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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
A full-color graphic novel by manga legend Shotaro Ishinomori based on the classic video game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an adaptation of the beloved, internationally bestselling video game originally released for Nintendo’s Super Entertainment System. This comic book version by Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider) was first serialized in Nintendo Power magazine and later collected into a graphic novel.
Long out of print, this stunning, full-color graphic novel is now available once again!
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an adaptation of the beloved, internationally bestselling video game originally released for Nintendo’s Super Entertainment System. This comic book version by Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider) was first serialized in Nintendo Power magazine and later collected into a graphic novel.
Long out of print, this stunning, full-color graphic novel is now available once again!
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
42 people are currently reading
1543 people want to read
About the author
Shōtarō Ishinomori
382 books58 followersShōtarō Ishinomori (石ノ森章太郎) was a Japanese manga artist and cartoonist. Known as the "King of Manga", he is regarded as one of the most influential manga artists of all time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
August 1, 2015
This was super cheesy in the best way possible! I think my fellow Zelda fans will get a good chuckle out of this one.
June 6, 2024
A Link to the Past is my favourite Legend of Zelda game... being that it's almost the only game in the series that I've played at all. I should get around to the rest of them someday.
Anyway, this comic's a pretty good adaptation. It doesn't cling too tightly to the game's events and is willing to go along its own path to properly fit into the new medium, though I'd say it skips a fair few places and doesn't show enough of the horror of the Dark World.
Anyway, this comic's a pretty good adaptation. It doesn't cling too tightly to the game's events and is willing to go along its own path to properly fit into the new medium, though I'd say it skips a fair few places and doesn't show enough of the horror of the Dark World.
May 7, 2015
A Link to the past for the SNES is probably in my top 5 favourite video games of all time. It was pretty cool to see old Nintendo power stuff thrown together into a graphic novel! Quick read, brought back some memories from my childhood, recommended if you played the game back in the day or are a fan of Zelda in general!
July 2, 2015
There's two things I really like- watercolor illustration and vintage manga. This recent entry to Viz's Legend of Zelda lineup isn't a recent comic- it was originally printed in Nintendo Magazine in the early 90's, but its a refreshing addition. The watercolor pages are fantastic, pulling the reader right into the story, and Ishinomori's illustration is cartoony and fun. If you're a fan of the Akira Himekawa LOZ graphic novels, you may be a little put off originally by the switch in style, but please keep in mind that Ishinomori's comic essentially laid the groundwork for all future manga iterations of LOZ. I highly recommend this comic to Legend of Zelda fans, comic fans, and even watercolor fans!
May 19, 2015
such memories this brought back. waiting for my Nintendo power to come so I could read the next installment!
the book is beautifully made, full color throughout.
forgot that Link talks in it, so that's fun. it strays from the video game story line, but it's A fun journey to follow.
the ending is a little sad.
Link & Zelda forever!!
the book is beautifully made, full color throughout.
forgot that Link talks in it, so that's fun. it strays from the video game story line, but it's A fun journey to follow.
the ending is a little sad.
Link & Zelda forever!!
May 22, 2015
Even though its based on 1992's A Link to the Past game, there are enough differences between the book and game that even hardcore fans can enjoy. New characters and events have been added, even a different ending, making this a slightly different adventure.
May 7, 2015
And now it's time to play the game again. Because I have problems.
January 13, 2016
Having read and enjoyed this story when it was first serialized in Nintendo Power, I was eager to give it another look twenty-three years on to see whether it held up to my dim memories in a way that childhood favorites often have not. It's not the first time I've done this with media from the Zelda franchise, as within the past couple of years I've been able to rewatch several episodes of the animated The Legend of Zelda television show from 1989 (it's awful) and replay all of the NES, SNES, and Game Boy games (ranging from good to fantastic).
