The popular manga and anime series Attack on Titan isn't just a smash hit in Japan. It's also one of the most popular pieces of Japanese pop culture to find a real audience in the West, as is evident by the recent American release of the live-action Attack on Titan movies. But while Attack on Titan was born in Japan, American comic creators will soon have the chance to add their own contributions to the ongoing Attack on Titan saga.
Coming in the fall of 2016 from Kodansha Comics, Attack on Titan Anthology will be a 250-page, full-color collection of original stories from some of America's top comic creators. The book will include stories that range from five to 25 pages, sized like American comics and coming with pin-up art.
As for the creators, they are some of the biggest names in the business. Acclaimed Batman writer Scott Snyder will be penning a story, as will Gail Simone. Other creators working on the book are Brenden Fletcher, Tomer & Asaf Hanuka, Faith Erin Hicks, Kate Leth & Jeremy Lambert, Michael Oeming, Afua Richardson, Paolo Rivera ,Damion Scott, Cameron Stewart, Babs Tarr, Genevieve Valentine, Kevin Wada and Ronald Wimberly.
"We're trying to create a book with a wide variety of stories, so I want to start with what the creators are interested in doing and go from there," said Ben Applegate – associate director of publishing services for Random House Publishers Services, who oversees the editorial team at Kodansha Comics – to Comic Book Resources.
"So far, we've got a few serious stories in the Titan continuity, a few stories involving Titans in new settings, and a few completely off-the-wall comedy pieces."
Comic Book Resources also has an exclusive look at some of the artwork that will be featured in the book, so be sure to head over there and check it out.
Attack on Titan tells the story of a group of young men and women who enlist in their city's defense forces in order to fight the horrifying threat of the Titans — massive, disturbing creatures that exist only to feast on humans. Over the course of the story, it becomes apparent that more is going on with the Titans than meets the eye — though saying much more would be entering spoiler territory. It's an intense, bloody and emotional journey, whether in anime or manga form. The live-action movies... not so much.
But 2016 is already shaping up to be a great year for Attack on Titan fans. Along with Attack on Titan Anthology, a new Attack on Titan game for PlayStation 4 will be released, as will the long-awaited second season of the anime.
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