| | |  | ACTION / ADVENTURE | Home » » » Vagabond, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition) | | | | | | | Description: | | Nominated for 2003 Eisner Award in the category for Best Writer/Artist.
Each VIZBIG Edition collects three volumes of the original series in a larger format with superior paper and bonus full-color pages.
Striving for enlightenment by way of the sword, Miyamoto Musashi is prepared to cut down anyone who stands in his way. Vagabond is an action-packed portrayal of the life and times of the quintessential warrior-philosopher--the most celebrated samurai of all time! Shinmen Takezo is destined to become the legendary sword-saint, Miyamoto Musashi--perhaps the most renowned samurai of all time. For now, Takezo is a cold-hearted kiler, who will take on anyone in mortal combat to make a name for himself. This is the journey of a wild young brute who strives to reach enlightenment by way of the sword--fighting on the edge of death. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Takehiko Inoue | | Paperback:
| 208 pages | | Publisher:
| VIZ Media LLC | | Publication Date:
| September 16, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1421520540 | | Product Length:
| 8.6 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.7 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.8 inches | | Product Weight:
| 2.65 pounds | | Package Length:
| 8.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.83 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.97 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.69 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 10 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 Big fat BRICK of a bookSep 26, 2008
By Abe Vigoda
"part-time inventor"
This one book is actually 3 of the regular VAGABOND comics put together. The only difference is that this book is about an inch taller, which makes no noticable difference to the drawings.
The only people who should buy this are new Vagabond fans just starting out with collecting the comics, since it will be less expensive to buy these 3-in-one big books. But to all long-time Vagabond fans out there who already have volumes 1-27 and growing... I say there is no need to buy this big series just for the extra inch. It is far better to sit down in a comfortable chair or sofa with the normal-sized comic which can be opened wider and is 3 times lighter.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
for newcomersJan 04, 2009
By Shogo
Those who are interested in starting Vagabond have no reason not to buy this version, considering it's got 3 books in one and costs half the price of buying them separately. Besides being thicker, the book is also a bit bigger both horizontally and vertically so you get bigger pages-and believe me this is a series where you will want big spreads in order to admire the art.
As for the series itself, it's based off of the life of the world-renowned swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, and is a seinen manga (meaning it's aimed at adults). Be aware that it's not extremely historically accurate though, as it is meant to be entertainment and the actual details of Musashi's life are too vague to really piece together. That said, Takehiko Inoue does a great job adapting the man's life into a truly intense and interesting storyline, both thanks to his storytelling skills and his gorgeous artwork. Also as a note-it is a violent manga but not mindlessly so. Basically, if you're interested enough to have read this far then I say definitely go for it. You won't be disappointed.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
WonderfulOct 24, 2010
By setlib
Two friends wake up after a battle, injured, disoriented, and apparently the sole survivors. Takezo and Matahachi grew up in a small village in medieval Japan and wanted to make names for themselves, but now can barely stay alive. Rescued by a devious, seductive thief and her daughter, the two quickly become entangled with a gang of bandits and have an opportunity to find out whether or not they have any skill as warriors. In this combined volume 1-3, we see the beginnings of Takezo's wildly confident style of fighting, as well as Matahachi's cowardice and betrayal. When Takezo's violence attracts the attention of the law, he returns to their village of Miyamoto steeped in blood, shunned by the villagers as a "demon". Two characters try to reach out to him - Takuan the blind monk and Otsu, the fiancee of his friend Matahachi. After reaching the depths of despair, he changes his name and sets out to defeat a master swordsman to make a name for himself.
Amazing historical detail, rousing action, intriguing plot, and complex characterization combine with jaw-dropping artwork to make this an absolutely outstanding manga series. Highly recommended!
One of the best mangas I've readJan 25, 2012
By prisonmike
I'd been trying to find something to read after I got caught up on Berserk and Gantz for quite a while when i stumbled onto this series. I had read that it was good but was was pleasantly surprised when i realized just how good it was. In my opinion it easily holds its own against titles such as Berserk, Gantz, and other adult oriented titles like that. The artwork is definitely some of the best I've seen and the story only gets better as it progresses(currently up to volume 30, or 10 if you read the vizbig edition). I would really suggest reading this if you like a combination of realistic(but still very exciting and sometimes quite bloody) fights with just as much of a story to back it up. I'm honestly really surprised there hasn't been an anime for this one to date.
simply amazingNov 19, 2011
By joe joey
Fast paced action but with a lot of character depth and development. This is definitely one of the best manga out there. You won't be able to put it down.
See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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