It was too big an object to be called manga. Too thick, too heavy and rough. A huge pad of paper. These are the words I thought, paraphrasing the manga itself, while reading the first volume of BERSERK DELUXEthe most recent and very expensive incarnation of the work of the late Kentaro Miura.
Available in Italian comics stores for a few months now, BERSERK DELUXE sets itself the goal of be the definitive edition of the manga, identical to the one published in the United States. Twelve volumes with completely black cover, made of a material similar to leather and with metallic red engravings with indication of the title and volume number. A decidedly atypical edition for the Italian territory: will it have managed to convince a longtime fan of the original work?
- Italian title: BERSERK DELUXE
- Italian release: November 17, 2022
- Number of Volumes: 12
- Publishing house: Sandwiches Comics
- Type: dark fantasy
- Drawings: Kentaro Miura
- History: Kentaro Miura
- Format: hardcover, 17.5 x 25.4 cm, black and white, colours
- Number of pages: 162
We have reviewed BERSERK DELUXE through a press volume provided free of charge by Panini Comics.
The Hand of God
Serialized in Japan since 1988 and arrived in Italy in 1996 under the banner of Planet Mangawho still takes care of its publication in our country, Berserk it has become over the years the absolute pinnacle of dark fantasy made in Japan, a point of reference for all the works inspired by it and derived from it, whether they are manga, anime and even video games. It is undeniable that the imagination of Kentaro Miura has been capable of inspiring even works such as dark soulsin their own way as revolutionary for their media as Berserk itself was.
For over thirty years we have anxiously awaited new developments for the events of the black swordsman, but as you well know unfortunately Miura passed away in 2021, leaving his closest friends and his team of assistants the task of guiding Gatsu towards the epilogue of his events. With BERSERK DELUXE we take a leap back in time, to the beginnings of the work: although the author’s drawing style was incredibly immature compared to what has been seen in recent times, Berserk it is equally capable of jaw-dropping with every table, illustration and line of dialogue, without looking aged in the slightest. Rereading Berserk’s debut twenty years after I read it the first time was like diving into the past, but at the same time discovering a masterpiece that, after all this time, still has a lot to teach.
The Black Swordsman
Berserk is the revenge story of Gatsu, a former mercenary cursed by a demonic brand and perpetually persecuted by infernal creatures whose sole purpose is to devour his soul and flesh. The story begins by showing us a first portion of his path of revenge against the Apostlescreatures at the service of Hand of God, disguised among the men of a fantasy-style Middle Ages in the role of nobles and military leaders who exploit their position to subjugate and devour entire populations. While heedless of others and driven solely by the desire for revenge and survival instinct, Gatsu will somehow end up helping the needy and saving the weakest from certain death. Among these, the little elf Pack, a fearless flying creature who, taking advantage of his empathic and healing powers, will be determined to follow Gatsu in his adventures, despite the black swordsman who will try in every way to drive him away, often treating him too cruelly. As events unfold, Pak will inevitably become the first companion that Gatsu ends up trusting blindlyregaining some of the lost humanity following the most tragic event of his life, the one that in the first volume of BERSERK DELUXE we can guess thanks to the appearance of Phemtan old acquaintance of the protagonist.
In the last pages of this first volume will begin one of the most loved and famous story portions of the entire work, the flashback that tells us about the Falcon teamthe army to which a very young Gatsu joined up to the moment in which the tragic event called Eclipse ended the deep bond of friendship and rivalry that bound him to Grifis And Caska.
The Dragonslayer
The new edition proposed by Sandwiches Comics priced at €50 per volume it is in all respects a replica of the one published in the United States by Dark Horse Comics and made especially for the western market. Inside each “dragon” we find three original volumes, printed in black and white with only a few color pages at the end of the volume, which offer us the illustrations of the original covers printed on three glossy pages. Unfortunately the plates originally in color in Japan have been re-proposed in black and white in this edition, I would certainly have preferred to see them as in the original, given the decidedly high price of the edition. As already mentioned at the beginning, the cover is made of a material similar to leather, completely black, engraved with the famous brand and, in red laminated ink, the title of the series and the name of the author. The volumes will all be perfectly identical, except for the progressive number, even if Panini has printed a variant cover with a red cover in a very limited edition at a cost of €200.
As for the content, we find ourselves in front of one of the best editions in terms of paper and printing quality, with a reading finally in Japanese style, omnibus format and lettering made digitally, which keeps the original onomatopoeia intact. However, I would have taken the opportunity to rearrange the translations and adaptations a bit, which unfortunately present the same choices and errors already seen in the other editions. Although the Italian public is fond of names like Gatsu and Grifis, I would have preferred greater fidelity to the official names, Guts, Puck and Griffithas well as “black swordsman” instead of “black warrior”.
They call him Black Warrior and no Apostle can survive his passage: he is the protagonist of Berserkmasterpiece of Kentaro Miura that Sandwiches Comics proposes in a definitive edition consisting of twelve deluxe volumesoutgoing from November 2022.
The work tells about the long journey of Gatsu, a cursed warrior who for the sake of the woman he loves will fight to the death to get revenge. Miura publishes initially Berserk in 1988 as a full story in the magazine Gekkan ComiComi. Serialization begins the following year. The growth of the protagonist Gatsu, fighting against deformed monsters and bloody battles, his magnificent feature, rich in detail, and his majestic story make him the passion of fans all over the world.
Buy BERSERK DELUXE 1 following this link at the discounted price of €47.50 (instead of €50.00). Support Akiba Gamers by purchasing on Amazon through this box!
Who do we recommend BERSERK DELUXE to?
The new edition of the manga of Kentaro Miura it is certainly demanding from an economic point of view, fifty euros per volume are certainly not easy to come up with, especially in this historical period. Nevertheless, Berserk fans shouldn’t pass up this opportunity to take home what so far turns out to be the best edition of the manga, and in the same way newbies should go to the Deluxe to better enjoy the work almost as it was originally conceived. Certainly, if I had been the publisher, I would have also proposed a new paperback edition, with paperback and classic cover, with Japanese reading and the same number of pages, but with a standard format and a decidedly lower price, for all those who can’t afford the Deluxe Edition.
- One of the best manga ever in its best edition
- High quality edition
- It will continue until the end of the work
- You need a table to read it
- The price might put off many enthusiasts
BERSERK DELUXE
The definitive edition of Miura’s work
Whether you are a longtime fan or new adept of the work in question, BERSERK DELUXE should not be missing in your collection. The first of these twelve volumes has earned an unmovable place in my library and has allowed me to rediscover, in the best possible way, one of the best manga I’ve ever laid eyes on. Berserk is an essential story and, despite the various editions proposed over the years, none up to now has been able to satisfy me as much as the Deluxe proposed by Panini Comics in the wake of the Dark Horse edition. Unfortunately the cost is decidedly expensive, but the releases are spread out three to four months apart from each other. What matters most, however, is the publisher’s intention to continue even beyond the twelfth volume and complete the work with the new chapters that will be published in Japan in the future, created following the indications of the original author by the staff of friends and colleagues who have taken his place.
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