Our young hero Link once again returns to the palm of your hands, but this time you won’t be holding a controller. This time we see him like never before; on paper, in ink, and advancing through the story by turning to the next page. However, he is still fighting the evil forces of Ganon all the while rescuing princess Zelda like only he can.

What loyal fans of the “Legend of Zelda” series will notice right away when reading this manga is the creators have bestowed Link with a new weapon which he has never had before. It’s not a longer hook shot, stronger bomb, or new sword. It’s the ability of speech.

Loyal fans such as myself will know exactly what I’m talking about. Like other famous videogame characters of Link’s age like Mario, Donkey Kong and Pacman, Link is a video game character who doesn’t exchange dialogue in any of his appearances.

To give Link a voice in the manga series is already a huge difference really setting it apart from what we’re used to.

What’s even more amazing is how the makers of the manga pull it off without a hitch. Showing what Link would be like if he actually talked gives the readers a chance to see sides of him like never before. Throughout the series we see his character anew.

One instant that really stands out in my mind is in the very fist volume. Navi, a fairy guardian to Link, appears to aid him but soon after flees when he chases her in an overexcited state of joy that he finally has his very own fairy. It’s something we don’t see in the videogame but would have made a lot of sense.

Personally between the masterful storytelling, artwork, and character development, I often found myself on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next – even though I’ve played each Zelda game at least two times. It’s this nuance that really makes the “Legend of Zelda” manga series a must-read for fans.

The manga covers the early roots of the series to much of the current lore; “Ocarina of Time”, “Majora’s Mask”, “Oracle of Seasons”, “Oracle of Ages”, and the “Four Swords.”

Furthermore, the creators have stated that they plan on making manga issues for each individual game from its debut to latest installment, each one with the common theme of Link’s coming of age from a child to the protector of the Triforce.

This plays right into the masterful story telling I touched upon earlier. Anyone can play the video game and just say what happens. However, these people took it upon themselves to put heart into the already masterful story that is the “Legend of Zelda” series giving it a new tone.

Never finished beating one of the games? Read the manga. Never got the chance to play one at all? Read the manga. Forget an important fact that happens in the story? You get the idea.

Personally, whenever my mind draws blank on a Zelda fun fact I just use the manga as a personal encyclopedia.

I’ve always hoped that the Zelda franchise would never die. As a die-hard fan, the fondest memories of my childhood were playing the latest “Zelda” game to come out. The only reason I ever bought a new Nintendo console was so I could play the newest Zelda that would be coming out. Now I find myself hoping it will stay alive because if they stopped making Zelda games they would also stop writing this manga.

So here’s to the “Zelda” franchise, may it never die. For those who have never played any of the “Legend of Zelda” games or missed one of the series, I highly recommend that you check out the manga.