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銃夢 新装版 [Gunnm Shinsōban] #1
Battle Angel Alita Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
After more than a decade out of print, the original cyberpunk action classic returns in glorious 400-page hardcover deluxe editions, featuring an all-new translation, color pages, and new cover designs!
In a dump in the lawless settlement of Scrapyard, far beneath the mysterious space city of Zalem, disgraced cyber-doctor Daisuke Ido makes a strange find: the detached head of a cyborg woman who has lost all her memories. He names her Alita and equips her with a powerful new body, the Berserker. While Alita remembers no details of her former life, a moment of desperation reawakens in her nerves the legendary school of martial arts known as Panzer Kunst. In a place where there is no justice but what people make for themselves, Alita decides to become a hunter-killer, tracking down and taking out those who prey on the weak. But can she hold onto her humanity as she begins to revel in her own bloodlust?
In a dump in the lawless settlement of Scrapyard, far beneath the mysterious space city of Zalem, disgraced cyber-doctor Daisuke Ido makes a strange find: the detached head of a cyborg woman who has lost all her memories. He names her Alita and equips her with a powerful new body, the Berserker. While Alita remembers no details of her former life, a moment of desperation reawakens in her nerves the legendary school of martial arts known as Panzer Kunst. In a place where there is no justice but what people make for themselves, Alita decides to become a hunter-killer, tracking down and taking out those who prey on the weak. But can she hold onto her humanity as she begins to revel in her own bloodlust?
430 pages, Hardcover
First published February 19, 1992
73 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Yukito Kishiro
339 books373 followersYukito Kishiro (Japanese: 木城ゆきと) is a Japanese manga artist born in Tokyo in 1967 and raised in Chiba. As a teenager he was influenced by the mecha anime Armored Trooper Votoms and Mobile Suit Gundam, in particular the designs of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, as well as the works of manga artist Rumiko Takahashi. He began his career at age 17, with his debut manga, Space Oddity, in the Weekly Shonen Sunday. He is best known for the cyberpunk series Battle Angel Alita.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
October 29, 2019
What a fantastic volume. I've read the Viz media version of this comic but not the Kodansha comics, which often specialises in deluxe Manga, like this one. Full review to come tonight.
August 11, 2021
Battle Angel Alita was an excellent anime and a not-very-good CGI film. You can reasonably ignore the CGI film, admire the anime, and love this version. This volume was a Definitive Edition with new color art, a new translation, and a new layout design. This volume has Books 1 and 2 ( Rusty Angel and Iron Maiden).
This is set in a grim cyber-punk setting. There are two worlds, one is Zalem. Zalem is more of a city in the sky. Everything that is produced on the world below is for the benefit of Zalem. All the refuse and trash of Zalem is dumped onto the world below. In this dump, a Doctor finds the remains of a cyborg female. Taking her home, he rebuilds her and names her Alita.
But Alita is not at all what she seems. In this dark setting, there are a variety of cruel beings. These criminals are posted as bounties and then bounty hunters can make a claim. The Doc who saved Alita is a bounty hunter. As Alita joins in the hunt, she will find out there is so much more to her than originally thought.
In time, Alita will receive a new combat model body of unknown lost technology. The fusion of the cyborg Alita and the Bereserker Combat Chassis will create the Battle Angel Alita. This volume covers her origin, growth and relationship with Yugo. It also drops some basic hints about how things work in Zalem.
A fun, dark, and gritty tale about a cyborg named Alita. Far superior to the CGI version (it's far too Americanized and lacks the depth of the original work), this is a fascinating look at a very different cyberpunk reality. Alita is a great character and I will certainly reading more of this excellent series.
This is set in a grim cyber-punk setting. There are two worlds, one is Zalem. Zalem is more of a city in the sky. Everything that is produced on the world below is for the benefit of Zalem. All the refuse and trash of Zalem is dumped onto the world below. In this dump, a Doctor finds the remains of a cyborg female. Taking her home, he rebuilds her and names her Alita.
But Alita is not at all what she seems. In this dark setting, there are a variety of cruel beings. These criminals are posted as bounties and then bounty hunters can make a claim. The Doc who saved Alita is a bounty hunter. As Alita joins in the hunt, she will find out there is so much more to her than originally thought.
