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The wait is finally over for Sherlock fans who have been waiting over four years to get their hands on the Japanese manga adaptation of the popular British TV series.

The Western drama Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, was an immediate success when it arrived in Japan, especially with boys’ love fans if you go by all the Sherlock doujinshi (fan-made comics) lining the shelves at comic shops such as Mandarake or conventions like Comic Con.

In fact the series did so well in Japanese markets that it even inspired a manga adaptation, which after four long, excruciating years for Sherlock fans abroad, will finally get an English language version release in the U.S. and the show’s native U.K. thanks to Titan Comics’ announcement at the ComicsPro summit in Oregon, U.S. last month.

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The first volume, A Study in Pink, will be available from June 9, and will feature a variety of cover artwork by main comic artist Jay, among others, as a way to entice fans that may have already read fan-translated versions of the original to pick up a copies of the new release.

▼ Cover A (original Japanese adaptation artwork)

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▼ Cover B

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▼ Cover C

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▼ Cover D

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▼ Cover E

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It seems odd that a decision that should have been a no-brainer several years ago is finally getting the green light now, but hopefully the announcement and subsequent summer release date will give Sherlockians something to do as the television series takes another long hiatus before filming for the fourth season begins.

Source/images via: DesignTaxi