As previously announced, this year's fourth issue of Monthly Sunday GX featured major announcements for Rei Hiroe's written and illustrated manga, Black Lagoon. The first of them indicated that the twelfth compiled volume will be released next summer in Japan.
This will be the first compilation volume that the main literary franchise will launch after almost three years of inactivity, as the eleventh was released in Japan in November 2018. It was also announced that a picture book will be released in the same period, which will be available in standard and special editions with benefits included. Additionally, there will be the first large-scale art show this summer to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary, as well as a collaboration with the GX Calendar Girl line of calendars, which will include special illustrations by various manga authors.
The magazine also included two special illustrations to commemorate this 20th anniversary of the franchise, the one on the left was done by the author of Detective Conan (Meitantei Conan), while the one on the right was done by the author of the franchise, Rei. Hiroe.
Furthermore, Hiroe began publishing the manga in Shogakukan publisher's Monthly Sunday GX magazine in April 2002. The publisher published the eleventh compiled volume in November 2018. The work inspired a twelve-episode anime adaptation produced by the Madhouse Studios, directed and scripts written by Sunao Katabuchi, released in April 2006. A second season, also of twelve episodes, was released in October 2006.
Synopsis of Black Lagoon
The story follows a team of mercenaries known as the "Lagoon Company", who smuggle goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia. Their base of operations is in the fictional city of Roanapur in Thailand, and they transport goods on the Black Lagoon ship. Lagoon Company does business with several clients, but has a particularly friendly relationship with the Russian crime syndicate, “Hotel Moscow”. The team takes on a variety of missions, which can involve violent gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and nautical battles, in various locations in Southeast Asia.
Source: Comic Natalie
© 広 江 礼 威 (著) / SHOGAKUKAN 小学 館
