As far as I can tell, every named character from the Red/Blue/Green games appears in the first volume, and they've even worked in a few surprises who were originally only in promotional material. Professor Birch sends Ruby and Sapphire to help Emerald find the Wish Pokémon Jirachi. But first there are fierce Pokémon battles to fight in the Battle Dome Tournament! While Red, Blue, and Green were the first three Pokémon games (the green one was released in Japan but you could get all of the monsters from just red and blue) to introduce many fans to the world of Pokémon and when the anime came out it became even more popular inspiring the remake of the original games into Pokémon Yellow which followed the anime more closely and took advantage of the (at the time) nifty new Gameboy Color screen. The FireRed & LeafGreen and Emerald arcs were released together in a boxed set of four omnibus volumes on June 5, 2019. Each volume was released separately at a later date.

On March 22, 2022, Panini released a new limited-edition boxed set, this time for the Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon arc. It consists of three omnibus volumes and includes six postcards with the original Japanese cover illustrations of the adapted mini-volumes. The release itself is limited to 2500 copies.This is the first time I have read manga in my life and I guess, I chose a good one to start with as a first time. If you have not played any of the Pokémon games, you will still understand the main concept of the plotline (as an avid Pokémon game player, the games and manga story kind of go hand and hand with some plot twists you do not expect). It is a long story but there is not like a traditional novel with full blown sentences and so on. I believe it is a well-written manga and plan on trying to read the other volumes.

This manga, originally released in 1997, is based on the first set of Pokémon games and its main character Red. If you aren’t aware, Red inspired the creation of the well-known Ash Ketchum, the protagonist in the Pokémon anime. (And while we are on the subject, I want to point that, for the purpose of this review, whenever I mention the Pokémon anime, I am referring to the first few seasons. I haven’t watched the newer ones, so I am not sure how they compare.) As if there wasn’t already a plethora of Pokémon-related things to hoard, VIZ will release something else for fans to add to their ever-growing collections: Volume 1 of the Pokémon Adventures Collector’s Edition manga, which compiles the first three volumes in the series. I’d be lying if I said I’m not completely biased when it comes reviewing this manga. As someone who played the original Red, Blue, and Yellow games in the 90’s and just finished the recent Kanto remake, Let’s Go Pikachu!, I am 100% inclined to love anything involving the first generation of Pokémon. It’s like a giant nostalgia bomb. saw the release of new collector’s edition manga formats, such as the Soul Eater Perfect Editions, and manga box sets, like the Tokyo Ghoul:re Complete Box Set and the reissuing of the Akira 35th Anniversary Manga Box Set. This year, a lot of continuing volumes are releasing along with new ones, including a Collector’s Edition of A Silent Voice, Fist of the North Star hardcovers, and a Season 1 Manga Box Set of The Quintessential Quintuplets, that are making 2021 yet another strong year for collectors. At first, the story has a slice of life vibe to it, where we get to experience Red’s everyday adventures with his team of Pokémon as they travel across Kanto. Some parts of the game are explored in a little more depth, such as the Pokémon Fan Club. I personally loved seeing different Pokémon in action and in various scenarios because, well, I am a dork. When I saw they were re-releasing the series in a complied 10 volume collection I knew I had to jump in the bandwagon and buy the series to support it. Nevertheless, re-reading this series brought me a lot of joy and entertainment. The Pokemon Adventures manga is hybrid of its own spin to the Pokemon world but still borrowing some elements from the video game franchise. Red is a fun and likable main character and his bond with his Pokemon is very pleasant to see. He is very similar to Ash in many ways but very different at the same time. I mean, spoiler, he does win his big battle against Blue at the end of the series.

On top of the unique plot elements, the story and battles were a lot more intense compared to the game or anime. The animated adaption tends to sugarcoat everything and adds a lot of silliness to battles or other important situations. It can be hard to take things seriously at times. The manga has humor, but it’s more serious in my opinion. It’s still kid-friendly, but there is actually some blood shown! Additionally, a bunch of scenes showed the potential danger of Pokémon battles or Pokémon in general. There are moments where Red, other characters, or the Pokémon themselves could have possibly lost their lives.

Now, is the writing and story flawless? No. Some things don’t quite add up, and there are parts that felt a little too rushed. Plus, certain dialogue choices were cringey in my opinion (especially for Bill). But overall, the writing is extremely solid. Coupled with bubbly yet strong art and great action scenes by Mato, this manga makes for a really entertaining read. The story continues after this volume, but I feel that Volume 1 of the Collector’s Edition (or the first three volumes in the series) are a near perfect snippet of the world of Pokémon. It’s put together so well, the story could have ended right there, and I’d be completely satisfied. Along the way, Gold and Crystal must battle a fearsome creature that Archie, the former leader of Team Aqua, wished into existence using the powers of the Wish Pokémon Jirachi that Ruby and Sapphire found!On March 24, 2017, Kurokawa announced they would start publishing the FireRed & LeafGreen and Emerald arcs together as a series of four omnibus volumes. [17] A boxed set containing the four volumes was released on October 8, 2020. [18] Cover In 2011, a series of omnibus releases were announced in Japan, collecting the Ruby & Sapphire arc. The arc was chosen due to its high popularity in Japan. These volumes were issued under Shogakukan's "My First WIDE" brand.