The theater lights drop and a single title blooms on the screen: VAMPIRE HUNTER D. You feel the room shift—memory and menace folding together. I watched strangers exchange the same small, guilty smile.
I know this work; I’ve followed Hideyuki Kikuchi’s D through cheap paperbacks and glossy reprints. If you care about these stories, you should pay attention—because what’s happening now is not just nostalgia, it’s a coordinated return.
Bookstores and convention tables are filling with chatter about new releases.
Dark Horse announced a brand-new four-issue comic, Vampire Hunter D: Fortress of Blood, at Anime NYC—writer Chris Condon paired with artist Felipe Andrade, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic. The setup is classical D: a refugee fortress, a vampire lord, and D walking through to settle the score. Expect issue #1 on December 16; for fans who track creators, that date matters.
D is a weathered blade that still cuts through modern noise.
#DHManga Anime NYC Announcement
Vampire Hunter D: Fortress of Blood, a brand new 4-issue comic series set in the world of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, beginning on December 16th!
By Chris Condon, Filipe Andrade, Jordie Bellaire, and Frank Cvetkovic. With issue #1… pic.twitter.com/cJoBwxNK3l
— Dark Horse Comics (@DarkHorseComics) August 21, 2026
When is Vampire Hunter D: Fortress of Blood coming out?
Issue #1 is slated for December 16. That launch date positions the miniseries to catch holiday attention and convention buzz—timing that Dark Horse clearly planned with creators who already know the aesthetic language of D.
Used shelves and digital previews are showing renewed interest in older volumes.
Dark Horse is also releasing an English translation of the eighth novel, The Rose Princess, adapted into manga form by Saiko Tataki in 2024. The original book came out in 1994; the new translated manga will arrive in March 2027. If you loved the older novels, this one reads like a found ledger of a town ruled by a vampire princess.
Dark Horse’s release schedule is a slow-burning signal flare drawing attention back to Kikuchi’s decades-long catalog.
#DHManga Anime NYC Announcement
VAMPIRE HUNTER D: ROSE PRINCESS by @saiko_takaki, coming next June!
Takaki returns to the world of Vampire Hunter D faithfully adapting one of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s most iconic stories.
Pre-orders for this release will go up soon, so please… pic.twitter.com/ucWJyRjzdm
— Dark Horse Comics (@DarkHorseComics) August 21, 2026
Is Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust getting a theatrical re-release?
Yes. GKIDS announced acquisition of North American rights to 2001’s Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and plans a full theatrical release in 2027. The Madhouse film by Yoshiaki Kawajiri only saw a handful of U.S. screens previously; GKIDS is promising a wider run that could introduce the film to audiences who never saw it on the big screen.
GKIDS is proud to announce the acquisition of North American rights to VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST. The rarely-screened gothic horror classic from Yoshiaki Kawajiri and MADHOUSE will get a full theatrical release in 2027.More details soon!brnw.ch/21x57Tg
Conventions, publisher feeds, and fan forums are buzzing with more than nostalgia.
Dark Horse has been translating and reissuing D since 2014, with omnibus and audiobook editions appearing more recently; that steady availability matters for new readers and collectors. Hideyuki Kikuchi himself expressed gratitude that an American comic adaptation finally happened, which is a rare, tidy authority cue: the creator blessing this next chapter.
If you follow Anime NYC announcements, Dark Horse’s X account, or sites like Anime News Network, you’ll see how those platforms function as amplifiers—each reveal turns into coverage that pulls more eyes toward the books, the manga, and the film re-release.
Where can I buy the English editions of Vampire Hunter D?
Pre-orders and releases will be available through Dark Horse’s website and major retailers; bookstores and comic shops will list the manga and comic editions when pre-orders open. For the film, follow GKIDS and their theatrical listings for tickets and screening cities.
There’s momentum now: new comic issues starting December 16, Rose Princess translated and arriving March 2027, and a theatrical run of Bloodlust in 2027. If you’re a collector, a new reader, or someone who wants to see how a decades-old world holds up—these staggered releases give you clear entry points.
So, will this coordinated push make D a household name again—or only rekindle a cult flame among those who already own every edition?
[via Anime News Network]