In time, Alita will receive a new combat model body of unknown lost technology. The fusion of the cyborg Alita and the Bereserker Combat Chassis will create the Battle Angel Alita. This volume covers her origin, growth and relationship with Yugo. It also drops some basic hints about how things work in Zalem.
A fun, dark, and gritty tale about a cyborg named Alita. Far superior to the CGI version (it's far too Americanized and lacks the depth of the original work), this is a fascinating look at a very different cyberpunk reality. Alita is a great character and I will certainly reading more of this excellent series.
February 8, 2018
If there is a manga I've loved, is this one. I remember when I first opened its pages and found that half angel half cyborg laying on ruins... it blew me away. In "Battle Angel Alita" we follow the satory of a combat cyborg from another plante called Alita, who gets picked from a pile of debris by a scientist named Ido, who decides to reconstruct her and does much more than just that as he begans to be a paternal figure for the sweet Alita. Because she is a gentle sweet creature until she has to defend Ido and herself and something like muscle memory springs fort and shows us how brutal Alita can really be. But she is not only brutality, as all she does is tempered by her concience and her beliefs.
Alita is just one of these series I love. We follow the story of this cyborg trying to reconstruct her life, remember her past and find her humanity alongside her place on the world. And all the chacraters she finds on her journey, be they good or bad, are so full of life and so real, that is just amazing.
Alita is just one of these series I love. We follow the story of this cyborg trying to reconstruct her life, remember her past and find her humanity alongside her place on the world. And all the chacraters she finds on her journey, be they good or bad, are so full of life and so real, that is just amazing.
March 27, 2021
I've been a fan of the Battle Angel Alita series since it came out in the early 90s. This deluxe version presents the manga in a format better than any that has come before. The cyberpunk adventures of Alita still hold up. In this first volume, we are introduced to Alita and the world of the hunter-warrior bounty hunters. Also, the story arc featuring Jugo's quest to reach Zalem is included (except for the very last part of that arc. This is well worth picking up if you are a fan of the series, even if you have the previous versions of it.
June 15, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
What do you get when you put innocence, beauty and destruction together? This chick. Battle Angel Alita Deluxe Edition 1 collects the first two volumes of this famous cyberpunk action classic featuring the little cyborg girl and her pursuit for answers. Recovered from a scrapyard without a body or memories of her past life, cyber-doctor Daisuke Ido vows to build her back whole. Blinded by his desire to create something perfect to his eyes, Ido quickly finds out that his selfishness has been excluding anything and everything Alita might feel. It is this look into her adaptation to her new life that pulls this story in intriguing directions.
Throughout this collection, readers are introduced to Alita and discover that she still withholds lingering muscle memory in the form of extremely dangerous and kick-ass martial arts. The story then investigates some important philosophical questions in a very minimalist fashion while giving readers a gore-filled action-packed excursion throughout the Scrapyard. With the floating space city of Zalem above them continues to convey a dystopian atmosphere, the world in which Alita finds herself remains mysterious at its core, but also riddled with dangerous beings that will force her to seek her most precious and powerful survival skills.
It would honestly be an understatement to say that this volume contained a lot of headless bodies. While Alita is portrayed as a little girl with a bubbly face and a woman’s body, her strength is immeasurable and the damage she can cause is irreparable. There often seems to be a focus on asserting a certain distinction between what is of the mind and what is of the body, which might also explain why the violence in this series is often always aimed separating the head from the body. The art style also greatly focus on her character and the insane acrobatic moves she’s able to accomplish. It really highlights the importance of the freedom of movement, and there’s nothing better than a hitgirl like Alita to showcase it in all its grace.
The author also inserts bits of scientific or philosophical terms throughout the story that are accompanied by footnotes to wrap the reader within its universe. They are not all factual, but they do serve their purpose in suggesting certain ideas believed by the characters in this story. It’s also worth reiterating that this series is much more focused on the action sequences rather than on the dialogues, but whenever there is a dialogue, there is also a profound examination of the life of a cyborg, of a machine. From ideas of happiness to beauty, this series isn’t just a silly story wanting to create a kick-ass female character. In fact, Battle Angel Alita is a reflection of the consciousness and of perception of mankind through the eyes of a cyborg.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
What do you get when you put innocence, beauty and destruction together? This chick. Battle Angel Alita Deluxe Edition 1 collects the first two volumes of this famous cyberpunk action classic featuring the little cyborg girl and her pursuit for answers. Recovered from a scrapyard without a body or memories of her past life, cyber-doctor Daisuke Ido vows to build her back whole. Blinded by his desire to create something perfect to his eyes, Ido quickly finds out that his selfishness has been excluding anything and everything Alita might feel. It is this look into her adaptation to her new life that pulls this story in intriguing directions.
