The Patlabor franchise continues its revival as original creator Masami Yūki prepares to release his second new one-shot manga for the series. The upcoming story is slated for the next issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Big Comic Spirits, hitting shelves on August 17. This follows Yūki’s initial one-shot contribution to the magazine, which debuted earlier this year on May 18.
Beyond the new manga, the upcoming issue of the magazine is set to be a significant celebration for fans of the mecha classic. It will feature a special joint interview between Yūki and producer Nobuyuki Sakuma, a known enthusiast of the series. Additionally, readers can expect a collaborative manga project involving Yuhiro Tsujitsugu, the creator of Snowball Earth, as well as a commemorative sticker bonus.
Masami Yūki’s involvement is a return to his roots, as he was a core member of the HEADGEAR collective that conceptualized the iconic police-mecha universe in the late 1980s. His original 22-volume manga run, published in Weekly Shonen Sunday, remains a definitive entry in the franchise’s history.
This latest manga activity coincides with the ongoing rollout of the Patlabor EZY anime project. The new series is being released in an omnibus film format, with 'File 1' already in theaters and 'File 2' scheduled to premiere on August 14. The final two episodes of the eight-part project are slated to conclude the story in March 2027.