While the game version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past stands the test of time decades after its release and remains a personal favorite of mine, the comic based on it is much more of a mixed bag. The art, as one would expect from legendary mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori, is excellent. The characters and their world don't necessarily look as one might expect from playing the game, but Ishinomori's style adds a lot to the newly-expressive characters, enormous monsters, and the sinister floating fortress where Ganon resides in this version of the story. The plot in the book progresses at a breakneck pace, so fast that there isn't much room for character development. Link's personality isn't much better defined than in the games where he's a silent protagonist, and the other characters exist mostly to quickly dump information or an item to move things along. There are both additions and omissions from the game, with several original characters appearing, but also a massive number of characters from the game removed for expedience's sake, with large chunks of the world also going unrepresented (a personal favorite dungeon and boss, Thieves' Town and Blind the Thief, were unfortunate casualties). If time was taken to really explore the new faces and places, the changes would have been worth it, but everything moves so quickly that they feel extraneous. The rushed plot suffers from important battles that are ended far too quickly, problems that are resolved by Link just being handed the very item he requires, powerful abilities that pop up spontaneously and are never used again, allies that appear just in the nick of time to save the day, and other conveniences necessitated by cramming a ten hour long game into a comic that tops out at less than 200 pages.
People who read this when it was first published or those who have played A Link to the Past might want to avoid this collection, as it doesn't hold up well compared to nostalgic memories or the stellar game; on the other hand, younger readers will probably enjoy the frantic pace and non-stop action of the story, and people who have enjoyed the other manga adaptions of the Zelda series will doubtlessly enjoy this alternate take as well.
While the game version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past stands the test of time decades after its release and remains a personal favorite of mine, the comic based on it is much more of a mixed bag. The art, as one would expect from legendary mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori, is excellent. The characters and their world don't necessarily look as one might expect from playing the game, but Ishinomori's style adds a lot to the newly-expressive characters, enormous monsters, and the sinister floating fortress where Ganon resides in this version of the story. The plot in the book progresses at a breakneck pace, so fast that there isn't much room for character development. Link's personality isn't much better defined than in the games where he's a silent protagonist, and the other characters exist mostly to quickly dump information or an item to move things along. There are both additions and omissions from the game, with several original characters appearing, but also a massive number of characters from the game removed for expedience's sake, with large chunks of the world also going unrepresented (a personal favorite dungeon and boss, Thieves' Town and Blind the Thief, were unfortunate casualties). If time was taken to really explore the new faces and places, the changes would have been worth it, but everything moves so quickly that they feel extraneous. The rushed plot suffers from important battles that are ended far too quickly, problems that are resolved by Link just being handed the very item he requires, powerful abilities that pop up spontaneously and are never used again, allies that appear just in the nick of time to save the day, and other conveniences necessitated by cramming a ten hour long game into a comic that tops out at less than 200 pages.
People who read this when it was first published or those who have played A Link to the Past might want to avoid this collection, as it doesn't hold up well compared to nostalgic memories or the stellar game; on the other hand, younger readers will probably enjoy the frantic pace and non-stop action of the story, and people who have enjoyed the other manga adaptions of the Zelda series will doubtlessly enjoy this alternate take as well.
July 25, 2015
'Beautiful illustrations, great if you've played Zelda'
This is an odd addition to my book list and I have to admit I wouldn't normally have read it. My other half received this as a gift from a family member who remembered him playing Zelda when he was younger. I also played some Zelda games when I was in my teens and I've never read a comic book so I sat down and gave it a go. For younger readers (or Zelda fans) I can see this being great and I got through it in no time with the minimal text. Originally a series of comics, this was made into a graphic novel which went out of print years ago and has been recently re-released. It's true to the Zelda feel with amazing monsters, magic swords and quests that come in 3's. The illustrations are beautiful and you can get a real feel for the story while your imagination is left to fill in the gaps. My only criticism is that it seemed to jump around a bit (but it is following the story line of a game after all). Although I didn't play A Link to the Past, I did play other Zelda games and this was a trip down memory lane that I enjoyed very much.
