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Abrams ComicArts' Kana Licenses Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki's Billy Bat Manga
posted on by Alex Mateo
Urasawa (Pluto, 20th Century Boys) launched the manga in Kodansha's Morning magazine in October 2008. Urasawa drew the series, and Nagazaki collaborated on the story. The manga ended in August 2016. Kodansha published the 20th and final compiled book volume in September 2016.
The manga's story is set in 1949, when Japanese-American comic book artist Kevin Yamagata is drawing the popular "Billy Bat" comic. He thinks he might have unconsciously copied the image of Billy Bat from something he saw while serving in occupied Japan, and returns there to get permission from the creator of the image. Upon arriving there, however, he becomes embroiled in a web of murder, cover-ups, and prophecy that all leads back to Billy Bat.
The manga had been on hiatus multiple times from 2014-2016. The manga also took several hiatuses in 2014. Urasawa switched from a semi-monthly to a weekly schedule in 2012.
Sources: Email correspondence, Abrams Books
