It seems that Titan Comics is starting to publish manga now, and the first publication of Titan Manga will be Afro Samurai. Not exactly new, but a classic still sells. Especially when they put some new content in this edition. It’s the classic example of a director’s cut for a classic.
Director’s Cut Suddenly Gets Literal
Titan Comics is proud to announce their new Titan Manga imprint, which as its name suggests, will publish manga on behalf of Titan Comics. Their first manga will be Afro Samurai by Takashi Okazaki (Summer Wars, Batman Ninja, Star Wars: Visions Episode 1 “The Duel”) to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the anime series of the same name starring Samuel L. Jackson. It won’t be just a reprint either. As its name suggests, Afro Samurai Vol. 1 “Director’s Cut” Edition will feature new content for fans of the original manga. The director’s cut will not only feature remastered art, but also new cover art and a foreword from Takashi Okazaki himself.
“Not only did the AFRO SAMURAI manga have a huge impact on me personally at the time. The aftershock from Okazaki-san’s stone-cold classic is still being felt in today’s anime and manga cultures. Effortlessly cool with beautifully choreographed bloody mayhem – like Kurosawa exploding through a Tarantino lens – it was always going to be our number one choice to launch Titan Comics’ spectacular new Titan Manga imprint.”
Duncan Baizley, Titan Comics
Afro Samurai Vol. 1 “Director’s Cut” Edition will go on sale on July 26, 2022 for a retail price of $19.99. You can preorder it now on Amazon. If you live in the UK or Europe though, you can preorder it on Forbidden Planet.
Afro Samurai Vol. 1 “Director’s Cut” Edition ~ Details
For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about: Afro Samurai is an action, period piece, postapocalyptic manga by Takashi Okazaki. It got a 5-episode anime adaptation by Gonzo back on January 4, 2007; and starred Samuel L. Jackson in the lead role as Afro. Both manga and anime alike got generally positive reviews from critics. Mostly due to the ridiculously bloody action scenes and the quirky story. Seriously, this is a pretty bloody story. These preview pages should tell you that.
The synopsis for Afro Samurai Vol. 1 “Director’s Cut” Edition from Titan Comics tells us more about the story, and of course, our hero Afro. Check it out below:
“Inspired by Okazaki-san’s love of hip hop music and American pop culture, the story, set in a feudal futuristic Japan, follows the young Afro Samurai who witnesses his father, the holder of the No.1 headband, being challenged and killed by the No.2 – a lethal gunslinger named Justice. Swearing revenge, he starts off on a bloody path of retribution that will eventually make him the No.2 warrior and lead to a final dramatic face-off with his father’s killer.
In this first of two volumes, we see the beginnings of young Afro’s quest, his battles with an array of assassins and warlords, that climaxes in the epic confrontation with the powerful Empty Seven Clan and a showdown with an old enemy…”
Source: Amazon, Forbidden Planet
