I Am a Hero Manga Reprint: 2025 Status & How to Buy

Is the I Am a Hero Manga Getting a Reprint?

Here’s the short answer: Dark Horse Comics has not announced a reprint or new edition of the I Am a Hero omnibus series. There has been no official statement on reprint plans as of 2025.

For readers new to manga (Japanese comic books published as paperback volumes), a quick note: Dark Horse Comics is the American publisher that licensed, translated, and released this series for English-speaking readers. Whether this manga gets reprinted is entirely their call.

That said, the situation is more nuanced than a simple “yes” or “no”:

• The series is NOT confirmed out of print. (“Out of print” means the publisher has stopped manufacturing new copies.) Individual volumes do occasionally restock at major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Supply is just inconsistent.
• Several volumes are out of stock from primary retailers and are only available through third-party sellers at inflated prices.
• Digital editions remain fully available — every single volume can be purchased digitally right now.

So the series exists in a frustrating middle ground. It’s not officially dead, but it’s not reliably available either. Volumes appear and disappear from retailer shelves unpredictably, which makes collecting the full physical set a real challenge.

Current Availability — Which Volumes Are Hard to Find?

The English edition of I Am a Hero consists of 11 omnibus volumes. An omnibus is a single book that collects multiple smaller volumes together — in this case, each omnibus contains approximately two of the original Japanese volumes, running roughly 350–400 pages each. The full series covers all 22 Japanese volumes (264 chapters total). This is the only official English edition — Dark Horse never released individual single volumes.

A quick note on how manga publishing works: in Japan, manga stories are first serialized as short chapters in magazines, then collected into paperback volumes (called tankobon). When a series is released in English, publishers sometimes bundle multiple Japanese volumes into a single larger book — that’s what an omnibus is.

Here’s the general picture for physical availability:

• Easiest to find (often at or near the $19.99 retail price): Volumes 1–3 and Volume 11
• Hardest to find / most inflated prices: Middle volumes, roughly Volumes 4–9
• Third-party seller prices: Some volumes listed at $30–$80+ compared to the $19.99 retail price

The middle-of-the-series squeeze is a common pattern with out-of-stock manga. Everyone grabs Volume 1 to start, and the final volume stays in print longer because it shipped last. It’s the middle stretch that dries up first — and that’s exactly where collectors get stuck.

One important note: Stock fluctuates. A volume that’s unavailable today may pop back up at retail price in a few weeks. Patience and monitoring are your best tools here.

Where to Buy I Am a Hero Right Now

Physical Copies

Finding physical copies takes some hunting, but here are the best places to check:

• Amazon — Check both new and used listings. Always compare against the $19.99 retail price before purchasing. If a “new” copy is listed at $45, that’s a third-party seller (an independent reseller listing on the Amazon marketplace), not Amazon selling it directly. That price difference matters a lot.
• Barnes & Noble — Occasionally has volumes in stock online. Worth checking periodically.
• Crunchyroll Store (formerly Right Stuf) — This is a specialty online store for manga and anime. They sometimes have stock that Amazon doesn’t. Check back regularly.
• Local comic shops and used bookstores — Don’t sleep on these. Many shops can special-order volumes using the ISBN (the unique identification number printed on the back of every book — give this number to the staff and they can look up whether a volume is available through their distributor). ISBNs for each volume are listed in the volume guide table below.
• eBay and r/mangaswap — r/mangaswap is a community on Reddit (the social media platform) where users buy, sell, and trade manga with each other. It’s a solid option for tracking down individual volumes at fair prices. Just be cautious of scalper pricing on eBay — compare every price against that $19.99 retail price.

Helpful tip: Set up price tracking and stock alerts. CamelCamelCamel is a free price-tracking website for Amazon — you enter the product page URL, set a target price, and it emails you when the price drops to that level. This is genuinely one of the best strategies for collecting manga that’s inconsistently stocked. Set it, forget it, and let the alert do the work.

Digital Editions

If you want to read I Am a Hero right now without the collecting headache, digital is the way to go:

• All 11 omnibus volumes are available digitally — no out-of-stock issues whatsoever
• Kindle / Comixology (Amazon) — Comixology is Amazon’s digital comics platform, now integrated into the Kindle app. Volumes run approximately $10.99–$13.99 each
• Dark Horse Digital — This is the publisher’s own online storefront where you can buy directly
• Apple Books — Also available

Digital is honestly the only guaranteed way to read the complete series at a reasonable price right now. If you’re on the fence about physical vs. digital, consider starting digitally and then collecting the physical volumes as they become available. That way you’re not stuck waiting months to continue the story just because Volume 5 is out of stock.

