The best comic or manga of 2025? Glow in the Dark Comic Available!

Happy 2025, everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well in these wild times.

I spent last year reading some incredible comics and manga, and I wanted to share one that truly moved me. On 11 O’Clock Comics—one of the best comics podcasts—Vince gave high praise to Tokyo These Days by Taiyo Matsumoto. I love year-end wrap-ups, and this one is worth a listen: https://11oclockcomics.com/2025/01/17/11-oclock-comics-episode-965/

Matsumoto-sensei is a genius. That word gets thrown around a lot, but here, it fits. I fell in love with his work back when Black & White (aka Tekkon Kinkreet) first dropped—Frank Miller-esque chiaroscuro, heavy blacks, raw energy. The Tekkon Kinkreet anime adaptation by Michael Arias? Also phenomenal, with a killer soundtrack by electronica legends Plaid.

So what’s Tokyo These Days? Matsumoto’s latest three-volume epic. It follows a manga editor who, after 30 years in the industry, walks away—well, almost. He loves manga too much to truly quit. His dream? To launch an art-focused manga anthology, featuring legendary creators he’s worked with over the years.

The story weaves through his friendships with these artists:
- The once-brilliant but lost creator struggling to find his spark.
- The young genius so troubled he’s nearly impossible to work with.
- The retired legends he tries to convince to contribute one last time.

It’s a deeply moving, deeply human story about art, passion, and legacy. Matsumoto’s use of silent panels gives the emotions space to breathe. It overwhelmed me. It made me cry—several times. And it reminded me why I create. Because manga, comics, bande dessinée—they’re just so damn cool.

Do yourself a favor: read this book. Buy it. Request it at your local library. Experience it.

Speaking of creating—I'm deep in work on my next project. It’s loosely connected to Break Run, and some characters will make a return. I can’t wait to show you. But not just yet.

In the meantime, if you haven’t read Break Run—the world’s first full-length glow-in-the-dark comic—it’s still available.

Fun fact: Oriana Leckert, Head of Comics Publishing at Kickstarter, used Break Run as an example of standout crowdfunding projects at San Diego Comic-Con 2023! (Shoutout to Melbourne comics legend Shaun Keenan for spotting that moment.)

You can grab a copy here:

https://kingscomics.com/products/break-run-glow-in-the-dark-comic

More soon. Until then—keep reading, keep creating.