Throughout this collection, readers are introduced to Alita and discover that she still withholds lingering muscle memory in the form of extremely dangerous and kick-ass martial arts. The story then investigates some important philosophical questions in a very minimalist fashion while giving readers a gore-filled action-packed excursion throughout the Scrapyard. With the floating space city of Zalem above them continues to convey a dystopian atmosphere, the world in which Alita finds herself remains mysterious at its core, but also riddled with dangerous beings that will force her to seek her most precious and powerful survival skills.
It would honestly be an understatement to say that this volume contained a lot of headless bodies. While Alita is portrayed as a little girl with a bubbly face and a woman’s body, her strength is immeasurable and the damage she can cause is irreparable. There often seems to be a focus on asserting a certain distinction between what is of the mind and what is of the body, which might also explain why the violence in this series is often always aimed separating the head from the body. The art style also greatly focus on her character and the insane acrobatic moves she’s able to accomplish. It really highlights the importance of the freedom of movement, and there’s nothing better than a hitgirl like Alita to showcase it in all its grace.
The author also inserts bits of scientific or philosophical terms throughout the story that are accompanied by footnotes to wrap the reader within its universe. They are not all factual, but they do serve their purpose in suggesting certain ideas believed by the characters in this story. It’s also worth reiterating that this series is much more focused on the action sequences rather than on the dialogues, but whenever there is a dialogue, there is also a profound examination of the life of a cyborg, of a machine. From ideas of happiness to beauty, this series isn’t just a silly story wanting to create a kick-ass female character. In fact, Battle Angel Alita is a reflection of the consciousness and of perception of mankind through the eyes of a cyborg.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
February 12, 2024
4.5/5
Thank Christ for the movie (which is surprisingly decent!), otherwise we might not've gotten the original series into these deluxe volumes! I was lucky to get a gift card from my dad and I bought the boxed set containing the entire original series with it. So, I'll be reviewing one or two of these every night for the rest of the week, probably.
Yukito Kishiro's artwork is fantastic, gritty and clean at the same time. I love the way manga was done back then, with Kishiro, Miura (Berserk), and Masamune (Appleseed)--to name but a few--all turning in manga work that looked as rough as they were neat, with huge amounts of details and seemingly the perfect eyes for exactly what each scene and panel needed to pop off the page.
The story so far is great, although if there's any downfall I'd say the characterization flies by a little too quickly and the translated dialogue is, at times, a little too cheesy, but overall this is a fantastic first (and second) volume in the Alita series, and I'm excited to read through this entire boxed set this week.
[2024 reread]
Still an excellent start to the series. I never did read through the whole boxed set like I'd originally intended. High time I changed that.
Thank Christ for the movie (which is surprisingly decent!), otherwise we might not've gotten the original series into these deluxe volumes! I was lucky to get a gift card from my dad and I bought the boxed set containing the entire original series with it. So, I'll be reviewing one or two of these every night for the rest of the week, probably.
Yukito Kishiro's artwork is fantastic, gritty and clean at the same time. I love the way manga was done back then, with Kishiro, Miura (Berserk), and Masamune (Appleseed)--to name but a few--all turning in manga work that looked as rough as they were neat, with huge amounts of details and seemingly the perfect eyes for exactly what each scene and panel needed to pop off the page.
The story so far is great, although if there's any downfall I'd say the characterization flies by a little too quickly and the translated dialogue is, at times, a little too cheesy, but overall this is a fantastic first (and second) volume in the Alita series, and I'm excited to read through this entire boxed set this week.
[2024 reread]
Still an excellent start to the series. I never did read through the whole boxed set like I'd originally intended. High time I changed that.
May 5, 2019
For anyone looking for a great introduction to manga, look no further. This deluxe volume is it: high quality paper stock and printing, readable print size, a hard binding, judicious use of color, and even excellent annotations.
