Marvel Comics is expanding its manga business through a new joint project with KADOKAWA while its long-running licensing arrangement with Shueisha ends. The KADOKAWA project's first wave includes Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen manga set to serialize on Kadocomi within 2026.
Marvel's Japanese publishing relationships rearranged over 2026. In June, Marvel announced a 25th anniversary project for its Marvel Mangaverse line: five one-shot comics releasing weekly in September, with Yuji Kaku, known for Hell's Paradise, providing covers for all issues. The titles are Web of Blood, Iron Knight, Arcane Avengers, Ghostlocke, and Web of Destiny.
In July, Shueisha announced its contract with Walt Disney Japan to publish manga adaptations of Marvel characters ends on September 30. Five series will be pulled from digital storefronts between September 28 and 30, and physical volumes stop selling, though existing store stock remains available while supplies last and digital copies already purchased remain accessible.
In October, at the MARVEL FANFARE panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 on Saturday, July 25, Marvel and KADOKAWA announced a joint project, MARVEL | KADOKAWA. Its first wave includes two manga: Spider-Man (working title) by tokitokoro and Spider-Gwen (working title) by Ryusei Yamada. Both begin serialization on the manga site Kadocomi within 2026, with print volumes planned afterward. The Spider-Man manga follows Haruto Hachidori, a male high school student in Shibuya who acquires an unknown spider ability. The Spider-Gwen manga centers on Gwen Stacy, an ordinary high school student who plays drums in the band Mary Janes. Concept art shows Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen alongside Daredevil and the Punisher. Five titles are scheduled to be announced sequentially as the project's first wave.
The throughline is a shift in how Marvel's characters reach Japanese manga readers: the Shueisha licensed adaptations end, and KADOKAWA, previously a publisher of Marvel art books and translated books, moves into co-developed original Marvel manga on its own platform.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
1h ago
KADOKAWA and Marvel Comics announced the launch of a joint project, "MARVEL | KADOKAWA," at the MARVEL FANFARE panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The first wave includes two manga: "Spider-Man (working title)" by tokitokoro and "Spider-Gwen (working title)" by Ryusei Yamada. Both works will begin serialization on the manga site Kadocomi within 2026, with print volumes planned afterward. The Spider-Man manga follows Haruto Hachidori, a male high school student living in Shibuya who suddenly acquires an unknown spider ability, and the Spider-Gwen manga centers on Gwen Stacy, an ordinary high school student who plays drums in the band Mary Janes. Concept art released with the announcement shows Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen alongside Daredevil and the Punisher. Five titles are scheduled to be announced sequentially as the project's first wave.
Jul 1
Shueisha announced its contract with Walt Disney Japan to publish manga adaptations of Marvel characters will end on September 30. The publisher will remove five series from digital storefronts between September 28 and 30 and stop selling physical volumes. Existing stock in stores remains available while supplies last.
Jun 11
Marvel Comics announced a 25th anniversary project for its Marvel Mangaverse series, releasing five one-shot comics weekly in September. Manga artist Yuji Kaku, known for Hell's Paradise, will provide covers for all issues. The titles include Web of Blood, Iron Knight, Arcane Avengers, Ghostlocke, and Web of Destiny.