The choices are tough this month! Viz has Vol. 29 of My Hero Academia coming out, and Kodansha has put together a new Attack on Titan Omnibus, bundling the first three volumes of the original into an oversized paperback (smaller than the Colossal Edition, bigger than a regular volume). With the manga wrapping up in October and the final season of the anime coming next year, the first volume has been showing up in our Top 20 charts. Not surprisingly, then, My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan topped our chart of the hottest manga of this spring (see “Top Manga Franchises – Spring 2021”). But you know all that! Here’s a look at some fresh new series that aren’t quite as famous… yet. 

Animal Crossing New Horizons, Vol. 1 
Publisher: Viz
Release Date: September 15, 2021
Price: $9.99
Creators: Kokonasu Rumba
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1974725922
Age Rating: All Ages

What It’s About: The villagers of Animal Crossing go about their daily lives in these cute, funny gag comics.

Why It’s a Pick Hit: Animal Crossing was a popular distraction at the beginning of the pandemic, but this wholesome gag manga is more likely to appeal to younger readers, particularly fans of the Pokemon, Super Mario, and Splatoon manga.

Mao, Vol. 1
Publisher: Viz
Release Date: September 15
Price: $9.99
Creators: Rumiko Takahashi
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1974720521
Age Rating: Teen Plus

What It’s About: Modern-day teenage girl Nanako travels back in time to the 19th century and meets a teenage exorcist named Mao, who is investigating a series of grisly murders. Nanako gets involved with the investigation but also has a mystery of her own to solve, and there’s a dark secret at the heart of their relationship.

Why It’s a Pick Hit: Rumiko Takahashi is one of the great manga creators of all time, and this story is a classic mix of time travel, mystery, and the supernatural, complete with a cat demon. It looks like it will particularly resonate with fans of InuYasha and Rin-Ne.

The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today, Vol. 1
Publisher: Seven Seas
Release Date: September 22
Price: $13.99
Creators: Hitsuji Yamada
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1648276057
Age Rating: Teen (13+)

What It’s About: A hard-working salarywoman lives with an enormous cat who walks on two legs and takes care of the housekeeping.  

Why It’s a Pick Hit: This book combines the sort of incongruous domestic comedy that has played well in series like Way of the Househusband with a know-it-all cat, another popular trope.