Japanese comics pioneer Tezuka's monumental account of the life of the Buddha continues. Little is known about the life of the sixth-century-B.C.E. spiritual leader, so Tezuka devotes much of the narrative to characters he created as well as figures from early Buddhist lore, through them portraying the violent society and cruel caste system that the Buddha challenged.
Ananda focuses on the historical figure who is known as the Buddha's foremost disciple. In Tezuka's version, Ananda is given invincibility as a baby by Mara, the demon who is the Buddha's greatest adversary. He uses his power to become a fearsome and unstoppable bandit; but when the Buddha battles Mara to save Ananda's life, Ananda renounces banditry. Those expecting a solemn treatment of Buddhist foundations may be taken aback by Tezuka's approach, which encompasses humor and, indeed, broad slapstick and lowbrow, anachronistic jokes. Others may object to the frequent violence or the casual nudity. Those who approach the work open-mindedly can't but be impressed by Tezuka's compassionate humanism--a quality distinguishing his work throughout his long career--and masterful storytelling.
Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Infused with humor and history, the epic of Siddhartha is perhaps Osamu Tezuka's crowning acheivement and illustrates why, without irony, Tezuka is referred to as 'The King of Japanese Comics'." -
LA Weekly"Buddha is one of Tezuka's true masterpieces. We're lucky to have this excellent new edition in English." -
Scott McCloud, author of
Understanding Comics"In handsome volumes designed by Chip Kidd, the Vertical books present Tezuka at his best." -
National Post
"
Buddha is an engrossing tale. The armchair philosopher, the devout Buddhist, the casual manga fan - this book satisfies all with its tale of humanism through sequential art, and definitely earns its place on a bibliophile's bookshelf." -
Anime Insider"This is one of the greatest acheivements of the comics medium, a masterpiece by one of the greats." -
Artbomb.net"In Tezuka's world, the exquisite collapses into the goofy in a New York minute, the goofy into the melodramatic, the melodramatic into the brutal, and the brutal into the sincerely touching. The suprising result is a work wholly unique and downright fun." -
Time Out NY"Tezuka's Buddha is a striking and memorable confluence of ancient wisdom and contemporary popular art." -
Yoga Journal
