Originally scheduled to come out in August, this release was pushed back and back and back. Eventually, in January 2022, it was finally released. The Seven Deadly Sins omnibus collection is out, collecting the original three opening books of the series. Let’s give this book a look!
The Lowdown
According to the official description provided by Kodansha Comics:
When they were accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy, the feared warriors the Seven Deadly Sins were sent into exile. Princess Elizabeth discovers the truth – the Sins were framed by the king’s guard, the Holy Knights – too late to prevent them from assassinating her father and seizing the throne! Now the princess is on the run, seeking the Sins to help her reclaim the kingdom. But the first Sin she meets, Meliodas, is a little innkeeper with a talking pig. He doesn’t even have a real sword! Have the legends of the Sins’ strength been exaggerated…?
The Breakdown
Now, this isn’t the first time The Seven Deadly Sins has been discussed on AiPT! for newcomers. In fact, the first ten volumes were originally reviewed several years ago by myself and despite the issues, it was a very enjoyable series at the time. With this new collection, I decided to jump right back into the series and give it another go.
And it still very much holds up. In fact, if you prefer physical copies (the omnibus format is not on digital platforms) and have never read the series originally, this is the best way to get into the series. Having the first three books together instead of dealing with each one separately, you get a more fulfilling experience and stronger introduction.
Kodansha
While I will not go over everything as I did in the previous reviews, the story is still great in its early moments. A princess seeking out the former knights of her kingdom that supposedly went rogue to stop the current knights from taking over is still a great setup for a medieval fantasy. We get to follow Elizabeth and the leader of the knights, Meliodas, as they seek out his comrades and encounter many vicious enemies along the way. There’s plenty of great action with intense battles, some good humor and gags, and some intriguing mysteries going on with our cast’s backstories.
And with having the first three volumes in one package, the experience is a lot stronger. There’s a better idea of the stakes involved in this situation, more of the characters are introduced and have development, we see more of the villains (who are all incredibly imposing and intimidating), and there’s a lot more action as well. We get more of the good than the bad, such as Meliodas’ terrible sexual harassment issues that plague the first volume, and it makes it easier to jump into and try out.
The artwork is something that, personally, aged in a special way. It feels so refreshingly unique in its format, focusing more on traditional square and rectangle panels focused in the center than the more angular and energetic layouts seen in other action series. It’s a style that may not seem as interesting at a first look, but the creator makes up for it in how well everything naturally flows in the story and the action. It never feels hard to follow and when the story does go for the big, splashy action or full to double page spreads, the moments feel more powerful and exciting to read.
Kodansha
Now, the story, the characters, and the artwork are all great and still hold up. It’s an easy recommendation on that front. But this is a new release in a new, printed form, so how does that work out?
Good for newcomers, but pointless for previous owners. Dimension-wise, the book is on the bigger side of things, similar to Beastars or Magus of the Library in height and length. The bigger size allows you to really dig into the art and take in all the little details packed into the more busy pages. There’s nothing lost or cut off in the transition either, like the Monster: Perfect Editions. And that’s everything. Same volumes as before, just blown up. Color pages remain black and white too. There’s no point to double dip here if you already own the books.
Is It Good?
The Seven Deadly Sins Omnibus Vol. 1 is a fantastic collection containing the very start of this epic shonen adventure. While there may be no point in picking it up if you already own the series, for newcomers or those who lost their old volumes this is an easy recommendation. The amount of story, character, personality, and great art packed into this book is a blast. If you like medieval fantasy and traditional shonen action, outside of a few hiccups, this is a must read.
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