There’s a lot of manga out there with incredible art, but few can compare to the beauty of Vagabond. The manga series has been on an extended hiatus for almost a decade, but a definitive edition of this groundbreaking work is on the horizon.
Viz Media announced that this new edition contains the first three volumes of Vagabond–over 700 pages in size–and is slated for a January 21, 2025 publication date. This should prove to be an excellent way to jump into the manga for the first time. Or if you’re already a fan, the more deluxe treatment fitting of Takehiko Inoue’s brilliant art and storytelling is likely an appealing prospect. Available to preorder from Amazon, the new hardcover is currently priced at $53.59. You won’t be charged until your order ships, and you’ll pay the lowest price offered between the time you order and release.
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.
This new edition of Vagabond will be published in an oversized format so that you can soak up Inoue’s beautiful and brutal visuals. 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.
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.
For more deluxe manga, you should also check out Trigun, Vinland Saga, and Berserk collections. Based on the early teaser of Vagabond’s cover art, the definitive edition has an understated aesthetic reminiscent of these recent deluxe edition hardcovers. Berserk and Trigun are published by Dark Horse Manga, while Vinland Saga is from Kodansha Comics.
