Right Stuf has announced today that they’ve made a special arrangement through Japanese publisher Gentosha Comics and TOKYOPOP to bring Hetalia Axis Powers back to life in manga form for North American fans. The first two volumes of the series are now immediately available from the company and the third volume, which was never published in the US before, will be available in June on the 19th.
With regards to the third volume:
- This initial print run will feature an eight-page color insert from the original Japanese print edition of the manga. (The future print-on-demand edition of this volume will include these pages but reproduce them in black and white.)
- Quantities of the first print run will be limited, and pre-ordering is highly suggested.
- For a limited time, fans can pre-order Hetalia Axis Powers, Vol. 3 for $10.99 per copy. (This is a savings of more than 30% off the $15.99 SRP.)
These print-on-demand editions will feature a color cover and black-and-white printing on high-grade, 70-pound, bright white paper. (Pages that were originally presented in color will be reproduced with black-and-white printing) and each volume each volume has a retail price of $15.99 (though you can get the first two volumes for $10.99 now!)
Shawne Kleckner, Right Stuf’s president and CEO, said, “The third volume of Hetalia has been one of the most requested titles on RightStuf.com, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to deliver it to the fans.”
TOKYOPOP founder Stu Levy added, “The North American publishing market has been changing rapidly, and I am proud to partner with Right Stuf and Gentosha Comics to finally bring the long-awaited latest volume of Hetalia to our fans. Thanks to everyone for your patience!”
About Hetalia Axis Powers: Created by Hidekaz Himaruya, started as a Japanese web comic, which utilizes personification to represent countries and their participation in historical events, while poking fun at cultural stereotypes. It was later adapted into a manga (released by TOKYOPOP), as well as an anime series that is currently available to North American audiences on DVD from FUNimation Entertainment.
