(SPOILER FREE) Oh, wow! I'm trying to figure out how best to explain how incredible this manga is! First off, it's set during the early part of The Thirty Years War in Europe. Our fictional protagonist, Issak, is a Japanese mercenary seeking revenge on the man who murder his master and stole something important. Although the omnibus (volumes 1-2 of the series) doesn't go deep into the details yet, enough backstory is sprinkled into the plot to work as very strong motivation to keep reading.

The story by Shinji Makari is so damned good. I LOVE well-written battles and intelligent characters. The tension and suspense was vivid, and you could almost feel the fear the defending soldiers had as they watched the approaching attackers. But Issak was so gloriously written I devoured every chat bubble, every single panel with my heart thumping hard. This is an example of a solid historical action novel. I stopped myself from running to my computer to look up names, places, conflicts, etc. I remember enough world history to recognize the research the author put in, and I have to applaud!

Now, the artwork also needs a ton of praise. The artist, DOUBLE-S, made this world tangible. The horrors of war, especially in this historical setting, dug into my imagination. It elevated the story so much that I'd linger on a page, just taking in everything. When you can make my throat tighten at the sight of even horses getting cut down in battle,.. yeah, that's an incredible artist.

The description for this omnibus is "Vinland Saga meets Shogun." Oh, hell yes. It was that and so much more. I'm buying the rest of the series immediately. For now, thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the review copy!

Books on war intrigue me so. Not because I love seeing people die or have morbid interests. It's just that these stories explore the mindsets of the characters during the time of violence and politics. For them, life & death was always something they had to face. Upon reading the afterword it was cool to know that "Issak" was inspired by a 17th century map. As the author, Shinji Makari, stated, Japanese soldiers actually used firearms during this time period rather than katanas. It just shows you how colonization impacted everything down to how a people fought. I feel like I am rambling but c'mon, history is the best subject to learn about. The manga itself looks great. It is quite brutal, but I expected that. I wonder how Issak's journey of vengeance will end.


Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc!

Decent story but this first part is not enough for me to fully care about this world and its characters. The series has great potential as long as future installments give the characters more depth. Other than that, the art and battle scenes are done well.

I had read Issak on digital previously and was excited to see it finally coming to print. This is the perfect historical action manga and will scratch that itch of both historical fiction and action fans. The artwork is fantastic and captures the action in such a believable and interesting way.
This is a must read for fans of historical manga and action ones. It has everything you could want a gripping story, epic artwork, a nice mix between text and graphics that are clear and crisp to read.
As always thank you to Kodansha Comics for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this manga. Honestly, this is not for me plot wise, but the art is beautiful. Definitely if you are an Attack on Titan and Vinland saga fan as far as the landscape art and war feels, this is for you. 4 out of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

I really like Historical Fiction and manga. So i'm glad i pick this one.

I thought it will be two volume, turns out for this ARC, there's only one volume, which is fine by me.

I like the historical setup, and the story is pretty make sense they travel from Japan to Spain. And they mention Batavia as well.

The main chara is a bit too good at his job(at least that's what i read from this first volume) but the villain is good too..

And i also like the art. No complain so far from first volume.

Phenomenal storyline and artwork, this is a historical action manga that I absolutely lost myself in.
Only issue was that, while it is called the "Omnibus" version, this only contains Vol. 1 (which in and of itself was fantastic)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

I do have to note that this was not the full omnibus but rather just volume one which is fine as I had read the first two chapters previously through KManga. Now that I finished the volume, I would say that this was good set up. I am a sucker for historical fiction and this did not disappoint with the story and atmosphere. I do think character work could have been better but this could improve as the story goes on. I will be reading volume two soon to determine if I will keep reading. I recommend checking this out if you like dynamic stories of revenge set in a historical backdrop.

is a manga with a historical theme that engages with its visual aspect, but catches you by the revealing it is. Undoubtedly, an interesting work in more than one sense.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

