With My Hero Academia finally coming to a close with the recent release of its final volume in Japan, Kohei Horikoshi is preparing to take a much-needed rest from creating. To commemorate the manga’s incredible 10-year run and conclusion, Horikoshi teamed up with Marvel for an epic superhero art collaboration.
Horikoshi drew his favorite Marvel hero, Spider-Man, alongside his MHA characters, while Marvel artists Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado returned the favor with a stunning illustration of MHA heroines chasing after the villain Black Cat.
An Appreciation for Western Comics
This collaboration feels like a full-circle moment for Horikoshi, who has often spoken about how much American comics have influenced his work. You can see his love for Western superheroes reflected in My Hero Academia—from quirks inspired by classic powers to Volume 9’s cover, which directly references Ultimate Spider-Man: Venom.
In a recent interview with Marvel, Horikoshi shared just how much Spider-Man shaped his creative journey.
“It was Spider-Man who I first met as a child. And it still is Spider-Man for me today.”
“I’ve always wondered what it means to be a hero, especially when I was writing My Hero Academia. At some point, I finally came to the conclusion that being a hero means being a strong part of a community, helping a friendly neighborhood. That’s why I respect Spider-Man so much.”
What’s Next for Horikoshi?
Now that MHA has wrapped up, Horikoshi has already expressed excitement about diving into his next series. During the same interview, he revealed his plans:
“I was thinking of committing myself to simply drawing my next project and letting someone else write the story, but my editor advised me, ‘It will be better if you do it all yourself.’ With that in mind, I’ve slowly started writing and drawing the thumbnails of my next manga. However, there are still several events left surrounding MHA, so for a while, I’ll still be committed to supporting and promoting it.”
It’s clear Horikoshi is eager to keep creating, but he’ll likely take a well-deserved break before fully launching into his next project. I think we can all agree that we’d love to see more striking artwork coming from him!
Could Horikoshi Tackle a Marvel Manga?
With Marvel and Viz already collaborating on manga featuring superheroes drawn by Japanese mangakas like Yusuke Murata and Tsutomu Nihei, it’s exciting to imagine Horikoshi joining in. His unique style and storytelling would be a perfect fit for a Marvel manga.
What do you think? Would you love to see Horikoshi draw Marvel characters in his iconic style? and what did you think of the artwork? Let us know in the comments below!
