To be able to draw comparison when the Movie Anime Comics is released, and since the TV collection now forms a temporary "Kai" collection that shall not be continued for a while, I thought I would give you a detailed overview (I don't call it a review since I'm not actually judging the quality, just showing you what it's like) of the current collection available.
The main website has already a collection of information and pictures that I won't bother mentionning here, since you can easily find them on your own: you'll see all Japanese covers, the chapters for each volume, etc...
I'd rather give you specific details and pictures that you might not know for those who can't have the Anime Comics and are curious to see how it's structured.
I cannot draw complex comparisons to the Japanese versions because I don't have any Japanese volume, but it should be pretty much the same, although there are probably minor differences in the presentation to accomodate the French market and the French publisher.
FRENCH "TV ANIME COMICS" OVERVIEW
SIZE AND COVER
SIZE
Nothing special there, the Anime Comics are the exact same size as the Tankobon edition (on the left of the picture), meaning smaller than the Kanzenban collection (on the right of the picture).
FRONT COVER
The front covers are pretty much the Japanese ones, albeit adapted to have French texts and feature the French publisher as well.
While the Japanese version has their own logo for the Anime Comics, the French version uses the TV series' logo. Pictures are kept identical to the original Japanese versions for the first two seasons (the official text calls them "parts"), but it is noteworthy that all covers after that are altered to feature the background "Z" letter and remove flashy backgrounds (a few examples of those changes can be viewed on the first post of this thread).
As for the text itself, it specifies "
Anime Comics of the TV show" above the
Dragon Ball Z logo.
Below the logo, the number and title of the season will appear (example: "
1st part: The Saiyans"), along with the number of the current tome in a Dragon Ball, although it is not in the shape of stars but written with an actual number.
The logo for Glénat appears, with a text saying "
French Edition" just beneath it.
Finally, a text specifies "
Original story from Akira Toriyama published by Jump Comics").
BACK COVER
The back cover is kept pretty simple, except for a golden "part of Shenron" picture that forms a column on the right side.
Apart from that, it's all a white background, which shows the logo for Shonen Jump and the bar code on the bottom.
In the white space, the Dragon Ball Z logo appears, along with a text summurizing what this volume is about.
For example, the first volume has the following text:
"
Five years have passed since the terrible battle
opposing Son Goku and Piccolo Daimao
(aka Ma Junior)... Peace has been restored on Earth.
But one day, a man comes down from the sky.
His name is Raditz, and he is a member of
the Saiyans, the most fearsome warrior race
in the universe. Even more shocking,
he states he is Goku's elder brother.
Would Goku's origins be a huge secret?
Is the Earth threatened again?
What is Goku going to do?!"
SIDE COVER
On the contrary of the Tankobon and Kanzenban collections, no pictures here, the side cover is kept pretty simple.
Glénat's usual top and bottom green markers are here, the top one signaling that it's a "
Shonen Manga", while the bottom one just has "
Glénat" written on it.
The series' logo, the Dragon Ball with the volume number and the note "
Original story by Akira Toriyama published by Jump Comics" appear again.
SECRET COVER
Not much of a secret, but it sounds better that way.
The initial cover is one of those covers that are kept separated from the book itself and can slide off to reveal another cover for the book, similarly to the Kanzenban.
The secret cover is more minimalist, kind of like some Shakespeare anthology or whatever: you will find the same text than on the initial cover, but the presentation is totally different.
The front cover features a mainly grey background, with a different
Dragon Ball Z logo that keeps the Anime Comics' trademark "Z". This logo is underlined by a large white line forming a "Z" itself, the inner part of this white "Z" containing the number and name of the season on the top, and all the other information from the regular cover on the bottom.
The side cover is exactly the same than on the initial cover, albeit in black and white.
The back cover is again mainly a grey background. It features only the bar code on the bottom, a thin rectangle showing a character from the initial front cover, and the Shonen Jump logo right under that picture on the right side. The picture almost exclusively showcases Goku until the end of the 4th season, where it starts showing all characters on the cover (altering their positions if needed so that they can all fit in that small area). Before the end of season 4, there are only two instances of someone else than Goku appearing (namely Vegeta).
