One of the most notable premium manga releases of the past year is on sale for nearly 50% off at Amazon. Vagabond Definitive Edition Vol. 1, a gorgeous 728-page hardcover published by Viz Media in January, is up for grabs for just $29.79 (was $55). This massive display-worthy book collects the first three volumes in Takehiko Inoue’s legendary series that’s widely regarded as one of the best manga within its genre.
$29.79 (was $55)
This new edition of Vagabond is presented in oversized hardcover format, which should make Inoue’s beautiful and brutal visuals really shine. So far, 37 individual volumes of Vagabond–collected in 12 books–were published before Inoue took a break from the series to focus on his health and other projects. The pursuit of perfection and weekly publishing schedule took its toll on Inoue, and a year after the hiatus, he returned to his basketball roots with the series Real, an inspiring sports story focused on wheelchair basketball.
If you’re new to Vagabond and don’t want to drop $43 to check it out, most of the previously released paperbacks, which contain three volumes each, can be purchased from Amazon for around $20 each.
There’s no indication that Inoue will return to Vagabond in the future, but the current volumes are worth reading for their intricate plotting and mesmerizing visuals.
If you’ve never read it, Vagabond follows the tale of Shinmen Takezou through 16th-century Japan. Also known as the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, the manga is a fictionalized account of his life and is based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel Musashi. A decades-spanning story, Vagabond focuses not only on the battles that made Musashi a legend but also on the more intimate moments of his life as he strives for enlightenment, through stunning art.
Vagabond is just one of the beloved manga series to receive the Deluxe Edition treatment in recent years. We have a roundup compiling our favorite entries in the growing trend of premium manga hardcovers, which includes Trigun, Vinland Saga, Hellsing, and Berserk.
Here’s a quick look at some of the other deals you score on Deluxe Edition manga right now:
