Marvel has a long, interesting relationship with Japan and Japanese fans, and now it’s time for Japanese creators to show us western Marvel fans what superheroes look like to them. Marvel has teamed up with manga and anime publisher VIZ to release some of the best Marvel stories created by Japanese manga writers and artists.
Marvel’s first collaboration with VIZ will be Nao Fuji’s Marvel Meow, set to release on October 12, 2021. These comic strips first appeared on Marvel’s Instagram, and they follow the adventures of Captain Marvel’s cat, Chewie, “as she wreaks havoc in the lives of Marvel’s most popular characters: Spider-Man and Iron Man, formidable villains Thanos and Galactus, and the whimsical antihero, Deadpool.” For a preview, check out this Instagram post in which the mischievous feline harasses Groot and Rocket.
Next up from Marvel Japan is Deadpool: Samurai, releasing in February 2022. It started as a one-shot manga, but as with everything Deadpool-related, fans wanted more. Marvel obliged by launching an on-going Deadpool: Samurai series, written by Sanshiro Kasama and drawn by Hikaru Uesugi, in ShounenJump+.
“Much like VIZ’s iconic characters, Marvel heroes are universally beloved and VIZ is excited to bring their adventures to readers in a new way. Our collaboration will include English editions of several Shonen Jump manga titles, as well as some all-new publishing and ShoPro’s Marvel Meow,” said VIZ Editorial Director Sarah Fairhall in an official statement.
“Marvel has had a long history of telling stories in new and compelling ways, and Viz is the perfect partner to help us continue that path,” added Marvel Vice President of Licensed Publishing Sven Larsen. “Viz is best-in-class for its unforgettable stories, and after the massive success of last year’s Deadpool manga, we’re thrilled to now be working with them to bring our iconic characters to even more manga fans everywhere.”
Along with these two, Marvel also has a story called Secret Reverse on the way in summer 2022, which has Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi offering up his take on Marvel characters like Spider-Man and Iron Man.
