It’s finally here! After a long wait following the first six chapters of the illustrated story in 2021/2022, the MetaZoo world has returned to the realms of publication with the release of a manga series, set to debut – online for free! – on November 10th, 2023.
Let’s take a look at what we know so far.
Article Updated: Nov. 12th, 2023 – it’s now out!
First Off; What is the MetaZoo Manga?
For those who don’t know, let me recap quickly. Michael Waddell, MetaZoo Games’ founder and original creator, is the primary creative force behind the MetaZoo story and lore, and has been eager to share the world behind it for some time. This was first done with the illustrated story, a written comic that was published online and in print in 2021 and early 2022 for six chapters. The story ended before it was finished to make way for other projects, and it’s the expectation that the first few chapters of the manga will follow along closely with what we already know from this story – so I highly recommend checking it out, if you want to take a look ahead.
We also know that the manga is being primarily drawn by Ricardo “Rock” Alves (also on Instagram), who has done work for a number of indie comic titles and publication houses in the past. Waddell has stated that the manga has been a priority, as it can act as a natural path towards an animated series and can help them tap further into the Asian TCG market going forward.
When Will the MetaZoo Manga Release?
The MetaZoo manga series released its first chapter on November 10th, 2023. This was announced on November 6th, 2023 through MetaZoo’s social media profiles and their Discord server, after being teased and worked on for several months.
Though it was confirmed during MetaZoo’s eBay livestream at New York Comic Con ‘23 that the manga series would be releasing in November, we were never told any particular dates, making this announcement a very exciting one! It’s a nice surprise ahead of the release of the Kuromi’s Cryptid Carnival core set.
Release Schedule for the MetaZoo Manga
Starting on November 10th, 2023, the manga series is set to follow a weekly/biweekly release schedule, with each release being another chapter of the story. Fortunately, the release dates for the first twenty chapters of the manga have already been announced through social media, and you can check them out below;
- NOV. 10, ‘23: Chapter 1 – The Shattering of the Veil (in full colour!)
- NOV. 17, ‘23: Chapter 2 – The Rainbow Wizard
- DEC. 01, ‘23: Chapter 3 – Escape from Unity City
- DEC. 15, ‘23: Chapter 4 – The Battle of Loveland Castle
- DEC. 29, ‘23: Chapter 5 – Power… Unlocked!
- JAN. 12, ‘24: Chapter 6 – The Crosswick Monster
- JAN. 26, ‘24: Chapter 7 – The Incredibly Amazingly Effective Training Gizmo Box 901, P9001 for Short (Patent Pending)
- FEB. 09, ‘24: Chapter 8 – Pumpkin Parade
- FEB. 23. ‘24: Chapter 9 – The Cincinnati Convoy
- MAR. 08, ‘24: Chapter 10 – The Bedside Council
- MAR. 22, ‘24: Chapter 11 – Out of the Fire and Into the Piasa Bird
- APR. 05, ‘24: Chapter 12 – The Tricksy Goblins
- APR. 19, ‘24: Chapter 13 – The Land Between the Lakes
- MAY 03, ‘24: Chapter 14 – The Howling Cave and the Blood Soaked Wine
- MAY 17, ‘24: Chapter 15 – New Year
- MAY 31, ‘24: Chapter 16 – New Beginnings
- JUN. 14, ‘24: Chapter 17 – (One Shot) Devil’s Tower and the Dreadnaughts
- JUN. 28, ‘24: Chapter 18 – The Sand Riders
- JUL. 12, ‘24: Chapter 19 – The Ghost Train’s Red Ticket
- JUL. 26, ‘24: Chapter 20 – Hellhounds and the Saltpetre Caves
Looking forward, it seems that the MetaZoo manga will be releasing a new chapter every other Friday, starting with its second release on November 17th, 2023. This is a little different from traditional manga releases, which are usually weekly or monthly, but more in line with standard comic releases of mid-to-large titles, which will typically release twice a month. In my opinion, it’s a good middle ground; it’ll move the story along fast enough to keep people hooked, without causing a huge amount of crunch time for the creatives involved.
The social media post in question that showcased the dates also states “and more!” at the bottom of the list – so don’t worry, if you think this will only be a 20-chapter story. It looks like we have a long way to go before this tale is done.
How to Read the MetaZoo Manga
Where can you read the MetaZoo manga? Andy Mourat, the president and CCE of MetaZoo Games, has already confirmed that the manga will be seeing a free digital release, as well as physical copies being available as special editions or box sets later on. So far, the only website hosting the manga is WebToon, a popular webcomic and online comic/manga platform, but more are expected to soon follow.
Read the manga at:
As of now, it is pure speculation what other platforms may be getting it. A safe bet is probably Tapas, a popular webcomic platform, Crunchyroll, which is one of the biggest and most well-known platforms for manga and anime, and perhaps Comixology, which is one of the more predominant platforms for digital comics in North America. VIZ and Comic Walker are also options, though to my understanding these are run by publishers, so they may be less likely. Once we know what platforms the manga will be available on, this post will be updated, and updated again later with links to the manga itself, so you can jump directly to it!
Are you excited for the manga? Let us know what you think below in the comments while we eagerly count down the days until the story begins to unfold!
