Author: Kenji Kuroda
Manga-ka: Kazuo Maekawa
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: May 2011
Synopsis: “Mystery and intrigue, crime and punishment, uncovering the truth—all in a day’s work for the ace defense attorney Phoenix Wright and his beautiful assistant Maya Fey. Based on the hit game series, Ace Attorney brings new adventures to the games’ colorful cast. Can Nick successfully swing the gavel of justice or will he be crushed by the weight of incriminating evidence?”
Finding manga based on a pre-established work that can cater well to newcomers and existing fans alike is not an easy feat. It’s no surprise really – (in this case) the games already exist to cultivate fans after all; other mediums are more a way to feed said-fans more of what they want and make some money while doing it. All the same, this Phoenix Wright manga does a great job easing in new readers. It helps a lot that it doesn’t throw in every big-name character in the first go. The fact that the majority of the characters here in the first volume are entirely forgettable, despite being mainstay personalities, actually works a lot in its favour too.