Yen Press is bringing the popular manga series Btooom! to the U.S. on February 26th(see "Yen Adds New Manga Series").

 

Written and drawn by Junya Inoue, Btooom! Volume 1(196 pgs., $11.99) tells the tale of Ryota Sakamoto, one of the best Btooom! players in the world.  Btoom! is an online battle simulation that gamers can play in the safety and comfort of their homes.  However, one evening Ryota--dangling from a tree and under attack by suspiciously familiar bombs--finds himself immersed in a real-life version of the ubiquitous, formerly innocuous, video game.

 

In Japan, the ongoing series, first serialized in the Weekly Comic Bunch, is at nine collected volumes and counting. In the U.S., the second volume will be released May 28th.

 

Also of import, Sentai Filmworks is bringing the Btooom! anime stateside, first in digital form this year, followed by a home video release in 2013.  It is directed by Kotono Watanabe, with scripts by Yousuke Kuroda (High School of the Dead) and character designs by Takahiro Kishida (Armored War Goddess).