Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 3: Earth vs. the Saiyans

Dragon Ball [ドラゴンボール] #19

by Akira Toriyama

While Goku races towards Earth along the million-kilometer Serpent Road, the world's mightiest martial artists make their last stand against alien invaders determined to wipe out the human race! Piccolo. Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu struggle five-to-one against Nappa, only to find their opponents' power is greater than they ever dreamed. Their last chance is Goku...but can he get there in time? And is even he, and the miraculous Kaiô-ken, a match for Nappa's commander Vegeta?

Genres: Manga, Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Shonen, Science Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 1989

About the author

Akira Toriyama (鳥山明) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the popular manga series Dr. Slump, before going on to create Dragon Ball (his most famous work) and acting as a character designer for several popular video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Toriyama came to be regarded as one of the most important authors in the history of manga with his works highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration.
He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen/shōjo manga with Dr. Slump, and it went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into a successful anime series, with a second anime created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended.
His next series, Dragon Ball, would become one of the most popular and successful manga in the world. Having sold 260 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is considered a key work in increasing manga circulation to its peak in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and are credited with boosting anime's popularity in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts.
In October 2024, Toriyama was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn't get much better than this.

Team Cannon-Fodder struggles desperately against the Saiyan Nappa. It's not about winning - rather itt's about seeing just who among them is going to survive until Goku gets there, make it out of the whole onslaught alive. You get to see all these desperate plans and plots and full-power assaults and final stands, all that good stuff, only to find it all end up doing almost nothing at all - but only almost, for every once in a while they get a good hit in and manage to rile up the brute, just to keep the audience at the edge of their seats. But it's never enough.

And this whole time, Vegeta looms in the background. Silent, unflappable, menacing as all hell. When he actually raises his voice, even Nappa is terrified. The one they're barely surviving against, scared shitless by his buddy. That gets you thinking.

It's dragged out only just long enough - just as you start to grow tired and want to move on, Goku shows up to save the day. Or perhaps not: even he has a spot of trouble with Nappa, and then there's Vegeta...

Four and a half stars. The only reason it's not five is A) the sad demise of the once-beloved main characters who will never again be relevant in any way, and B) the next volume is even better.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a comic book as fast as I did this one. I mean the wordless ones, sure, but the ones with dialogue? This was 175 pages and I blew through it in what felt like 10 supercharged minutes!

The last volume left our heroes at the whim of Nappa, one of the Saiyans, who had just begun to fight Piccolo, Son Gohan and co. Son Goku is racing out of the Underworld to the battlefield in one of the most tense sequences I’ve ever see in a comic.

Akira Toriyama conveys the urgency perfectly and I mean totally and utterly perfectly - I actually stood up to read this part of the book! And the sequence of Goku’s flight from Underworld to Heaven to Karin Tower to Kinto’un and then right at the last second to the battle? Phewf! Real seat-of-the-pants entertainment!

With Yamcha dead at the end of the last book, even more characters die before Goku arrives (not Gohan though - that’d be too rough!) so it’s basically Goku vs Nappa, with Vegeta hanging back looking on. Goku’s training under the Lord of Worlds has given him some amazing new moves but it’s still a tough fight as Nappa’s no pushover.

There’s a real sense of menace with Vegeta and, though I’m sure Goku will somehow beat him, I still keep wondering who else is going to die and whether the cost of defeating Vegeta will be too high. Simply incredible storytelling from Toriyama.

The volume closes out with Goku having used his most powerful move on Vegeta, only for him to have deflected it. The two hover over the desert ready for the final battle. I think I need a lie down before I attempt the next book!

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mangaka Akira Toriyama is not fooling around anymore. This volume alone proves his cruel and deadly vision for Dragon Ball Z.

While Goku quickly (as Saiyanly possible) tries to exit Hell to help his friends on Earth against Nappa and Vegeta, the gang desperately tries to survive the onslaught brought upon them by Nappa while Vegeta mockingly observes the spectacle.

