IDW Publishing and Digital Manga Publishing have joined forces to bring the first manga title to Sony’s new PSP Digital Comics.  Adapted by Saiko Takaki, Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D manga debuted in 2007 and was judged the #3 seinen manga of the year in a poll of Japanese readers.  The manga, which is based on Kikuchi’s series of 21 (so far) novels (published here by Dark Horse), will eventually encompass the entire Vampire Hunter D saga.  Kikuchi’s science fiction vampire saga also inspired the creation of two Vampire Hunter D anime features, Vampire Hunter D in 1985, and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust in 2000.  More than 17 million copies of Vampire Hunter D books and movies have been sold worldwide.

The first chapter of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D Vol.1 manga is now available for $1.99 through the PlayStation Store.  This marks the first time that IDW has teamed up with Digital Manga to create digital content for a category that is clearly burgeoning in the wake of the release of the iPad and the launch of Sony's PSP Digital Comics.