R to L (Japanese Style). A new vision based on Astroboy - "The greatest robot on earth". Final Volume!
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This volume concludes the story inspired by the classic Astro Boy, by the “God of Manga,” Osamu Tezuka. Modern master Urasawa reimagines Tezuka’s story as a futuristic sci-fi noir in which the most beloved robots on earth are systematically hunted down and killed. Bleeding with emotion and deep thoughts at all seams, and visualized with the grace and power of Urasawa’s distinguished line work, the story is ultimately an exploration of how hatred can pervert the loftiest of intentions. A flash-bang finale to a series that has carved out a spot at the vanguard of modern literary manga. --Ian Chipman
About the Author
Naoki Urasawa's career as a manga artist spans more than twenty years and has firmly established him as one of the true manga masters of Japan. Born in Tokyo in 1960, Urasawa debuted with BETA! in 1983 and hasn't stopped his impressive output since. Well-versed in a variety of genres, Urasawa's oeuvre encompasses a multitude of different subjects, such as a romantic comedy (Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl), a suspenseful human drama about a former mercenary (Pineapple ARMY; story by Kazuya Kudo), a captivating psychological suspense story (Monster), a sci-fi adventure manga (20th Century Boys), and a modern reinterpretation of the work of the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka (Pluto: Urasawa × Tezuka; co-authored with Takashi Nagasaki, supervised by Macoto Tezka, and with the cooperation of Tezuka Productions). Many of his books have spawned popular animated and live-action TV programs and films, and 2008 saw the theatrical release of the first of three live-action Japanese films based on 20th Century Boys. No stranger to accolades and awards, Urasawa is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award, a two-time recipient of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize, and has received the Kodansha Manga Award. Similarly, Monster has been nominated twice for the Eisner Award in America. Urasawa has also become involved in the world of academia, and in 2008 accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he teaches courses in, of course, manga.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
(So I'm not one for writing reviews, since someone else has usually done a helluva better one before I ever get around to it... so I'm completely shocked that this has yet to see one.)
This is the final volume, of course, and Urasawa finishes it with a bang... literally. All loose-ends are tied up in some way or another and the series ends in a satisfying manner despite this truly only being an 'arc' from a bigger story of Astro Boy.
For being only eight volumes long, Urasawa actually surprised me on how tight of a job he did with rounding the series out. Monster is 18 volumes and 20th Century Boys (including 21st) is 22, I believe. So seeing him create the whole universe and atmosphere in only 8 volumes is some extremely crafty scripting on his part.
Not really going to delve into the plot of the volume. It runs slightly longer than the previous volumes... and Viz's presentation of the series is just as nice as the previous volumes including yet another interesting interview following the end of the series.
All-in-all, another amazing work for the mastermind Naoki Urasawa. If you have yet to read his other series, go ahead and jump on them. Viz has released all of Monster (and the first DVD boxset for the anime) and is currently releasing 20th Century Boys. Also, if you haven't read any of Tezuka's works, go pick up Apollo's Song, Black Jack, or Buddha from Vertical. I personally hadn't read anything by Tezuka before reading Pluto. And though this work really has nothing to do with Tezuka, it made me think about reading somethings from him and I wasn't disappointed.
This is the final volume, of course, and Urasawa finishes it with a bang... literally. All loose-ends are tied up in some way or another and the series ends in a satisfying manner despite this truly only being an 'arc' from a bigger story of Astro Boy.
For being only eight volumes long, Urasawa actually surprised me on how tight of a job he did with rounding the series out. Monster is 18 volumes and 20th Century Boys (including 21st) is 22, I believe. So seeing him create the whole universe and atmosphere in only 8 volumes is some extremely crafty scripting on his part.
Not really going to delve into the plot of the volume. It runs slightly longer than the previous volumes... and Viz's presentation of the series is just as nice as the previous volumes including yet another interesting interview following the end of the series.
All-in-all, another amazing work for the mastermind Naoki Urasawa. If you have yet to read his other series, go ahead and jump on them. Viz has released all of Monster (and the first DVD boxset for the anime) and is currently releasing 20th Century Boys. Also, if you haven't read any of Tezuka's works, go pick up Apollo's Song, Black Jack, or Buddha from Vertical. I personally hadn't read anything by Tezuka before reading Pluto. And though this work really has nothing to do with Tezuka, it made me think about reading somethings from him and I wasn't disappointed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By K. Staton
Format:Paperback
Urasawa has executed an almost flawless storyline. It draws you in from the first few pages of volume one and leaves you satisfied with the ending here in volume eight yet still wanting more as most excellent stories do. Personally I really got into the characters and cried quite a few times during the series due to the events that unfold and the character's reactions to them.
If you've never read manga or would like to try something different, give this series a read. At only eight volumes it's nowhere near as daunting as something like One Piece and, I think, appeals to all. Do be aware though that if you're thinking of Astro Boy from your childhood cartoons, this is much more violent and dark. The first volume starts off with the horrific murder of a beloved robot and it only continues from there. However, Urasawa makes sure the violence and darkness never overwhelms and there is always an undercurrent of hope.
If you've never read manga or would like to try something different, give this series a read. At only eight volumes it's nowhere near as daunting as something like One Piece and, I think, appeals to all. Do be aware though that if you're thinking of Astro Boy from your childhood cartoons, this is much more violent and dark. The first volume starts off with the horrific murder of a beloved robot and it only continues from there. However, Urasawa makes sure the violence and darkness never overwhelms and there is always an undercurrent of hope.
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