IDW is set to release an all-new comic book series based on the hit Japanese franchise Yo-Kai Watch.

Written by Eric M. Esquivel (Sanjay and Craig, Rabbids), drawn by Tina Franscisco, and colored by Dono Sanchez Almara, the first issue of the all-new Yo-Kai Watch comic book series is out April 5.

On May 24, IDW will also release the Yo-Kai Watch Micro Comic Collector Pack, each of which includes a minicomic, a poster, a sticker sheet, and a double-sided monster bio card.

Yo-Kai Watch is immensely popular in Japan, where the franchise has netted more than $2 billion in sales for manga, anime, toys, video games, trading cards games, and merchandise featuring the characters. Hasbro brought the toys to the U.S. in 2015 and last year released the Yo-Kai Watch Trading Card Game, initially at Walmart before moving into hobby stores in October (see "'Yo-Kai Watch TCG' Comes To Trade").

VIZ Media has released six volumes of the manga series under its kid-friendly Perfect Square imprint (see Viz Announces 'Yo-Kai Watch' Manga”). The seventh volume is due on March 8.

Jibanyan, the cat character from the series, was recently named an ambassador for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (see “Anime / Manga Characters To Get Huge Exposure In Olympic Campaign”).