Viz will release second editions of Battle Angel Alita in a smaller, 5' x 7.5' format, reading right to left, with extra pages that had previously only appeared in the European versions.  Viz reached an agreement to publish the additional pages when negotiating the license to print the second editions.

 

The extras for Volumes 1-8 include background pages pertaining to each volume, usually a diagram with a short bio for a particular character and/or venue, and some have a strip cartoon.  Volume 9 will have an afterward by Yukito Kishiro.

 

Battle Angel Alita Volume 1 (second edition), beginning the story of the powerful cyborg, is scheduled to ship early December.  Viz also started publishing a new series, Battle Angel Alita:  Last Order, in June. 

 

This property has the potential to really take off if things heat up on the movie front.  Director James Cameron is reported to be developing a live action version.