Manga: The Complete Guide

First published in 2007 by Del Rey Manga, Manga: The Complete Guide was created by Jason Thompson to address the lack of comprehensive English-language resources for the rapidly expanding manga market. Thompson, an experienced editor and critic, sought to document the vast landscape of manga series available in North America at the time, providing plot summaries, character insights, and critical ratings for hundreds of titles. This effort effectively became the standard reference work for librarians, retailers, and fans navigating the industry's significant growth during the mid-2000s.

The book is notable for its rigorous and occasionally opinionated critical approach, which helped establish a standard for evaluating manga as a literary and artistic medium rather than just a commercial product. The design prioritizes utility, utilizing a structured A-to-Z index format that allows readers to easily cross-reference different genres and authors. Upon its release, it was widely praised by critics and the library community for its breadth and authority, eventually leading to a thoroughly revised and expanded edition in 2012 that reflected the evolving landscape of digital releases and new licensing trends.