As I said, this is a more classy and minimalist approach overall.
Those who prefer "pyrotechnics" colorful covers (like me) will leave the original covers on, while those who want to make it look like more "classy literature" might prefer for the no-nonsense minimalist version.
Here is an overall view of the French collection available so far, with original covers, with secret front covers and with secret back covers.
PRESENTATION
The book is read in the usual Japanese way, meaning from right to left, whether it's for pages, panels or speech bubbles.
Opening the Anime Comics leads to the presentation page of the whole volume.
On the right side (removable part of the initial cover), you can see the alternate logo from the secret cover, complete with the Z-shaped line, but all of it with warm colors. You can see a shadow of Goku ready to face Vegeta (before they start talking and taking their fighting stance), and it remains the same for all seasons.
The first page itself shows a background with Dragon Balls displaying several moments included in the volume. The TV series' logo is on top, again with the notion of "
Anime Comics of the TV show", and the usual volume indications, albeit in a different order (example: "
Tome 1 - The Saiyans - 1st part").
Then there is the "
Characters presentation" double-page.
Showing pictures of the characters included in this volume, it briefly summarizes what they're about, including information on characters who have yet to appear on the volume itself, which could potentially spoil surprises. For example, on the very first volume, you can immediately see "
Raditz: A mysterious alien who suddenly appeared on Earth. He's actually Goku's elder brother, member of the Saiyan warrior race.". The pictures and information naturally evolve as the story goes by.
All subsequent tomes also have a "
In the previous volume" part, having about ten lines reminding you of the recent events leading to this specific tome.
Then there is a "chapters" page with a Shenron render, and the names and pages of all chapters included on the current volume (which you can find on the main website).
Note that the chapters are larger and less numerous than in the manga, each tome being divided into only three or four chapters (as opposed to about 10 or 15 smaller chapters for the Tankobon and Kanzenban).
Then comes the first title page. Reminiscent of the anime title cards, the whole page shows a "speed effect" background and Dragon Balls flying out in all directions.
The number of the chapter and its title appear on the center, for example:
"
Chapter 1
Goku's Older Brother Appears!!"
Then the story begins, and when a new chapter comes up, no message to announce it like in the manga, you just have one of those striking chapter pages appearing on the next page and then the story proceeds.
When the story reaches its end, a little message is written under the last panel(s), announcing how the follow-up saga will be named.
Example: "
Find out what happens next in the next volume : Dragon Ball Z - Anime Comics of the TV show, 1st part: The Saiyans - Tome 2!"
The next and last page shows the typical copyright information, but also the original Japanese name of the season. Part of it is written in English.
For example, here is what is written on the first volume.
"[written as such, in English]
TV Anime series DRAGON BALL Z Saiya-Jin Hen"
[written as such, in English]
(c) BIRD STUDIO/SHUIEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION
All rights reserved.
First published in 2005 by SHUEISHA Inc., Tokyo.
French translation rights in France and French-speaking Belgium, Luxembourg,
Monaco, Switzerland and Canada arranged by SHUEISHA Inc.
[written in French]
French edition
Translation: Fédoua Thalal
Letters: GB One
[written in French]
(c) 2008, Glénat Editions
BP 117 - 38008 Grenoble Cedex.
ISBN: 978-2-7234-5789-7
ISSN: 1253-1928
Legal deposit: april 2008
[written in French]
Printed in Italy in april 2008 by Deaprinting
www.glenatmanga.com"
The left removable part is promo by Glénat, showing their "the best of manga" logo, their logos for "Shônen", "Shôjo" and "Seinen" styles, and an invitation "
Join the Manga Glénat community on http://www.glenatmanga.com" with examples of what you can find there (forum, news, quiz, goodies...)
On rare occasions, before or in the last copyright page itself, their will be a trailer for the next saga or tome.
For example, the announcement of the season 3 (fight against Freezer) has a whole double-page trailer to announce the upcoming events.
You can see Super Saiyan Son Goku on the right page, saying "
You've awakened my rage... Even if you beg me to, I won't spare you!!", with a note saying "
176 color pages of intense fighting!!"
On the left page, you can see pictures and texts intertwinned:
"
After many tough battles...
