Casshan Awakens After 50 Years in a Bold New Manga From Nakama Press

Mario B. Long and Kusanagi revive Tatsunoko’s legendary cybernetic hero with a modern sci-fi mystery packed with lost memories, rogue machines, and a battle for humanity’s future

He was forgotten for half a century. Now the machine with a human heart is ready to rise again.

Mad Cave Studios imprint Nakama Press, in partnership with Tatsunoko Production, has unveiled the first interior artwork from Casshan Vol. 1, a new manga inspired by Tatsunoko’s classic anime hero.

The 180-page release comes from Detroit-born manga creator, game producer, and writer Mario B. Long (God Tier) and award-winning Tokyo-based mangaka Kusanagi. Together, the creative team is rebuilding Casshan for a new generation while holding tightly to the tragic heroism, philosophical science fiction, and human-versus-machine conflict that made the original character unforgettable.

This is not some quick coat of chrome slapped onto a vintage property. Casshan Vol. 1 digs into identity, memory, sacrifice, and what it means to remain human when the world has already decided to forget you.

The story opens in a dying wasteland where two young girls have disappeared inside a dangerous mine controlled by rogue machines. With time running out, a dying old man awakens Casshan, a long-lost cybernetic warrior who has no memories of his past and no understanding of the power locked inside his mechanical body. Casshan may be built from metal, but somewhere beneath the armor still beats the heart of a human being.

His mission initially appears simple: enter the mine and rescue the missing children. Underground, however, he discovers something far more dangerous than hostile machines. Hidden within the depths is a secret robotic refuge, a radical new species known as the Neoroiders, and buried answers about Casshan’s own creation.

Caught between desperate humans, rebellious robots, and an emerging life-form fighting to define its place in the world, Casshan must uncover who he was before every side destroys itself. With no memories to guide him, he will have to decide what kind of hero he wants to become now. Yo, that is one nasty way to wake up from a 50-year nap.

Long and Kusanagi are taking the bones of a legendary science-fiction saga and constructing a new world around them. The early pages reveal a landscape scarred by conflict, where towering machines, ruined environments, and frightened survivors exist beneath the shadow of a war that never truly ended.

Kusanagi’s artwork gives the story a sharp modern manga identity while preserving Casshan’s iconic presence. The visuals balance explosive mechanical action with quiet character moments, allowing the emotional stakes to breathe between battles. Casshan may look like the most dangerous figure on the page, but his missing history makes him one of its most vulnerable.

That tension drives the new series. Casshan is powerful enough to change the course of the conflict, yet he cannot remember who created him, what he once fought for, or why the world abandoned him. Every new discovery carries the possibility of restoring his identity or completely shattering it.

The introduction of the Neoroiders pushes the story beyond a traditional humans-versus-robots war. This emerging species complicates every moral line, forcing Casshan and the reader to question who deserves to inherit a damaged world and whether humanity still has the right to determine what qualifies as life.

Built through a collaboration between American and Japanese creators, Casshan Vol. 1 carries a deliberately cross-cultural approach to manga storytelling. The book offers new readers a clean entry point into the mythology while delivering the layered worldbuilding, mystery, and character-driven stakes longtime science-fiction fans crave.

Fans attending Anime NYC from August 20 through August 23 can score an early copy ahead of the book’s official September release at Nakama Press Booth #1831. The convention appearance also includes creator signings and a limited-edition Casshan poster drop, so collectors may want to move faster than a cybernetic hero chasing rogue machines.

Mario B. Long’s remaining signing schedule includes:

• August 22 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
• August 23 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The early Anime NYC release gives fans the first opportunity to explore this revived universe, meet one of the creators behind the project, and grab a limited poster before Casshan’s return reaches bookstores and comic shops nationwide.

Casshan Vol. 1 officially arrives September 15, 2026, in paperback for $10.99. The 180-page volume carries ISBN 9781545832448 and can be ordered through local comic shops, bookstores, or directly from Nakama Press.

Nakama Press is dedicated to honoring timeless storytelling traditions while embracing bold creative innovation, connecting cultures, creators, and fans through comics from around the world.

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Casshan has no memories, no clear allies, and no idea why he was brought back. What he does have is a human heart buried inside an unstoppable mechanical body.

After 50 years in the dark, the legend is online again.