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ShoPro Books' Contract to Publish Marvel Comics in Japan Ends on March 31
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
Sho-Pro Books (Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions) announced on Friday that its contract to publish Marvel Comics titles in Japanese will end on March 31. In line with this, the company will gradually discontinue sales of currently available Marvel Comics titles. Physical copies of Marvel Comics will be available while supplies last, and purchases can be made to Sho-Pro Books' online store until September 30 at 11:59 p.m. JST or until supplies last. Distribution of digital copies will be suspended by September 30 at 11:59 p.m. JST, but purchased items will still be viewable even after the suspension. The company also stated that there are no future plans to release new American comics to date. Except for those for which contracts have expired, it will continue to sell other American comics including DC Comics and the Marvel Ultraman series.
Some of the Marvel Comics Sho-Pro Books publishes include the Best of Marvel series featuring Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Deadpool, Venom, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men. Sho-Pro Books also publishes the Thunderbolts and Blade: Mother of Evil comics, and limited distribution of Immortal X-Men and Sins of Sinister comics.
In December 2025, Kia Asamiya and Marvel announced the Silent Möbius x Avengers (read as Silent Möbius Cross Avengers) comic book series that will launch this year. Asamiya is personally handling the story, line art, and colors for the full-color series. Writer Akihide Yanagi (Ms. Marvel, Web of Spider-Man, Strange Tales) is translating Asamiya's Japanese story into English. Marvel plans to launch the series in the United States in spring 2026. There are no current plans to release it in Japan. The series credits Marvel and Asamiya for the original story, and Marvel Comics' C.B. Cebulski is the editor.
Source: Sho-Pro Books' website via Hachima Kikō
