Dragon Ball Returns to Manga in ‘Dragon Ball SD’

Dragon Ball fans waiting for the legendary franchise's return to the medium that spawned it were disappointed to learn this week that it is not to be -- at least, not exactly. As confirmed by Dragon Ball fansite Daizenshuu EX, the property has spawned a new manga, Dragon Ball SD, which will appear in the new magazine, Saikyô Jump. Written and drawn by Naho Ooishi, the project will not involve creator Akira Toriyama, and will most likely not be canonical in any way.Dragon Ball SD will retool the original concept to appeal more to children, although that seems hardly possible given the enduring popularity of Goku's original adventures. The project will be in full color and launch 26 years to the day of the original Dragon Ball's debut in Weekly Shônen Jump #51 in 1984.

At the moment there's no word of if or when Dragon Ball license holder Viz Media will port Dragon Ball SD to English, but the publisher's recently launched iPad app would seem an ideal way to introduce the material.

[Via Daizex]