Kodansha Comics Unifies Stateside Brand in New Deal
Kodansha Comics is perhaps most recognized for printing Hajime Isayama's dark fantasy series, [...]
Kodansha Comics is perhaps most recognized for printing Hajime Isayama's dark fantasy series, Attack On Titan, which will be ending its manga run next month, and the publishers recently released a statement that they have unveiled a new website, as well as uniting their various brands under one new banner. With the publishers also responsible for the likes of Sailor Moon, Edens Zero, Fairy Tail, and To Your Eternity, it's clear that even though the adventures of the Survey Corps might be ending, the publisher isn't looking to stop its momentum any time soon.
For those not familiar with the past of Kodansha, the company was established in 1939, acting as a counterpart to Shonen Jump when it came to publishing some of the biggest manga currently running in Japan. With Attack On Titan slated to end in April, easily being one of the most popular series that the comic publishers currently have in their roster, it will definitely be interesting to see what series is able to take the reins left behind by the departure of Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and their fellow Eldians.
Kodansha made the following official announcement regarding a number of their different lines uniting under the banner of Kodansha Manga And Books:
"Today we announced the next phase of Kodansha's English-language publishing program, by debuting a new look and launching our brand-new website, kodansha.us, that spotlights not only the Kodansha manga you know and love but also highlights all of Kodansha's award-winning and fan-favorite English-language, novels, cookbooks, craft guides, historical/cultural literature, and more. With this launch we are entering a new era of Kodansha, bringing in all titles from Kodansha Comics, Kodansha USA International, and Vertical under a unified Kodansha."
Kodansha certainly is aiming to send out Attack On Titan with a bang, having recently revealed that they will be releasing a giant-sized volume of the manga collecting the first two chapters of the series. The new volume will retail for around $1500 USD, so this will definitely be a collector's item for fans looking to round out their Titan collections.
What do you think of this big change for the comic publishers that regularly rival Weekly Shonen Jump? What series of publishers do you think will take the reins once Attack On Titan comes to a close? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of manga.