Hey, guys.
So a lot of you have been asking for this one in the comments.
And it's finally here, a comparison
of all the Blade of the Immortal manga editions.
Let's get into it!
Blade of the Immortal is one of my top samurai stories,
as well as one of my favorite manga in general, it's unique
in comparison to other samurai titles, too, so it really stands out.
Not only do I think the concept of revenge is handled really well in this story,
but Hiroaki Samura modernized this one in a way that makes it feel fresh,
thanks to the personalities and actions of the characters in this story.
This one has some of my favorite characters in all the manga, by the way,
and the development of all the characters is just so expertly done.
Hiroaki Samura also has this sketchy, gritty art style that I personally love.
His work just feels raw and visceral and it evokes an emotional response.
Of course, there's so much more to it, but a short explanation as to why I love it.
That all being said, you guys know I think it's an incredible story,
but what's the best way to collect it?
So far, Blade of the Immortal
has been released with English translation in four different formats.
The comic issues, the singles, the omnibuses and the deluxe editions.
Before I get into the comparison, though, I want to show you guys the comic issues
of Blade of the Immortal real quick that began releasing in the 90's.
I won't be comparing these along
with the other editions, but they are cool nonetheless and wanted to show them off.
So Blade of the Immortal was actually first released with English
translation by Dark Horse in this comic book issue format.
They released 131 issues of the series.
Dark Horse then later released and compiled
the comic book issues into 31 paperback singles.
Each issue collects a set run of the comics.
For instance, Volume one collects issues one through six.
The omnibuses were released next.
They are 3-in-1's aside from omnibus six, which is a 4-in-1, and they fully collect
the series in ten volumes.
And finally,
we have the most recent release, the Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Editions.
Each edition collects three volumes, so Dark Horse will most likely be releasing
ten of these like they did with the omnibuses.
How do they compare in terms of size, though?
The singles and the omnibuses are the same size
in terms of height and width, but the omnibues are obviously thicker.
The Deluxe Editions are the largest format to release
of Blade of the Immortal so far and they are around 7x10".
Price-wise, the singles are all over the place because they are out of print.
I've seen the complete set sell
for around $475 USD on eBay, which would be around $14 per volume.
But of course some volumes cost more than others, so that's just a ballpark price.
The omnibuses retail for $24.99 each.
At the time of this video, you can pick up all but volume 2
right now on Right Stuf.
Omnibus two,
though, is listed
as out of stock, expecting more so you can still place an order for it
on their site.
I'll link to those in the description below in case you're in search of them.
The Deluxe Editions retail for $49.99, but I've seen them get into the mid-twenties
on Amazon before.
At retail cost though, the cheapest way
to collect Blade of the Immortal right now is through the omnibuses.
The Deluxe Editions are marginally more expensive than the omnibuses though
when you find them on sale for around
$26 USD on Amazon which is incredible deal given that they are hardcover.
Up next is design.
The individual volumes feature different artwork than the rest.
You will notice though that the artwork seen here on volume
one is the artwork we saw on the first comic book issue.
The artwork on these spans the full cover with the Blade of the Immortal logo
at the top.
The spines also have an all over pattern on them.
This one has a dragonfly pattern on it with a lot of text featured on it as well.
The omnibuses have full color artwork too with a logo at top.
I love the artwork on these and the spines look nice also.
They have those character centric spines and the colors look striking
on display on the shelf with a Japanese logo on the spine too.
I really enjoy the omnibuses' design.
The Deluxe Editions are wrapped in gray pleather.
The texture of the volumes is really nice.
The color is a little muted in comparison to the other two Deluxe Editions
that have been released so far, but they are still high quality nonetheless.
The text on the volumes is inset and has a glossy finish.
In the center,
you have the sticker of the artwork that's seen on the cover of Omnibus 1.
It's placed in this inset square here, which not only serves
as a border for added detail, but protects the sticker as well.
The spine also has inset, glossy black text and you have the Japanese logo
here as well, which is a really nice touch.
Another thing to note is that while the other two Deluxe
Editions spines are rounded, the Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Edition
spines are square.
I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually love
the look of the omnibuses spines because they are so vibrant, maybe even the most.
But the quality of the Deluxe Editions is better and they are sturdier,
so there are benefits to owning both and they look great on the shelf as well.
Let's take a look at print and page quality next.
Alright, so the worst print quality is definitely the singles.
The printing just isn't as crisp
as the other two, and the pages feel thinner than the other editions.
The omnibues, however, have a great print quality.
Probably among the best
I've seen for omnibuses almost up there with the likes of The Vagabond Vizbigs,
which I also reviewed on the channel, if you'd like to check that out.
The paper is white and has a smooth finish, so the contrast is great in these.
The deluxe editions have the best print and page quality of all of the editions
though.
This just comes down to the fact that this one is in a larger format
so the details stand out even more, and the contrast is even sharper
than it is in the omnibuses.
Plus, the artwork just looks even better in these editions.
What about readability, though?
In terms of what is most portable and easy to hold in hand,
the omnibuses are lighter weight than the deluxe editions.
The singles, though, are going to be the most portable option out of the three,
but the readability in the deluxe editions is the best because while the omnibuses
and the singles have glued binding, the deluxe editions have a sewn binding,
which allows the pages to open up
even more while reading and helps to prevent gutter loss.
