Viz Media has had great success publishing English-language translations of Rurouni Kenshin, the first manga to crack the USA Today bestseller list, but at 28 volumes, maybe it's something of an intimidating buy-in for new readers, imagining all those books filling up their shelves. So Viz is creating a new line of manga compilations, VizBig, which will combine three of the original volumes in a larger-sized printing for $17.99 (about $6 less than buying the previous editions separately). The equally popular Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z franchises will also be part of the program.

I'm not sure I buy into the concept presented by Viz VP Alvin Liu in the press release that these new editions "change the very experience of reading manga," but that's probably because I'm not terribly enamored of the idea of buying the same material twice, even with bonus features added. (Which isn't to say I wouldn't cave for the right title, but, for me, it would have to be one where I'm passionate enough about the series that I would buy the deluxe editions and give my old set to somebody else unfamiliar with the books.) It'll be interesting to see, though, whether these omnibus editions can serve as an effective entry point for new readers, especially if they're heavily promoted in mainstream bookstores.

Rurouni Kenshin artwork from Viz