Complete Omnibus Volume Guide

Here’s every volume in the series. Use this to track which ones you still need and to verify you’re looking at the correct editions:

Volume	Japanese Vols Collected	ISBN	Availability Notes
Omnibus 1	Vols. 1–2	978-1616559205	Usually available near retail price
Omnibus 2	Vols. 3–4	978-1616559878	Usually available near retail price
Omnibus 3	Vols. 5–6	978-1506701455	Usually available near retail price
Omnibus 4	Vols. 7–8	978-1506703497	Inconsistent stock
Omnibus 5	Vols. 9–10	978-1506703503	Inconsistent stock, often inflated
Omnibus 6	Vols. 11–12	978-1506703961	Inconsistent stock, often inflated
Omnibus 7	Vols. 13–14	978-1506707020	Inconsistent stock, often inflated
Omnibus 8	Vols. 15–16	978-1506706481	Inconsistent stock
Omnibus 9	Vols. 17–18	978-1506710549	Inconsistent stock
Omnibus 10	Vols. 19–20	978-1506710556	Inconsistent stock
Omnibus 11	Vols. 21–22	978-1506710563	Usually available near retail price

Retail price for all volumes: $19.99

If you see a volume priced significantly above $19.99 from an Amazon listing or other retailer, double-check whether the seller is the publisher or major retailer versus a third-party seller marking it up. That distinction matters a lot.

What to Know Before Buying

A few key things to keep in mind if you’re new to this series:

• Content warning: I Am a Hero contains graphic violence, body horror (disturbing transformation and mutilation of the human body), and intense horror imagery. It’s rated for older teens and adults. This is not a lighthearted zombie story — it gets genuinely disturbing in places.
• Only one English edition exists. Dark Horse published the omnibus format only — there were never individual single-volume releases in English. So if you see someone referencing “Volume 1,” they mean Omnibus Volume 1 (which contains Japanese Volumes 1 and 2).
• The series is complete. All 11 omnibus volumes are published. The Japanese manga ended in 2017, and the English omnibus release was completed in October 2019. You won’t be left hanging mid-story.
• The premise: Hideo Suzuki is a struggling manga artist living in Tokyo when a zombie outbreak begins. Armed with a shotgun (unusual in Japan, where civilian gun ownership is extremely restricted — which is part of the story’s tension), he navigates the apocalypse. What makes the series stand out is its slow-burn pacing (the story builds tension gradually rather than jumping straight into action), its deeply flawed protagonist, and the way it grounds zombie horror in a recognizably real version of modern Japan. If you’re into horror manga at all, this series is well worth your time.

Will Dark Horse Reprint the I Am a Hero Manga? What History Tells Us

This is the big question, and nobody outside Dark Horse knows the answer for certain. But here’s what we can piece together:

Dark Horse’s Track Record

Dark Horse has shown a clear willingness to revisit completed manga series with new editions. A “Deluxe Edition” in this context means a premium reprint — typically hardcover binding, a larger page size, and higher production quality than the original paperback release:

• Berserk got the luxurious Deluxe Edition hardcover treatment
• Blade of the Immortal received a Deluxe Edition as well
• Hellsing got a Deluxe Edition release

This pattern shows that Dark Horse does invest in reprinting and upgrading manga that has a proven audience. They don’t just let everything go quietly out of stock forever.

Why I Am a Hero Is a Plausible Candidate

• The series won the Shogakukan Manga Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to manga in Japan (comparable in stature to winning a major literary prize). It also has a dedicated fanbase in the West.
• The zombie genre has enduring popularity with English-speaking readers
• There’s visible demand — the inflated third-party prices and frequent online threads about availability signal that readers want this series
• The deluxe/hardcover trend in manga publishing is still going strong, and I Am a Hero is exactly the kind of title that fits that format

Why It Might Not Happen

• Not every series gets the deluxe treatment, even popular ones. Publisher resources are finite.
• The series hasn’t generated the same mainstream name recognition as Berserk or Blade of the Immortal in the West
• Licensing (the legal agreement between the Japanese rights holder and the English publisher that allows translation and distribution) and other business considerations that aren’t publicly visible could be factors