No one is safe but the ending clearly shows that there's only one person who could save them all from this invasion and that person is on a whole new level.

[Ola G · Rating 5 out of 5]

All stars!!!

All right, that was epic! The stakes are extremely high, the suspense was killing me, and I flew through this one with speed almost matching Goku's flight from Underworld. I was really glad to have the next installment on hand, though! This volume was incredibly tense, with many dramatic and heartwarming/breaking scenes. I love Piccolo's arch throughout the series and I really admire Toriyama's devotion to the concept of finding good in (almost) everyone.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was fun and mainly is the fight between the Z-warriors and Nappa and its epic and we see so many of them fall and the moment when Piccolo saves Gohan is my favorite and then comes our hero Goku and his stance is epic, you could see he has grown stronger since his training and he is taking others head on and taking them out and the fight with Nappa is short but then its Goku vs Vegeta the main fight of the story and series at large and its brutal, good going Goku and the art is flawless, just dynamic fight sequences while transitions and flows smoothly and is like watching an action anime, great stuff coming up now!!

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A finally, I knew this story would have to slow down a bit eventually.

Here we get a volume that is 90% just people throwing fists... hey, I'm not complaining! Akira Toriyama's action scenes are wonderful. I enjoy how this series just keeps ramping up the power of the characters. It really brings home how strong this guys are.

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.20

This was a great read. This series is a fast-paced adventure. I am really enjoying it. In this volume, Goku is late to fight the two saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa. Therefore, Piccolo, Kuririn, Gohan have to fight them. This was a thrilling volume as the battle begins. Also, the battle brought many deaths and I felt sad for some of those deaths. I was excited near the end because the epic showdown between Goku and Vegeta began in this book. This is going to be an epic series. Overall, a great sequel to the manga series.

[mandinmandin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my Harry Potter.

[Tiagoツ · Rating 5 out of 5]

uma das maiores lutas da história vem aí

[Logan Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone dies! For real this time!

I love how comically angry Nappa is, Toriyama stretches the boundaries of human anatomy to hilarious and frightening proportions. There’s really no way to properly describe how epic these illustrations are. Piccolo’s sacrifice, the death of Nappa, the Kaio-Ken. Need I go on?

This is probably the darkest volume in the series so far, honestly. There’s no levity to be found, and rightfully so. I love how Vegeta’s attitude is slowly built towards, we fear him even though he hasn’t done anything to earn it. So by the time Goku finally squares up with him, we know we’re in for a real treat.

But in a perfect world, Chaozu’s and Tenshinhan’s and Piccolo’s death actually mean something. Nappa gets more and more aggressive, but Goku finishes the job. They might as well just have stayed home. I think it would’ve been just as dramatic if the humans whittled Nappa down enough so Vegeta still kills him, then Vegeta lays them to waste just before Goku arrives. Then the humans could be more useful and Vegeta could be just as terrifying.

[Tara Strosnider · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Goku races towards Earth along the million-kilometer Serpent Road, the world's mightiest martial artists make their last stand against alien invaders determined to wipe out the human race! Piccolo. Gohan, Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu struggle five-to-one against Nappa, only to find their opponents' power is greater than they ever dreamed. Their last chance is Goku...but can he get there in time? And is even he, and the miraculous Kaiô-ken, a match for Nappa's commander Vegeta?

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goku had both the worst and the best timing. He came in time to save Gohan and Krilin, but 5 other people died - including Piccolo who gave his life for his pupil.
Let’s hope his hubris doesn’t affect him too much against Vegeta.

[Agung Wicaksono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dari pertarungan dengan Vegeta dan Nappa, hanya tersisa Krilin dan Gohan. Lantas, ketika mereka berdua sudah pasrah dengan keadaan dan cemas menantikan Goku, akhirnya Goku pun datang. Dengan cukup tenang, Goku berhasil mengalahkan Nappa. Kemudian, pertarungan dilanjutkan antara Goku dan Vegeta.

