Astro Boy: Volume 1 (Astro Boy (Tokyopop)) [Paperback]

Osamu Tezuka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004 | Series: Astro Boy (Tokyopop) (Book 1)

Created by the godfather of Japanese comics and animation, Astro Boy was the first manga series to be adapted to animation and become a worldwide success, making Astro Boy a jet-powered, super-strong, evil-robot-bashing, alien-invasion-smashing international phenomenon.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595320598
• ISBN-13: 978-1595320599
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,492,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) is the godfather of Japanese manga comics. He originally intended to become a doctor and earned his degree before turning to what was then a medium for children. His many early masterpieces include the series known in the U.S. as Astro Boy. With his sweeping vision, deftly interwined plots, feel for the workings of power, and indefatigable commitment to human dignity, Tezuka elevated manga to an art form. The later Tezuka, who authored Buddha, often had in mind the mature readership that manga gained in the sixties and that had only grown ever since. The Kurosawa of Japanese pop culture, Osamu Tezuka is a twentieth century classic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to a Manga Classic, January 4, 2003

By 

Peter Tulupman (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Astro Boy, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I haven't picked up a comic book in quite a few years, and read the inside cover of one of the later volumes of Astro Boy, which piqued my interest.

Astro Boy Vol. 1 is the background story of how Astro Boy was created. However, when Tezuka-san put together these volumes, he mixed and matched different stories, created in different times, to best tell the story. For example, Tezuka-san created the series in 1951, but the first story in the volume was published in 1975. It also has Tezuka-san, interject some of his own personal insights into the book, so the reader better understands the story.

There are three stories about AstroBoy, who is the epitome of all that is good. The first, describes how Astro was created. The second, called Hot Dog Corps, is a strange story of how an army of robots, created from dogs, are ruled by a Princess who is ardent about keeping anyone from coming to the moon. The underlying story, is that good prevails.

The drawing, which is simple, yet interesting, is no too destracting.

I loved this Manga, and can't wait to read all of them. Like candy, they are little treats, that don't take a very long time to digest or consume.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mighty Atom!, December 26, 2003

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Astro Boy, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

"Astro Boy Vol. 1" is a great introduction to Tezuka Osamu's famous flying boy robot. Included is the origin story of Mighty Atom/Astro Boy, a longer tale which takes up 2/3's of the book, about cyborg dogs called the Hot Dog Corps, and a third tale about living plants. The stories are in no particular chronological order, and are selected more for feel and quality than anything else. Tezuka has included a few self-introductions featuring himself as a cartoon character.

Of good interest also are an introduction to the series, including notes on translation and selection. The translator attempted to preserve the Japanese names as much as possible, including nicknames, keeping only the Americanized Astro Boy instead of the direct translation Mighty Atom, as Astro Boy is the more familiar name.

Astro Boy is a lot like the Mickey Mouse of Japan, and his good-natured adventures are as much fun to read as the early Mickey Mouse comics. The difference comes in social issues, as Tezuka clearly uses his character to tackle ethical/political issues that interested him at the times, raising the comic up several notches.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over fifty years old, but still wonderful, April 24, 2002

By 

Daitokuji31 (Black Glass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Astro Boy, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I love old anime and manga. When asked what my favorite manga are I readily say Lone Wolf and Cub, Urusei Yatsura, and the like. Now that I have finished reading Astro Boy, Tetsuwan Atom, it must be added to the list also.

Astro Boy is a simple story of a robot boy with a heart of gold who wants to bring peace to the world. Simple, but very fun to read. Astro Boy is brought to us by Osamu Tezuka the God of Manga. In his wonderful cartoonish style Dr. Tezuka weaves a world where virtually anything can happen. In this book for instance we see a group of cyborgs with dog brains and nervous systems ruled bt a Russian Duchess who wants to keep anyone from going to the moon. Very odd, but fun to read.

Also the supportingcharacters are something else. Dr. Ochanomizu is your typicall caring but lost in the clouds scientist, and there is Mr. Mustachio a great man, with one of my favorite quotes ever. "What do you want with me, anyway? You trying to sell me something, or kill me, or do you just want my autograph?" page 103.

Also interesting is that we get manga commentary by Tezuka. Thty really adds something to the strip. Also this book does not start back with the first strip that was produced back in 1951. Instead it starts with a strip from 1975. The first real story arc is from 1961. Mr. Schodt and the Japanese publishers say that this oreder will make the series easier to understand we will see, but anyway: "Here ta meet ya!"