Manga titans, assemble! A special collaboration between VIZ Media and Marvel Comics will see some of the biggest Japanese names coming together to bring their unique spin to the latter’s iconic characters.
Titled Marvel Comics: A Manga Tribute, the project was announced at this year’s New York Comic Con (NYCC), and will feature illustrations from over twenty well-known Japanese artists, including Q Hayashida (Dorohedoro), Yoshida Amano (Final Fantasy), and Yusuke Murata (One-Punch Man). The collection is slated for release sometime in Summer 2023, with a focus on exploring “Marvel’s rich and enduring legacy as a pop-culture phenomenon by paying homage to its most iconic characters and beloved stories.”
Murata, in particular, is a great pick for the collaboration — the man is, after all, known for his Spider-Man art, having done several covers and posters for the beloved webslinger. In fact, his drawings of the character tend to trend every couple of months on Twitter, so it’s only natural that Marvel has brought him along the ride.
The full list of the artists includes Akira Himekawa, Chika Ogaki, Gurihiru, Hachi Ishie, Haruhiko Mikimoto, Hiroyuki Imaishi, Kamome Shirahama, Katsuya Terada, Kazuki Takahashi, Ken Niimura, Kia Asamiya, Mizuki Sakakibara, Peach Momoko, Q Hayashida, Sana Takeda, Shigeto Koyama, Shou Tajima, Studio Nadegata Circus, Takashi Okazaki, Yasuhiro Nightow, Yoshitaka Amano, Yūsuke Kozaki, Yusuke Murata.
Marvel Comics: A Manga Tribute wasn’t the only Marvel manga project announced at NYCC. In addition to Spider-Man Fake Red, which stars a new Spider-Man who isn’t Peter Parker, there’s also Wolverine: Snikt! lined up for 2023. Helmed by Tsutomu Nihei (Knights of Sidonia), the latter work puts Wolverine in a wasteland, where he must fight the robotic beings responsible for the near-eradication of humanity. The former, meanwhile, will be written and illustrated by Yusuke Osawa (The Poetry of Ran).
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Natalie
Trinity Sun