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Saiyan Saga puts the stakes higher than ever.

All time favorite characters die like flies, Piccolo sacrifices for Gohan and Goku is angry as hell.

I mean, these first three volumes are as quickly to read as any other classical work.

[Nikhil Math]

There was a lot of action. I love silent anger.

[Jorge Baptista · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok the fights here were peak

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pillico Bravery he sacerfices himself to save a child

[Diago Padilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Queens Love Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Do you prefer to die running or standing?”

added! Hoping for more books this year! 💕



I was supposed to post yesterday but I couldn’t because life can be too hectic and overwhelming. Anyway, another year

Date Read: 2024.01.11

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con este tomo finalmente leído íntegramente cada vez son menos las historias de DragonBall que jamás leí -o vi- íntegras. El dibujo y la dinámica de Toriyama en este volumen son impresionantes, pero la historia peca de tener muchos de los peores clichés del género (varios, creados por DB mismo) en pocas páginas. Aun así, cumple su función y resulta en un tomo relativamente esquivable pero entretenido.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this - when the Saiyens fight our heroes. Of course, Goku is late and the battle has a number of causalities. I always love the action and reading about favorite childhood characters. Piccolo in this volume was amazing. I loved his growing relationship with Gohan. I wish Gohan was older so he can just defeat all of these people already. The fight with Vegeta and Goku is next and it's going to be awesome.

[Michael Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The famous over 8000 scene :)

[Anthonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leave it to the Z fighters on earth to fight the bad guys. A must read for any and all manga lovers everywhere.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goku's so slow geez

[isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Spoilers for this volume)
If it wasn’t clear before, volume 3 proves to show a simple, yet kind of heartbreaking fact; the lighthearted, comedy filled adventures of Goku’s childhood -> adolescence are gone for good, and now instead he must face grave stakes and overwhelming conflict. Compared to everything that has come before, the battle between Nappa and the defenders of Earth was brutal and the number of character deaths that occur before Goku’s return from the dead is nothing short of shocking. Those that we have watched grown in both power and character are shown to be near hopeless against a single Saiyan and in quick succession are killed off.

Of course this is Dragon Ball, death is about as permanent as a decent sandcastle. But one particular death stood out as genuinely effective, that obviously being Piccolo’s sacrifice to save Gohan. While I don’t believe for a second he will stay dead beyond a couple volumes, this marked a consequential character moment showing genuine growth. Sure we as the reader were easily able to notice his change, as Piccolo lays dying in front of his rival’s son he finally admits it to himself.

“Oh, the shame… Piccolo The Great… The Incorruptable Evil… saving a child. How pathetic… heh”

Even moreso, his admittance to Gohan that his change of heart is due to his kindness towards him shows surprisingly humility. Although he has only just turned from the final antagonist of the original series to an ally in the span of 3 volumes, his (as we know of) final actions and words really sell his development and make for some great character development of sincerity in which we rarely see from the series. “Don’t die Gohan”.

BUT that isn't even the climax, as Goku finally reaches the battle in the chapter appropriately titled “The Quiet Wrath of Son Goku”. And his return marks by far my favourite moment of the series so far, especially in portraying its protagonist. When Goku arrives, environmental destruction shows the clear threat presented by Nappa, however Goku doesn’t engage right away. In fact, he barely even acknowledges his existence. Instead, he walks right past the attacker to the survivors and moves them away, spending beyond what would be deemed as necessary time in this dire instance to comfort them and encourage them. In this moment, before facing the man who killed his friends, Goku displays absolute kindness towards his wounded allies and a contagious optimism. In most tales of revenge, the protagonist would usually enact their vengeance with complete disregard to those around them, but that is where Goku differs, because as much as he is angry in the moment, he knows that most important thing is the safety of those who remain.

