Suske en Wiske Go Manga: Belgian Comic Icons Get Japanese Makeover

For eight decades, Suske en Wiske — known internationally as Spike and Suzy — have been beloved fixtures of Belgian comic culture, their adventures spanning everything from time travel to magical encounters. Now, the iconic duo is embarking on their most unexpected transformation yet: their debut as manga characters.

Released on June 4, 2026, by Standaard Uitgeverij, “Geen isekai geen probleem!” (“No Isekai, No Problem!”) is a 128-page full-color album that reimagines Willy Vandersteen’s classic creations through the lens of Japanese manga artistry. The project represents one of the most ambitious cross-cultural experiments in European comics in recent years.

A Decade in the Making

The idea for a Suske en Wiske manga was first conceived roughly 11 years ago, sparked by a comment from former Standaard Uitgeverij publisher Johan De Smedt on the podcast “Geekers op je Speakers.” De Smedt mentioned that the publisher was open to new forms of collaboration around the series, planting a seed that would take over a decade to bloom.

Dutch writer Roderick Leeuwenhart — a science fiction author and manga enthusiast who grew up with Suske en Wiske — seized the opportunity. Together with artist Marissa Delbressine, creator of the successful Webtoon series The Shadow Prophet (93,000+ subscribers, 2.1+ million views), they pitched the concept to Standaard Uitgeverij.

Crowdfunding Success

The publisher, while intrigued, was cautious. As Stripspeciaalzaak reported, Standaard Uitgeverij had previously used crowdfunding for special projects including Jommeke (2020), Urbanus (2022), and De Kiekeboes (2023). This approach allowed them to test market demand while minimizing financial risk.

The gamble paid off spectacularly. The Ulule crowdfunding campaign raised €88,346 — 117% of its €75,000 goal — from 1,855 backers. “They thought the idea was cool, but there was also a risk attached,” Leeuwenhart told De Morgen. “With a crowdfunding campaign, they wanted to safely determine how the market would react and whether it was viable.”

Blending Traditions

The resulting album walks a careful line between two comic traditions. While the artwork embraces manga’s characteristic expressive eyes and dynamic action sequences, the reading direction remains Western (left to right) rather than the traditional Japanese right-to-left format. The creators opted for full color throughout, diverging from the black-and-white approach common in many manga.

“Many manga appear in black and white, but we worked together to find a way to reach the widest possible audience,” Leeuwenhart explained.

The story itself leans into the popular Japanese “isekai” genre — a narrative form where characters are transported to a parallel world, often gaining special powers. In this adventure, Suske and Wiske visit Professor Barabas in Tokyo, where his experiments with tangible holograms go spectacularly wrong, hurling the duo into a fantastical arena where they must fight their way home.

A Bridge Between Generations

The manga aims at all ages, but its creators acknowledge it serves a dual purpose. For traditional Suske en Wiske readers, the manga style may take some adjustment. For younger audiences already immersed in manga and anime culture, it offers an entry point into a classic Belgian comic series they might otherwise overlook.

“A fresh young adult audience is much more familiar with manga and anime and not so much with Suske en Wiske themselves,” noted Stripspeciaalzaak in its preview.

What’s Next?

While “Geen isekai geen probleem!” is designed as a complete one-shot, Leeuwenhart has hinted at possibilities for more. “This is a complete one-shot, but we’ve left interesting openings for a possible second part,” he said.

The manga’s release also marks a full-circle moment for the characters’ relationship with Japan. Suske en Wiske first traveled to Japan in the 1957 album “De Stemmenrover” (The Voice Thief). Nearly 70 years later, they’ve returned — not just as visitors to the country, but as characters reimagined through one of Japan’s most influential cultural exports.

At €25 for the softcover edition, the album is available through Standaard Uitgeverij and select comic shops. Whether this experiment in cultural fusion leads to a lasting new direction for the franchise — or remains a bold one-off — the message is clear: even the most beloved traditions can find new life when they’re willing to transform.