This latest release of Dragon Ball 3-in-1 covers volumes 7–9 and features some of Toriyama’s most memorable early villains. This is also when Goku starts to pull away from the rest of his peers, and begins his journey to become one of the strongest characters in all of Shonen Jump manga. But before he attained near god-like powers, he was a wacky little boy chasing Dragon Balls around…

But he’s not chasing them alone, he's got his good buddies Kuririn and Bulma to help. And he’ll need help, because he’s being pursued by the diabolical, and often shirtless, General Blue of the Red Ribbon Army! Of all the DB villains, General Blue kind of stands out because he’s so normal-looking. He's just a guy with his shirt off. But he's anything, but normal! He's a great fighter, has psychic powers, and relies on his wits more than the average bad guy. I think he's one of the more underappreciated DB villains. 

The story in the manga also takes a quick pit stop to Penguin Island, a.k.a. where Dr. Slump takes place. I would imagine this must have been a real “Jetsons Meets the Flintstones” moment for Japanese readers and probably blew a few kids’ minds. For me, it’s fun and a great example of the more light-hearted tone of the early series before it got dark and serious.

The next foe Goku faces is definitely a fan favorite—Taopaipai the ruthless assassin! Early Dragon Ball was heavily influenced by Chinese kung fu movies, and Taopaipai looks like he just walked of the set of a Shaw Bros. flick. He’s a wonderfully evil villain who travels around in the most ingenious way—he throws a stone column, then jumps on top and surfs it to his destination. The fights between Taopaipai and Goku are some of the Toriyama Sensei’s best work at that point in his career.

The omnibus ends with Goku and friends trying to find the whereabouts of the last Dragon Ball and fighting the All-Seeing Crone’s champions. They’re mostly based on the classic Hollywood monsters, like the Invisible Man, Dracula, and the Mummy. I won’t give it away, but this manga has what I consider the best nose-bleed gag in all of manga history. It is hilarious and a true testament to Toriyama Sensei’s incredible comedic prowess.

It’s so much fun to read early Dragon Ball and see a master truly hitting his stride. By now, the manga’s become a major hit, and it feels like Toriyama Sensei’s really having fun with it. And with so much humor, action, and great characters packed in these 530 pages, the $12.99 price seems like a steal.

The omnibus also comes with a 36 page Title Page Gallery, Akira Toriyama’s “Ask Me Anything!” Corner, and Author Notes from the original three volumes.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—I truly feel sorry for people who haven’t read Dragon Ball, they’re missing out on something wonderful.  

Dragon Ball 3-in-1 Vol. 3 is available in stores now! 

by Urian Brown