This is an odd addition to my book list and I have to admit I wouldn't normally have read it. My other half received this as a gift from a family member who remembered him playing Zelda when he was younger. I also played some Zelda games when I was in my teens and I've never read a comic book so I sat down and gave it a go. For younger readers (or Zelda fans) I can see this being great and I got through it in no time with the minimal text. Originally a series of comics, this was made into a graphic novel which went out of print years ago and has been recently re-released. It's true to the Zelda feel with amazing monsters, magic swords and quests that come in 3's. The illustrations are beautiful and you can get a real feel for the story while your imagination is left to fill in the gaps. My only criticism is that it seemed to jump around a bit (but it is following the story line of a game after all). Although I didn't play A Link to the Past, I did play other Zelda games and this was a trip down memory lane that I enjoyed very much.
May 17, 2015
Ah, for one blissful Saturday afternoon, it was 1992 again and I was eagerly awaiting the next Nintendo Power magazine with the Link to the Past comic in it.
It turns out, I didn't remember this comic through rose-colored glasses. It is every bit as exciting and well-written as I wanted it to be. Guess there's a reason Shotaro Ishinomori was in high demand as a creator.
Very little of the video game itself is here, but that matters little. The story is excellent, and the art is simple and clean. The layouts are inspiring, if you desire to write your own strips (as I do).
It turns out, I didn't remember this comic through rose-colored glasses. It is every bit as exciting and well-written as I wanted it to be. Guess there's a reason Shotaro Ishinomori was in high demand as a creator.
Very little of the video game itself is here, but that matters little. The story is excellent, and the art is simple and clean. The layouts are inspiring, if you desire to write your own strips (as I do).
June 7, 2019
I almost can’t even begin to describe how much I love this story and how thrilled I was to find this book at the bookstore the other night. Prolific manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori’s “The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past,” a loose adaptation of the SNES game of the same name, was originally serialized in Nintendo Power magazine between January and December of 1992, which is where I first encountered it. Every month, after reading the rest of the magazine, I’d dutifully rip out the comics pages, slide them into sheet protectors, and put them into a three-ring binder, essentially collecting the chapters into an early graphic novel format. I lost that binder a long time ago so imagine my excitement when I stumbled across this beautiful artifact from my childhood.
“The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past” is the story of brave newbie warrior Link and his quest to rescue the telepathic royal Zelda from the clutches of the nefarious Ganon, who wants to extend his rule over the Dark Lands to the idyllic kingdom of Hyrule. Typically, I’ve never been a big fantasy fan but there was just something about “A Link To The Past” that grabbed me. Maybe it was the style of the art? My exposure to manga was pretty limited back in 1992. All I know is that I would spend hours pouring over each panel and brushstroke, trying to figure out how Ishinomori did it. It’s safe to say that this book was as influential to my decision to make comics (sporadically) as much as James O’Barr’s “The Crow” or Chris Bachalo’s work on “Generation X #2.” You’d think the fact that it’s been 25+ years since its publication would expose the book’s cash-grab cheesiness but you’d be wrong; I’m happy to report the story is as thrilling and imaginative now as it was in 1992.
Maybe the best part of finding “The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past” (seriously, I was just thinking about these comics last week... so weird) is that I can now share it with my sons, who are both around the age I was when I read them in Nintendo Power. My 11-year-old especially. He was pretty pumped to see a Zelda story sitting on my desk and was very eager to read it. I know the feeling.
“The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past” is the story of brave newbie warrior Link and his quest to rescue the telepathic royal Zelda from the clutches of the nefarious Ganon, who wants to extend his rule over the Dark Lands to the idyllic kingdom of Hyrule. Typically, I’ve never been a big fantasy fan but there was just something about “A Link To The Past” that grabbed me. Maybe it was the style of the art? My exposure to manga was pretty limited back in 1992. All I know is that I would spend hours pouring over each panel and brushstroke, trying to figure out how Ishinomori did it. It’s safe to say that this book was as influential to my decision to make comics (sporadically) as much as James O’Barr’s “The Crow” or Chris Bachalo’s work on “Generation X #2.” You’d think the fact that it’s been 25+ years since its publication would expose the book’s cash-grab cheesiness but you’d be wrong; I’m happy to report the story is as thrilling and imaginative now as it was in 1992.