But don’t worry, right after this, he gives Nappa the most satisfying beatdown we could ask for and COMPLETELY overpowers him. As a result, Nappa is replaced by Vegeta, his commander that has stood by watching this whole time, and we finally get to see what he is all about, with the immediate characterisation of him killing his wounded ally for being unable to continue fighting. Great villain stuff.

While Goku and Vegeta’s fight properly starts in the next volume, Goku gets a brief taste of Vegeta’s power and immediately after ends the book with probably the most interesting line of the volume. Seeing the raw power of his opponent, Kakarrot says “But in a weird way, I’m starting to get kind of excited!” When reading this my first thought is that this is exactly the kind of thinking that seems to link all the Saiyan warriors, and I really hope this is a sign of thematic exploration to come.

While I do feel like this arc is still noticeably weighed down by how sudden a lot of it feels, this is definitely the strongest output from it so far. However, even though I haven’t really mentioned it yet (partially because of how forgettable i find him) Nappa is, all things considered, a pretty dull antagonist and his focus does damage the overall quality of the 3rd volume slightly. That being said, Vegeta has already shown much more characterisation, even in the background of the fight, and I really look forward to seeing Toriyama’s handling of him.

Verdict: 9 / 10

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die von Son-Gokus Bruder angemeldeten Sayajins sind einen Monat vor Ablauf der Zeit auf der Erde angekommen und die Freunde müssen sich den grausamen Außerirdischen ohne Son-Goku stellen, da dieser noch immer in der Unterwelt verweilt. Während Son-Goku sich auf den Weg über den Schlangenpfad zu den Lebenden macht, kommen die Freunde mehr und mehr in Bedrängnis. Nachdem Yamchu bereits von dem Sayajin Nappa und seinen grünen Gnomen getötet worden ist, werden sowohl Tenshinhan, als auch Chao-Zu Opfer der beiden Krieger aus dem All. Kuririn, Piccolo und Son Gohan versuchen sich weiterhin gegen die beiden zu behaupten und hoffen, dass es Son-Goku noch rechtzeitig zu ihrer Rettung herbei eilt. Schließlich kommt es zu einem großen Showdown, bei dem Piccolo sein wahres Gesicht zeigt.

-Achtung noch mehr Spoiler-

Wieder hat Akira Toriyama sich selbst übertroffen. Innerhalb kürzester Zeit sterben wichtige Charaktere und man fragt sich, wo das noch hinführen soll. Scheinbar ist jeder in dem Manga mindestens einmal dran mit sterben. Son Gohan zeigt trotz seines Trainings bei Piccolo, dass er noch immer eine kleine Heulsuse ist und sich sehr auf die Rückkehr seines Vaters verlässt. Trotzdem steckt der kleine Kerl weiterhin voller Überraschungen. Überraschungen gibt es in diesem Band im übrigen so einge. Denn Piccolo zeigt völlig neue Seiten. Son Gohan scheint ihm nicht so egal zu sein, wie er es einst immer behauptet hat, denn er opfert sich für den kleinen Kerl und somit verschwindet auch Gott und die Dragon Balls, was natürlich ein Problem ist, denn ohne die Dragon Balls kann der Drache Shenlong nicht mehr herbei gerufen werden und Wünsche erfüllen. Die Freunde scheinen also für immer verloren, was für den Leser einen absolut bitteren Beigeschmack hat, selbst als Son-Goku endlich auftaucht und alles sich scheinbar zum Guten wendet, kann der Leser sich einfach nicht freuen.
Die Zeichnungen in dem Manga sind wie immer sehr detailliert und der Autor hat sich wieder sehr spektakuläre Kampfszenen einfallen lassen. Man kann sich einfach nicht satt sehen. Die Dialoge wechseln wie gewohnt immer zwischen Witz und ernsteren Themen, was mir persönlich sehr gut gefällt. Besonders gut gefallen hat mir wieder der Charakter Vegeta. Er ist und bleibt ein Stinkstiefel und ist ein sehr grausamer Krieger, der vor nichts zurück schreckt. Die Art, wie Toriyama ihn darstellt ist einfach faszinierend.
Eine Leseempfehlung kann ich allen aussprechen, die Dragon Ball mögen und vor langatmigen Kampfszenen nicht zurück schrecken, denn davon bekommt ihr hier allerhand geboten. Wer etwas anderes erhofft, sollte wohl die Finger von dem Klassiker lassen.

