Portland-based comics publisher ABLAZE has announced that it has licensed three new manga and manhwa webtoon series for release in Summer 2023. 

Each of the series’ first volumes will be released next summer. Here are the full details: 

The first new license is Ryou Sumiyoshi’s historical fantasy manga series Centaurs. The first volume will be released on July 11, 2023. Sumiyoshi first launched the manga on East Press’ Matogrosso website from August 18, 2016 to March 19, 2020. Six total tankobon volumes collecting 40 chapters were released. 

Sumiyoshi previously worked on the animal designs for the first two seasons of the Golden Kamuy anime series. They also work under the name Ryou Suzuri and launched the BL MADK manga series in 2017, which was released by Viz Media’s SuBLime boys-love imprint

ABLAZE describes the Centaurs manga as: 

An epic fantasy adventure set in an alternate medieval Japan, where humans co-exist with the mythic half man/half horse beasts known as centaurs, or “jinba”. The centaur race was long revered as gods in ancient times; however, with the advent of the sengoku (warring states) period, humans started to enslave and use them for military purposes due to their speed, stamina, and ability to communicate in human language. Centaurs living in the plains were rapidly subjugated; in contrast, large numbers of centaurs living deep in the mountains were still free due to their relative isolation.

A wild and proud samurai jinba from the mountains named Matsukaze, known as the redheaded rock tiger, is caught while protecting his son. He is traded to a feudal lord and taken to his land. There he meets another centaur, named Kohibari, whose village was burned down as a child. He is a tame centaur, who had his arms amputated when he was captured, and has given up hope of escaping his human captors. If they can get over their differences and work together, they just might be able to return to the wilds as free centaurs. 

Another new license is Wakfu Vol. 1: The Quest for the Eliatrope Dofus, which will be released on June 27, 2023. It is a manga-inspired graphic novel of the Wakfu MMORPG video game and French Netflix animated series. The comic is based on Tot’s WAKFU & DOFUS series and is created by Azra and Said Sassine.  

The graphic novel is described by ABLAZE as: 

Yugo, Ruel, Percedal, Amalia and Evangelyne are now living their lives, each on their own. The adventurers reunite at Alibert’s for Yugo and Adamai’s birthday, launching this latest saga when a party pooper comes to interrupt the celebrations and forces our friends to set off on the road once again for adventure!

The last new license is Handong Woo and Kojin Ho’s manhwa webtoon series Terror Man. The first volume of the thriller manhwa will be released on June 27, 2023. 

ABLAZE describes the synopsis of Terror Man as: 

Jungwoo Min has a special ability, one that lets him see when a path leads to a misfortune, or disaster. He uses his “Eyes of Misfortune” to spot these unfortunate events and stop them. Disguising himself as a terrorist, he begins using his power to save people from certain danger. This leads him to become feared by the people he is looking to save. Soon he discovers that the more he saves others, the unhappier he becomes. Thus unfolds the story of a hero and his struggle between happiness and despair. And the unfortunate reality of saving the world, even while becoming a supposed terrorist…or TERROR MAN.

Source: press release