Vinnie Hacker Teams Up with Kodansha for First U.S.-Created Manga ‘The Escape’ – Check Out The Trailer
Kodansha, the famous Japanese publisher behind hits like Akira, Attack on Titan, and Sailor Moon, is launching its first U.S.-created manga titled The Escape.
The series is co-written by social media star Vinnie Hacker and Shakira Pressley, with artwork by Hiroto Oishi.
The Escape is set to release digitally on October 8. Readers in Japan can access it on Kodansha’s Comic Days platform, while international audiences can read it for free on KManga.
The story follows Enkei, a prisoner forced to fight in a deadly underground world. Haunted by the lives he has taken, Enkei refuses to kill again, which sparks a chain of events that could either redeem him or destroy him.
To coincide with the launch, an animated trailer for The Escape is being shared across Hacker’s YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok channels, giving fans a glimpse of the story and its action.
Kodansha sees the new manga as part of its plan to grow beyond Japan and include global creators. The publisher launched KManga in 2023 to bring its titles to English readers faster than the usual international release schedule.
This year, Kodansha also partnered with Netflix, Lionsgate, Sega, and Roblox to allow creators to license its properties directly, bringing series like Blue Lock and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime into interactive spaces.
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