It was a recent discussion with Twitter's SuperZeldaGirl that got me thinking about Viz Media's Legend of Zelda manga series again. We were tweeting about the volumes we liked from the series, and I was reminded that I really need to finish the collection I had started, considering I'm half way there already. I've always liked these adaptions - I've mentioned them many times in prior Online Game Deal installments - and there's no real reason for my not having a complete run, as they're still readily available and affordable.

If you're unfamilar with this particular Zelda manga, it's a series of kid-friendly comic stories by collaborative pseudonym Akira Himekawa, translated to English and released as ten black & white, paperback manga volumes by Viz Media. The series covers eight different Zelda video games, with each game having it's own manga storyline independent of the others. (Well, as independent as Zelda storylines can be - anyone else still trying to grasp the Hyrule Historia timeline?)

The manga series includes these individual volumes, each of which currently costs between $5.85 and $8.99 on Amazon, with most titles hovering around the $7 mark:

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Part 1
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Part 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Part 1
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Part 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

I've picked up five of the ten manga since their release, and I have yet to be disappointed. What I like most is the way they present unique or expanded storylines - I haven't read one yet that is a simple, no frills adaption. The Link to the Past volume, for example, is loosely based on the game, with a remixed story which adds many elements of its own. It's a bit jarring at first, but you quickly warm up to the new plot twists and characters. The Ocarina of Time two-parter takes a different approach - it reads like an extended cut of the game! There's a ton of additional backstory, and honestly - after reading it - I've never been able to play through the Fire Temple again without a certain manga plot point in the back of my mind. It's that good.

So I did some grubbing on Amazon, hoping I could find the final volumes I need for a good price. But while browsing, I learned I can pick up the full, slipcased set of books - which includes all 10 volumes in a cardboard slipcast with bonus poster - for about the same price as the five individual volumes I'm missing! Viz Media's The Legend of Zelda Slipcased Manga Set is discounted to $40.44 with free shipping - a full 42% off the MSRP. This is a fantastic option if you'd like to pick up the entire series on the cheap, or - if you're like me - you're 50% of the way there but won't be paying extra even if you opt for the slipcased set.

While Amazon isn't offering content previews for the manga volumes, they do have a Click to Look Inside! preview for the Hyrule Historia hardcover, which includes a bonus 32-page Skyward Sword manga by the same creative team. You can give it a look and judge for yourself - if you like the story and style, the manga series is very similar, except each paperback is 100% b&w and the stories are roughly 175-200 pages in length.

And hey, if you haven't picked it up already, Amazon is offering the Hyrule Historia for 40% off, available for $20.99! Seriously, I can't recommend this book enough. It's a little Skyward Sword heavy, yes, but overall, it's one of the finest historical video game artbooks of its kind. Especially for the price! Plus, if you'd like to collect all the manga, the bonus Skyward Sword story is a great compliment to the slipcased manga set.

And that's a wrap for another (somewhat long-winded) installment of GrubberGamer's Online Game Deals! As always, you'll find a bunch of game-specific sales and discounts after the jump - thanks for reading.

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