Dark Horse is Reprinting a Cult Favorite Manga Classic

Dark Horse Comics has announced it is bringing back the sequel to the cult classic Gunsmith Cats manga into print. Anime News Network shared the official press release for the new Gunsmith Cats re-release by Dark Horse. The company will release a two-volume omnibus edition of Gunsmith Cats Burst, the direct follow-up to the original Gunsmith Cats. The original manga was published monthly in the Monthly Afternoon magazine for Kodansha from 1991 to 1997. Burst was published in the same magazine from 2004 to 2008. Dark Horse published the initial five volumes of Gunsmith Cats Burst from 2007 to 2010, but those copies have been out of print for years.

Dark Horse has been reprinting the original Gunsmith Cats manga in three omnibus editions. The first volume of the Gunsmith Cats omnibus was released on March 4th, 2025, with the next two volumes scheduled to launch later in the year. The first volume of the Gunsmith Cats Burst omnibus will consist of 476 pages and will ship on December 16th, 2025, whereas the second volume of the omnibus collection consists of 496 pages and will release on March 17th, 2026. The Gunsmith Cats Burst omnibuses will include new translations, lettering, and retouching by Studio Cutie, a company specializing in lettering.

[RELATED – These Are the 80s Manga Fans Want Turned Into an Anime]

What Makes Gunsmith Cats a Classic?

Gunsmith Cats and its sequel, Gunsmith Cats Burst, were written and drawn by animator Kenichi Sonoda, who imbues the manga with a unique Western style. The series stars young woman Rally Vincent, who operates the Gunsmith Cat gun store out in Chicago. Rally moonlights as a bounty hunter on the side and often works alongside her partner, Minnie May. Colorful characters join the two ladies as they navigate through Chicago’s seedy underbelly. The series achieved acclaim for its dynamic artwork, charming leads, and fun tone.

The original Gunsmith Cats manga was adapted into a three-episode Original Video Animation by OLM. The anime became a cult standout, earning a reputation for its kinetic action scenes and strong character designs. AnimEigo, an American licensing company, hosted a Kickstarter to produce a new Blu-ray edition of the anime to release in North America. The Gunsmith Cats Kickstarter was a success, and the Blu-ray was officially released in 2019. AnimEigo previously hosted a Kickstarter for the animated adaptation of Sonoda’s Riding Bean, another cult classic with a strong Western aesthetic, in 2016. The Riding Bean Kickstarter was another hit, with the Blu-Ray hitting shelves in 2017.

H/T: Anime News Network