Yukito Kishiro has written a fantastic story, and backed it up with amazing visual illustrations. It opens with scientist Ido finding the remains of a combat cyborg while scavenging among debris, and battling criminals. He lovingly rebuilds her, and develops paternal feelings for her in a relatively lawless society. Alita is angelic, a sweet and gentle creature, trying to reconstruct her life, remember her past and find her humanity along with her place on the world. This serialized graphic is about the battle between her compassion and her immense power, her fight for justice and her feelings for Ido and Yugo, with real depth and complexity. Great villain in Makuku too.
Yukito Kishiro has written a fantastic story, and backed it up with amazing visual illustrations. It opens with scientist Ido finding the remains of a combat cyborg while scavenging among debris, and battling criminals. He lovingly rebuilds her, and develops paternal feelings for her in a relatively lawless society. Alita is angelic, a sweet and gentle creature, trying to reconstruct her life, remember her past and find her humanity along with her place on the world. This serialized graphic is about the battle between her compassion and her immense power, her fight for justice and her feelings for Ido and Yugo, with real depth and complexity. Great villain in Makuku too.
April 22, 2019
Full review to come
January 22, 2021
4.1/5 stars
Well that was.... Fun.
My first manga I've read so my opinion is based around that fact.
The first thing that stood out for me was the art. Holy moly that was incredible. So much detail. I found myself just looking at the backgrounds of some pictures because of all the little things they included.
Alita, the character, is as likable in this book as much as she was in the movie.
The movie spoiled the plot for me however, which isn't a bad thing because it's fairly interesting and it's just getting started. But I picked the manga up to know what happens after the movie ended. So I won't be there till volume 3.
I did have issues with the action scenes. Just a lot of twirling and blurry pictures and I usually ended skimming those parts.
The romance was forced so that was unlikable.
Overall: easy, fun, and a different but pleasant read. I immediately picked up volume 2 because honestly volume 1 ended at a really strange and inconvenient spot.
Well that was.... Fun.
My first manga I've read so my opinion is based around that fact.
The first thing that stood out for me was the art. Holy moly that was incredible. So much detail. I found myself just looking at the backgrounds of some pictures because of all the little things they included.
Alita, the character, is as likable in this book as much as she was in the movie.
The movie spoiled the plot for me however, which isn't a bad thing because it's fairly interesting and it's just getting started. But I picked the manga up to know what happens after the movie ended. So I won't be there till volume 3.
I did have issues with the action scenes. Just a lot of twirling and blurry pictures and I usually ended skimming those parts.
The romance was forced so that was unlikable.
Overall: easy, fun, and a different but pleasant read. I immediately picked up volume 2 because honestly volume 1 ended at a really strange and inconvenient spot.
December 31, 2017
My first foray into Battle Angel Alita stories. I actually liked this better than I thought I would, as I'm not the biggest fan of extensive fight scenes (in manga or other media). The premise laid out in the first several chapters really captured my attention, driving me to read on. This is a series I'd like to continue, and I'm glad Kodansha is releasing these new, hardbound deluxe editions.
February 19, 2019
Really liked this! Definitely going to continue on 😀
June 24, 2019
My first manga! I enjoyed the new experience and seeing the characters as the author pictured them. I thought it also told a good story and left an interesting ending!
April 7, 2021
After seeing the excellent movie, I wanted to read the Graphic Novel. The changes the movie made were for the better in my opinion , but still this is a fun inventive read.
April 13, 2023
3.5⭐️
March 26, 2019
Wanted to read this after seeing the movie and, I think, both are equally good. At least, I see why the movie people took the liberties they did. Ultimately, though, I think I liked the manga a little better.
It's waaaay more gruesome and over the top. And I think the movie served to really make the manga better by putting the illustrations into motion--especially the fighting sequences.
One thing that hit me with this particular story is how much people (IRL) take their bodies for granted. Many people often think of their brain controlling their bodies and it's just a vehicle for their brain rather than an extension of it. Kishiro-san really took that concept and ran. In a good way.
I also really like the cyberpunk way of exploring this idea: people really are only as good as their bodies, leading them to constantly steal others' body parts or enhance their own. In Alita, bodies are both nothing and everything.
It's waaaay more gruesome and over the top. And I think the movie served to really make the manga better by putting the illustrations into motion--especially the fighting sequences.
One thing that hit me with this particular story is how much people (IRL) take their bodies for granted. Many people often think of their brain controlling their bodies and it's just a vehicle for their brain rather than an extension of it. Kishiro-san really took that concept and ran. In a good way.