I received a partial e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Firstly, I'd like to explain the "partial" part of this. The listing of the e-ARC I received says "Issak Omnibus 1 (Vol. 1-2)," which is what I thought I would be receiving. I even had the Goodreads entry for the Omnibus pulled up and ready to add to my "Currently Reading." However, I quickly noticed the page count and read some of the first pages, which has an explanation stating that the e-ARC only had the first volume, not the second. That being said, it's a little misleading and I want to urge people to check the reviews of both the Omnibus and Volume 1 individually because I don't think some people realized the e-ARC was only half and their reviews may not be truly indicative of the Omnibus. I will be posting my review on Volume 1 and not the Omnibus because I do not want to lead people astray in that regard.

All that being said, I did enjoy this first volume. I can see where a lot of people are coming from, however, on not really connecting with Issak in the first volume. I think some flashbacks, even minimal, would've been helpful to the audience to connect with him on an emotional level. He is very stoic so I think a lot of people may have trouble understanding where his motives are coming from. I think leaving the first volume off at the end of Chapter 2 and adding in flashbacks of what happened before (even just visual panels showing some of Issak's emotions) would've been a better idea.

I really do like the art style. It feels both modern and traditional, which I enjoy. Some panels feel very cinematic. It's also reminiscent of an older art style (think late 90s to early 00s) without the awkwardness of it. The story flows quite well. I was disappointed that I didn't get volume 2 because I felt I didn't get a proper grasp on Issak within volume 1 alone.

I would give Volume 1 a 3.75/5. I think the art style and plot made up for the lacking in character relationship and I'm interested enough to pick up the next volume. With my tastes, I really do think my rating would go up if I'd had volume 2 since I'd have a bit more time with Issak so I will go ahead and round my rating up to 4/5.

CW/TW: SA within the first few pages, but it does not get far once Issak steps in.

Okie... this was really educational! Considering I handled these topics literally this year at history, I could still recall some things I knew. I really liked this concept, I researched some about Japanese people in the Netherlands in the 17th Century and read some posts on Reddit talking about things that were correctly depicted but also some things that were placed in the wrong time period (some guy was really yapping about their armour being from the 16th Century and I was here for it lol).

I definitely want to research more about this topic. I didn't even know that the West had Japanese slaves and I want to learn more about the power struggles in Japan during that time.

Overall really enjoyed it, I think I'm also sensing a little romance...Which I will never complain about! I think I'll give this a 3.75 stars, I like history, I liked the concept, I liked the battle scenes (and badass scenes). I want to jump into the next Volumes because that cliffhanger is not okay!

Issak is a historical action manga focusing on a Japanese mercenary in 1600s Europe looking for vengeance. The premise is quite unique and makes it stand out from the usual historical battle action series. This is a good fit for people who like Vinland Saga and Vagabond.

3.5⭐️

first just a quick thing, I thought we were going to get vol 1 and 2, but I think we only got vol1 of the omnibus (and I can't find anywhere so I can confirm this)

about what I read, I got really interested in continue this one! I don't think this is something i gravitate to normally, but I do like war in my mangas😅😅

i'm really interested in seeing him getting his revenge and the journey to that!! and is that girl going with him??👀👀👀

Issak Omnibus 1 is a visually stunning historical manga set during the Thirty Years’ War. The story follows Issak, a mysterious Japanese marksman on a revenge mission in war-torn Europe. The premise holds a lot of promise, and the artwork is undeniably beautiful—detailed, atmospheric, and clearly crafted with care.

However, I found the story difficult to connect with emotionally. The volume is packed with action—primarily battle scenes—which left little room for character development. We’re told Issak is driven by vengeance, but beyond that, we learn very little about who he is or what makes him tick. The supporting cast is similarly underdeveloped, making it hard to feel invested in the stakes.