Maybe the best part of finding “The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past” (seriously, I was just thinking about these comics last week... so weird) is that I can now share it with my sons, who are both around the age I was when I read them in Nintendo Power. My 11-year-old especially. He was pretty pumped to see a Zelda story sitting on my desk and was very eager to read it. I know the feeling.
December 29, 2018
When I heard Viz Media gathered the old Legend of Zelda comics (originally run in Nintendo Power) into a single volume I was thrilled. Opening the book nostalgia washed over me as I re-read the story (which was a bit modified from the original SNES game) as Link goes forth to save Princess Zelda while he overcomes quests and his own shortcomings. For the first time I did not have to flip through the various volumes to follow this classic comic. :)
July 31, 2022
Me gusta encontrar nuevas (ni tan nueva en realidad) historias basadas en mis videojuegos favoritos. No me gusta que estas historias experimenten de más. Creo que podría dibujar un paralelo con “Dai no daibouken”, pero las diferencias son abismales: este último tiene más de 30 tomos, está basado en un juego rpg y se refleja en el manga, tiene tiempo para explorar más esos experimentos narrativos. En tanto, ALTTP fue efímero, publicado en Nintendo Power a pedazos, así que entiendo sus deficiencias.
Aún así, no lo disfruté como esperaba. En fin.
Aún así, no lo disfruté como esperaba. En fin.
May 7, 2018
It hurts to rate a Legend of Zelda related story so poorly but I read it for school and it just didn't interest me. I wanted it to be over the entire time.
March 14, 2021
The pacing is a little quick and it’s not the most faithful adaptation of the SNES classic, but for a short comic in the back of a magazine it does its job. The real draw here is Ishinomori’s artwork. His characters are depicted in this charmingly cartoony vintage manga style, and his watercolor backgrounds are beautiful. The artwork really benefits from being published in a large format, as its much easier to see the detail in Ishinomori’s landscapes. Not my favorite Zelda comic, but definitely one I can appreciate.
March 23, 2017
Haha you guys, remember that Legend of Zelda comic that was serialized in Nintendo Power in like 1992? Well this is it.
Remember how it was terrible but you didn't know because you were 9? Well it still is. But instead of not knowing, I just don't care.
I got this because I went to the opening of the brick 'n mortar Amazon Books in Lakeview this week. It was terrible, don't ever go, but I felt the need to buy something so this is what I got. Much like the store, this comic is superficial, unappealing on the eyes, and only of interest to superfans of the brand.
But it's also an amusing take on the story, with a gimpy, bratty Link who can't do anything. It's a pretty big departure from the plot as presented in the video game, which is nice. The best character is the eagle man who thinks he is better than Link but is foiled by his own arrogance. (Look at those low rates!)
Don't buy this but I'll lend it to you.
Remember how it was terrible but you didn't know because you were 9? Well it still is. But instead of not knowing, I just don't care.
I got this because I went to the opening of the brick 'n mortar Amazon Books in Lakeview this week. It was terrible, don't ever go, but I felt the need to buy something so this is what I got. Much like the store, this comic is superficial, unappealing on the eyes, and only of interest to superfans of the brand.
But it's also an amusing take on the story, with a gimpy, bratty Link who can't do anything. It's a pretty big departure from the plot as presented in the video game, which is nice. The best character is the eagle man who thinks he is better than Link but is foiled by his own arrogance. (Look at those low rates!)
Don't buy this but I'll lend it to you.
December 30, 2015
I give this comic a 3.5 stars.
What I didn't like about this comic is that it started way to fast. And we were moving to places way to fast and every place we go in this comic there must be a fight scene and that just made my head hurt. But everything else was a perfection! Like the animation and the world is a completely high fantasy and I really liked that! Oh and the story was fantastic!
Overall I enjoyed this comic!
What I didn't like about this comic is that it started way to fast. And we were moving to places way to fast and every place we go in this comic there must be a fight scene and that just made my head hurt. But everything else was a perfection! Like the animation and the world is a completely high fantasy and I really liked that! Oh and the story was fantastic!
