After
a seven-month absence, the popular Black Lagoon manga,
created by Rei Hiroe, will make its long-awaited return in the
upcoming issue of Shogakukan's Sunday GX magazine,
which will be released on July 18 (Japan local time, UTC+9 / UTC+2 in
Spain).
The new
chapter will not only mark the return of the series, but will also be on the
cover of the magazine and will feature a color opening page,
promising to be a standout release for fans who have patiently followed this
action-crime story.
A
history of pauses and returns
The manga
has had a trajectory marked by frequent pauses since 2010. Its last
three chapters were published in May, August,
and December 2024, so this reappearance continues a pattern of
sporadic, but celebrated, postings.
Black
Lagoon debuted
on Monthly Sunday GX in 2002, and to date has 13
compilation volumes. The most recent was published in December 2023. Viz
Media is handling distribution in North America, releasing volume 13
on December 17.
Spin-offs
and legacy in anime
In addition
to the main series, Black Lagoon has spawned several
spin-offs. Among them is Sawyer the Cleaner - Dismemberment! Gore
Gore Girl, illustrated by Tatsuhiko Ida since
September 2019, and Black Lagoon Eda: Initial Stage,
by Hajime Yamamura, which debuted in April 2022.
The
franchise also features animated adaptations produced by Madhouse,
including two television series in 2006 and the OVA Roberta's Blood
Trail in 2010. These versions were originally distributed on DVD
in North America by Geneon (2007–2008) and reissued by Funimation on Blu-ray
and DVD in 2012 and 2015.
Other
projects by Rei Hiroe
Outside of
the Black Lagoon universe, Hiroe was the original creator of
the Re:CREATORS anime (2017), where he was also involved in
character design and scripts. In 2019, he launched the manga 341
Sentōdan (341 RMR Battlegroup) in Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine.
With its
return to Black Lagoon, fans can expect a new dose of stylized
violence, charismatic characters, and unbridled action, which has made this
work a modern classic of seinen manga.
