VIZ Media will publish the newest Junji Ito manga, Statues, on March 24, and beyond that, publishers have lined up some new and different horror manga that push the boundaries of the genre in different ways, from a super-cute revenge story to a Junji Ito picture book. Here’s a look at what’s coming in spring, summer, and fall 2026.
Eko Eko Azarak Reborn, by Yamada Jta: This is a reboot of a famous 1970s horror manga, Eko Eko Azarak, by Shinichi Koga (see “Smudge Licenses Shinichi Koga’s ‘Mansect’“), about a high school student who uses her magical powers to exact brutal justice. The original was made into numerous films and anime, some of which are available on streaming services including Shudder and Amazon Prime. This supernatural thriller is rated for ages 15 and up and will be complete in five volumes, and Titan Comics will release the first volume on May 5 with an MSRP of $12.99.
Toxy Noxy Foresty Forest, by Noboru Segawa: This cozy slasher manga juxtaposes Sanrio-esque characters with bloody revenge, fitting neatly with Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees and Jay Stephens’ Dwellings. The mushroom fairies lived happily in the depths of the forest until a poisonous mushroom slaughtered the whole village, with the exception of our heroine, Tamagotake, who ventures to the Sea of Trees to wreak her revenge. The series, which is rated Older Teen, is still ongoing and is up to five volumes in Japan so far. Yen Press will publish the first volume on May 26 with an MSRP of $15.00.
Kuro, by Somato: Coco, a Wednesday-esque young girl lives alone in a mansion with her cat, Kuro, in a creepy-cute slice-of-life story, like Lenore or Emily the Strange, that gets darker as it goes along. Monsters lurk in the woods surrounding the village, threatening anyone who wanders off the path, but Coco never seems to notice when Kuro shapeshifts to fight them off. Nor does she notice that the color is slowly draining out of her body, until her friends intervene and the secrets all come out. Somato is the duo behind another Yen title, Shadows House.Kuro is rated for teens, printed in full color, and complete in one volume, weighing in at almost 400 pages; Yen will release it on May 26 with an MSRP of $26.00.
Strange Pictures, story by Uketsu, manga by Kikou Aiba: Uketsu is a YouTuber in Japan who creates unnerving short videos that put a surreal spin on everyday life and always wears a mask in public. A prose compilation of his stories, also titled Strange Pictures, was published in the U.S. in 2025 and Barnes & Noble picked it as one of the best books of the year; over 2 million copies are in print worldwide. The first volume of this manga collects nine of his stories, each centered around a simple drawing that leads to a deeper and more complex mystery. Titan Comics will publish the first volume, rated 15+, on June 23 with an MSRP of $12.99.
Seeds of Anxiety: Asterisk, by Masaaki Nakayama: Nakayama is the creator of PTSD Radio (published by Kodansha), a series so creepy that rumor has it the creator freaked himself out and had to put it on hiatus. Seeds of Anxiety is a collection of short stories about memories that interfere with people’s lives (see “Yen Press Licenses Horror Manga”). The first volume will be released on July 28, 2026, with an MSRP of $13.00.
Aidol, by Kazu Inabe, Yu Kuraishi and Ku Tanaka: A stalker obsessed with an idol singer becomes part of the electrical grid and uses his disruptive powers to force her to become a success, whether she wants to or not. This is dark horror in the vein of PTSD Radio and Dragon Head, with a bit of Death Note thrown in. Kodansha Comics will release this 18+ series as three two-in-one omnibus volumes starting in Fall 2026.
Looking at Me, by Soshichi Tonari and Junji Ito: This is a picture book, but it’s not for kids. It’s a story about the faces that are everywhere… everywhere… and one child’s inability to escape them. VIZ Media will publish the 32-page hardcover, with full-page, full-color oil paintings by Ito, on October 6 with an MSRP of $19.99. VIZ has lined up two more horror picture books as well, Is It There or Not?, by Natsuhiko Kyogoku and award-winning illustrator Naoko Machida, and A Bad Book, by Brave Story writer Mikyuki Miyabe and artist Hisanori Yoshida, both also releasing on October 6 with $19.99 MSRP.
Click Gallery below for covers!
For more great manga features, see “ICv2 Manga Week 2026.”
Source: ICv2
