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Punch Up! Vol. 1

Book #1 of Punch Up!
Published by Oni Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

A 2023 ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children
A 2024 CBC Children’s Favorites Winner

From New York Times best-selling cartoonist Zachary Sterling (Adventure Time, Mabuhay) comes an all-ages, shonen manga-style adventure for fans of Naruto and Dragon Ball Z!

Young orphan Pitch has big dreams of traveling to the city and competing in the Wide Plains Fighting Tournament. He also harbors a secret wish—to be trained by aging competitor Sonny Chan. Can Pitch make it in a big city filled with unsavory types that want to do him harm? And is Emperor Jayson, host of the fighting tournament, one of those people? Will Sonny decide to act decent . . . for once? Find out in this exciting blast of battle energy from up-and-coming cartoonist Zachary Sterling!

About The Author

Zachary Sterling is a Filipino American, New York Times bestselling illustrator, sequential artist and designer based in Portland, Oregon. His latest works include writing/illustrating his middle-grade fantasy and slice of life graphic novel Mabuhay! for Scholastic's Graphix imprint, and his shounen-western hybrid battle manga Punch Up! for Oni Press. Formerly the artist on BOOM! Studio's Adventure Time graphic novels and prop designer on the Bee and Puppycat cartoon. He studied at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the Art Institute of Portland, and interned at Helioscope Studio (formerly Periscope Studio).

Product Details

  • Publisher: Oni Press (August 29, 2023)
  • Length: 146 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781637152171
  • Ages: 8 - 99

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Raves and Reviews

"Each bombastic battle is full of Power Rangers–type villains, in all their cheesy costumed glory, and uplifting moments that demonstrate the young man’s chief traits of optimism, impulsiveness, and guts. [...] This light, bloodless, shounen-inspired fighting series debut delivers a power fantasy for younger comic fans."

School Library Journal

“Dynamic… should appeal directly to fans of martial arts manga and anime.”

– IGN

...a perfect expression of the battle manga genre…the perfect choice for anyone who likes action.”

– ScreenRant

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More books in this series: Punch Up!