My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 Review
Kohei Horikoshi's superhero-shonen crossover hit.
By Web Admin
What happens when someone who clearly loves American superhero comics builds a shonen manga around them? You get My Hero Academia — the rare series that feels equally at home next to Spider-Man and next to Naruto. Written and drawn by Kohei Horikoshi and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from July 2014, it became a global crossover hit and one of Viz Media’s flagship titles. This is our review of My Hero Academia, Vol. 1.
Volume 1, “Izuku Midoriya: Origin,” collects the first seven chapters across roughly 190 pages. It is an unusually tight, emotionally satisfying opening — and it might be the best single-volume superhero origin story in manga.
A heartfelt superhero-shonen origin with a perfect mentor-student core. The ideal bridge for cape fans curious about…
Check price on Amazon$6.60as of Nov 5, 2026 2:38 am UTCOur verdict (4.5/5): A heartfelt superhero-shonen origin with a perfect mentor-student core. The ideal bridge for cape fans curious about manga. Collects chapters 1–7.
What is My Hero Academia?
My Hero Academia is set in a world where roughly 80 percent of humanity is born with a superpower called a "Quirk." Being a professional hero is a mainstream career, complete with rankings, agencies, and celebrity. Volume 1 introduces Izuku Midoriya — nicknamed "Deku" — a hero-obsessed boy who was born Quirkless, in a society where that makes him nearly invisible.
Everything changes when Deku meets his idol, the world's number-one hero, All Might. Impressed by the boy's selfless courage, All Might chooses Deku as the successor to his own secret, transferable power, "One For All," and helps him earn a place at U.A. High School, the country's most prestigious hero academy.
The story: a mentor, a successor, and a dream
The genius of Volume 1 is its emotional clarity. This is a story about a kid who is told, flatly, that his dream is impossible — and about the hero who tells him instead, "You can become a hero." That single scene is one of the best in modern shonen, and it powers everything that follows. Horikoshi understands that superhero stories are, at heart, about hope and responsibility, and he foregrounds both.
By the end of the volume, Deku has passed U.A.'s brutal entrance exam through sheer self-sacrifice, and the mentor-student bond between him and All Might is fully established. It is a complete, satisfying arc in its own right.
Horikoshi also does something quietly smart with the wish-fulfillment. Deku does not simply receive power and start winning; inheriting One For All nearly destroys his untrained body, and his early "victories" cost him broken bones and blood. The book insists that being a hero is about the willingness to throw yourself at a problem when it counts, not about being the strongest person in the room. That distinction gives the origin its unexpected emotional heft.
Meet the cast
- Izuku "Deku" Midoriya — the analytical, big-hearted protagonist who inherits a world-saving power.
- All Might — the beloved Symbol of Peace hiding a serious secret behind his booming smile.
- Katsuki Bakugo — Deku's explosive, fiercely competitive childhood rival.
- Ochaco Uraraka — a warm, gravity-manipulating classmate and one of the series' most likable leads.
- Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head) — the deadpan homeroom teacher who can nullify Quirks.
Why cape fans love it
Horikoshi wears his influences proudly — All Might is a loving riff on Superman-style icons, and the book's design language nods to X-Men and Spider-Man throughout. But it filters all of that through the shonen values of perseverance, training, and friendship. The result is a series that scratches the superhero itch while telling the kind of long-form, character-driven arc a monthly comic rarely can. If you love capes and have been manga-curious, this is your on-ramp — see our best superhero manga guide for more in this lane.
The art: clean, kinetic, expressive
Horikoshi's art is dynamic and readable, with strong character silhouettes and a real gift for expressive faces — Deku's ugly-crying determination is practically a series mascot. The action gets more elaborate as the series goes on, but even Volume 1 has a confident sense of motion and impact. The character designs, in particular, are top-tier: this is a cast you can identify at a glance.
His influences are a feature, not a bug. All Might's brawny, chin-forward silhouette and blinding grin are a deliberate homage to the Silver Age American superhero, and Horikoshi has spoken openly about his love of Western comics and their films. The villain designs, meanwhile, lean into a creepier, more grounded register that keeps the book from feeling weightless. It is a visual language that translates the pop energy of superhero comics into manga grammar without losing anything in either direction.
How the series develops from here
Volume 1 is a self-contained origin, but it is also a promise. What follows is one of the more thoughtfully escalated shonen of its era: a Sports Festival that functions as a character showcase, internships that complicate the black-and-white morality, and a long-running interrogation of what "hero society" actually costs the people it fails. The rivalry between Deku and Bakugo, planted in Chapter 1, becomes one of the genre's most rewarding character arcs. If Volume 1 hooks you, the payoff over the full run is considerable.
It is fair to note that a series this long has its slower stretches, and readers who prefer tighter stories may feel the length. But the emotional through-line — an ordinary kid learning to carry an extraordinary responsibility — never gets lost, and the ending delivers. For readers who like their epics finished, that matters; see our best completed manga guide for more in that category.
Content notes
My Hero Academia is one of the more all-ages-friendly big shonen titles, rated for teens. There is action violence and some intense peril, but far less gore than something like darker shonen fare. It is a solid pick for younger teen readers who love superheroes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- One of the best origin arcs in modern shonen
- A genuinely moving mentor-student core
- Loving fusion of superhero and shonen traditions
- Relatively all-ages-friendly
Cons
- Leans on familiar shonen structures
- Bakugo's early aggression can be off-putting
- The full series is very long (42 volumes)
Which edition should you buy?
The series concluded in 2024 at 42 volumes, so it is a substantial commitment if you go all in.
| Edition | Collects | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 paperback | Chapters 1–7 | Trying it out |
| Individual volumes 1–42 | ~7 chapters each | Reading at your own pace |
| Digital (Viz / Kindle) | Per volume | Reading on the go |
Start with the single paperback; it is a low-risk way to see whether the mentor-student hook lands for you.
Get My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 on Amazon
Is it a good first manga?
Absolutely. It is accessible, well-paced, and thematically clear, which makes it one of our go-to recommendations for newcomers — especially anyone coming from Western superhero comics. It is a fixture in our best manga for beginners and best shonen manga guides.
The verdict
My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 is a superb origin story and a near-perfect entry point. It captures the joy of superhero comics while delivering the long-haul emotional payoff shonen does best, and its opening arc still hits hard on a re-read. If you want the superhero-manga crossover done right, start here — then explore more in our manga hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is My Hero Academia finished?
Yes. The manga ran from 2014 to 2024 and is complete at 42 volumes, so the full story is available to read.
Is My Hero Academia good for younger readers?
It is one of the more all-ages-friendly major shonen, rated for teens. There is action violence but comparatively little gore, making it suitable for many younger teen readers.
Do I need to like superhero comics to enjoy it?
No, but it helps. The series works as pure shonen, and its superhero flavor is a bonus that cape fans will especially appreciate.
Who created My Hero Academia?
It was written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi and serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump. Viz Media publishes it in English.
