Think the new Resident Evil manga ties into the live-action reboot? Think again. Dropping later this year, it adapts the CG flick Resident Evil: Death Island and lands right as the Austin Abrams-led reboot makes its debut.
Right, so in a move that I genuinely did not see coming, we're getting a manga adaptation of a Resident Evil film. But before anyone gets too excited – or too irritated – let's break down exactly what this is (and, honestly, what it isn't).
Which Resident Evil film are we talking about?
The manga isn't based on one of the Paul W.S. Anderson-Fast-and-the-Furious-with-zombies live-action romps, and it's not a spin-off from the upcoming reboot starring Austin Abrams either. Instead, it's an adaptation of the animated movie Resident Evil: Death Island – you know, the one that throws just about every major character from the games onto Alcatraz for a monster-filled holiday gone wrong.
Here's the basic timeline:
- 21 June 2023: Death Island premieres in Singapore
- 7 July 2023: Japanese release follows
- Also had theatrical outings in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Greece
- Eventually made its way online for everyone else
- 29 September 2026: Manga adaptation hits shelves
What's the manga actually about?
Illustrated by Zino – who does actually have a decent track record in the manga world – this isn't just some quick-and-dirty cash-in. Capcom and a group called the Death Island Film Partners are both involved, supposedly determined to "bring cinematic scale to manga panels" and mix "pulse-pounding action with atmospheric dread". (Not to be snide, but if you've ever played Resident Evil 6, you know those two vibes don't always blend.)
The official synopsis doesn't stray in a surprising direction:
"A deadly outbreak on Alcatraz Island draws DSO agent Leon S. Kennedy into a kidnapping case that unravels into a global biohazard conspiracy. As Chris Redfield uncovers a related threat in San Francisco, the world's most iconic survivors are pulled together for a desperate fight against a mutating nightmare."
Or in plain English: zombies attack an island prison, everyone from Leon to Jill to Rebecca Chambers (yes, really) gets dragged into the chaos, and by the end you'll have seen about a dozen increasingly impossible monster mutations. So, standard Resident Evil fare – not exactly reinventing the franchise, but if you just want more spectacle and high-stakes virus nonsense, you're in luck.
Release details and where you can actually buy it
The Death Island manga goes on sale 29 September 2026. You can preorder it through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and, conveniently for the UK crowd, Forbidden Planet as well. No restrictive territory business – it'll be available for both UK and European readers.
It's being pitched as suitable for both veteran fans and anyone dipping their toe into horror manga for the first time. Whether it can really deliver that "cinematic scale" in a graphic format, though, is something we'll all have to wait to see.