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Manga artist Peach Momoko was discovered for the Western comic book market by Grant Morrison when they were Editor-In-Chief of Heavy Metal Magazine. She has especially earned accolades and massive fan attention – sometimes a little over keen – including her recent work as an exclusive artist for Marvel Comics. But next summer it looks like she will be bringing a few of her Japanese peers along for the ride. July will see Viz Comics publish Marvel Comics: A Manga Tribute, a hardcover volume that will include stories and artwork, not just from Peach Momoko but also from:
- Yasuhiro Nightow, creator of Trigun, character designer for Gungrave, and currently working on the manga Blood Blockade Battlefront.
- Akira Himekawa, the pen name of two women artists known for their work on The Dragon Dreams of Twilight, Astro Boy and The Legend of Zelda manga series
- Yusuke Murata, best known for drawing the manga One-Punch Man, serialized in the Weekly Young Jump, and the American football manga Eyeshield 21.
- Yoshitaka Amano, creator of manga characters such as Gatchaman, Tekkaman, Honeybee Hutch, and Casshern, worked on manga series such as The Guin Saga and Vampire Hunter D and drew Sandman: The Dream Hunters written by Neil Gaiman.
- Shigeto Koyama, animator who is best known as the designer of Baymax for Big Hero 6.
- Sana Takeda, best known for drawing the comic Monstress from Image Comics, as well as X-23 and Drain.
- Kamome Shirahama, creator of the Witch Hat Atelier manga series, designer for Star Wars Visions: The Elder.
Totalling twenty Japanese artists. here is the current listing for the volume, planned for the 18th of July, 2023. “Japanese artists celebrate the phenomenon that is the Marvel Universe! Experience a fresh take on the Marvel Universe with this collection of stunning illustrations from over twenty exceptional Japanese artists, including Yasuhiro Nightow, Akira Himekawa, Peach Momoko, Yusuke Murata, and Yoshida Amano. Marvel Comics: A Tribute explores Marvel’s rich and enduring legacy as a pop-culture phenomenon by paying homage to its most iconic characters and beloved stories. The book features a range of unique artwork, collected for the first time, celebrating characters from across the multiverse. A must-have for fans of Marvel Comics and Japanese art alike!”
Viz Media will also be collecting and reprinting Wolverine: Snikt by Tsutomu Nihei, first published in 2003 as part of Bill Jemas‘ Tsunami imprint at Marvel which only lasted five issues, in June 2023. “Tsutomu Nihei takes Wolverine to a desolate new dimension in Wolverine: Snikt! Wolverine stands as the lone hope of the few remaining humans in a desolate wasteland as they fight to survive against robotic organisms. Will he manage to save the day and keep his own humanity, or will he lose himself to his berserker rage and bring on extinction? In 2003, fresh off the success of his hit series Blame!, star manga creator Tsutomu Nihei connected with Marvel Comics, writing and drawing the limited series Wolverine: Snikt! Bringing his signature style to bear on the iconic X-Man, Nihei took Wolverine to a darker, more terrifying dimension, presented here in a deluxe edition.”
And Spider-Man: Fake Red, the Japanese Spider-Man manga starring Yu Onomae, serialised in 2020 by Yusuke Osawa. “There’s a new Spider-Man in town! And he’s got a lot to learn about being a hero! When an awkward teenager puts on Spider-Man’s suit, he quickly learns that being a hero isn’t all photo ops and social media likes. Yu’s new high school is kind of awful. He’s failing his classes and striking out socially. Everything changes when he finds one of Spider-Man’s costumes abandoned in an alleyway. At first, it’s fun to put on the costume and play hero, but when powerful enemies start to appear, Yu quickly realizes he’s out of his element. Still, with Spider-Man nowhere to be found, the city needs someone to save it…”
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