Exclusive Search & Destroy Excerpt Previews Cyberpunk Spin on Classic Manga

ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive look at an excerpt from the upcoming collected version of the manga Search & Destroy, a reimagining of the iconic Dororo manga from acclaimed writer Atsushi Kaneko.

Search & Destroy is a cyberpunk thriller take on Dororo, a manga series created by legendary artist Osamu Tezuka that first debuted in 1967. The original series followed the story of a ronin named Hyakkimaru and a young orphaned thief named Dororo and their adventures. The series would go on to spawn two anime adaptations, various novels, and a live-action film that was released in 2007.

The reimagining of the Dororo was originally released in serialized form between 2019 and 2021 but is now being released in English for the first time. The first volume of Search & Destroy will be published by Fantagraphics and MSX on July 23, 2024.

Check out the exclusive pages of Search & Destroy below:

Atsushi Kaneko is best known for his work on the cult classic manga Bambi and Her Pink Gun. His re-imagining of Dororo takes the series from feudal Japan and into a dystopian post-cold-war future, where “mercenary robots known as ‘creatures’ serve the human elite and victimize the city’s scrabbling, desperate masses. The violent death of one of these creatures connects an orphaned thief named Doro with a mysterious girl in a stinking animal hide that conceals deadly cybernetic implants.”

“Search & Destroy is not only one of the best sci-fi manga of recent years but also one of the most visually rich and distinctive works of graphic storytelling in any genre or language,” said Fantagraphics Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds. “Kaneko-sensei populates a stunning, high-contrast setting that echoes postwar Cuba as much as Tokyo with an unforgettable cast of scrappy heroes and skin-crawling monsters on a nonstop ride full of action and suspense. This sly retelling updates the rebellious ’60s spirit of the original Dororo to the equally tumultuous 2020s to breathe new life into a timeless tale.”