A Guide to Reading Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Manga
Personal advice for reading through the series, including non-required and extra-canonical material. Can include links for the particularly hard-to-find fan translations when official material is not available.
Anything indicated as "available online' without cited sources or official translations are considered a fairly easy find on manga websites like MangaDex that I don't think people need my help to locate.
Anything indicated as "available online' without cited sources or official translations are considered a fairly easy find on manga websites like MangaDex that I don't think people need my help to locate.
Manga, 5 vol, 1986 Me:- Author:6
Part 1 - English available officially
Manga, 7 vol, 1987 Me:- Author:7
Part 2 - English available officially
Manga, 16 vol, 1989 Me:- Author:8
Part 3 - English available officially
Light Novel, 1 vol, 1993 Me:- Author:7
A couple short stories pertaining to Part 3 in a light novel. Fan translation is available.
https://t.co/wdcW8BEmUl
Not required reading
https://t.co/wdcW8BEmUl
Not required reading
Manga, 1 vol, 2002 Me:- Author:8
Essentially a fan-prop for an ability used in Part 3. Has art and "story" from the in-universe manga. Can be read online.
Not required reading
Not required reading
Light Novel, 1 vol, 2022 Me:- Author:-
Prequel with Part 3 characters. As of now, no known fan translation.
Not required reading
Not required reading
Manga, 18 vol, 1992 Me:- Author:9
Part 4 - English available officially
Manga, ? vol, 1997 Me:- Author:10
Solo series for Part 4 character Rohan Kishibe - manga. Includes collaboration with Gucci. - Most chapters English is available officially, other chapters can be read online. Chapters added sporadically (basically whenever the mangaka has an idea/opportunity), so it's technically always ongoing.
Not required reading
Not required reading
Manga, 1 vol, 2010 Me:- Author:8
Rohan Kishibe (Part 4 - solo)/Louvre collaboration - English available officially
Not required reading
Not required reading
Light Novel, ? vol, 2017 Me:- Author:-
Solo series for Part 4 character Rohan Kishibe - light novels. Stories differ from the manga, not an adaptation. Roughly 5 chapters available through fan translation. A couple of summaries exist, but I'm only linking fully translated chapters as they become available.
Volume 1: Kishibe Rohan Does Not Shout:
Story 1: "Kushagara": https://digitalscratch.pmsinfirm.org/8469
Story 2: "Blackstar": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZJ_VpiWvcF-Df0B_gclNuSJlULFDoRGa/view?usp=sharing
Story 4: "Censored Equation": https://digitalscratch.pmsinfirm.org/8764
Volume 2: Kishibe Rohan Does Not Frolic:
Story 4: "Gleanings of Paradise": https://jojo-news.com/translations/gleanings-of-paradise/
Volume 3: Kishibe Rohan Does Not Fall:
Story 2: "Original Author Rohan Kishibe": https://www.tumblr.com/akemi-dareki/707845504226164736/rohan-kishibe-does-not-fall-original-author-rohan
Not required reading.
Volume 1: Kishibe Rohan Does Not Shout:
Story 1: "Kushagara": https://digitalscratch.pmsinfirm.org/8469
Story 2: "Blackstar": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZJ_VpiWvcF-Df0B_gclNuSJlULFDoRGa/view?usp=sharing
Story 4: "Censored Equation": https://digitalscratch.pmsinfirm.org/8764
Volume 2: Kishibe Rohan Does Not Frolic:
Story 4: "Gleanings of Paradise": https://jojo-news.com/translations/gleanings-of-paradise/
Volume 3: Kishibe Rohan Does Not Fall:
Story 2: "Original Author Rohan Kishibe": https://www.tumblr.com/akemi-dareki/707845504226164736/rohan-kishibe-does-not-fall-original-author-rohan
Not required reading.
Manga, 3 vol, 2021 Me:- Author:7
Crossover/prequel with characters from Part 3 and Part 4. English available officially (soon).
Not required reading
Not required reading
Novel, 1 vol, 2023 Me:- Author:-
Novelization of Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak. As of now, no known fan translation.
Not Required Reading
Not Required Reading
Light Novel, 1 vol, 2007 Me:- Author:8
Part 4 side story https://archive.org/details/jojosbizarreadventure4thanotherdaybyotsuichi
Not required reading
Not required reading
Manga, 1 vol, 1997 Me:- Author:7
A collection of side stories, some relevant to Part 4 (including a chapter from Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan & a semi-sequel following the antagonist of Part 4). Can be read online.
Not required reading
Not required reading
Manga, 17 vol, 1995 Me:- Author:9
Part 5 - English available officially
Light Novel, 1 vol, 2001 Me:- Author:7
Part 5 light novel sequel
https://t.co/wdcW8BEmUl
Not required reading
https://t.co/wdcW8BEmUl
Not required reading
Light Novel, 1 vol, 2011 Me:- Author:8
Part 5 light novel sequel
https://archive.org/details/manga_Jojos_Bizarre_Adventure_Hajishirazu_no_Purple_Haze
Not required reading
https://archive.org/details/manga_Jojos_Bizarre_Adventure_Hajishirazu_no_Purple_Haze
Not required reading
Manga, 17 vol, 1999 Me:- Author:8
Part 6 - English in process of being released officially. Can be read online.
Light Novel, 1 vol, 2011 Me:- Author:8
Light novel side story, using events of Part 3 and Part 6. https://archive.org/details/manga_Jojos_Bizarre_Adventure_Over_Heaven
Not required reading
Not required reading
One-shot, ? vol, 2012 Me:- Author:7
AU Gucci collaboration with characters from Part 5 and Part 6. Can be read online.
Not required reading
Not required reading
One-shot, ? vol, 2021 Me:- Author:8
Comedic & ecchi Part 6 one-shot. Can be read online.
Not required reading
Not required reading
Manga, 24 vol, 2004 Me:- Author:8
Part 7 - Can be read online.
Start of a new continuity. Will make light character references to the previous Parts, but otherwise can technically be considered a new starting point for readers.
Start of a new continuity. Will make light character references to the previous Parts, but otherwise can technically be considered a new starting point for readers.
Light Novel, 1 vol, 2012 Me:- Author:6
Side story light novel, using extremely AU situations with characters from Parts 2-7. Also includes Tsukumojuku from the guest author's book.
This is the link to a summary of the book Tsukumojuku is from (no direct translation is available): https://sparklyjojos.tumblr.com/post/175167968918/first-1-2-3-4-5-second
This is where Jorge Joestar can be found: https://archive.org/details/manga_JoJos_Bizarre_Adventure_Jorge_Joestar
Not required reading
This is the link to a summary of the book Tsukumojuku is from (no direct translation is available): https://sparklyjojos.tumblr.com/post/175167968918/first-1-2-3-4-5-second
This is where Jorge Joestar can be found: https://archive.org/details/manga_JoJos_Bizarre_Adventure_Jorge_Joestar
Not required reading
Manga, 27 vol, 2011 Me:- Author:7
Part 8 - Can be read online
Manga, ? vol, 2023 Me:- Author:-
Part 9 - Can be read online
Currently ongoing
Currently ongoing