I also really like the cyberpunk way of exploring this idea: people really are only as good as their bodies, leading them to constantly steal others' body parts or enhance their own. In Alita, bodies are both nothing and everything.
July 31, 2019
My boyfriend use to tell me about Battle Angel Alita for years and years, way before this was even in talks of being a live action movie. He really loves the character Alita and you know what? I do too! I admit I seen the movie first and then I decided to read the Manga.
I'm so glad I read this book. Alita is such a kick ass character and has a huge heart and such a sweet personality. Ido and Yugo were cool characters too. But Alita is my favorite. I just love her!
This book is also full of action. And it's very entertaining. It also gets very graphic. For example, it shows you heads being ripped off their body. So if you don't like that sort of things, now you know this Manga contains it. Also, this takes place in such a crazy world, I wouldn't want to live in it! I really want to get the rest of these Manga so I could see how it all ends for Alita.
If you love action and good characters, then maybe you should read this Manga!
I'm so glad I read this book. Alita is such a kick ass character and has a huge heart and such a sweet personality. Ido and Yugo were cool characters too. But Alita is my favorite. I just love her!
This book is also full of action. And it's very entertaining. It also gets very graphic. For example, it shows you heads being ripped off their body. So if you don't like that sort of things, now you know this Manga contains it. Also, this takes place in such a crazy world, I wouldn't want to live in it! I really want to get the rest of these Manga so I could see how it all ends for Alita.
If you love action and good characters, then maybe you should read this Manga!
December 18, 2025
Haven't consumed any Battle Angel Alita before, but very glad I am now. This first volume serves as a great introduction to the character Alita, but perhaps not so much for the entire series. It changes often and jumps 2-5 years in time between volumes. I wish that the series were a little slower and spent more time in between the jumps in time. I would have liked more little moments between Alita and the characters, especially ones she has strong feelings towards to make them more believable. However, the series is filled with great, interesting characters, beautiful artwork, and engaging plot lines.
June 9, 2019
I found the recent Alita: Battle Angel movie reasonably enjoyable in a mindless popcorn flick sort of way, so I thought I'd try the manga. I was surprised at how faithful the movie was to the source material aside from adding rollerskating and shuffling around the sequence of events of the first two volumes of the manga, collected here under one cover. Like the movie, this is a fun bit of action as long as you don't think about it too much.
November 12, 2020
I watched the movie with my family when it first came out. All of us really liked it and bought this book which has been sitting in my sister’s bookshelf since. I finally picked it up and read it.
Lovely story. I love Alita a lot. She seems a bit younger in the comic than in the movie -so does Yugo- but that’s alright.
Lovely story. I love Alita a lot. She seems a bit younger in the comic than in the movie -so does Yugo- but that’s alright.
February 7, 2019
Loved it! Can't wait to read the rest and to see how the movie compares.
June 16, 2021
It's 2003 and I'm a youngster browsing the manga in a Hawaiian library. My options include Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikoku, a zillion volumes of Oh My Goddess and Usagi Yojimbo, pocket-sized Mixx-branded shoujo titles like Saint Tail and Miracle Girls, and most of these titles were flipped by publishers who decided there was a bigger audience ready to read the normal English left-to-right way.
And there, in the middle, was a similarly left-to-right volume titled Battle Angel Alita.
It was different from my usual fare of magical girls, reincarnated lovers, portals to other worlds, and love stories. It was fully of cyborgs and robots, grit, and man was it violent. People get decapitated mid-sentence; brains are splattered across the page while detached eyeballs fly; arms are ripped off while blood stains the page.
Alita is lithe and nimble, her fashion-model body a contrast to the chaos and murder that surrounds her. I see a man find her head in a scrapyard, and give her a body. I see her running, fighting, entering fighting contests and winning against opponents so much bigger and scarier than she is.
I can't figure out what the point of the story is, except that Alita is cool, and that's all that matters.
I never finished the series all those years ago. I didn't know about putting books on hold, so I was limited to whatever volumes I could lay hands on during our weekly library visits. And then I found more manga appearing on the shelves during those boom days of the early aughts--before Del Rey and CPM and Broccoli Books and Go! Comi went out, victims of the post-recession manga bust--that Alita fell off my radar, and I didn't think about her for 18 years.
