Astro Boy, Volume 3

by Osamu Tezuka, Various (Illustrator)

Overview

A timeless comics and animation classic, Osamu Tezuka' Astro Boy is still going strong nearly half a century after its creation, and Dark Horse brings Tekuza's original Astro Boy manga to America for the first time in an English-language edition. In the novel-length "The Greatest Robot on Earth," a wealthy sultan creates a giant robot to become the ruler of all other robots on Earth. But in order for that to happen, he must defeat the seven most powerful robots in the world, including Astro Boy, who must have his horsepower raised from 100,000 to 1,000,000 to face the challenge! And his sister, Uran, also flies in to lend a helping hand! Plus, in "Mad Machine," Professor Fuller invents a device that causes other machines to go berserk, and Astro Boy has to save the day!

This volume contains the following stories:
The Greatest Robot on Earth
Mad Machine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621155690
Publisher:	Dark Horse Comics
Publication date:	05/28/2002
Series:	Astro Boy Series , #3
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	199
File size:	98 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese cartoonist, animator, film producer, and activist. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of the comics series Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack. His prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the father of manga," "the god of manga," and "kamisama of manga." Additionally, he is often credited as the "godfather of anime" and is considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during Tezuka's formative years.

Editorial Reviews

For those unfamiliar with Tezuka, Japan's manga master, the first English translation of the original Astro Boy series will be a revelation, both for its inventive charm and for its surprising sophistication. In "The Greatest Robot on Earth," the novel-length first story of this third volume in the series, the eponymous hero is one of seven robots being targeted by a crazy sultan intent on declaring his own robot, Pluto, the greatest in the world. Pluto dispatches his competitors with ease, but Astro Boy is a robot of a different order. He's the size and shape of a little boy, with spirit and spunk to match, and also has searchlight eyes, jet rockets in his feet and an atomic engine for a heart. This is a pre-digital, 1950s Cold War vision of modernity. Astro Boy must open his chest when he wants to check the time, and the threat of an arms race haunts the story, but Tezuka's generous characterizations give this story a timeless relevance. These robots might disintegrate into piles of screws and bolts, but like humans, they're capable of pride, affection and even a kind of love. Operating out of a steadfast loyalty, they are undone by the greed of the humans who created them. The clean, bold lines of Tezuka's remarkably efficient artwork complement his dynamic storytelling, proving the artist equally adept at capturing nuances in expressions and the explosive action of fight sequences. Entertaining and beautifully executed, this, along with the other pocket-sized editions in the series, is destined to become a classic. (Nov.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly