The previously announced Jojo's Bizarre Adventure spinoff starring part 4's Josuke Higashikata and part 3's Hol Horse has finally gotten a release date, setting up a for packed month for fans of the long-running franchise.
After the conclusion of the eighth part of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Jojolion, in August, several upcoming projects were announced for the franchise. The ninth part, currently known only as Jojolands, is set to start after a brief break, while a one-shot based on part 6, Stone Ocean, was recently revealed for December, as a tie-in for the launch of the anime adaptation of the same. The other project announced at the same time was a spinoff series featuring Josuke and Hol Horse entitled Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak, but a debut date for that series was not provided until now.
Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak will be premiering in the January 2022 cover date issue of Ultra Jump, a monthly magazine in the Shonen Jump family that has been home to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure since 2004. The same issue will feature the aforementioned Stone Ocean one-shot, offering fans a double-dose of Jojo while they wait for part 9 to begin. Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak will be written by Kohei Kadono, who previously wrote a light novel set in the Jojo universe following Golden Wind's Pannacotta Fugo, and illustrated by Tasuku Karasuma, creator of the recently concluded manga No Guns Life. This will be the first significant spinoff manga not written by series creator Hirohiko Araki, although it's not known how long it's expected to run at present.
The spinoff is said to be set prior to part 4, Diamond is Unbreakable, which stars Josuke as well and is set in 1999. Hol Horse first appeared in part 3, Stardust Crusaders, as a recurring villain and minion of Dio, but won fans over with his absurdity and managed to be one of the few villainous characters from that part to survive. Hol Horse has a cowboy gimmick, and his Stand Emperor is a gun that can be summoned from nothing and influence the path of its bullets. While Josuke would be a child in this timeframe, Hol Horse is already an adult man, and seemingly American to boot, making a meeting between the two a particularly bizarre prospect. In his last appearance in Stardust Crusaders, Hol Horse is seen in a hospital, recovering from some accidentally self-inflicted bullet wounds.
In previous interviews, Araki has indicated that he considered having Hol Horse join the heroes, but ultimately decided against it. Still, the character was well-liked enough to show up a few more times, and became one of the most memorable faces from part 3. While the plot of Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak isn't known yet, it's possible that this idea may be dusted off and brought out again, putting Hol Horse and Josuke on the same side of whatever conflict will be at the center of the spinoff. The idea has apparently been in the works for quite some time, as Kadono first mentioned the project by this title way back in 2013, stating that he was working "to acquire the rights" at the time. Kadono also stated that this would be a hands-off production for Araki, so the success of this Jojo's Bizarre Adventure story will be entirely up to him.
No English language release has been officially confirmed at this time.