Devadatta (Buddha, Vol. 3) (Hardcover)

by Osamu Tezuka (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Considered the father of Japanese comics, Tezuka is best known in America for the robot cartoon character Astro Boy. His other works are gradually seeing Western light, however, the latest being this ambitious, eight-volume account of the life of Buddha, originally published in the 1970s. In the third volume (following Kapilavastu [tr. 2003] and The Four Encounters [tr. 2003]), young Prince Siddhartha abandons his kingdom and undergoes hardships on the road, accompanied by warrior-turned-monk Dhepa, who puts him through painful ordeals as he begins the search for enlightenment; and the pair meet the peculiar child Assaji, later one of Buddha's first disciples. Tezuka seamlessly combines characters from Buddhist lore with original creations, making moral points with skill and humor. His juxtaposition of broad comedy and often-violent drama, not to mention other manga conventions, may at first put off readers used to comics being either serious or funny, but his storytelling and accessible cartooning should win over most. Tezuka's masterwork is an enlightening demonstration of the limitless potential of the comics medium. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A relentless page-turner boasting a cast of hundreds, Buddha: Volume 3: Devadatta concerns Siddhartha's earliest ordeals after he forswears his kingdom to lead a life of ascetic purity...Siddhartha's comtemplative life becomes a swashbuckling adventure." - Newsday
"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



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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Vertical (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932234454
• ISBN-13: 978-1932234459
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #288,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational saga continues, April 11, 2004

By	Terry Dawson (Appleton, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tezuka's extended story of Buddha's life and times continues with this third volume. The emphasis here is on the stories of several monks, and the interrelationships with the growing cast of secondary characters Tezuka uses to frame the story. Siddhartha begins following Dhepa, who ran afoul of Tatta's gang in the previous book. They in turn gain another follower, a young child of surprising challenges and gifts. Siddhartha experiments with ascetism and suffering, but continues to grow in compassion and healing.

In a parallel story, we read of the early life of Devadatta, a historic character with a significant part in the Buddha story. We see the young child Devadatta's early character formed in fear, resentment and bestiality, as he is used and abused by various people. Though his story includes a stay with the monk Naradatta, who has been in all three books, he seldom gets good treatment.

Tezuka continues to tell this long and complex story in an engaging way, often with humor, and occasionally with great beauty and solemnity. Those who have followed the journey to this point will be eager for the next book. A map included to show the geographic area of the story helps with perspective.

4.0 out of 5 stars Take-off, March 3, 2008

By	H. Kolk "comic fan" (Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Devadatta (Buddha, Vol. 3) (Paperback)

This 3rd book of the series got me hooked. The first two volumes are more like an introduction, and in this book the story finally takes off. The story continues in the same pace as the first two volumes, which makes it a pleasant read.
The story of Siddharta continues as he teams up with Dhepa the one-eyed Bharmin teacher and Assaji the snotty little boy with great powers. Siddharta develops character as he struggles to understand the necessity of the ordeals Dhepa teaches him. He represents our own doubts and uncertainties that we face on our own spiritual paths, showing us that the great Buddha is as human as you and I. Unfortunately, women keep throwing themselves at his feet - not exactly like you and I after all..
In a long and heartbreaking side story featuring Devadatta, the son of the no-eyed-villain Bandaka, we see how much hatred and rejection a person can handle. Especially entertaining I found the return of Brahmin turned animal Naradatta who teaches Devadatta the circle of life and rules of survival ('The weak perish, the strong survive. Custom for all life. Humans aren't exempt'). Tezuka obviously enjoyed drawing animals of all kinds, interacting with each other and the two humans that returned to the wild. It is in these pages that I understood that I had to finish the whole series - what great pleasure.