[pictures of everyone getting beat up by Freezer's various forms]
The legendary warrior...
[pictures of base Goku facing Freezer]
awakens through anger!!
Dragon Ball Z - Anime Comics of the TV show, 3rd part
THE SUPER SAIYAN / FREEZER
(4 tomes in total)
Soon available!!! (Recommended cost: 7,50 euros)."
Sometimes it is only for the next volume and on the copyright page itself
For example after the first volume of Season 4, you can see a picture of Goku against C-19 and C-20, with a text in the picture saying:
"
It's the beginning of the fight!!
Goku turns into a Super Saiyan, but the cyborgs don't seem amazed... Even worst, they actually dominate the battle!
In the next volume, the cyborgs will finally let their power burst out!!"
Trailers are not always helpful, though...
In one volume ending with Trunks receiving the fax of his Time Machine, the next volume preview shows a picture of him in shock when seeing the picture (which we've just seen a page ago, we even know what's on the picture) and the text only says "
In the next tome...", but they don't reveal anything. So, not much of a trailer after all...
CONTENT
The Anime Comics take pictures from the anime and arrange them to reproduce a kind of color manga. They will add elements to make it look like an actual manga if needed, such as the famous "!!" when a character's in shock, impacts and speed lines to convey the intensity of moving images, as well as sound effects written.
It will go as far as reproducing the exact manga layout at some moments, such as when Gohan headbutts Raditz, with panel being arranged in the exact same way, almost looking like a colored version of the manga (see picture above).
Similarly to
Kai, the Anime Comics will remove most of the fillers while keeping some part of it, such as Gohan's adventures in the jungle at the beginning, King Vegeta being killed by Freezer or Spacesuit Goku having to fight against a sun's gravity.
On the contrary of the manga releases - which have the sound effects kept in Japanese with little "translations" of the sound effect drawn in smaller fonts along with them -, the Anime Comics replace the Japanese writings altogether (which you can also see on the comparison picture above).
The translation covers the one from the Tankobon (being done by the same translator), since the Kanzenban had not yet started when the first Anime Comics was released.
The Anime Comics has since kept in line with the Tankobon translation to keep coherence with its translation for the whole collection.
Despite being based on the Tankobon version and not yet updated to the few definitive Kanzenban changes, minor - and very rare - changes were already done to this one.
For example, the translator chose "Baddack" in the Tankobon release, mistakenly attributing its origin to "Tobacco".
This was already corrected in the Anime Comics to "Burdock", associating the right explanation this time.
Later, with the Kanzenban release, it would be updated to "Bardack", likely to avoid having the exact English word and keep some of the Japanese pronunciation for French readers.
An interesting case happened with the Namek Elder reading Krilin's mind about Piccolo and God.
In the Tankobon, he said "That's Katatts' son...".
In the Anime Comics, the translator revised her interpretation to the fact that Katatts was the actual name of Piccolo+God according to the Elder Namek: "I remember him... He's Katatts".
Then, on the final update for the Kanzenban, she resolved that the right option was indeed "Oh yes, that's Katatts' son".
Essentially though, the translation is the one from the Tankobon collection, sometimes - very rarely - serving as a testing ground to the final Kanzenban update.
So far, the seasons available in France are the following ones:
Part 1 - The Saiyans (Saiya-Jin Hen) - 5 volumes. Ends with Krilin and Goku staring at Vegeta's ship disappearing into the sky.
Part 2 - The Super Saiyan / The Ginyu Commando (Ginyuu Hen) - 6 volumes. Ends with Krilin yelling "F... FREEZEEEER!!!!!" in fear when the latter appears before them.
Part 3 - The Super Saiyan / Freezer (Freeza Hen) - 4 volumes. Ends with a picture of Goku's house, and a text saying "one year has passed, and Goku still hasn't come back..."
Part 4 - The cyborgs (Jinzo Ningen Hen) - 5 volumes. Ends with Trunks and Vegeta exiting the Room of Spirit and Time, which seems to engulf them in light as they walk out.
Part 5 - The Cell Game (Cell Game Hen) - 5 volumes. Ends with Goku and Kaio walking on the Snake Way after Goku has accidentally destroyed their new house.