Overall I enjoyed this comic!
June 28, 2015
(Miles' review) It's cool that the author made Cyborg 009. This story is full of imagination, it has dragons, cyclops, and mages. It has lots of characters which makes it fun.
May 14, 2025
A fairly faithful, cute rendering of A Link to the Past in manga form. The story moves much faster than the game, though, and some new plot points are odd at times. Still, a must-read for any Zelda fan!
January 31, 2023
Read this with my 7 year old and he loved it.
August 27, 2015
This is another favorite of mine when I was a kid. It's a book I would often read over and over and love each time. Unfortunately, however, the book has been discontinued, so you can only find a copy online for $60. Originally it was only available for purchase by ordering through a Nintendo Power catalog, so I'm very happy I was able to get it as a kid while I still could. As for now, I'm not sure it's worth purchasing for the $60 unless you are a serious The Legend of Zelda collector. Since A Link to the Past for the Super Nintendo was one of my most favorite games as a kid, I'm definitely keeping this book for a very long time, and who knows too! It may even turn into quite the investment 50 years down the line.
The artwork is often stellar but it can be mediocre at times. To get an idea, look at the front cover of Link versus the giant dragon. This painting is incredibly well done and is pure artistry. Some of the scenes are very much like this, especially the ones that show deeply lush forests or treacherous swamps. Yet, the action scenes are simply not to par. In order to save time, comic book artists often put up a colored background and draw diagonal lines. As a child one doesn't mind this style at all, but as an adult it seems lackluster at best.
The story is amazing. I remember as a child loving how creative it all is. A young boy named Link is called by Princess Zelda through telepathy to save her. The evil sorcerer Agahnim plans to use her for evil purposes, and Link bravely attempts to rescue her. His uncle too heard her call, but Agahnim's footsoldiers treacherously kill his uncle. In search of revenge and to save the princess, Link goes through many trials and dungeons, defeating many enemies in the process, in order to gain the tools necessary to save the princess and the Kingdom of Hyrule. This stuff is as golden as the Triforce, and while reading the book I can picture myself as a young kid again.
Unfortunately, however, the pacing of the story is all wrong. For example, Link goes to get the pendant of power, which is hidden deeply in the desert, and he is attacked by a hideous sand worm called a Lanmola. Since the book is broken up into a series of issues, the issue breaks up the encounter with a cliffhanger of To be continued... On the next page, however, Link swiftly disposes of the sand worm in the matter of one page, and I'm left with the feeling of ultimate anti-climax. Even as a kid, I was left thinking, that's it? But all you can do is shrug your shoulders and plow on. It's still a bit of a let down, especially since it happens in other parts of the book as well.
I think if I were a kid, I would give this book 5 stars. As an adult, I might only give it 3 due to the subpar artwork and pacing; however, since I remember being a kid and loving it so much, I can't help but give it a 4. Reading this book really brings me back, and I simply can't give it any less than that. Thus, if you've never read this book, and you're not really a fan of the series, I say keep your money and let it pass. Since you're here, reading this review, however, I take it you're a fan of the series, and I definitely recommend giving it a read. I'm not sure it's worth $60, but if it's a collector's item, you'll probably get your money back and then some if you choose to resell it.
The artwork is often stellar but it can be mediocre at times. To get an idea, look at the front cover of Link versus the giant dragon. This painting is incredibly well done and is pure artistry. Some of the scenes are very much like this, especially the ones that show deeply lush forests or treacherous swamps. Yet, the action scenes are simply not to par. In order to save time, comic book artists often put up a colored background and draw diagonal lines. As a child one doesn't mind this style at all, but as an adult it seems lackluster at best.
The story is amazing. I remember as a child loving how creative it all is. A young boy named Link is called by Princess Zelda through telepathy to save her. The evil sorcerer Agahnim plans to use her for evil purposes, and Link bravely attempts to rescue her. His uncle too heard her call, but Agahnim's footsoldiers treacherously kill his uncle. In search of revenge and to save the princess, Link goes through many trials and dungeons, defeating many enemies in the process, in order to gain the tools necessary to save the princess and the Kingdom of Hyrule. This stuff is as golden as the Triforce, and while reading the book I can picture myself as a young kid again.
