Since 2015 Dragonball fans have been rejoicing for a number of reasons. Dragonball creator, Akira Toriyama, slipped back into the industry spotlight with his new canonized continuation of Dragonball with Dragonball Super, which continues from the events after the Majin Buu saga. For one, this completely kills any notion that Dragonball GT would ever become canon. Secondly, fans wishing for new stories have had those wishes granted as Toriyama and artist Toyotorou take Goku, Vegeta, and the Z warriors to new power levels. Third, we’ll hopefully see another rendition of Death Battle where Goku stands a chance against Superman.
I hadn’t given Dragonball much thought in song long until a few months ago. I was jonesing for an anime with action, but with a touch of comedy, and Dragonball Super suddenly came to mind. It’s incredible! If you haven’t started yet, do so and thank me later. Anyway, when I got the chance to review the first volume, I jumped.
The first volume collects issues 1-9 and covers Goku’s first encounter with Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction. It even covers some of the Battle of the Gods tournament. The lack of a Frieza arc was surprising given the film’s popularity. Resurrection of F helped to fuel a lot of the hype for Dragonball Super’s return, so why no story arc? I researched the matter, and discovered that only a handful of issues were published to coincide with the movie. Even then, the arc wasn’t completed. I assume that’s why Frieza only got a quick mention.
While much of the book reads like an abbreviated version of the anime, Volume 1 makes for a fun read. The book is entertaining from front to back, and the panels feel like storyboards. You can see the fights come to life, even if they aren’t too elaborate. I guess that’s the benefit of watching the anime first, but that only adds to the value of the manga. Dragonball fans are going to need this. Dragonball volume is out 1, going to Viz’s website or your nearest book store to pick up a copy. Father’s Day is around the corner, so pick this up for the Dragonball lover in your life.