Gundam enthusiasts, get ready to dive back into the original saga with Vertical Comics’ stunning new Deluxe Editions. The first volume of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Deluxe, an epic 880-page hardcover, launched on August 12th and is already available at a significant markdown. Originally priced at $55, you can now own it for just $31, a fantastic saving considering the first two original hardcover volumes (Activation and Garma) would typically set you back around $45 combined.
The second Deluxe volume, released on October 7th, is also discounted to $46.56 from its $55 standard price. Each Deluxe Edition combines two original volumes, meaning there will be a total of six magnificent oversized hardcovers to collect. Vertical Comics plans to release a new one every two months, with the series concluding next June.
Volumes 3 through 6 are currently available for preorder. With many retailers’ preorder price guarantees, you won’t be charged until your book ships, and the price will automatically adjust if further discounts become available before release.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Deluxe Editions – Current Deals
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Deluxe Editions
Get Deluxe 1 for $31 (was $55)
Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam stands as a pivotal anime series, pioneering the ‘real robot’ mecha genre and launching a vast franchise that thrives to this day. While the 1979 anime and its movie trilogy adaptation are still fantastic, many consider Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, written and illustrated by the anime’s character artist Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, to be one of the best ways to experience the foundational story.
These Deluxe Editions merge two standard volumes into a larger hardcover (7.76 x 10.3 inches) and feature brand-new cover art. They also include select color pages from the original releases and Yasuhiko’s essays, though some additional guest essays from the older versions have been omitted.
The first hardcover collects ‘Activation’ (Volume 1) and ‘Garma’ (Volume 2). Deluxe 2 is even more substantial, a 976-page tome including ‘Ramba Ral’ (Volume 3) and ‘Jaburo’ (Volume 4). Deluxe 3 is set to arrive in December and is discounted to $46.71.
- Deluxe 1 (880 pages) – $31 (was $55)
- Deluxe 2 (976 pages) – $46.56 (was $55)
- Deluxe 3 – $46.71 (was $56) | Releases December 9
- Deluxe 4 – $55 | Releases February 10, 2026
- Deluxe 5 – $55 | Releases April 14, 2026
- Deluxe 6 – $55 | Releases June 9, 2026
The universe of Mobile Suit Gundam unfolds in a distant future where humanity has expanded its reach beyond Earth, colonizing the solar system. Many humans now inhabit enormous space colonies orbiting Earth. However, escalating diplomatic tensions between the Earth Federation government and these space colonies culminate in the rise of the authoritarian Principality of Zeon. Zeon swiftly seizes control of several colonies and declares war on Earth, unleashing devastating attacks with their colossal humanoid war machines, known as mobile suits.
The conflict ignites when a Zeon mobile suit squadron assaults Side 7, an Earth Federation-aligned space colony. A young student named Amuro Ray inadvertently stumbles upon and pilots the Federation’s experimental new mobile suit – the iconic RX-78 Gundam – to defend his home. He is subsequently recruited by the Earth Federation and discovers he is a ‘Newtype,’ a human with heightened reflexes and the ability to sense other Newtypes. While this gift grants him a formidable advantage in combat, it also deepens his empathy, leading to profound internal conflict about his role in the war. Throughout the series, Amuro develops a fierce, enduring rivalry with Char Aznable, Zeon’s ace mobile suit pilot, a central dynamic that echoes throughout the entire Gundam franchise.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (Vol. 1-12)
If you’re eager to complete your collection before next June, the original 12-volume run is already available in impressive hardcover editions. These versions are smaller and more portable (6.29 x 8.3 inches) and include guest essays that were omitted from the Deluxe Editions, such as one from Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
- Activation — $25.25 (was $30)
- Garma — $19.79 (was $30)
- Ramba Ral — $23.21 (was $30)
- Jaburo — $17.74 (was $30)
- Char & Sayla — $24 (was $30)
- To War — $19.18 (was $30)
- Battle of Loum — $23.30 (was $30)
- Operation Odessa — $24.25 (was $30)
- Lalah — $23.31 (was $30)
- Solomon — $20.39 (was $30)
- A Cosmic Glow — $23 (was $30)
- Encounters — $20.32 (was $30)
For those interested in exploring the anime that inspired the manga, the original Mobile Suit Gundam series is available to stream, as is the film trilogy which re-edits the anime episodes into three feature-length movies. The Gundam universe is vast, with numerous sequels, spin-offs, movies, novels, and more extending beyond the initial anime and manga.
For a taste of the recent animated works, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island, released in September 2024, is available on Blu-ray for $25.12 (originally $40). Directed by Yasuhiko, this movie reimagines a notorious episode from the original anime, which was often criticized for its animation and production issues. The new film boasts fresh animation, an expanded storyline, and a new English voice cast. Japanese fans will be pleased to know that Touru Furuya reprises his role as Amuro Ray.
The Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga also received its own OVA adaptation, transforming flashback events from Volumes 9-12 into a seven-episode mini-series. This series delves into the backstory of the main antagonist, Char Aznable, leading up to the One Year War. Episodes 1-4 were compiled in the Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin: Chronicle of Char and Sayla Blu-ray, while episodes 5-7 were released in Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin: Chronicle Of The Loum Battlefield Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the latter two are currently out of stock.
The Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Anime Blu-rays
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island — $25.12 (was $40)
- Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin: Chronicle of Char and Sayla — Sold Out
- Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin: Chronicle Of The Loum Battlefield — Sold Out
Among the many sequels and parallel series within the original Mobile Suit Gundam universe (not to mention numerous alternate universe Gundam series), Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack stands as one of the most crucial. This 1988 theatrical film reunites Amuro and Char, delivering a powerful conclusion to their enduring rivalry that began in the original anime. The Blu-ray edition is available for $33.
Char’s Counterattack is based on Mobile Suit Gundam creator Tomino’s novel, Mobile Suit Gundam: High-Streamer. Tomino later penned a second version, Beltorchika’s Children, derived from a rejected film script, which recently received a seven-volume manga adaptation. While both works cover similar plot points, Beltorchika’s Children provides a more faithful and detailed rendition of Tomino’s initial vision for this chapter of the story compared to Char’s Counterattack. Notably, it features two of the coolest mobile suit designs, the Zeon Nightengale Mobile Armor and Amuro’s Hi-Nu Gundam, which unfortunately did not appear in the movie version.
The first three volumes of the Beltorchika’s Children manga were translated into English between 2023-2024, with the remaining volumes scheduled for release in the coming months. Volume 1 is available in paperback from various retailers, while Volume 2 and Volume 3 can also be found. Volumes 4 and 5 are open for preorder and are expected to release next year.
Beltorchika’s Children Manga
- Volume 1 — $11 (was $13)
- Volume 2 — $11 (was $13)
- Volume 3 — $12 (was $13)
- Volume 4 — $11.86 (was $14) | Releases February 24, 2026
- Volume 5 — $14 | Releases June 9, 2026
For those who also enjoy building Gunpla model kits, an exciting art book, UDON Entertainment’s Hidetaka Tenjin’s Artistry of Gundam, will be published in the US for the first time next March. It’s currently available for preorder at $46.49 (originally $50).