This past Saturday at Comic-Con International, Christopher Butcher (comics writer and retailer), David Brothers (branding manager and comics journalist), Eva Volin (graphic novel reporter/critic and librarian), Brigid Alverson (comics journalist and editor) and Deb Aoki (manga editor and critic) held the annual "Best and Worst Manga" panel. Here are their picks for 2016:
Best New Manga for Kids/Teens:
Haikyu!! – Haruichi Furudate (Shonen Jump / Viz Media)
FukuFuku: Kitten Tales – Konami Kanata (Vertical)
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun – Izumi Tsubaki (Yen Press)
Orange – Ichigo Takano (Seven Seas Entertainment, Crunchyroll Manga)
Ultraman – Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi (Viz Media)
Handa-kun – Satsuki Yoshino (Yen Press)
Best New Manga for Grown-ups:
Wandering Island by Kenji Tsuruta (Dark Horse)
I am a Hero by Kengo Hanazawa (Dark Horse)
Goodnight Punpun by Asano Inio (VIZ Signature / Viz Media)
Sherlock by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Jay (Titan Entertainment)
Cigarette Girl by Masahiko Matsumoto (Top Shelf Productions)
Best Continuing Manga Series for Kids/Teens:
A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Ōima (Kodansha Comics, Crunchyroll Manga)
Fruits Basket: Collector's Edition by Natsuki Takaya (Yen Press)
Noragami: Stray God by Adachitoka (Kodansha Comics)
Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma (Yen Press)
Your Lie in April by Naoshi Arakawa (Kodansha Comi)
Best Continuing Manga Series for Grown-ups:
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida (Viz Media)
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura (Kodansha Comics, Crunchyroll Manga)
Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura (Kodansha Comics)
Inuyashiki by Hiroya Oku (Kodansha Comics, Crunchyroll Manga)
Planetes by Makoto Yukimura (Dark Horse Comics)
Worst Manga for Anyone, Any Age:
Black Clover by Yūki Tabata (Shonen Jump, Viz Media)
Tomodachi x Monster by Yoshihiko Inui (Seven Seas Entertainment)
Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taniguchi (NBM Graich Novels)
Ninja Slayer Kills! by Bradley Bond, Phillip Ninj@ Morrez, Koutaro Sekine (Kodansha Comics)
Servant X Service by Karino Takatsu (Yen Press)
Under-rated but Great Manga (under-the-radar comics worth reading):
Yowamushi Pedal by Wataru Watanabe (Yen Press)
Bleach by Tite Kubo (Shonen Jump, Viz Media)
Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Kiss Him, Not Me! by Junko (Kodansha Comics, Crunchyroll Manga)
Most Anticipated New Manga (licensed for North America release in 2013-2014):
Otherworld Barbara by Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics)
BLAME! by Tsutomu Nihei (Vertical Comics)
Flying Witch by Chihiro Ichizuka (Vertical Comics)
Attack on Titan Anthology by Various (Kodansha Comics)
Ichi-F: A Worker's Graphic Memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant by Kazuto Tatsuta (Kodansha Comics)
ERASED by Kei Sanbe (Yen Press)
Most Wanted Manga (not yet published/licensed in English but should be):
Mob Psycho 100 by ONE – Shogakukan
Koshoku Robot (Solitary Dining Robot) by Hisae Iwaoka (Shueisha)
Hoshi ga Hara Ao Manju no Mori by Hisae Iwaoka (Asahi Sinbunsha)
Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) by Ryōko Kui (Enterbrain)
Giant Killing by Masaya Tsunamoto, Tsujitomo (Kodansha)
Source: Anime News Network