If you are passionate about Dragon Ball, make room on your bookshelf. Lots of room. And it doesn’t matter if you prefer the e-book or if you have all the volumes already published in Europe in duplicate: the new edition of the manga you are interested even if you completed the iconic Red Series back in the day: Planeta Cómic will edit the adventures of Son Goku importing the celebrated and exquisite format of the Digest Edition directly from Japan in both Spanish and Catalan, and each of its volumes is not a whim, but a necessity. Above all, because the publisher has already announced that they will not reprint it.
Originally released in Japanese territory between May 2016 and January 2017 under the label of Dragon Ball Digest Edition: Legendalthough popularly known as the edition Legend de Dragon Ball or simply Dragon Ball Legendit is a Shonen JUMP style “Soshuhen” format that is colloquially called It is called a mook (magazine book), and unlike the editions currently available in Spanish, it seeks to recover the way in which manga was published weekly in its time. The result: 18 volumes with a sensational size similar to B5 plus comments spread between the pages and even fold-out leaflets. That said, the Spanish distribution will be different from both the Japanese and other collections of the same manga.
Dragon Ball Legend: format, price and release dates in Europe
Different volumes of Dragon Ball Digest Edition: Legend that will arrive as is to Europe in a case that has not yet been shown
First things first: Planeta Cómic will publish the entire collection Dragon Ball Legend in three cases. Each case contains six Soshuhen indivisible volumes, which, for illustrative purposes, are manga volumes with dimensions and number of pages similar to the Japanese Shonen JUMP, so that each book is around 500 pages. So although there will be 18 volumes mentioned, these will give us will arrive in stores on three dates (one for each case) and simultaneously in Spanish and Catalan.
The definitive edition of Akira Toriyama’s manga? Technically yes, although with nuances: unlike the 32 volumes (Tankoubon) of the edition Full Colorwhich is also published by Planeta, The pages are in black and white with the exception of those that were printed in color during its publication in Shonen JUMP. What’s more, each of the covers of the 18 volumes into which the Spanish edition of Dragon Ball Legend It evokes, as in Japan, the very distinctive, colorful and striking aesthetic of Shueisha’s weekly publication.
Cover of Weekly Shonen Jump No. 21 from 1991 (left) versus the Japanese cover of Dragon Ball Digest Edition: Legend No. 12 (right)
The Japanese Digest Edition format was launched in 2008 as a way to re-release the best Shonen JUMP works and is something unprecedented in Europe. Far from being those “3 in 1” Tankoubon like those that Planeta launches around One Piece o Narutothe distribution of the chapters in each volume has been rethought and additional value has been added. As regards extra content, notes, anecdotes about the creative process, chronologies, additional content related to the work, each of the original covers and even one or two full-colour triptych posters per volume have been added.
However, and as we have already mentioned, there is one difference compared to the Japanese Digest Editions: instead of publishing each volume separately, they will be offered in three cases. Having said that, it must be admitted that the way in which Planeta Cómic has divided the release of the work into three batches is a stroke of genius: the dates and margins between each release of Dragon Ball Legend They are completely reasonable and fit wonderfully with the three periods of the work:
- The first Dragon Ball Legend Case With the first six volumes (More than 2,500 pages) it will cost 150 dollars and will be launched in December 2024 and covers from Bulma and Son Gokuthe first chapter of the Manga, until the end of the battle against King Piccolo and the training in Kami Sama’s palace. That is, all the adventures of Little Son Goku.
- The second Dragon Ball Legend Case It will arrive six months later, between May and June 2025, and will offer volumes 7 to 12 as well. for 150 dollarsIn terms of content, it will cover everything from the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament with Goku now grown up to the climax and apotheosis of the Battle of Namek, including the complete Saiyan saga and the triumph of the legendary Super Saiyan.
- The third and final Dragon Ball Legend case It will be available in December 2025 (one year after the launch of the first one) also by 150 dollarsstarting from the arrival of Frieza and King Cold to Earth and the appearance of a mysterious young man from the future in volume 13 until the end of the work with the farewell letter from Akira Toriyama himself.
The frequency and manner of publication in Europe is due to several purposes. The first is to commemorate the 40 years since it began to be published. Dragon Ball and not overshadow or overlap the 32 volumes in Kanzenban format of The Ultimate Edition
As we have mentioned, and it is worth remembering once again, the volumes are sold indivisibly and the price of the three cases, each valued at 150 dollars, makes each mook of Dragon Ball Legend The box will cost approximately 25 dollars. However, the cases will be fully themed and, most importantly, Planeta Cómic has already announced that it will be a commemorative edition of the anniversary of the work that will not be reprinted.
A treat for the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball. A legend that never stops growing
Dragon Ball Legend wants to provide additional value for the 40 years of Son Goku’s adventures by providing the particularity of offering the work in its original format to those who already have any of the two editions currently published and reprinted by Planeta Cómic (the 34 Kanzenban of the Ultimate Edition and the 32 Tankoubon of Full Color); to which we must add the ongoing publication of Dragon ball Super with drawings by Toyotaro and script by Toriyama or the Anime Comics based on the television series.
Planeta is joining in forcefully with a 40th anniversary that will not only pay tribute to Akira Toriyama and his legacy, but will also be experienced in all formats: Selecta Visión has released Dragon Ball Kai on Animebox after its run in theaters, at the end of the year the new Dragon Ball Daima animated series will be released and between one thing and another Bandai Namco will launch Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero on consoles and PCs.
Too much Dragon Ball? Not at allToriyama’s work is not a fad or a passing phenomenon: it is part of universal culture. And the best proof of this is that 40 years later, nostalgic fans, collectors and those who never let their passion for Goku’s adventures cool down will have their hands full and their shelves shaking.
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