Trigun has a nostalgic feel to it with its Western-like vibe and setting, but it’s set in a futuristic time as well, and this makes it unique. On top of that, it’s action-packed and it’s one of the most entertaining sci-fi manga I have ever read.
Trigun is set in the desert world of Gunsmoke, where a mysterious bounty hangs above the head of Vash the Stampede. His guns can pierce a planet, which explains why the locals tremble at the very mention of his name. The reward for his capture or assassination is sixty billion double dollars. Every trigger-happy psycho in creation is aiming to claim Vash dead or alive. Of course, though, there’s much more to this one than meets the eye as you learn more about Vash and this world.
It’s an amazing read, but what’s the best way to collect the series? In this post, we’ll take a look at how all of the editions vary in terms of price, quality, lettering, translation, extras, and more. If you would like a first-hand look at all of the editions, be sure to check out my Trigun Manga Editions Compared video on YouTube below.
Trigun Manga Editions
In the US, Trigun has 2 volumes, while its continuation, Trigun Maximum, has 14 volumes. I’ll be focusing on the Trigun editions in this video, since Maximum’s Deluxe Editions don’t begin releasing until October 9th.
Currently, there are four ways you can collect Trigun in English, all of which are published by Dark Horse.
First, there are the two paperbacks from 2003, which were later released as hardcover editions exclusive to Barnes & Noble in 2004. Then, there’s the paperback omnibus from 2013 and the newest Deluxe Edition, which collects both volumes of Trigun in a single hardcover.
As far as its continuation, Trigun Maximum will be collected in 5 Deluxe Editions. I love Trigun, but I love Trigun Maximum even more, so that’s something to look forward to as well.
Price
Price-wise, all Trigun editions, except the Deluxe, are currently out of print, so prices vary. The paperback omnibus goes for $50–$55, the two paperbacks sell for $40–$50 together, and the Barnes & Noble hardcovers are around $40–$50 each. The Deluxe Edition, however, retails for $49.99, making it the most convenient and cost-effective option, especially given that the others are out of print and fluctuate in price.
As for Trigun Maximum, both the single paperbacks and omnibuses are even pricier, so the upcoming Deluxe Editions will be a more affordable way to collect the entire series.
Size
The Trigun Deluxe is the same size as Dark Horse’s other Deluxes at 7×10”. The Deluxes are the largest format of Trigun to release by far with the others being more similarly sized to Dark Horse’s standard omnibus or paperback releases.
Design
Next, let’s talk about the design. The Trigun Deluxe initially seemed like it would be yellow with blue details based on early previews, but they changed it to a rust-red pleather with gold metallic details, and I’m glad they did. These are the same colors that will be on the Trigun Maximum Deluxes, so they’ll look uniform on the shelf. The front features Vash’s gun, surrounded by bullets, inset into the pleather, which looks awesome. The spine has matching gold foil details.
On the omnibus, there’s a large profile image of Vash with Trigun printed vertically on the side. The logo is in red, with a white spine. I used to own the two paperbacks, and they have the same artwork and design as the Japanese editions, featuring both English and Japanese text on the front. The Barnes & Noble hardcovers use the same design on their slipcovers, but when you take the slipcover off, they’re bound in red cloth with gold foil details and text on the front and spine.
The only editions with sewn-binding are the Deluxe Editions and the Barnes & Noble hardcovers. The rest have a glued binding.
Print and Page Quality
As for page and print quality, the Deluxe Editions have the best page and print quality, with saturated blacks, crisp whites, and more visible details. The pages, which are matte white, are of high quality as well. I will say, though, that the Barnes & Noble Trigun hardcovers also have great print quality for the time. They’re printed on white pages with crisp blacks, but it’s hard to beat the Deluxe Editions, especially with their larger format, which makes the panels look even more amazing.
In comparison, the omnibus pages appear more washed out, with less saturated blacks. They’re printed on off-white paper with a slightly textured, egg-shell finish, and since they’re older, the pages often look more yellow than they should. The individual paperbacks are printed on similar paper, so the print and page quality isn’t as high in these two as it is in the other editions. The best in this department is the Deluxe Editions.
Readability
In terms of readability, the Deluxe Edition is the best, especially with its sewn-binding. The Barnes & Noble hardcovers also read well due to their sewn-binding, but they do have more issues with gutter loss given their smaller size, and with all the updates, I’d recommend the Deluxe Edition. The edition with the worst readability is the paperback omnibus. It’s a thick volume with many pages, and with its glued spine, it suffers from gutter loss and is more awkward to read. On the other hand, the paperback singles from Dark Horse are easy to read.
That said, the only edition with any real issues is the omnibus. Since it’s so large, it has gutter loss issues and can also get spine creases if you’re not careful. Overall, the Deluxe Edition wins in this department. Its larger format and sewn-binding minimize gutter loss, and while it’s bigger and not as comfortable to hold as something like the individual paperbacks, the reading experience overall is improved.
Translation, SFX, and Lettering
As for sound effects, all editions feature the original hand-drawn effects. However, the Deluxe Edition is the only one with translated sound effects on the pages. In the other editions, they’re left untranslated, and there’s no guide for them either. So, if you want sound effect translations, the Deluxe Editions are the way to go.
Translation and lettering are the same in all editions after a side-by-side read-through. The only update in the Deluxe Edition is the addition of translated sound effects, which appear near the original hand-drawn ones. I no longer have the individual Trigun paperbacks since I switched to the Barnes & Noble hardcovers a while back, but they have the same translation and lettering that’s seen in the hardcovers, with untranslated sound effects. I will say, though, that Dark Horse usually update the translation in new Deluxe Edition releases, so I was surprised to see that they did not do so with Trigun’s release.
Extras
As for extras, all Trigun editions include the afterwords by Yasuhiro Nightow, but the Deluxe Edition has something new: a full-color art gallery. It features not only the covers of volumes 1 and 2 but also additional artwork. I love seeing galleries in the Deluxe Editions, so couldn’t be happier that Dark Horse added this. The Deluxe also comes with a yellow ribbon bookmark.
Final Verdict
Now that we’ve covered everything, what’s the best way to collect Trigun? Normally, I’d say it depends, but in this case, I think there’s a clear answer: the Trigun Deluxe Edition. They’re high-quality, cost-effective, and with the other editions being out of print and expensive, especially Trigun Maximum, the Deluxe is the edition I’d recommend. The paperbacks have worse page quality and more issues with gutter loss. If the Deluxe Editions hadn’t come out, I’d recommend the Barnes & Noble hardcovers, but with the Deluxe’s larger format and updates, they’re now the best option.
Could they have given us a better and updated translation after all of these years? Yes, they could have, but on the plus side, they look and feel premium, have the best page and print quality, are the only edition with translated sound effects and they preserved the original hand-drawn ones as well. If you’re looking to get into Trigun in 2024 or beyond, the Deluxe Edition is the way to go.
If you already own one of the other editions and are wondering whether or not the Deluxes are worth upgrading to, they are. Either way, I’m just happy more people will get to experience what I consider to be one of the best sci-fi manga of all time.
You can shop the Trigun Deluxe Edition now at a manga retailer!