow manga friends (I hope I can call you friends after all these amazing FOC’s spend together!) 🤪
However, the next FOC newsletter is not far! There will be so many amazing new titles coming out in 2026 and I will not stop talking about them anytime soon! 😎
But if you cannot wait and need some new manga right now, you can always check out our Beyond The Panels-Blog, where I already talked about a lot of different Manga that you can get right away! :D
You can check out every FOC this week, right here. There are also some great Manga that I hadn't had time to showcase like: Mujina into the Deep, One Punch Man, Haikyu!, Blue Lock, Insomniacs After School and many moooore!
All of our pre-orders run until Saturday at 4pm.
If you have any doubts or questions, you can message us, and we will gladly help you out.
See you soon,
Daniel
