Marvel Entertainment and VIZ Media Strike Deal

Yes, you read that correctly. Marvel Entertainment will be partnering with VIZ Media to bring fans of manga and comic books together.

The pandemic has crushed a lot of industries, however, publishing has experienced a boom in sales throughout the lockdown even during weeks when sales were reported as low according to AP.

It’s no surprise that graphic novels and YA (young adult) books are selling like hotcakes. Kids love reading in volumes and manga and graphic novels gives readers the perfect balance of storytelling and art.

As more kids increase their libraries with manga, it’s not surprising that Marvel or any publisher that wants to reach kids wouldn’t try for a manga crossover.

Here’s the official press release:

SAN FRANCISO, CA, April 22, 2021—Marvel Comics and VIZ Media will collaborate for the first time to deliver the moment of super hero fans’ dreams – the wildly popular characters from the world of Marvel meet manga! This collaboration includes a range of manga and books and will launch this coming Fall 2021.

The first exciting title from Marvel and VIZ will be Marvel Meow, written and drawn by artist Nao Fuji. First seen on Marvel’s official Instagram comic strips, Marvel Meow will feature 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 –all becoming the playthings of this capricious cat!

Later next year, Marvel and VIZ will publish a must-have for every Deadpool fan: Deadpool: Samurai! When the Merc with a Mouth found himself in feudal Japan partaking in samurai battles in the manga one-shot Deadpool: Samurai last year, fans agreed that the mash-up demanded more, leading Shonen Jump+ to announce an ongoing Deadpool series. For the first time ever, this popular series will be translated into English as part of this new publishing series, written by Sanshirou Kasama and drawn by Hikaru Uesugi.

“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.” Sarah Fairhall, VIZ Editorial Director

“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. 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.” Sven Larsen, Vice President of Licensed Publishing, Marvel.

Marvel Meow by Nao Fuji will publish October 12, 2021, followed by Deadpool: Samurai by writer Sanshirou Kasama and artist Hikaru Uesugi, out February, 2022, and Secret Reverse by the world’s most successful manga and card game creator of all time, Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Kazuki Takahashi coming in summer, 2022, with more exciting titles to follow.

We can’t wait to read the first copy of Marvel Meow!