Vinland Saga is, as its name would suggest, a saga, but it takes you on an incredible journey and every chapter engrosses you more and more in its story. It is a story about Vikings that’s told realistically, but it’s told in an artful, emotional, and impactful way and it offers a lot of insight into the plight and struggles of the people who lived in this world through the eyes of our main protagonist Thorfinn.
While reading Vinland Saga, you are very much transported back to this period through Makoto Yukimura’s art and storytelling. Character development is another one of Vinland Saga‘s strong suits. There are a lot of characters in Vinland Saga with strong motivations that make them interesting. So, while it is a story about Vikings with plenty of blood gore, and battles, it’s full of substance as well. It’s one of the best seinen manga of all time and I highly recommend it, but what’s the best way to collect it?
Right now, you can collect Vinland Saga with English translation via the two Kodansha releases: the original 2-in-1 hardcovers and the Deluxe Editions. The original versions are 2-in-1 hardcovers, while the Deluxe Editions are 3-in-1s.
With 13 2-in-1s released at the time of this post, collecting 26 volumes, and with the series still ongoing, it is unknown how many volumes and Deluxe Editions of the series will be released. In this post, I give you an in-depth review of the Vinland Saga Deluxe Editions, going over everything from price, quality, and design, how they compare to the 2-in-1 hardcovers also released by Kodansha as well as other high-quality hardcover manga releases, and more.
Price
As far as cost goes, the Deluxe Editions are priced at approximately $54.99 each. In contrast, the original hardcovers are more wallet-friendly, with a retail price of $19.99 each. This price discrepancy isn’t surprising, considering the Deluxe Editions are a premium release with additional content. That said, each volume of Vinland Saga, when collected through the Deluxe Editions, is nearly twice as costly as the original 2-in-1 hardcovers. For comparison, the Berserk Deluxe Editions, which are a similar edition, are priced slightly lower at $49.99.
I think they are a little overpriced with that in mind, but given that these larger formats often are part of manga deals, I would expect these to hit lower prices over time and they do have some details and new content, which I’ll get into below, that make warrant a higher price tag.
Release Schedule
The Vinland Saga Deluxe Editions are expected to be released every 2 months or so according to trusted manga retailers. Of course, delays can happen, but it seems like they’ll be releasing these pretty quickly.
Size and Design
The Deluxe Editions are the largest edition of Vinland Saga to release with their 7×10 inch format, which is reminiscent of other high-quality releases, such as the Deluxe Editions from Dark Horse. This size not only gives the artwork room to breathe but also enhances your overall reading experience. As someone who prefers releases that have a minimal design, I love what Kodansha did here. The first volume’s rust-red pleather cover, which is complete with embossed details, gives these volumes a more premium look and feel. Kodansha didn’t hold back with this release, even incorporating Old Norse runes and a seal that translates to “Makoto Yukimura Carved Vinland Saga” as the main features on the cover.
On the flip side, the original 2-in-1 hardcovers are more compact, measuring around 6×8 inches, aligning them with the standard manga format but with a bit more heft because they are hardcover. They are similar in size to the Homunculus 2-in-1s or the Parasyte Full Color Collections. Each volume has unique cover art. While they don’t have any embossed details, like the Deluxe Editions do, the covers do have a glossy finish. The spine features the series logo against a map background, with each volume’s spine featuring a different color.
If you’re drawn to larger formats and don’t mind spending a bit more for a premium edition, the Deluxe Editions are the way to go. But if you prefer releases that have unique cover art on each volume, the original hardcovers do not disappoint.
Print Quality and Readability
When it comes to the print quality and readability of the Vinland Saga manga editions, there’s a notable difference between the Deluxe Editions and the original 2-in-1 hardcovers. The Deluxe Editions are printed on high-quality, white paper with a smooth finish, which mirrors the feel found in other premium hardcover releases like the Dark Horse Deluxe Editions. This superior paper allows for deeper blacks, crisper details, and improved contrast. In addition to having amazing print quality, the larger format Deluxe Editions showcase Makoto Yukimura’s art in greater detail, even more so than the 2-in-1 hardcovers do.
As far as readability goes, they have square spines and are bound with a sewn binding, which adds to their durability and makes them more resilient during extended reading sessions compared to editions with glued spines, like the Attack on Titan Colossal Editions. However, I’ve found that rounded spines, as seen in some other deluxe manga collections like the Berserk Deluxe Editions, tend to lay open more easily, making for a better reading experience.
Despite this, the Deluxe Editions still have great readability thanks to their high-quality construction and larger format, although their weight means they’re best read on a flat surface. The original 2-in-1 hardcovers, while printed on off-white paper that isn’t of as high quality as the paper seen in the Deluxe Editions, still offer a good reading experience. They also come with a sewn binding but they have slightly rounded spines. They are lighter and easier to handle, especially for those of you who prefer to read on the go.
While there is some gutter loss in both editions, particularly in spreads that span two pages, it’s less pronounced in the Deluxe Editions due to their larger format. That all said, if you are looking for an edition with better print and page quality, along with a more premium design, the Deluxe Editions is the best choice. But, if you value portability and ease of handling, the original 2-in-1 hardcovers may be for you.
Translation & Lettering
After a side-by-side read-through, the translation as well as the lettering is the same in both editions, so there are no differences to report here. The same person did the lettering and the same person did the translation in both editions.
Extras and New Material
The Deluxe Editions come with some new content. In addition to the faux leather covers, they come with exclusive cover art that’s never been released in an English release before. Beyond the new visual content, the Deluxe Editions gives us deeper insights into the world of Vinland Saga through interviews and commentary with the creator, Makoto Yukimura. Anytime I can learn more about my favorite creators, the worlds they create, and the characters they mold, I couldn’t be happier, so these are great additions.
The original hardcover release does have a few color pages in the very beginning of the volumes as well as some extra material, like afterwords, supplemental designs, and special reports, but these Deluxe Editions come with those included, aside from the bonus story For Our Farewell Is Near, featured at the end of the first 2-in-1. I’m not sure if they’ll ever be including this in the future, but since parts of this bonus story are included at the end of various 2-in-1 volumes, I think they’d release this in a later deluxe if they do. Aside from this, the Deluxe Editions come with all of the material that’s featured in 2-in-1s and more.
That said, the edition with the best extras is the Deluxe Edition. The interviews in particular are great, but the new full-page color art they included is nice too.
Final Verdict: Are the Vinland Saga Deluxe Editions worth picking up?
Yes, they are. Like many others, I thought that I would probably just keep getting the original hardcovers, but after holding the first Deluxe Edition in hand, diving into its pages, and looking at all its details and its print quality, I’m now getting the Deluxe Editions instead. These are ones you’ll want to look into if you are looking for the edition with the best page/print quality, and extras, and prefer premium or larger format releases. I had my doubts, but they are a beautiful release, and if this is the direction that Kodansha is headed with their hardcover releases, I’m excited to see what they release next.
They did the Akira hardcovers too, so I knew they could make high-quality hardcover releases but this is the first time they’ve stepped into making these pleather-bound Deluxe Edition releases and I’m really happy with the result. The original 2-in-1 hardcovers are great too, though, and they are more comfortable to read. They are also the cheapest way by far to collect the series. The paper and print quality may not be as great as the Deluxe Editions, but it is still good. I love the look of the covers and they are a more cost-effective way to collect the series.
Each has its pros and cons, but I hope this helps you decide which edition is best for you. Either way, you are going to read what I think is one of the best manga of all time. If you are interested in getting a more in-depth as well as inside look at the first Vinland Saga Deluxe Editon, check out my full review on YouTube below.
