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Vagabond vizbig edition volume oneKaleb Lords

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Vagabond, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition) Paperback – September 16, 2008

by Takehiko Inoue (Author, Creator)

4.8 4,385 ratings

Book 1 of 12: Vagabond

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Three volumes in one! A prestige treatment of Inoue’s epic samurai series with bonus content, color pages, storyboard samples and more!

Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means--by way of the sword--makes mere survival an even greater challenge.

Invincible Under the Sun

At seventeen years of age, Miyamoto Musashi--still known by his childhood name, Shinmen Takezō--was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword.

In the aftermath of the epic Battle of Sekigahara, Takezō finds himself a fugitive survivor on the losing side of the war. Takezō's vicious nature has made him an outcast even in his own village, and he is hunted down like an animal. At this crucial crossroads in Takezō's life, an eccentric monk and a childhood friend are the only ones who can help him find his way.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Takehiko Inoue is the creator of one of the most popular manga of all time, Slam Dunk, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. He followed that series up with two titles lauded by critics and fans alike—Vagabond, a fictional account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, and Real, a manga about wheelchair basketball. Inoue is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Tezuka Osamu Culture Award and the Media Arts Festival Award. In addition to his work on manga, Inoue has worked on television commercials, character designs for video games, and is the founder of a scholarship to foster Japanese basketball talent.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ VIZ Media LLC (September 16, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 600 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1421520540
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1421520544
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.6 x 8.63 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #9,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Horror Manga (Books)
- #95 in Action & Adventure Manga (Books)
- #140 in Fantasy Manga (Books)

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4.8 4,385 ratings

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4.8 out of 5

4,385 global ratings

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Darian

Amazing Manga

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2023

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Vagabond, Vol. 1 is one of the most beautiful pieces of manga I have ever read and seen. The first in a 12-volume omnibus series, Inoue Takehiko has created something truly special for readers. Set in the aftermath of the Battle of Sekigahara, the story follows a young man (Shinmen Takezo) who strives to rise from his misfortune (being on the losing side) to become the greatest warrior in the land.

Here are the pros and cons of this work below:

Pros

*Fascinating era and place (early Edo-era Japan, 1600s)

*Beautiful artwork - Composed of three volumes, each opening chapter (by volume) opens with a exquisite series of color panels. Drawn in a realistic yet stylized art form, Vagabond oozes with detail from the detailed expression of emotion on character's faces to the flick of grass on the forest floor. The artwork seems to come alive!

*Character development - All the discussion of artwork should not distract from the excellent display of character arc. The protagonist, despite being a prodigy in combat, is one whom continually struggles to deal with his sense of identity and mission. From the beginning of this volume to the end, Takezo changes as a person.

Cons

*Virtually none

Summary
As a piece of Historical Fiction, this volume is highly recommended. As a manga, it is highly recommended. As a piece of literature and artwork, it is highly recommended. Need I say more?

13 people found this helpful

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Ryan Kerr

The Best Manga I've Ever Read

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022

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Vagabond reaches S trier in terms of quality. From the book itself, to the artwork and wording.

A daunting book at a glance, it reads very fast, all whille having gorgeous art on display.

The artwork of this manga is so far above any other manga it feels like it's in a league of its own. The attention to detail and expressionist design is better than the rest.

Going beyond its very well introduced story, it doesn't take low hanging fruit. Choosing to take the high road in all situations, touching on eastern philosophy and historical accuracy with a metaphorical structure to its plot.

This is my favorite manga. From the core message, to its art style and the character arcs, its just one of those times everything comes together and feels timeless.

One person found this helpful

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Alvaro Ricardo Zepeda

Greatest art you can see

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024

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My friend had recommended me Vagabond and all I gotta say is don’t think about it read it it’s one of those novels that’s easy to read through and the story catches you in very quickly accompanied with wonderful Illustrations by Takehiko Inoue it’s just absolutely impeccable

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024

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Great book, can't wait to purchase the rest of the set.

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2013

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Time and time again with Western publications of manga the publisher messes something up terribly. Whether it be translation quality, horrible printing, or an all around just crap product, there's a lot of problems that can come up and ruin a series for many people.

Vagabond is one series that escapes all of these problems. VIZ did everything perfect for this publication. The book is THICK and I mean thick, about the size of 3-4 volumes of a normal manga. The colored pages and double spreads are absolutely stunning and the print quality and actual paper is top notch as well. Combining 3 volumes into one mega volume was a great choice by VIZ and adds tremendous value to the customer, I got my copies at ~$12-14 each, roughly 1.5x the cost of a normal volume, so it's an amazing deal if you're looking to purchase this series.

As for the actual content, the art is beautiful. Takehiko is one manga artist that puts in tremendous effort into his work and it shows. He doesn't cut corners or fool around with far shots to save drawing time. Every page is incredibly detailed and full of life. The story is a dark and tragic one following Shinmen Takezou, a run-away Samurai, about his troubles and life following his journey. It's an incredibly full world and a must read for anyone who likes the Seinen demographic or an action series.

All in all, it's a must buy. It's a great value and an fantastic series. I recommend Takehiko's Slam Dunk as well if anyone likes Vagabond as much as I do.

3 people found this helpful

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Randi

Good comic

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024

Good book

Beautifully illustrated and a generally well done story.

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2020

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Series Info/Source: This is the first VIZBIG volume of the Vagabond series. I bought this book.

Story (4/5): This is the story of Takeza and how he started down the path to becoming the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. It’s well done and fast paced. This is a fairly violent and graphic story, but has some interesting history and an engaging story.

Characters (4/5): The characters are well done and have some depth to them but are pretty unlikable throughout. Takezo’s disregard for life and struggle to understand the rest of society is intriguing.

Setting (4/5): The historical setting is well done and interesting. It was fun to take a look into this time of history.

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): The story is very easy to follow and well done. The drawing here is really exceptional, lots of detail both on the characters and in the background.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was well done and exceptionally well drawn. The story is kind of interesting and the characters had a lot of depth to them. There is a lot of graphic violence as well. I thought it was well done but don’t plan on continuing the series because I just prefer more of a fantasy take to my graphic novel stories and I didn’t really like any of the characters all that much. Additionally the volumes are fairly pricey to buy and my library doesn’t carry them.

4 people found this helpful

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Kuwanwayma

Fast becoming my favorite manga

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024

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I knew it was gonna be good. But vagabond has surpassed all my expectations. Can't recommend it enough. Everyone needs to read this.

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Darian

FANTASTIC BOOK

Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2024

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This book is amazing. I went in blind and it paid off. Great story and characters so far, incredible art that rivals berserk and the book itself is made really well for a paper back of its size. Highly recommended.

Lo25

Vagabond

Reviewed in Brazil on December 31, 2023

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Vale o preço, as ilustrações são lindas

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