Super Manga Blast! #14

A big orange tabby cat takes center stage on this charming cover by Makoto Kobayashi, while a lively parade of humans and fellow felines — including a calico and a yellow cat — scrambles along behind him in cheerful chaos. This 128-page 2001 anthology from Dark Horse packs in four series: Shadow Star, Seraphic Feather, Club 9, and What's Michael?, whose irresistible star clearly owns the spotlight here. It's a terrific sampler of manga variety, and Michael's laid-back, wide-eyed confidence makes it very hard to put back on the shelf.