Unfortunately, however, the pacing of the story is all wrong. For example, Link goes to get the pendant of power, which is hidden deeply in the desert, and he is attacked by a hideous sand worm called a Lanmola. Since the book is broken up into a series of issues, the issue breaks up the encounter with a cliffhanger of To be continued... On the next page, however, Link swiftly disposes of the sand worm in the matter of one page, and I'm left with the feeling of ultimate anti-climax. Even as a kid, I was left thinking, that's it? But all you can do is shrug your shoulders and plow on. It's still a bit of a let down, especially since it happens in other parts of the book as well.
I think if I were a kid, I would give this book 5 stars. As an adult, I might only give it 3 due to the subpar artwork and pacing; however, since I remember being a kid and loving it so much, I can't help but give it a 4. Reading this book really brings me back, and I simply can't give it any less than that. Thus, if you've never read this book, and you're not really a fan of the series, I say keep your money and let it pass. Since you're here, reading this review, however, I take it you're a fan of the series, and I definitely recommend giving it a read. I'm not sure it's worth $60, but if it's a collector's item, you'll probably get your money back and then some if you choose to resell it.
August 7, 2023
I'm definitely not the target audience, though Ishinomori managed to make the Hyrule game-y-verse more grounded, which is quite a feat, considering he says in the preface he accepted this work without any prior knowledge of anything about the game or the desires of the producers.
May 23, 2017
The art is phenomenal, but the story doesn't really stand the test of time. Link comes off as a bit of a brat.
Still, a great read for nostalgia feels.
Still, a great read for nostalgia feels.
September 8, 2015
Good for:
People who enjoy some sweet American-ish manga art.
Bad for:
People looking for a tight, scripted story.
Great for:
People who remember reading this as it was serialized in Nintendo Power.
The art is great, and the story is a little scattered. No doubt due in part to the fact that it was published only a handful of pages at a time. Story breaks that would seem natural with a month in between feel bizarre when collected, and the whole thing is rushed.
This was one of a few different, very cool comics that were published in Nintendo Power during the 90's.
My personal favorite, the Super Mario Adventures illustrated by Charlie Nozawa. The expressions are priceless, and not like anything I've seen before. Nozawa did a great job making something cartoony and fun, but just look at the details and perspectives he used (especially on that padlock):
Now, uh...I would never advocate stealings. And it brings up an interesting issue in the gaming world, which is preservation v. collecting.
See, the Super Mario Adventures comics are available in a collected edition on Amazon. For $350. And it's not because it's that good a book. Because really, very few books are $350-good, and even the ones that are, you don't really know until you look at it retrospectively. I'd pay $350 for all the best books I've read. But I never would have picked them up in the first place if that was the price of admission.
$350 is a collector price. The price that someone is willing to pay in order to have something that other people don't have. That price is not, as I like it, the preservation price.
When I talk preservation in this case, I'm talking about having an accessible version of these comics so that they are readable by a large audience as opposed to preserving the original prints in Nintendo Power. I'm talking about cultural preservation that keeps these cool things in the front of peoples' minds , not sealing something behind a temperature-controlled laser grid or whatever. Is that what museums do with most of the day? Set up laser grids? Because it seems like movie museums have a lot of laser grids, all of which fail in spectacular fashion. See, what these laser grid people never count on is a female burglar in a skintight outfit who is doing backflips instead of walking normal style. They have their one rotund male security guard put on a pair of track pants and try to walk through, and they wonder why they keep losing priceless diamonds.
It's a shame that not everything is reprinted and sometimes is easier to just read for free on the internets. http://www.yoshiart.com/comics.php
People who enjoy some sweet American-ish manga art.
Bad for:
People looking for a tight, scripted story.
Great for:
People who remember reading this as it was serialized in Nintendo Power.
