Dragon Ball Volume 2 is a nice improvement on the first. Some characters are fleshed out, and one of my favorite bit characters, Emperor Pilaf, is introduced. The powers of Goku's tail are explained, and the concept of transforming into a Great Ape is shown off, something that'll be referenced throughout the series.

We're also introduced to Krillin, who at this point in the saga is something of a rival to Goku. It's nice to see his origin story after watching him play such a huge role in Z. 

Volume 2 moves at a really quick pace and goes through tons of plot of character development. I've always been an anime watcher over a manga reader, but I'm really starting to come around on the manga being better in a lot of cases. So many anime, especially shonen anime, have so much filler and are so drawn out they're a little tedious to watch. The manga, being the source material, isn't concerned with any kind of time constraints or anything like that, and it's really a breath of fresh air to see a story move along so quickly.

The art remains fantastic, and there's still a huge focus on comedy that I think is going to continue throughout the series. The jokes are pretty hit or miss, and some people will think they're outdated, but some of them are pretty funny.