A recent report from industry analysts at ICv2 indicates that the manga market only grew about 5% last year. While any industry growth is still a good thing, it's a far cry from the sort of explosive numbers we've seen manga hit in previous years.

Faces being cut off victims and Bruce Wayne being haunted by a deathly Batman in his dreams. That's what fans of DC's Caped Crusader will get if they pick up Batman: Death Mask, a new anime miniseries that doubles as the American comics debut of acclaimed Japanese creator Yoshinori Natsume, if the just-released preview pages are anything to go by.

Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), creator of Astro Boy and over 700 manga series, is often called the God of Comics or the Disney of the East. But neither title acknowledges the mark he's left on science fiction. For decades, Tezuka's works weren't accessible to the non-Japanese-reading public. At last, a handful of publishers is actively translating and releasing some of Tezuka's lesser known titles into English.

Learn how to draw using digital and traditional methods of all types. From digital painting to drawing manga characters, this site has the tutorials you need.