What You Can Do

If you want a reprint to happen, the most practical steps are:

• Contact Dark Horse directly — Publishers track customer inquiries. You can reach Dark Horse through their website at darkhorse.com (look for the “Contact” page) or message them on social media (they’re active on X/Twitter as @DarkHorseComics). An email expressing interest in an I Am a Hero reprint takes two minutes.
• Support digital sales — This signals to the publisher that the market is active and engaged with the title
• Voice demand on social media — Visible community interest makes the business case easier for a publisher to justify

Realistic Timeline

Here’s the honest assessment: if a reprint or new edition were announced tomorrow, it likely wouldn’t arrive until late 2025 at the earliest. Manga reprints and new editions take time — licensing discussions, printing schedules, shipping, and distribution all add up. And since no announcement has been made, we’re looking at an even longer potential wait.

That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It just means that if you want to read I Am a Hero in the near future, making a plan with currently available options (digital plus patient physical collecting) is the smart approach rather than holding out for a hypothetical reprint.

Great Horror Manga to Read While You Wait

If you’re hunting for I Am a Hero volumes and need something to read in the meantime, here are some horror manga that scratch a similar itch:

Uzumaki by Junji Ito — The 3-in-1 Deluxe Edition is readily available and is one of the greatest horror manga ever made. A small town becomes obsessed with spirals, and things get increasingly nightmarish. If you haven’t read it, grab it immediately.

Tokyo Ghoul — The Complete Box Set (Volumes 1–14) is a great way to get the full original series. It shares I Am a Hero’s blend of horror, action, and a protagonist who’s in way over his head.

Dorohedoro, Vol. 1 — If you like the gritty, violent, darkly funny side of horror manga, Dorohedoro is fantastic. It’s set in a grimy world of sorcerers and features a guy with a lizard head trying to figure out who cursed him. Weird, violent, and genuinely hilarious.

Blood on the Tracks, Vol. 1 — This is psychological horror rather than zombie horror, but it’s incredibly tense. A boy’s relationship with his seemingly perfect mother takes a deeply disturbing turn. Slow burn in the best way.

Berserk Deluxe Volume 1 — If you haven’t started Berserk, the Deluxe Edition is a gorgeous way to begin. Start with Volume 1 — it’s dark fantasy horror at its peak, with stunning artwork and a relentless tone. Each Deluxe volume is a hardcover collecting three original volumes.

FAQ

Is I Am a Hero out of print?

Not officially. Dark Horse has not declared the series out of print (meaning the publisher has not stopped manufacturing new copies). However, several volumes are functionally out of stock from major retailers and are only available at inflated prices from third-party sellers. Individual volumes do restock occasionally, so it’s worth monitoring.

How many volumes of I Am a Hero are there in English?

11 omnibus volumes, which collect all 22 Japanese volumes (264 chapters total). Each omnibus contains approximately two Japanese volumes and runs about 350–400 pages.

Is there a digital version?

Yes. All 11 omnibus volumes are available digitally on Kindle/Comixology (Amazon), Dark Horse Digital, and Apple Books. Digital volumes run approximately $10.99–$13.99 each. This is currently the most reliable and affordable way to read the complete series.

What is the reading order?

It’s straightforward: Omnibus Volume 1 through Omnibus Volume 11, in sequential order. There are no spin-offs (side stories set in the same world) or prequels (stories set before the main story begins) to worry about. Just start at Volume 1 and read straight through.

Is the series finished?

Yes, completely. The Japanese manga ended in 2017, and Dark Horse completed the English omnibus release in October 2019. All 11 volumes are published. You can read the full story from beginning to end.

How much does the full set cost at retail?

At the $19.99 retail price, each volume costs $19.99, making the complete 11-volume physical set roughly $220 before tax. Digitally, at approximately $10.99–$13.99 per volume, the full set runs roughly $120–$154. If you’re buying from third-party sellers at inflated prices, your actual cost could be significantly higher for the physical set.

Is I Am a Hero worth reading?

Absolutely — it’s one of the best zombie manga out there, and honestly one of the best zombie stories in any medium. The slow-burn opening, the deeply human (and deeply flawed) protagonist, and the way the horror escalates make it something special. If you’re into horror manga, you’ll love it.