Yu Yu Hakusho: The Two Japanese Editions
The regular tankoubon edition
I've owned the full set for 12 years now, but this is the first time I am seriously reading the manga.
I watched the anime about 10 years ago, and I remember falling head over heels for them all.
The special edition
This was my last big investment when I was living in Japan.
The set of books together makes a cool picture of the four.
Size comparison and covers
The style of the characters for the new covers is closer to that of HunterxHunter.
There are 15 manga volumes + a character and episode guide, in the Shônen Jump style (like those for PoT, Hikago, HunterxHunter, etc.).
The pages are whiter and bigger. Every volume opens with a color page with 5 chibi characters as the progressive introduction of the main and extensive cast. There are also random illustrations here and there, some in experimental watercolors, which you can also find in the Yu Yu Hakusho artbook that was released in 2005.
I imagine it's hard to get into Yu Yu Hakusho *now* if you haven't read it/watched before, but it's nostalgic shônen of the best kind. I think the pace is still good enough and the story can hook you up. It has really good characters. There are some Jump stereotypes and predictable scenes (also in half-parody form, like the "Krilin" act of Kuwabara to push Yusuke to fight his best), but cool nevertheless. Like in all good shônen, sometimes the "bad guys" can be as awesome and/or lovable as the main characters. But then again, I have been a YYH fan for way too long to be impartial...
I'll keep spamming you a bit longer. Feel free to skip the yu-yu posts or squee with me. ; )
*Color illustration from volume 7 of the special edition. Click to enlarge.