And then one day I'm an adult, sitting at my kitchen table during a global pandemic thinking about movie theaters I can't go to which reminds me of movies I haven't seen at all which reminds me of that weird uncanny valley-faced Alita I saw in commercials and holy shit I just remembered the Battle Angel Alita manga exists.
So I turn yet again to my local library, thousands of miles from where I first discovered Alita, and find that not only is Alita here, she's been rereleased. Beautiful large hardcovers in the original right-to-left format this time. And hey, now I know about the wonders of placing books on hold, and soon the entire series is in my hands.
There is a story, and this time I get to read it in chronological order, which makes the experience so much better. Alita is as feisty and pretty as I remember, the carnage just as brutal, the cyborg-filled apocalyptic landscape just as unsettling and intriguing in equal turns.
It's physically easy to read, with clean lines and well-spaced text, including footnotes to explain the terms that sometimes pop up. Between some chapters are translation notes, and the most interesting to me was the one about how the manga's original title in Japanese was Gunnm, a portmanteau of gun dream, and Alita was not Alita, but Gally, her name and title changed to be more appealing, theoretically, to Americans in the nineties when she was first brought over. And she's so well-known now that those names have been kept in the rerelease.
(I admit, "Alita" has had that badass connotation in my mind for nearly two decades, so I appreciate this.)
It's a good book, it's enjoyable even if I prefer to not read while eating due to the amount of gore, and I'm looking forward to finishing the series. And somewhere inside me is that middle schooler poring over pages again and again because Alita is cool.
And there, in the middle, was a similarly left-to-right volume titled Battle Angel Alita.
It was different from my usual fare of magical girls, reincarnated lovers, portals to other worlds, and love stories. It was fully of cyborgs and robots, grit, and man was it violent. People get decapitated mid-sentence; brains are splattered across the page while detached eyeballs fly; arms are ripped off while blood stains the page.
Alita is lithe and nimble, her fashion-model body a contrast to the chaos and murder that surrounds her. I see a man find her head in a scrapyard, and give her a body. I see her running, fighting, entering fighting contests and winning against opponents so much bigger and scarier than she is.
I can't figure out what the point of the story is, except that Alita is cool, and that's all that matters.
I never finished the series all those years ago. I didn't know about putting books on hold, so I was limited to whatever volumes I could lay hands on during our weekly library visits. And then I found more manga appearing on the shelves during those boom days of the early aughts--before Del Rey and CPM and Broccoli Books and Go! Comi went out, victims of the post-recession manga bust--that Alita fell off my radar, and I didn't think about her for 18 years.
And then one day I'm an adult, sitting at my kitchen table during a global pandemic thinking about movie theaters I can't go to which reminds me of movies I haven't seen at all which reminds me of that weird uncanny valley-faced Alita I saw in commercials and holy shit I just remembered the Battle Angel Alita manga exists.
So I turn yet again to my local library, thousands of miles from where I first discovered Alita, and find that not only is Alita here, she's been rereleased. Beautiful large hardcovers in the original right-to-left format this time. And hey, now I know about the wonders of placing books on hold, and soon the entire series is in my hands.
There is a story, and this time I get to read it in chronological order, which makes the experience so much better. Alita is as feisty and pretty as I remember, the carnage just as brutal, the cyborg-filled apocalyptic landscape just as unsettling and intriguing in equal turns.
It's physically easy to read, with clean lines and well-spaced text, including footnotes to explain the terms that sometimes pop up. Between some chapters are translation notes, and the most interesting to me was the one about how the manga's original title in Japanese was Gunnm, a portmanteau of gun dream, and Alita was not Alita, but Gally, her name and title changed to be more appealing, theoretically, to Americans in the nineties when she was first brought over. And she's so well-known now that those names have been kept in the rerelease.
(I admit, "Alita" has had that badass connotation in my mind for nearly two decades, so I appreciate this.)
It's a good book, it's enjoyable even if I prefer to not read while eating due to the amount of gore, and I'm looking forward to finishing the series. And somewhere inside me is that middle schooler poring over pages again and again because Alita is cool.
February 9, 2021
This is a really lovely volume. The high quality print and larger format really go towards making this a truly enjoyable read. The large panels and double page spreads just wouldn't be the same crammed into a normal sized manga volume. There is so much detail to be found in the crowd and landscape scenes that it feels much more like "illustration" than your typical manga.