Taschenbuch: 192 Seiten
Verlag: Carlsen (15. Februar 2001)
Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 355173559X
ISBN-13: 978-3551735591
Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 10 - 12 Jahre
Größe und/oder Gewicht: 11,8 x 1,8 x 17,8 cm

[Natalie]

Despite myself not interested in Dragon Ball Z I do have a large amount of respect for the franchise.

As I said before in my review of Dragon Ball, this kickstarted the trends for later Shonen manga and that's something to admire about the entire Dragon Ball series. Shonen manga series have taken elements from the Dragon Ball series and use it for inspiration for their own work like battles, art, character design, and plot. I feel like I was a bit too old when I was first introduced to the starters of Shounen and Shojo. Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon were introduced to me a bit too late after I had started reading & watching series like InuYasha, Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Code Geass.

Again, I still think it's an admirable franchise despite my personal feelings towards it. (I don't hate it but I didn't love it either) It's extremely popular worldwide and for the anime to still be watched and loved to this very day I think that says a lot about it. There are many things to like and admire about it because of the legacy that it brought with its creation.

While I don't love Dragon Ball Z, it has done a lot for a very popular art form and will continue to be great and loved for years to come.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

HERE! WE! GO! The battle with the Saiyans is well under way as Nappa literally takes the Z Fighters out one by one. So...all that training was literally for naught as they all only get one decent blast in before they're completely taken out. Goku takes a good 3/4 of the book just trying to get back over Snake Way and make it back to Earth, an entire chapter dedicated to just waiting for Goku to arrive...only for him to not show. The end of this volume begins the rivalry of Vegeta and Goku as they face off only for a "to be continued" tag just as Goku's newest technique, the Kaio Ken fails to graze the villain.
This villain was much faster paced with the fighting, whole pages filled with panels of no dialogue and just hits. The iconic line is present except it's not over 9000, it's over 8000. And this is the beginning of the wrap up for the Saiyan arc! :) An exciting volume for those new to the series and a nostalgic ride for us long-time fans.

[Izzie Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, i have the three-in-one collection so this review is gonna be for volumes 1-3
This is the first manga that I've ever read and I'm really excited to read more! My partner convinced me to read it since they love the anime so much and they showed me how to read manga properly, which luckily wasn't as hard as I was worried it would be. I recommend anyone who is hesitant to get into manga to go for it! You get used to the style of reading really quickly! I liked the story, I liked the characters. My least favorite part was the battle scenes because I kind of was having a hard time understanding what was going on. I'm not sure if it's just this specific manga that has hard-to-follow battles, if it's how all manga battles go and I'll eventually get used to it and be able to follow along, or if it's just a me thing that I'll have to deal with. Anyway, I enjoyed reading it and I'm excited to continue with the series and with manga in general.

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This third volume really shows off DBZ’s new tonal change and high stakes. Nappa and Vegeta’s incredible power and cruelty send most of our heroes to their deaths - many of whom now hit entirely differently after reading Dragon Ball. Goku’s delay in returning is now a classic DB trope but is no less thrilling, as is our first look at the Kaio-Ken move and the start of his showdown with Vegeta. It’s so different with Goku as an adult - there’s no hilarious shocked faces at his unprecedented power - and it’s not quite transferred to cowardly Gohan at this point.

At times I tried to forget the future and imagine what this third volume was like without the rest of the series - it wasn’t easy! But it’s also part of the magic, like Piccolo’s final act, and Vegeta marveling at Goku’s power.

Toriyama’s phenomenal art matches his storytelling, which makes this a pleasure and a thrill to read, no matter how much one remembers from the anime.