Paradise Kiss part 1

Outer space, the far future.

Knights of Sidonia

by Tsutomu Nihei

Graphic Novel/Manga
Paperback, approx. 180 pages, 5 x 7 inches
vol. 1 978-1-935654-80-3 Buy.
vol. 2 978-1-935654-81-0 Buy.
vol. 3 978-1-935654-82-7 Buy.
vol. 4 978-1-935654-89-6 Buy.
vol. 5 978-1-935654-99-5 Buy.
vol. 6 978-1-932234-91-6 Buy.
vol. 7 978-1-939130-02-0 Buy.
vol. 8 978-1-939130-21-1 Buy.
vol. 9 978-1-939130-22-8 Buy.
vol. 10 978-1-939130-90-7 Buy.
vol. 11 978-1-939130-91-4 Buy.
vol. 12 978-1-939130-99-0 Buy.
vol. 13 978-1-941220-32-0 Buy.
vol. 14 978-1-941220-86-3 Buy.
vol. 15 978-1-942993-13-1 Buy.
U.S.$12.95 / CAN$13.95

“CORE EXPOSED”

Outer space, the far future.

A lone seed ship, the Sidonia, plies the void, ten centuries since the obliteration of the solar system. The massive, nearly indestructible, yet barely sentient alien life forms that destroyed humanity’s home world continue to pose an existential threat.

Nagate Tanikaze has only known life in the vessel’s bowels deep below the sparkling strata where humans have achieved photosynthesis and new genders. Not long after he emerges from the Underground, however, the youth is bequeathed a treasured legacy by the spaceship’s coolheaded female captain.

Meticulously drawn, peppered with clipped humor, but also unusually attentive to plot and structure for the international cult favorite, Knights of Sidonia may be Tsutomu Nihei’s most accessible work to date even as it hits notes of tragic grandeur as a hopeless struggle for survival unfolds.

Tsutomu Nihei is an internationally known Japanese comic artist and draftsman. Born in 1971, Nihei made his debut in the comics world as the winner of the 1995 Afternoon Magazine Four Seasons Award for short stories. He then briefly worked as an assistant to veteran comicker Tsutomu Takahashi before making his break-through hit BLAME! (Tokyopop).

The BLAME! franchise was so well received worldwide, that it inspired an animated mini-series and eventually drew the attention of Marvel Comics in the US. Nihei would later go on to draw Wolverine (X-Men) and HALO comics for Marvel to great fanfare. An architectural student, Nihei's early work were mainly wordless, relying on visuals and backgrounds to tell their stories. Now, his works are deeply rooted in hard science-fiction, as was seen in the multiple NY Times Bestselling books HALO: The Graphic Novel (published by Marvel Comics) and BIOmega (published by Viz Media).

"One of Knights of Sidonia's chief strengths is that it doesn't bog down the intrigue of its world with too much unnecessary, bloated dialogue...It's definitely a solid pick-up for Vertical; there's not really anything else in their catalog like it. Dig into the first volume and see if Nihei's gorgeously depicted wreck of a sci-fi future doesn't secure an immediately tight grip." —Otaku USA

"Compelling, subtle, spectacular and even funny, [Knights of Sidonia] is a yarn no adventure aficionados or sci-fi fanatics should miss." —Now Read This!

"With strong, bold line work, an eye for detail and a fantastic sense for world-building, Knights of Sidonia is a science-fiction story with some intriguing twists on those well-worn story tropes... Nihei's thoughtful treatment and measured approach to his artwork makes this a whole new experience" —NEO Magazine (U.K.)

"Knights of Sidonia is off to a solid start with its first volume...All in all it’s a promising and entertaining offering and one that’s left me chomping at the bit for the next volume." —Comic Book Resources

Praise for Tsutomu Nihei:

"Tsutomu Nihei has been knocking on America's door for ages now. Tokyopop released his ten-volume epic "Blame!," pronounced "blam" like a gunshot, and its prequel, "Noise" in the United States. In 2006, he earned a coveted spot in the amazingly awesome (and financially successful) "Halo Graphic Novel," standing shoulder to shoulder with superstar artists like Moebius, Simon Bisley, and Geof Darrow, among others."—Comics Alliance