Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 Review
Hajime Isayama's bleak, brilliant, globe-conquering epic.
By Web Admin
Every so often a manga escapes the shelves and becomes a genuine cultural event. Attack on Titan is the clearest example of the last two decades. Written and drawn by Hajime Isayama, it began serialization in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shonen Magazine in 2009, ran for eleven and a half years, and finished in 2021 at exactly 34 volumes. Along the way it sold reportedly well over 100 million copies and spawned one of the most acclaimed anime adaptations ever made. But hype is a poor guide to whether a first volume is any good. This is our full review of Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 — what it is, how it reads today, and whether it earns its enormous reputation.
The short answer: yes, though the opening volume is rawer and more brutal than newcomers expect. What starts as a simple monster story becomes, over its full run, one of the most ambitious and morally complicated epics in comics. It all begins here.
What is Attack on Titan?
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) is set in a world where the last remnants of humanity live inside three enormous concentric walls, hiding from the Titans — towering, humanoid giants who devour people seemingly for no reason. For a hundred years the walls have held and the peace has felt permanent. Volume 1, published in English by Kodansha USA at roughly US$11 for around 200 pages, collects the first four chapters and shatters that peace on almost the first page.
The story follows Eren Yeager, his adoptive sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert, three children living in the shadow of Wall Maria. When a Titan of impossible size appears and breaches the outer wall, the horror the walls were built to contain floods in. What follows is a coming-of-age story wrapped inside a survival-horror shell, and eventually something far stranger and larger than either.
The story: horror, then war
Isayama’s opening move is pure shock. The Colossal and Armored Titans breach Wall Maria, the Titans pour in, and the cozy medieval town becomes an abattoir. Eren watches his mother die in front of him, and the volume’s engine — his consuming, almost frightening hatred of the Titans — is forged in that moment. It is a bleak, upsetting hour of reading, and it is meant to be.
From there the first volume pivots toward the military: the training and the desperate logic of a society that has forgotten what lies beyond its walls. The vertical maneuvering equipment — the grappling gear that lets soldiers zip through the air to strike a Titan’s only weak point at the nape of the neck — is introduced as the one sliver of hope in an otherwise hopeless fight. It’s a brilliant piece of design that makes the eventual action scenes feel like nothing else in the genre.
The characters
The central trio is deliberately archetypal at first, which is part of Isayama’s long game — these kids grow and warp in ways you cannot predict from Volume 1.
- Eren Yeager — driven by rage and a refusal to live caged. His single-mindedness is both his engine and, later, his tragedy.
- Mikasa Ackerman — quiet, devastatingly capable, and fiercely devoted to Eren. One of modern manga’s most beloved characters.
- Armin Arlert — physically weak, strategically brilliant. The book’s conscience and its cleverest mind.
What separates Attack on Titan from lesser shonen is that these are not fixed heroes. Over the full series, Isayama interrogates every one of them — and the reader’s own assumptions about who the enemy really is.
The art: rough, then relentless
Let’s be honest about the drawing. Isayama’s early art is the most common complaint about Volume 1, and it’s a fair one. The linework is scratchy and the anatomy is inconsistent. But two things save it: his page design is already excellent, with a real gift for scale and dread, and the ugliness suits the material. The Titans are unsettling precisely because they look wrong — vacant grins, mismatched proportions, blank eyes. As the series continues the art improves dramatically, but even here the storytelling is clear and the horror lands.
Content warning: this is brutal
Do not mistake the shonen label for something gentle. Attack on Titan is extremely violent from its first chapter — people are eaten, crushed, and bitten in half on the page, and the tone is one of relentless despair and grief. There are also heavy themes of genocide, indoctrination, and cyclical hatred that deepen enormously as the series goes on. It’s a superb book for older teens and adults, but it is not for young children. If you want gentler entry points, our best manga for teens guide has safer picks.
Pros and cons
Pros
- One of the most gripping opening volumes in manga
- Wildly original premise and world design
- Pays off into a genuinely ambitious, complete epic
- The full 34-volume story actually sticks the landing
Cons
- Early art is rough and inconsistent
- Extremely bleak and graphically violent
- Volume 1 raises far more questions than it answers
How it compares to other modern shonen epics
If you’re deciding where to spend your reading time, here’s how Attack on Titan stacks up against the other landmark completed shonen we most often recommend.
| Series | Creator | Volumes | Tone | Complete? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack on Titan | Hajime Isayama | 34 | Bleak dark fantasy | Yes (2021) |
| Death Note | Ohba & Obata | 12 | Psychological thriller | Yes (2006) |
| Fullmetal Alchemist | Hiromu Arakawa | 27 | Adventure drama | Yes (2010) |
| Naruto | Masashi Kishimoto | 72 | Action shonen | Yes (2014) |
For the wider field, see our guides to the best shonen manga and the best completed manga you can binge start to finish.
Which edition should you buy?
Because the series is complete at 34 volumes, you have real options depending on your budget and shelf space.
| Edition | Collects | Approx. price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 paperback | Chapters #1–4 | ~US$11 | Trying it out |
| Colossal Edition, Vol. 1 | Volumes 1–5 | ~US$60 | Best value binge |
| Full 34-volume run | The whole story | ~US$350+ | Committed collectors |
For a first taste, start with the single paperback. If you know you’ll be hooked (you will), the oversized Colossal Editions are the most economical way to read the whole saga.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonThe verdict
Volume 1 of Attack on Titan is not the polished, twisting masterpiece the series becomes — but it is a ferocious, unforgettable beginning that makes it impossible to stop. Look past the rough early art and you’ll find one of the boldest premises in modern comics and the first steps of an epic that actually delivers on its promise across all 34 volumes. It’s a permanent fixture on our best manga of all time list and a cornerstone of the manga hub. If you can handle the darkness, start here.
Frequently asked questions
Is Attack on Titan finished?
Yes. Hajime Isayama concluded the manga in April 2021 with its 139th chapter, collected across exactly 34 volumes — a complete, self-contained story with a definitive ending.
Is Attack on Titan appropriate for kids?
No. It’s graphically violent from the first chapter and deals with genocide, grief, and indoctrination. It’s best for older teens and adults; younger readers should try our manga for teens picks instead.
Do I need to read the manga if I’ve seen the anime?
Not strictly — the anime is famously faithful. But Isayama’s original art, pacing, and a few small differences make the manga richly rewarding even for anime fans, especially in the final arc.
How many volumes of Attack on Titan are there?
There are 34 collected volumes in total. You can also buy the oversized Colossal Editions, which bundle five volumes each.
Next, see where it ranks among the greats in our best manga of all time guide, or browse the whole manga hub.
