A long-awaited English debut from Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, Billy Bat Volume 1 launches a sweeping conspiracy thriller that moves across decades and continents, pulling readers into a mystery that refuses to stay contained on the page!
Praised with two starred reviews, this series arrives as one of the most anticipated manga releases of the year.
The story begins in 1949 Los Angeles. Kevin Yamagata, a Japanese American cartoonist, has built his career on Billy Bat, a sharp, wisecracking detective beloved by readers. But everything shifts when Kevin realizes he may have unknowingly copied the character from an image he once saw in Japan.
Determined to find the truth, Kevin returns to a devastated, postwar Japan. What he uncovers goes far beyond questions of inspiration or theft. The image of the bat is ancient, surfacing again and again across history, tied to moments of upheaval, power, and violence.
As Kevin follows the trail, he is drawn into a far-reaching mystery that blurs fiction and reality, where a single drawing may hold the key to forces shaping human history.
Praise
“The story, full of intrigue, conspiracy, and mysticism, and set against the backdrop of the nascent comics industry in the U.S. and Japan and the early days of the Cold War, plays to all of Urasawa’s strengths as a storyteller who can meaningfully comment on history while infusing it with thrilling high concepts and genre elements.”
—Booklist, starred review, Harry Kassen
“This should be of strong interest to fans of Urasawa’s multilayered narratives, manga history, or sprawling metafictional mystery stories.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“Billy Bat is far from a conventional shonen-style manga that's become synonymous with the medium. The 20-volume series folds many of Urasawa’s defining fascinations into one sprawling conspiracy thriller, weaving together the moral ambiguity of Monster, the historical entanglements of Pluto, and the generational paranoia of 20th Century Boys into a story fixated on the unstable boundary between narrative and reality. For longtime readers and critics alike, Billy Bat represents one of Urasawa’s boldest achievements in metafictional puzzling."
—POLYGON
“Fascinating… A mind-bending journey…. Truly unforgettable.”
—SCREENRANT
“Naoki Urasawa is a major force in the world of manga.”
—IGN
“I’m always in awe of the elegance of Urasawa’s comics.”
—Matt with 4 T’s
“Naoki Urusawa is the closest Japan has to an Alan Moore, and his most ambitious manga epic, Billy Bat, is finally getting an English edition.”
—BLEEDING COOL
“Showcases Urasawa’s pristine cartooning…. a sprawling conspiracy rooted in … fear and paranoia.”
—AV CLUB
“Urasawa is widely regarded as one of manga’s most influential modern creators.”
—ANIME CORNER
“Urasawa and Nagasaki are the masterminds behind Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Pluto, three of the most lauded works of manga of all time.”
—COMIC BOOK CLUB LIVE
“Urasawa is a master of mystery, and Billy Bat is one of his best works, delivering an outstanding, intricate plot that spans centuries before bringing everything together.”
—COLLIDER
“One of The Greatest Manga of All Time”
—COMICBOOK
“One of manga’s most ambitious conspiracy thrillers.”
—GEEK VIBES NATION
“Long-awaited.”
—COMICS BEAT
“Billy Bat Vol. 1 is exactly the kind of ambitious, unpredictable storytelling that has made Naoki Urasawa one of manga’s most celebrated creators. Every new revelation opens another door, every twist feels earned, and the constant shifts in perspective only deepen the intrigue. Backed by outstanding artwork and a premise that grows more fascinating with every chapter, this first volume establishes a mystery that is as entertaining as it is inventive.”
—AIPT COMICS
“If you like Urasawa and Nagasaki’s brand of confident conspiracy thriller, you’ll adore this comic… This rollercoaster has no brakes!”
—YATTA-TACHI
"Urasawa fans have eagerly awaited this manga’s English publication for years. They won’t be disappointed."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
