Comics vols. 1 ~ 42
(Jump Comics, Shuueisha ea. 370 ~ 400 yen)

The original comics themselves! (The manga came before the anime) Called "tankoubon" in Japanese, these books, which run about 190 pages or so, were released a few times a year, compiling the episodes from the weekly serials. Dragon Ball was serialized in the popular comics periodical, Shuukan Shonen Jump, or Weekly Boy's Jump.

Tankoubon, by nature, are softcover books that have dust jackets. Unlike US comic books, they don't use newspaper paper, don't use color, and are smaller and much more heftier. (Books that do use color would be the Jump Anime Comics, see below)

The Dragon Ball manga tankoubon sport a different picture on the dust jacket of each volume. The spine of the dust jacket has a segment of a long picture (of Shenlon and the DB characters) that you can see when you line all of the volumes side-by-side.

Books of varying design and length have been released in many countries around the world, so you can see Goku speaking in languages as varied as Malay to French. The manga has come out in the U.S. too! Check out the US Merchandise Page for more info!

Coffee Table Books (Shuueisha, ea. 1500 ~ 1800 yen)

You're the ultimate Dragon Ball fan on your block. You want more stuff / information. Then perhaps these books are for you. These so-called coffee table books were released periodically one by one after the end of the manga DB in 1995.

The "Complete Illustrations" book is a must buy; it contains nearly all of the color illustrations that Toriyama Akira did for DB. If you're a serious fan and like the TV shows and the movies, then perhaps both "TV Animation" books and the "Movie" book are for you. If you can read Japanese and want to know everything there is to know about DB, then "DB Daijiten," and "World Guide" should be on your list. If you need to have 'em all, or you need summaries in Japanese, then go for the "Story Guide." Buying all 7 can get a little pricey, especially if you buy 'em on American shores.

	DB Daizenshuu1: Complete Illustrations (Shuueisha, June 1995, 1500 yen)		DB Daizenshuu2: Story Guide (Shuueisha, August 1995, 1800 yen)
	DB Daizenshuu3: TV Animation Part 1 (Shuueisha, September 1995, 1800 yen)		DB Daizenshuu4: World Guide (Shuueisha, October 1995, 1500 yen)
	DB Daizenshuu5: TV Animation Part 2 (Shuueisha, November 1995, 1800 yen)		DB Daizenshuu6: Movies & TV Specials (Shuueisha, December 1995, 1800 yen)
	DB Daizenshuu7: Dragon Ball Daijiten (Dictionary) (Shuueisha, February 1996, 1800 yen)

The sequels to the Coffee Table Books

Space Balls 2: The Quest for More Profits! No, really. If you collect Carddass, then the first two Appendices, which are catalog-like, would be really handy for you.

• DB Daizenshuu Appendix: Dragon Ball Carddas Perfect File Part 1
  (Shuueisha, 980 yen)
  
  
• DB Daizenshuu Appendix: Dragon Ball Carddas Perfect File Part 2
  (Shuueisha, 980 yen)
  
  
• DB Daizenshuu Appendix: TV Animation Part 3
  (Shuueisha, August 1996, 980 yen)
  This book continues where Daizenshuu vol. 5 left off, where Goku and Vegeta fuse into Vegetto, contains info on DBZ movie 14, The Path to Ultimate Power, contains reproductions of the illustrations used in the Jump Anime Comics, and other misc. items

• DBGT Perfect File
  This book is a digest of DBGT episodes 1 ~ 41. (Goku turning into a kid to the Bebii episodes)
  
  
• DBGT Perfect File No. 2
  (Jump Comics Selection: Jump Anime Comics Jr., 770 yen)
  This one continues where the first book left off, covering DBGT episodes 42 ~ 64. (The collaboration of Dr. Gero and Dr. Miyuu and the creation of Super 17 to the evil dragons episodes) Plus, character info, interview with Voice Actor Nozawa Masako-san, misc. info, etc.
  
  
• DBGT TV Special Jump Anime Comics
  (Jump Comics Selection: Jump Anime Comics, 770 yen)
  This is the book version of the TV special that was released March 26, 1997, "GokuGaiden! YuukiNo AkashiWa SuuShinChuu" or loosely translated, "Goku Legend Continues! The Proof of Courage is the Four-Star Dragon Ball." The book contains screen shots of the show overlaid with word balloons.
  
  The show itself takes place 100 years into the future of the DBGT world, where all the DBGT characters are dead, save for Pan obaachan. Pan has a grandchild named (surprise!) Goku Jr. The kid looks just like Goku as a child, but doesn't have confidence in himself and hasn't realized his Saiyajin potential. But, his grandmother falls ill one day, and he decides to go out in search of the Dragon Balls to wish her to better health. And the adventure begins....
  

Books, and books, and more books
Other DB-oriented guides and books were released while the comic was still running:

	Dragon Ball Bouken (Adventure) Special (Shuueisha, December 1987, 280 yen) A soft-cover book that I have never seen myself. Virtually impossible to locate now.
	Toriyama Akira The World (Shuueisha, January 1990, 1000 yen) Soft cover. Contains illustrations from Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest, one shot stories like Pola & Roid, Chobit, Mr. Ho, etc. Total of 81 illustrations.
	Toriyama Akira The World Special (Shuueisha, September 1990, 3200 yen) Hard cover, w/ case. A more comprehensive book containing many of the above illustrations, plus, newer Dragon Ball pictures, and illustrations not released in the previous book. Total of 83 illustrations.
	Toriyama Akira The World Anime Special (Shuueisha, October 1990, 390 yen) Soft cover. Contains info on the movies, "Dragon Ball Z, Chikyuu Marugoto Choukessen," "Pink," "Kennosuke-sama," and "Kosuke-sama, Rikimaru-sama: KompeitouNo Ryuu (The Dragon of Kompei Island)." Plus, miscellaneous info and tidbits.
	Other books include the Jump Comics Selections that are the book versions of the movies (AKA Jump Anime Comics, 690 yen), Anime Kids Comics (450 yen), Jump Mini E-hon (Picture Books) (300 yen), video game guides, etc. (All from Shuueisha)