The art is great, and the story is a little scattered. No doubt due in part to the fact that it was published only a handful of pages at a time. Story breaks that would seem natural with a month in between feel bizarre when collected, and the whole thing is rushed.
This was one of a few different, very cool comics that were published in Nintendo Power during the 90's.
My personal favorite, the Super Mario Adventures illustrated by Charlie Nozawa. The expressions are priceless, and not like anything I've seen before. Nozawa did a great job making something cartoony and fun, but just look at the details and perspectives he used (especially on that padlock):
Now, uh...I would never advocate stealings. And it brings up an interesting issue in the gaming world, which is preservation v. collecting.
See, the Super Mario Adventures comics are available in a collected edition on Amazon. For $350. And it's not because it's that good a book. Because really, very few books are $350-good, and even the ones that are, you don't really know until you look at it retrospectively. I'd pay $350 for all the best books I've read. But I never would have picked them up in the first place if that was the price of admission.
$350 is a collector price. The price that someone is willing to pay in order to have something that other people don't have. That price is not, as I like it, the preservation price.
When I talk preservation in this case, I'm talking about having an accessible version of these comics so that they are readable by a large audience as opposed to preserving the original prints in Nintendo Power. I'm talking about cultural preservation that keeps these cool things in the front of peoples' minds , not sealing something behind a temperature-controlled laser grid or whatever. Is that what museums do with most of the day? Set up laser grids? Because it seems like movie museums have a lot of laser grids, all of which fail in spectacular fashion. See, what these laser grid people never count on is a female burglar in a skintight outfit who is doing backflips instead of walking normal style. They have their one rotund male security guard put on a pair of track pants and try to walk through, and they wonder why they keep losing priceless diamonds.
It's a shame that not everything is reprinted and sometimes is easier to just read for free on the internets. http://www.yoshiart.com/comics.php
February 2, 2018
LOVED this book!! It’s a collection o 12 serialised comics based on the SNES game that is the backbone of the Zelda franchise!!
Shotaro Ishinomori really captured the essence of Link and, as we never get a voice for the character in the games, I think that’s a harder feat than if we knew exactly who Link is!! Everyone that plays the game thinks of Link in a different way!! Ishinomori portrays Link as a haphazard, clumsy, forced-upon hero and honestly, it works really well!!
The artwork is beautiful and aids to that characterisation and he explains things really well through the course of the comics!!
Honestly, this has sparked my interest now in reading all the other manga works for the Zelda games that I have collected at home!!
I’m Interested to see how Link’s character will be different and see how well the authors and drawers are faithful to the series!!
Shotaro Ishinomori really captured the essence of Link and, as we never get a voice for the character in the games, I think that’s a harder feat than if we knew exactly who Link is!! Everyone that plays the game thinks of Link in a different way!! Ishinomori portrays Link as a haphazard, clumsy, forced-upon hero and honestly, it works really well!!
The artwork is beautiful and aids to that characterisation and he explains things really well through the course of the comics!!
Honestly, this has sparked my interest now in reading all the other manga works for the Zelda games that I have collected at home!!
I’m Interested to see how Link’s character will be different and see how well the authors and drawers are faithful to the series!!
January 8, 2016
If I'd call this book anything it'd be disappointing in comparison to the original game.
While I loved the art at first and I do like the overall style, I found some panels to be poorly drawn, leaving the characters looking wonky in comparison to others. The overall style, however, did remind me of the game and if wasn't for those few panels I'd say it fit into the story perfectly. And I found the speech bubbles to be hard to follow as well.
And while the story follows the basic plotline of the game I found a number of inconsistencies throughout it (only 3 maidens are ever seen of the 7 for example) and found it jumped far too much from event to event without any real explanation.
Originally a 3 star I've dropped it down to two and with a recommendation to read The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past instead.
While I loved the art at first and I do like the overall style, I found some panels to be poorly drawn, leaving the characters looking wonky in comparison to others. The overall style, however, did remind me of the game and if wasn't for those few panels I'd say it fit into the story perfectly. And I found the speech bubbles to be hard to follow as well.
