TOKYOPOP Summons Armageddon This Fall with the Launch of Trinity Blood

Manga Series Hits Retail Shelves November 2006 First Pop Fiction Novel Series Arrives April 2007 Second Pop Fiction Novel Series Follows August 2007

Los Angeles, CA (October 31, 2006) - TOKYOPOP, the leader of the Global Manga Revolution, is sending out shockwaves with the release of the most anticipated franchise to assault the anime, manga, and literary universes: The Trinity Blood manga series launches in November 2006 with the Pop Fiction novel series Trinity Blood: Rage Against the Moons and Trinity Blood: Reborn on the Mars, the source material for the hit anime franchise, debuting in April and August 2007, respectively. All three series follow the recent launch of the mega-popular Trinity Blood anime on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Set in a distant future after most of the world has been destroyed, Trinity Blood chronicles the disturbing conflict between the Vatican and vampires, with an intricately layered plot that weaves in centuries-old conspiracy theories, otherworldly mythos, and an underlying paranoia that casts a darkness in which the most nightmarish acts occur.

Disarmingly lucid yet eerily fantastic, the franchise's intriguing lore is further fueled by its creator's sudden, mysterious death. The creation of the Trinity Blood series was the work of Sunao Yoshida, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 34 with the novel not finished.

Kentaro Yasui--a friend of Sunao Yoshida and author of the Ragnarok novels--was asked to continue the storyline. Both the manga and novel series were completed by Yasui, with novel illustrations by Thores Shibamoto and manga illustrations by Kiyo Kyujo, based on Shibamoto's design.

According to TOKYOPOP editor, Kara Stambach, "We are ecstatic to be able to bring the Trinity Blood manga and novels--the basis for the enormously popular anime--to English-speaking audiences for the first time. The books' intricate art, complex characters, and charged, fast-paced, no-holds-barred storytelling promise Trinity Blood fans nothing short of a wild ride!"

About the Books:

The Manga Series: Trinity Blood
In this gorgeous, seven volume gothic-action manga series, Armageddon has given rise to the fabled Second Moon--and a perpetual war between the vampires and the humans. Esther is a nun in the city of Istavan.

When she crosses paths with Abel Nightroad, a priest sent from the Vatican to combat the local order of vampires, the two form a holy alliance to battle the most evil of threats: Gyula, the leader of the vampires.

The Pop Fiction Novel Series: Trinity Blood: Rage Against the Moons In this suspenseful six volume novel series, the war between humans and vampires rages on, playing out in a power struggle between two factions: the Vatican and the New Human Empire. A secret group of vampire extremists manipulate the two factions, pitting them against each other to ensure the war escalates. A Vatican special ops group led by Cardinal Caterina must use everything it can--even a Crusnik, a vampire who preys on the blood of other vampires--to protect the peace effort.

The Pop Fiction Novel Series: Trinity Blood: Reborn on the Mars In this second set of Trinity Blood novels, a stunning series comprising six volumes, Abel and his love interest, Esther, are caught up in the brutal war between the New Human Empire and The Kingdom of Albion!

ABOUT TOKYOPOP
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com reading its books, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.