New Delhi, April 6 (FN Agency) Dark Horse comics has confirmed that it will be releasing the final volume of Kentaro Miura’s legendary dark fantasy manga “Berserk” in November 2022. The 41st compiled edition will include all the chapters that were written by Miura prior to his death last year. The volume will go on sale at comics stores on November 9 and in bookstores on November 22. Mike Richardson, President and founder of Dark Horse Comics, said in a statement, “It is with great pride that Dark Horse will release Miura-sensei’s last instalment of his masterpiece, Berserk. His creativity and incredible storytelling are unmatched. And to be able to release his final work to his fans is an honor that cannot be understated.” Along with other publishers around the globe, Dark Horse announced Berserk Volume 41’s initial release in major newspaper inserts last December.
Dark Horse describes the final volume as such: “Though released from the prison of her mind, Casca cannot escape reminders of the terrors she has experienced. And nothing triggers these harrowing memories more than Guts the Black Swordsman, who faced those same horrors in his relentless quest to see Casca healed. But could the reappearance of a strange, mute boy be the key to bringing peace to Casca’s troubled soul?” The 41st manga volume shipped in Japan on December 24 while previous advertisements in the papers such as The New York Times had stated that the manga’s 41st volume would launch in the US and France in summer of 2022. Dark Horse Comics has since stated that those advertisements were estimated release windows, and the actual date is not precise and will need to be adjusted.
The afterword in the 41st volume from Hakusensha’s Young Animal magazine’s editorial staff stated that the future of the manga is still undecided. The staff also thanked its readers. The editorial staff had stated in September that there was “no information to share about the future” of Kentarou Miura’s Berserk manga “at this time.” The statement added that the staff’s priority will “always be placed on him — what he would think if he were still with us.” Launched in 1988, Berserk follows the story of Guts, a former mercenary turned survivor in a dark, decayed medieval world who wanders the nights struggling to survive against the forces wanting to claim him. Cursed with a brand of sacrifice he beckons demons every night and thus armed with a massive sword, armour and various other weapons alongside his superhuman strength, skill, hate, anger and above all his will to survive he directs his rage against all demons and slaughters them in brutal bloodbaths every night until he can exact vengeance against the one who wronged him.
Berserk is a world filled with enemies at every corner whether it be demons, corrupt nobles or perverted human soldiers who are no less better than their demonic counterparts; it is also a story of philosophy dealing with concepts such as love, hate, vengeance, friendship, loss, fate, human will and its strength. Noted for its exceptional animation and storyline Berserk is one of the best selling mangas of all time having sold over 50 million copies by 2021. It has spawned two animes, one in 1997 and the other in 2016 with a follow up in 2017, a film trilogy, a game and has served as inspiration for both artists and game developers such as the power metal band Beast in Black and the Japanese video game designer Hidekata Miyazaki who designed the world wide acclaimed game series of Dark Souls.