And while the story follows the basic plotline of the game I found a number of inconsistencies throughout it (only 3 maidens are ever seen of the 7 for example) and found it jumped far too much from event to event without any real explanation.
Originally a 3 star I've dropped it down to two and with a recommendation to read The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past instead.
October 3, 2015
I didn't like this version of Link.
In the games, Link doesn't talk. He's more of a mirror for you, the player, to be reflected in. Maybe it's because my first LoZ game was Link's Awakening, but my "One True Link," is a little more grown up, a little more curious, and definitely a hero.
This Link though... he was bratty. He was annoying. He needed all information fed to him by people who weren't even there!
I think part of this is because it was written for little kids in the 90s, and the writer felt like they needed to spoon feed the information to the audience.
The artwork felt dated, the story super rushed, and the characters 2-dimensional.
I liked Akira Himekawa's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past much better.
In the games, Link doesn't talk. He's more of a mirror for you, the player, to be reflected in. Maybe it's because my first LoZ game was Link's Awakening, but my "One True Link," is a little more grown up, a little more curious, and definitely a hero.
This Link though... he was bratty. He was annoying. He needed all information fed to him by people who weren't even there!
I think part of this is because it was written for little kids in the 90s, and the writer felt like they needed to spoon feed the information to the audience.
The artwork felt dated, the story super rushed, and the characters 2-dimensional.
I liked Akira Himekawa's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past much better.
July 6, 2015
I thought I wasn't going to like this book, but wound up pleasantly surprised.
It was weird at first to see Link talk at all since the character in the games doesn't say a word, but I think the creator of this manga was trying to keep Link in the same lazy vein all the other ones are in (Link is always asleep at the beginnings of the games).
I LOVED that the whole manga was basically a game in that Link still had to find three magical objects and defeat all these bosses and learn cool new tricks with his sword and finally face off with Ganon.
Though most of the other names besides Link and Zelda (and Zora) were changed, the characters were familiar. Like Navi, who ends up developing a weird Peter Pan Tinkerbell like crush on Link.
The romance factor between Zelda and Link was way magnified in this tale, but in the end I still approved of how their "relationship" ended up.
It was weird at first to see Link talk at all since the character in the games doesn't say a word, but I think the creator of this manga was trying to keep Link in the same lazy vein all the other ones are in (Link is always asleep at the beginnings of the games).
I LOVED that the whole manga was basically a game in that Link still had to find three magical objects and defeat all these bosses and learn cool new tricks with his sword and finally face off with Ganon.
Though most of the other names besides Link and Zelda (and Zora) were changed, the characters were familiar. Like Navi, who ends up developing a weird Peter Pan Tinkerbell like crush on Link.
The romance factor between Zelda and Link was way magnified in this tale, but in the end I still approved of how their "relationship" ended up.
December 8, 2015
Public library copy.
I was a senior in high school when this comic originally was published inside Nintendo Power way back in time...1992. I wasn't a subscriber of the magazine and consequently never attempted to read the comic before since I was missing so many parts of the whole at any given time. I often borrowed Nintendo Power issues from friends or purchased at a used book store chain.
The story wasn't as remarkable as any of the classic games. It's an okay effort, but I'm biased as The Legend of Zelda is possibly my favorite game of all time. The Manga or comic is an easy, quick read with every different climate or element setting imaginable what with an adventure series. The ending seemed rushed and was unsatisfying with exception to how the story can continue if someone took arms with the ancient sword.
I was a senior in high school when this comic originally was published inside Nintendo Power way back in time...1992. I wasn't a subscriber of the magazine and consequently never attempted to read the comic before since I was missing so many parts of the whole at any given time. I often borrowed Nintendo Power issues from friends or purchased at a used book store chain.
The story wasn't as remarkable as any of the classic games. It's an okay effort, but I'm biased as The Legend of Zelda is possibly my favorite game of all time. The Manga or comic is an easy, quick read with every different climate or element setting imaginable what with an adventure series. The ending seemed rushed and was unsatisfying with exception to how the story can continue if someone took arms with the ancient sword.
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