Finished
“Detective comic creator uncovers his character's dark past and murderous history in post-war Japan.”
Billy Bat
BILLY BAT
8.58
118 rank · 86,549 readers · 3,266 favorites
Seinen
Detective
Historical
Psychological
Drama
Mystery
Supernatural
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Detective comic creator uncovers his character's dark past and murderous history in post-war Japan.
Japanese-American Kevin Yamagata now authors the renowned detective comic book "Billy Bat" after serving in the Allied Forces in World War II. But as his series becomes a massive hit, Kevin discovers that his famed character, Billy Bat, already existed before within a Japanese comic. Worried that he may have unconsciously copied something he saw during his time there, Kevin returns to Japan to find Billy Bat's original creator and seek permission for him to use their character. However, as he traces back Billy Bat's roots, he finds himself unraveling a dark and twisted history of murders that somehow involve the character he thought he created.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 32 sampled reviews
8.4
/10
What 32 readers settled on.
92%
recommend
Score distribution
median 9
mode 10
σ 1.56
Agreement
Mostly aligned
σ 1.56 · some divergence
The polarity gap
4.5 pts
Recommenders 9.0 · others 4.5
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 1.56
Running avg · Jun 2010 → Apr 2026
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 7 “Billy Bat is a decent piece of work that reinforces the fact that Urasawa is incapable of producing a bad manga. However, it falls significantly short of his masterpieces like Monster, 20th Century...”
- 10 “This manga is a unique masterpiece that hooked me from the very beginning with its compelling narrative. While certain plot elements like the scroll remain unexplained, this ambiguity feels...”
- 8 “The world-building and lore are impressively complex, contributing to a generally great and solid reading experience. However, the narrative falls short of its intended message, culminating in an...”
Verbosity
Short · 44%
Medium · 34%
Long · 22%
Read Order & Related
A self-contained story.
No sequels, spin-offs or alternate tellings — Billy Bat begins and ends here.
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 165 × 20 ch × vol
- Total read 22h 00m approx
- Published Oct 2008 – Aug 2016
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M7388 catalog