VIZ Media`s New Digital Manga Offerings for Late January

Catch the Digital Debut of Osamu Tezuka’s Manga Masterpiece Phoenix and Special Print Weekly Shonen Jump Jump Pack Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: VIZManga.com Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen

VIZ Media has detailed a host of new digital manga offerings as well as an update to the digital Weekly Shonen Jump Starter Pack to kick off the second-half of January. A new Weekly Shonen Jump Jump Pack, combining a 3-month Weekly Shonen Jump digital subscription, YU-GI-OH! Collectible Card, and print edition sneak peek of series featured in the anthology, is also now available in stores. Casual and die-hard fans alike won’t want to miss the host of new digital manga updates available scheduled to debut today and January 28th on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, Android-powered smart phones and 7” tablets. The digital manga titles are also available on the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay stores, and readers can now explore and enjoy a wide range of new and classic series that spans more than 2,000 volumes across 170 different series. An update to the popular and free Weekly Shonen Jump Starter Pack is also available at VIZManga.com; no subscription or purchase is necessary. The update also includes the first chapter of the new All You Need is Kill manga, by acclaimed creator Takeshi Obata (artist for Death Note and more), based on the bestselling novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. With the Weekly Shonen Jump Starter Pack, manga fans can get up-to-date on all current series featured in the world’s most popular weekly manga magazine before diving into the latest issue. Weekly Shonen Jump carries the latest installments of some of the world’s most popular manga series including One Piece, Naruto Shippuden, Nisekoi, Bleach, Toriko, and World Trigger, released digitally by VIZ Media each week to English readers on the same day as their general release in Japan. For more information on Weekly Shonen Jump and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit shonenjump.viz.com.

Also new for the second-half of January is the Weekly Shonen Jump Jump Pack, which gives Shonen Jump fans an ideal way to access all of the publication’s great manga, secure collectable YU-GI-OH! cards, and gain access to 3 months of digital Weekly Shonen Jump content in one convenient location. The first full issue for 2014 is now available, and features a YU-GI-OH! "Archfiend Commander" Card along with a chance to win an extra “Slifer: The Sky Dragon” card. Complete details are contained in the new issue. The Jump Pack is rated ‘T’ for Teens, carries an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN, and is available exclusively through retailers serviced by Diamond Comic Distributors. Interested fans should check with their local comics retailer for availability. The second-half of January also sees the digital debut of Osamu Tezuka’s legendary manga masterwork Phoenix, as well as updates to 17 other popular ongoing manga series, including the exciting conclusion to the action series Black Cat, and new multi-volume updates to other series including Baby & Me, Boys Over Flowers, Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M, Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya), Muhyo & Roji`s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, Skip Beat!, and Yuyu Hakusho. Phoenix Vol. 1 • Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens • MSRP: $10.99 (U.S. / CAN) Considered by many to be the peak of Osamu Tezuka`s artistic achievement and called his "life`s work" by the author, Phoenix is composed of twelve complex stories linked by the presence of the mythical bird, an immortal guardian of the universal life force.

Read in order, the separate stories jump across time, alternating between a distant future and a distant past, converging on the present, with characters from one story being reincarnated in another. With grand historical sweep, the self-contained opening volume of Osamu Tezuka`s acclaimed Phoenix saga gives an epic account of the human spirit in a time of chaos and warfare, where would-be warrior Nagi and his crew struggle against the elements, invaders, and history itself. The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks and GooglePlay Stores. All manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from $6.99 (U.S. / CAN) each and readers can also explore all titles with free Chapter 1 previews of every series. For more information, please visit VIZManga.com. Download the free VIZ Manga App for Android and iOS devices at VIZ.com/apps.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan`s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology Shonen Jump magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at viz.com.