More classic manga coming from Dark Horse in 2026…
SHIROW MASAMUNE’S STORIES RECEIVE THREE-BOOK DELUXE EDITION TREATMENT FROM DARK HORSE MANGA
Before he created “Ghost in the Shell,” he made “Appleseed” – the visionary science-fiction manga of counterterrorism and cybernetics
Dark Horse Manga presents Shirow Masamune’s classics in a three-book Deluxe Edition manga series, starting with Appleseed Deluxe Edition. The series will also include the Appleseed Companion Deluxe Edition, and additional works by Shirow within the Shirow Masamune Anthology Deluxe Edition.
Translated by Dana Lewis, Toren Smith, and Duane Johnson, lettered by Tom Orzechowski, L. Lois Buhalis, John Clark, and Sasquatch, the Appleseed Deluxe Edition collects Books One through Four of Appleseed, and will feature a wraparound, seven-color artwork cover, metallic, edge-gilded pages, and four-color end sheets along with a sewn-in bookmark. This new Deluxe Edition collection will be available starting in August 2026, and it’s recommended that fans and retailers pre-order now to secure copies. Dates and additional details for the Companion and Anthology will be provided soon.
In Appleseed Deluxe Edition:
The year is 2127. In the aftermath of a devastating global war, Deunan and Briareos are just the kind of couple you’d find managing to survive—she’s a former SWAT team member, he’s a cyborg former mercenary. Both of them are found in the ruins by Hitomi, a young woman who recruits them to work for Olympus, an ultra-advanced, experimental city-state that survived the apocalypse.
It’s an oasis of peace that now seeks to step outside its protected zone to try to reconstruct the world…but to do so, its philosophers, planners, and scientists will need the support of people who know how to fight. Olympus can offer them a new, safe home—and the chance to use the most advanced weapons tech on earth, including the powered combat armor known as the Landmate.
And so Deunan and Briareos are drawn into the paradoxes and power struggles of Olympus: their new job, to serve and protect the people of a city whose secrets they know little about. Protect them both from outsiders, and from themselves—for while Deunan and Briareos may believe enough in Olympus to put their lives on the line for it, they’re far too smart to be satisfied being anyone’s mere pawns, even in the most noble cause…
Don’t face the apocalypse alone. Appleseed, the 848-page (7×10”) hardcover arrives in bookstores and comic shops on August 11 and August 12, 2026 for $69.99. Pre-order now from Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Find Your Comic Store or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you.
This three-book series stands as a testament to Shirow Masamune’s impact on comics, manga, anime, and science fiction. Stay tuned for more details on the entire set.
Praise for Shirow and Appleseed:
“Appleseed predates Shirow’s super-popular Ghost In the Shell series, but sadly it doesn’t get anywhere near as much attention.”—IGN
“My personal favorite, Appleseed.”—Matt Alt, author, Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Conquered the World
“I was obsessed with Shirow Masamune.”—Neill Blomkamp, director District 9, Elysium