One element that particularly soured the reading experience for me was the introduction of the character Zetta. Mild content warning (skip this paragraph if you’re avoiding spoilers): Zetta is first introduced during an attempted assault, a scene that felt unnecessary and exploitative rather than narratively meaningful. While I understand the intent may have been to reflect the brutality of wartime, the scene didn’t add anything to her character or the plot.

Zetta herself remains frustratingly one-dimensional throughout—constantly frightened yet perpetually close to battle, with little explanation or evolution. As the only notable female character in the volume, this portrayal felt like a missed opportunity.

While fans of war stories and historical settings may find more to enjoy here, I personally prefer more character-driven narratives. Future volumes could flesh out the cast and deepen the emotional stakes, but as a first volume, this omnibus didn’t quite hook me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DARC in exchange for an honest review.

Issak is a historical seinen series with beautiful art style somewhat reminiscent of Tite Kubo’s. The start of the series is promising, with an interesting setting and detailed panels, I think there’s a lot of potential to be had. However, this omnibus used probably 60% of its page count on battle panels instead of world building or introducing the characters properly. While it was an absolute eye candy to look at, it failed to showcase what it has to offer outside of it — after 3 chapters, we barely even know anything about our main character; only where he is from, what is his goal and how cool his gun is. I’ll check out future volumes but so far the title leaves a lot to be desired.

I'm a huge history nerd so this manga was right up my alley. It's fast-paced, brutal and somethimes touching. I instantly fell for Issak's character (he's such a broody figure) and can't wait to see where his story of revenge goes.

Issak has made his way to Germany from Japan for revenge on the man who killed his master. Now he is wandering Germany in the midst of the Thirty Years War hunting for him while acting as a mercenary. Such a task has brought him to Fuchsburg where he has joined the defenders holding off the Spanish armies. Lucky for them, Issak is a superb marksman! But will his talent be enough. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next omnibus volume!

Thanks Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the chance to read this title!

I was interested by this book because I like manga's that are set in a different era and this one is pretty good so far. The main character we follow is named Issak as the manga goes on we learn why he decided to leave Japan and what self mission he is on. He is seeking revenge for his master and in turn brings him to Europe. I did enjoy manga for the action and how good the art style is. The art style has some intricate details with the weapons as well as the characters. Most of the characters have depth but not as much as how I expected them to be. Issak did not have the most depth to him as a character above the seeking for revenge but he does seem to have a good heart for others. If you are like me and enjoy historical/era setting with action, I believe this manga series could be for you.

Issak omnibus contains the volumes 1 and 2. It's a historical seinen series set in 1620. I do enjoy historical series and this takes place in Europe. Thirty Years War is on its way and Issak is fighting alongside Europeans (or some of them of course) to take a revenge on the guy who killed his master. Issak is a gun man, or more like a sharp shooter, with a matchlock gun that looks like a riffle of sorts. The setting is interesting and I liked that Makari explains stuff at the back of the book. But, the problem is that the manga is mostly fighting so it's hard to care for the characters when we don't even get to know them enough. Basically the depiction of time and place is nowhere to be seen and the characters are paper thin too. This is omnibus so in two books there's...nothing.

The art looks good and works well with the story. Men look like men and fighting looks good too. The authentic feeling suits this well. I wish we'd get to see flashbacks and whatnot. Also, basically anything else aside fighting would be great. This is still good though and the rhythm works and all, but it's just hard to care. I would like an explanation how Issak can shoot long distance with that gun of his too. Yeah.

Thank you to Kodansha for the e-arc of this manga omnibus! This is such a compelling historical manga. Set in Holy Roman Empire Europe, it follows a Japanese mercenary seeking revenge for the death of his master. A man of honor and fidelity, Issak is a strong main character and noble in his cause. The art style was immaculate, with such detail in every panel. The story is epic and only just beginning. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to start a new historical saga that doesn’t shy away from violence, war, and loyalty. The drawings are graphic and the content is mature, so please check trigger warnings. 4.75 🌟