Plot-wise, the movie does follow pretty closely so if that's why you're here, you're in luck. There is a lot going on and Alita is an instantly likeable character who you can't help but root for, even when she's getting herself into trouble for no good reason. The pace is pretty fast with very little downtime so there hasn't been a lot of character development but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next and finding out more about this world.
I don't know a lot about the coming volumes but I would say if you like sci-fi in that cyborg-slum-city kind of way, you should definitely check this out.
Plot-wise, the movie does follow pretty closely so if that's why you're here, you're in luck. There is a lot going on and Alita is an instantly likeable character who you can't help but root for, even when she's getting herself into trouble for no good reason. The pace is pretty fast with very little downtime so there hasn't been a lot of character development but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next and finding out more about this world.
I don't know a lot about the coming volumes but I would say if you like sci-fi in that cyborg-slum-city kind of way, you should definitely check this out.
December 17, 2020
5 Star - Thoroughly well crafted, cream of the crop. An instant classic of science fiction literature.
I've never been an avid manga reader, but with the movie on it's way out, I decided to look into "Alita". I started with the 1993 anime film and found myself thoroughly engaged with the characters and world. I was worried, when starting this first volume, that I wouldn't enjoy it as much on account of knowing the plot. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself even more enthralled in the story than I had been with its anime counterpart. I'm a strong believer in simple story, complex characters (simple as in concise, not bare-bones). Not only is the plot of 'Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 1' quite concise and focused, with wonderful characters, but it surrounds its narrative with existential questions that lead to an emotionally impactful narrative.
I've never been an avid manga reader, but with the movie on it's way out, I decided to look into "Alita". I started with the 1993 anime film and found myself thoroughly engaged with the characters and world. I was worried, when starting this first volume, that I wouldn't enjoy it as much on account of knowing the plot. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself even more enthralled in the story than I had been with its anime counterpart. I'm a strong believer in simple story, complex characters (simple as in concise, not bare-bones). Not only is the plot of 'Battle Angel Alita, Vol. 1' quite concise and focused, with wonderful characters, but it surrounds its narrative with existential questions that lead to an emotionally impactful narrative.
September 27, 2018
Yukito Kishiro has written a fantastic story, in the purest sense of that word, and while the visual spectacle of this book can leave the reader breathless, the story rings with a real concern for humanity. While there are characters that can at times revert back into the caricature that is their visual form, almost every character in this story possesses a depth and complexity that I honestly didn't expect going into this book.
For my own part, this book is a comics-lover's dream as every frame of this book demonstrates a concern for composition, and even at the simplest Kishiro has an amazing lifework that leaves me breathless and jealous for days.
For my own part, this book is a comics-lover's dream as every frame of this book demonstrates a concern for composition, and even at the simplest Kishiro has an amazing lifework that leaves me breathless and jealous for days.
February 21, 2018
Wow! Loved reading Battle Angel Alita (Deluxe Edition), volume 1. I immediately became interested in Battle Angel Alita after seeing the preview for the new Alita: Battle Angel movie coming out this year. I borrowed the graphic novel from my local library, and wasn't disappointed. The storyline was intense and amazing, and the illustrations were great to look at. Looking forward to reading the next volume in the series and watching the movie in the theater.
December 15, 2020
If you saw the (American) film and thought is was mildly enjoyable, you'll love this. Where the film was a bit dull and naff, this is beautifully grotesque and crackling with energy. Also the main character (a cute girl robot) is not sexualised in any way, which has to be a first for a Japanese comic.
June 14, 2022
This had some of my favorite art in any manga. Like it’s titular cyborg, it feels like a mix of two distinct things, manga and European comics art. Many panels in the book would’ve been at home in a Metal Hurlant magazine. The story does have 90s cheese to it but in a small enough dose to ensure the book is timeless and a blast to read decades later. Super excited to keep going!
January 15, 2019
I enjoyed the depth of characters in the book. How the good guys aren't just two sided, but rather fall into a spectrum, doing good or bad based on good or bad motivations. And the world that is built in the story is very interesting, to say the least. The artwork is badass as well.
December 6, 2020
It was my first manga and at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it. The story warms up and by the end I really wanted to have the next book. There were some touching moments in the book and now I can't wait to read the second volume.
December 19, 2020
I got interested in this after watching the movie. I like dystopian-type futures and this one was an interesting mix of cyborgs and humans with a big mystery behind a floating city above the scrapyard where these people live. Rather violent but well-told story.
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