Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Volume 1

Why is this in the western reading format when the other deluxe editions like Berserk and Hellsing, which are amazing, aren’t?

That’s my big gripe with this, especially considering the price tag. I’ve always loved BOTI but my former roommate had been collecting them so I never felt the need to collect them myself. Now that I live on my own I was excited to see a new hardcover edition. I always prefer hardcover to paperback, always, so I’m sad that this wasn’t given the proper love it deserves. Oh well.

BOTI is still an amazing manga regardless and I’ll continue to collect the other volumes as they’re released. They just won’t feel nearly as special as Berserk (buy it now seriously) and Hellsing do.

We are now on our fourth release of this fantastic manga. Originally as a floppy comic in the 90s, then collected in trade paper backs, then those were collected in 3 in 1 omnibus', and now finally this new hardcover release. So pick your poison, cuz they all have problems. The trades are out of print and some books can be expensive. Some of the omnibus are also OOP. The new book is hardcover and slightly oversized compared to previous issues, which is awesome but there is a glaring problem that has stuck with this series since the 90s. Back when manga was getting popular in the west, most publishers were flipping the images so books could be read left to right [japanese manga reads right to ledt] that way new readers wouldnt be confused. This was pretty understandable in the 90s. Manga hadn't really got a foot hold in the US so some edits were passable in order to bring in new fans. Most manga stopped being flipped over 20 years ago. So with each new release still showing a flipped presentation shows dark horse is stuck in the 90s. This hardcover would have been a perfect time to present the story for the first time in its proper reading orientation. Which would make it actually worth double dipping for. I would not recommend this to hardcore manga fans. Yes the story is great, but it is a disservice to the fans and author to keep the old format. This might be ok for a more casual fan who doesnt care about maintaining the original reading style.

So heads up I'm not really into manga or anime. I'm mainly into comics. I like things that feel a bit grounded and don't seem totally unbelievable that I feel like I'm drugs reading a book sober. That being said though I like Gundam thunderbolt, and I'm at volume 3 of the berserk Deluxe editions. Fantastic read by the way. Just want to give some back story on whether or not this could be worth the buy for you. When Dark Horse puts effort into collecting things into a hardcover deluxe format it only means one thing.... This story is loved by many and is extremely good. I've never read Blade of the Immortal before so I had high hopes going in. I wasn't disappointed at all! People that are complaining about it reading like a regular graphic novel really need to get over it. Seriously. The guy who wrote it actually came back and re-did a lot of this so it wouldn't just be mirrored and it could be read by westerners in the way we read. A LOT of time and effort went into this and you can tell. The guy is a genius. At times the black and white art can get distorted and I cant quite tell what is happening. Maybe that's just the beauty of it though. Its rough, its brutal, its intense, its messed up and I didn't really mind as the majority of the time I can see the gore and bloodshed on full display. It started out slow for me and I put it down after a bit thinking it wasn't for me. When I picked it back up after dinner one night I couldn't stop. I reached the end and it was already midnight. Okay so why should you be interested? If you like gun slinging western movies with a badass main character you'll like this for sure. I like how it stays grounded and on a believable level without it really being believable. You almost pity those that are about to be slaughtered. The respect given by others just sets the mood and feels.... chaotic but controlled. If you like extreme violence and sword fights this is the book for you!!!

It came in October 27! I’m so happy with my purchase.it such a beautiful hardcover and the illustrations are amazing. This book is so beautiful ahhh! I love it! :)

Dark Horse did a great job selecting this series and bringing it to the American public. They initially released the series in single issues like a typical comic book and it worked because that's how i got into it. So im not losing any sleep over it not reading like a typical manga. If you like Vagabond, Berserk, Vinland Saga, or Golden Kamuy this is right up your alley!

Amazing book. Cannot believe some reviewers are criticizing the left to right reading format and calling it casual. Extremely petty. The reading format isn't like most manga but that isn't a problem at all. I was a little hesitant buying the book at first due to the price but it was definitely worth it.

Another fantastic edition and manga. After the first 8 Berserks I decided to get this and not even 50 pages in I got the next 3. Just awesome.

[[VIDEOID:ada9c11ae85110e0737195df8c3aedea]] It’s a great manga. It is written in western style, left to right, but as long as that doesn’t bother you, there is no reason to complain. Looks great and it’s similar to the berserk deluxe edition.

The book is great, as usual shipped in a box flopping around with no protection at all...not like the hardcover can be damaged or anything.,,.

It's maddening that Dark Horse would release this again with the horrible format and English sound effects. The original manga is amazing but this "Deluxe" edition is sadly lacking. People who don't understand paneling won't care but it is obviously confusing and weird to read in this format. SO SAD.