Square Enix Teams with PRH on Manga Initiative

Square Enix Manga & Books has teamed up with Penguin Random House on the newly launched Comic Partner initiative, a new retailer support program to “promote adoption of more manga in comic bookstores nationwide,” according to a press release. Starting on April 2025, retailers enrolled in the PRH Direct Partnership Program will also have access to Comic Partner, which includes store manager education, in-store promotional materials, and early access to select new manga, among other perks.

To kick off the new initiative, Square Enix will send Comic Partner retailers free advance galleys of debut series, including On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance by Shinnosuke Kanazawa and Love in the Palm of His Hand by Rinteku.

“While we’re seeing significant market growth for manga among western audiences, our retailers have expressed challenges with overwhelming options and knowledge gaps,” Morgan Perry, marketing manager at Square Enix, said. “With the Comic Partner initiative, our aim is to make it easier for our comic shop partners to unlock the potential of manga sales by curating great content for them, providing marketing support and educating sales associates about this art form.”