A Story That Refuses to Die — Just Like Its Hero
Brand new, sealed 1st edition Dark Horse volumes of Blade of the Immortal, hand-picked and shipped from Blackwood, South Wales — a complete run for collectors who want the story told the way it was originally printed.
Manji can't die. Cut him down, run him through, take his head off — the sacred bloodworms in his body knit him back together, and the story keeps going. It's that impossible premise, wrapped around a genuinely bleak, beautifully drawn samurai revenge story, that's made Blade of the Immortal one of the most respected long-running manga series ever licensed for the West.
These aren't scans, reprints, or bootlegs. Every volume here is a brand new, sealed 1st edition Dark Horse release — the original English-language printing, hand-picked and checked before it's listed, so it arrives ready to go straight on the shelf or into your hands to actually read.
ONCE A VOLUME'S SOLD, THAT EXACT COPY DOESN'T COME BACK.
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JOIN THE MAILING LISTWHY A 1ST EDITION MANGA COLLECTION IS WORTH KEEPING
A few honest reasons this matters, beyond just collecting for the sake of it:
Dark Horse's original English printings of Blade of the Immortal have gone in and out of print for years — a fair few of these volumes simply aren't being reprinted right now.
A sealed, brand new copy holds its condition properly — no shelf-wear, no yellowing pages, no creased spine from being read on a train.
Completing a full run volume by volume, in the original printed format, is a different experience to reading it scanlated or digitally — the pacing, the paper, the cover art all matter.
Long-running manga series like this one are genuinely at risk of falling out of print entirely once a licence lapses — owning the physical copy means the story doesn't disappear with it.
WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES THIS COLLECTION DIFFERENT
Asked a lot, so here's the honest answer, no sales fluff:
- Brand new, not used. Every volume listed here is new stock, several still factory sealed — not an ex-library copy or a reading copy with someone else's creases in it.
- Genuine 1st edition Dark Horse printings. The original English-language release, not a later reprint or a different publisher's edition.
- Most of the run in stock. Fourteen volumes currently listed, from Volume 1: Blood of a Thousand through to Volume 14: Last Blood.
- Priced per volume, not bundled up. Build the set at your own pace — from under £10 up to £39.99 for the harder-to-find Heart of Darkness volume.
- Ships properly protected. Books get packed to survive the post, corners and spines included.
- Part of a wider manga and comics range — alongside other Dark Horse titles, Japanese manga, and comic books in the same shop.
THE FULL RUN — VOLUMES 1 TO 14
Here's the complete first edition set currently listed, in reading order. Limited availability on every volume — most are down to a single copy.
| Volume | Title | Price | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | Blood of a Thousand | £15.49 | Shop |
| Vol. 2 | Cry of the Worm | £16.99 | Shop |
| Vol. 3 | Dreamsong | £12.98 | Shop |
| Vol. 4 | On Silent Wings | £15.49 | Shop |
| Vol. 5 | On Silent Wings II | £14.20 | Shop |
| Vol. 6 | Dark Shadows | £16.50 | Shop |
| Vol. 7 | Heart of Darkness | £39.99 | Shop |
| Vol. 8 | The Gathering | £16.10 | Shop |
| Vol. 9 | The Gathering II | £17.50 | Shop |
| Vol. 10 | Secrets | £16.49 | Shop |
| Vol. 11 | Beasts | £9.49 | Shop |
| Vol. 12 | Autumn Frost | £26.99 | Shop |
| Vol. 13 | Mirror of the Soul | £16.99 | Shop |
| Vol. 14 | Last Blood | £14.99 | Shop |
A FEW VOLUMES WORTH GRABBING FIRST
If you're starting from scratch or filling gaps in an existing collection, these four are worth flagging:
WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS NOW
Because stock on 1st edition Dark Horse printings doesn't get replenished the way a current bestseller does. Heart of Darkness and Autumn Frost are already priced as the rarer end of the run for a reason — they simply don't turn up often in this condition. Once a copy's gone, there's no guarantee another sealed 1st edition surfaces.
If you've been chasing a specific volume to finish a set, or want to start the series properly from Volume 1, this is worth a proper browse while there's still a decent spread of the run in stock.
MISSING A VOLUME?
HAVE A BROWSE
The wider Books, Comics & Magazines shop runs from Dark Horse and Japanese manga to comic books, hardcover and paperback titles, gaming books, poetry, and vintage camera manuals. Stock turns over as new titles are sourced, so what's here today might not be here next week.
While you're browsing, it's worth a look round the rest of the shop too — the same workshop handles VHS and DVD, retro games, handmade jewellery and personalised gifts, all sourced and hand-picked from the same corner of South Wales.
SHIPS DIRECT FROM THE WORKSHOP VIA ROYAL MAIL · NO PLATFORM FEES, SO YOU GET THE BEST PRICE
Cheers for reading — hope you find the volume you're after, or a good place to start the series. Any questions about condition, edition, or what's currently in stock, just drop a message, always happy to help.
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A mint copy of one of the most gripping volumes in the Blade of the Immortal run and it has never been read. Placed in a protective sleeve the moment it was purchased and untouched ever since. Pages crisp, spine uncracked, cover flawless. Preserved by a collector, for a collector.
Why this volume stands out:
Secrets is where Samura splits the narrative in two and pulls it off brilliantly. Anotsu Kagehisa takes centre stage journeying to a remote mountain dojo where the welcome is anything but warm, and where the challenge to prove himself runs deeper than it first appears. Meanwhile, Manji is recovering from a battle that left him literally in pieces, and Rin is still missing, still hunting. The tension across both threads is relentless, and Samura's pacing here is among his most assured in the whole series.
The original Dark Horse single-volume editions are out of print and increasingly scarce in this condition only available through secondary markets.
Condition: New Mint. Placed in a protective sleeve immediately upon purchase by a private collector and never removed. Unread, unhandled, spine uncracked, pages pristine.
Book Details:
Author: Hiroaki Samura
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Edition: 1st Edition (2002)
Print Length: 232 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1-56971-746-2
Dimensions: 14.66 1.52 20.96 cm
Age Rating: 16+
One of the most critically acclaimed volumes in the entire Blade of the Immortal saga and this copy has never been read. Placed in a protective sleeve the moment it was purchased and untouched ever since. Pages crisp, spine uncracked, cover flawless. Preserved by a collector, for a collector.
Why this volume stands apart:
Mirror of the Soul is widely regarded as a turning point in the series. Samura steps away from Manji almost entirely, placing the focus squarely on Anotsu Kagehisa and the result is some of the most emotionally complex storytelling in the whole run. Rin and Anotsu share scenes of real weight, and Samura's artwork is at its most expressive and assured. Readers and critics consistently rank this among the very best volumes in the series.
The original Dark Horse single-volume editions are increasingly scarce in this condition. Out of print and only available through secondary markets, a mint 1st edition is a genuine collector's piece.
Condition: New Mint. Placed in a protective sleeve immediately upon purchase by a private collector and never removed. Unread, unhandled, spine uncracked, pages pristine.
Book Details:
Author: Hiroaki Samura
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Edition: 1st Edition (2004)
Print Length: 256 pages
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1593072186
Dimensions: 14.48 1.52 21.08 cm
Age Rating: 16+