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 🌟

The headline says this is an omnibus and contains 2 volumes but the download is only the 1st volume. With that being said I loved this story. The art was beautiful and story kept me so engaged I was kinda sad when it was over. I will 100% be continuing this series

An interesting story with beautiful art and solid, well rounded characters. The plot was intriguing enough and kept me reading and the characters were reletable and real.

4.5 stars!

the illustrations?? AMAZING!
the plot?? I LOVEEEEE!

this is a manga that i will genuinely be continuing to read. i could not get enough of this.

10/10 recommend! read it!

When I picked up Issak I was drawn in by the fact that it was presented as a character-driven historical fiction story. While this first volume delivers on the historical fiction aspect, I found it hard to really care about the characters. Let me start by saying the art of Issak is impressively beautiful and extraordinarily detailed. Especially the double spreads featuring battlefields and nature are stunning. You can see DOUBLE-S has put a lot of time and effort in portraying even the smallest details.

The action scenes are also incredibly well done. They are easy to follow and impactful. The harsh black lines illustrate the brutality of war. The first volume features little dialogue and seems more focused on environmental storytelling along with a string of action scenes. We do get some exposition, mostly regarding our main character, but I would have liked for this to feel a bit more natural. I adored the historical details and the extra pages at the end explaining which events this manga is aiming to follow and which figures did and didn't exist in that time period. I loved hearing how Makari got inspired to write this story.

Overall Issak was not for me personally, because I prefer character-driven stories over plot-driven ones. However there is space for the story to develop in that direction. The art is stunning and the action scenes are a highlight. If you enjoy action-focused manga exploring historical settings be sure to give Issak a try.

Goodreads
11 May 2025
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7560637670

Artwork is stunning - on par with Black Clover. Funnily enough, the artist includes a note in the manga saying this was his first history drama manga. It looks amazing for someone who’s never done this style. Main character looks the part, cut throat and fierce. The plot is so good! Main character is a Japanese man named Issak on a revenge mission in Europe. There is war between Protestants and Catholics. He is a remarkable marksman. At first I was surprised since Japanese at that time would’ve been samurai (swordsman), but the author included a note at the end saying that they is a lot of evidence that during this time period, Japanese traveled to Europe and were marksman due to a war in Osaka forcing them into artillery warfare. I really appreciated the historical notes they included at the end so I didn’t have to go research everything. This manga is top tier and can’t wait for the next volume. 10/10 recommend

3.75
Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for providing me with a copy!

Set during the Thirty Years’ War, a guy named Issak went to Europe from Japan to join the war for revenge against the person who killed his master.

I like Issak so far. He isn't necessarily good or bad. He is just someone who became a mercenary for the sole purpose of getting revenge. He helps people and kills the bad guys to achieve his goal. I wonder if there will be more development with his character because, right now, he is just someone who does whatever it takes to reach his goal and does not care about anything else. If he just stays the same, how will the outcome of his revenge affect him, since he is so gloomy and tends to keep to himself?

I do feel like the beginning is unnecessary because it shows that if someone is in need, he will save them, and it attempts to give him and the girl a connection in some way. I know it is set in olden times, but it’s a common trope for a young girl to be sexually assaulted by soldiers, and the main character comes to save her just in the nick of time.

I enjoyed the art. It’s very detailed, even when he was loading the gun. If you like historical stories with action, I think you would enjoy this.

As a fan of Vinland Saga and Golden Kamuy I really enjoyed this historical drama. Rare to see detailed illustrations of period costumes in manga. I look forward to continuing to read Issak’s story.

Okay, so Issak Omnibus Volume 1 (which is basically the first two regular books smooshed together) is a pretty decent historical manga, but the main dude, Issak, just didn't really click with me.

Like, he's on this revenge trip, which can be a really cool story idea – think about how awesome that is in Vinland Saga. But when I get into a story, I'm looking for more than just a plot that moves along; I need characters that make me care. And that's where Issak Omnibus kinda stumbles for me. Issak himself is just... there. He's this super serious, kinda boring "hero" who's always saving people and taking out the bad guys, but he doesn't really show a lot of what's driving him emotionally, and that makes the whole story feel a little flat. Plus, the plot went pretty much where I expected it to go, no big surprises or anything.

But hey, it's not all doom and gloom! The art in this thing is seriously good. The way they draw stuff like loading a gun or someone getting taken out is crazy detailed. I also really dig the historical setting and how different it feels from a lot of other manga out there, and that's actually why I was interested in checking it out in the first place. I'm a big fan of stuff like Vinland, so I was hoping for that kind of vibe.

So, if you're into historical settings, you might really dig this. You might even connect with Issak more than I did, and that could totally make you love the series. For me, it's still a solid read, but I just didn't fall head over heels for it. I'm gonna give it a 3 out of 5

Starting in June, Kodansha will be offering the historical drama Issak in a 2-in-1 omnibus addition! This series from Yuugo creator Shinji Makari and XS-Hybrid creator DOUBLE-S is a unique and compelling story. Set during the Thirty Years War, the manga follows title character Issak: a Japanese warrior traveling Europe. He’s a master marksman with an unusual gun. And he has one goal: find the man who killed his meister and take revenge.

Issak itself is a gorgeous manga, uniting stunning art with action-packed story. You don’t have to be a history buff to fall in love with this one. The character of Issak, inspired by a tiny drawing on a 17th century map, owns the story from the moment of his arrival. It’s a must for Vinland Saga readers. Additionally, the omnibus printing is a treat. Sporting historical notes, author’s notes, and more, it’s a must-have for manga collectors.

I'm learning so much and it never knew that the samurai carried guns! This is an amazing historical manga!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Set during the Thirty Year War, this manga follows a warrior named Issak who's sworn to find the man who murdered his master. I enjoyed this manga, but I don't think it's for me personally. I liked the historical aspect of this manga. I wasn't aware of this war or period of history so reading this manga made me want to look up a some information about this war. While I did enjoy the historical aspect, I had a hard time really connecting to what was happening. I could definitely see people who are fans of historical manga series being into this one.

I received an ARC though NetGalley for an honest review.

Maybe I'm cynical, but this read like what if, instead of having an ultra greatsword and crossbow hand, Guts was a samurai sniper with a long gun, and instead of a medievalish world with monsters and demons, it was Europe during the thirty years war...like, from the gross classic trope of showing an awful ye olde setting by having a young girl being sexually assaulted by a bunch of solideds and out bad arse protagonist nonchalantly coming to the rescue...

Some of the art was great, but otherwise there was nothing particularly interesting or original, besides the historical setting.

This just didn't grab me.

Issak offers impressive artwork and intense battle scenes, but I found myself not really intrigued by the historical theme. While the setting during the Thirty Years' War is unique, it didn’t fully grab my interest or feel as engaging as it could have. The story has its moments, especially in the action, but overall, I couldn't really get into it.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

This was an enjoyable read to an extent but it felt a little dry when it came to the main character and I did not care much about their revenge tale, but I definitely can see others enjoying this