Since they are hardcover, they are heavier though,
so they are easier to read in your lap or on a desk or table.
That being said, if you're looking for a handheld version,
the omnibus or the singles are a good way to go.
If you're looking for the best overall readability and don't need that
portability, the deluxe editions are hands down the best option.
What about cropping?
The least cropped version all around are the omnibuses.
You can see they're
least cropped at the bottom of the pages in comparison to the other editions.
They're also the least cropped horizontally,
while the singles are the most cropped horizontally.
The deluxe editions are in the middle of the pack while the singles,
even though they are
the least cropped at the top of the pages, are the most cropped edition all around.
When it comes to the translation,
it's the same in all editions after doing a side-by-side read through.
The sound effects are handled the same way in every edition as well.
The Japanese sound effects were only translated
and redrawn when they were necessary to the understanding of the panel.
As you can see, the sound effects were translated here,
but the original Japanese sound effects are present on this panel.
So as it currently stands in every edition,
some of the sound effects are redrawn, whereas others were not.
I personally would have loved to see the original Japanese
sound effects with translation notes, especially in the deluxe editions.
But while reading the series,
I will say that this never affected the readability in any way.
I also want to note that all editions of Blade of the Immortal
that have released with English translation
read left to right, even the deluxe editions.
The other deluxe editions that have been released so far for Berserk
and Hellsing read in the original right
to left reading format, which preserves the original orientation of the artwork.
I really wish they would have done the same thing
for the Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Editions.
But since all of the other editions of Blade of the Immortal to release so far
also read this way, I'm not as bothered given their quality.
Would have definitely been a nice change though for this new edition in particular.
By the way, I reviewed both the Berserk and Hellsing Deluxe Editions as well on
channel and I will link to those
at the end of the video in case you like to check them out!
Since all of the Blade of the Immortal
English editions read left to right, the artwork had to be reworked
and they used something called the cut and paste method to do
so rather than using the mirroring method where the pages are reversed.
This is actually something that was requested by Hiroaki Samura himself.
Reversing the pages would have caused some issues with the artwork,
especially the manji symbol seen on Manji's back.
Also, the scar on Manji's face would have been on the other eye if mirrored.
Dark Horse let us know, though, that the mirroring method was used on pages
or panels when it wasn't possible to use the cut and paste method.
I appreciate the fact that the cut and paste method was used in all editions.
I understand the decision to make older editions read left to right
to make them more accessible to Western readers back in the day.
But when it comes to a more
modern release, like the deluxe editions with manga surging in popularity,
I wish they were printed in the original right to left reading format.
That being said, since this is present in every English edition
of Blade of the Immortal I'm not all that upset about it.
Plus, it doesn't detract from the reading at all.
What about extras?
Both the Omnibus and the Deluxe Editions have black and white cover art galleries
in them.
Both also include black and white pinup drawings as well as commentaries
with Hiroaki Samura.
The singles have the interviews and the cover galleries
also but not the pinup galleries.
Unfortunately, there are no full color illustrations included
within the volumes that have been released so far.
I'm not sure if they'll do anything special later down the road
like they did with
Hellsing Deluxe Edition 3, which included full color illustrations and more.
This remains to be seen, but you never know.
Now that we've gone over everything, what's the final verdict?
The comic book issues and singles are cool to own if you're a huge fan of
Blade of the Immortal, but I wouldn't recommend them
if you're just now looking to get into the series.
Not only are the singles the most cropped version to release so far,
but they also have the worst print and paper quality of the three.
Not to mention the fact that they are super out of print and are harder to find.
That being said, you may be someone who prefers to look at the individual covers.
I actually think the omnibuses
are one of the best looking on the shelf with their vivid spines and graphics.
This, of course, is subjective, but some may prefer their design.
They are also the cheapest way
to collect Blade of the Immortal when you can find the volumes at retail.
While the deluxe editions
have the best print quality, the omnibuses are nothing to snub at.
In fact, they actually have an incredible print and page quality, amongst the best
I've seen for an omnibus so far.
Also, they have fully released unlike the Deluxes,
so if you can find all the omnibuses
and are looking for the quickest way to read the series they are the way to go.
In terms of what reads the best, I'm going to go with the Deluxe Editions,
because they have that sewn binding they have the least issue with gutter loss
and what not, and they hold up the best over time
and they are the edition with the best quality.
They have the best print quality out of the three as well
and are the largest format, so the artwork looks the best in these editions.
They are also a great value for their price,
especially when you can find them on sale.
What do I think though?
Personally, I'm now torn between the omnibuses and the Deluxe Editions.
I do think the deluxe editions are still the best edition quality wise and I prefer
hardcover editions whenever possible, but when it comes to design
and how they look on the shelf, I can't deny the omnibuses and their design.
They are just so striking and look great, so I'm going to have to pick
these up as well.
If you're looking to pick up more Deluxe Editions, be sure to check out
my reviews of the Berserk and Hellsing Deluxe Editions here as well.
What Deluxe Editions are you hoping come out next?
Let me know in the comments. And there you have it guys!
That's my review of the Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Editions.
Thanks so much for watching as always and I'll see you all next time!