A wide-ranging introductory guide for readers making their first steps into the world of manga, this book helps readers explore the full range of Japanese comic styles, forms and traditions from its earliest texts to the internationally popular comics of the 21st century. In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book covers the history of Japanese comics, from influences in early visual culture to the global 'Manga Boom' of the 1990s to the present; case studies of texts reflecting the range of themes, genres, forms and creators, including Osamu Tezuka, Machiko Hasegawa and Katsuhiro Otomo; key themes and contexts - from gender and sexuality, to history and censorship; and critical approaches to manga, including definitions, biography and reception and global publishing contexts. The book includes a bibliography of essential critical writing on manga, discussion questions for classroom use and a glossary of key critical terms.