Although he is best known internationally for creating ¡°Astro Boy,¡± Osamu Tezuka¡¯s most popular work for adults in Japan is ¡°Black Jack,¡± a series of short stand-alone stories from the 1970s, documenting the renegade antics of the unconventional title doctor whose mercenary facade masks a wise, compassionate heart.
Black Jack, by Osamu Tezuka
Translated by Camellia Nieh
288 pages.
Vertical, Manga.
Denied a license due to his risk-taking tendencies, Black Jack is a symbol of the nail that won¡¯t be hammered down. With his distinctive shock of white hair, the doctor¡¯s unorthodox methods attract both the desperate and the wealthy, giving Tezuka the chance to explore humanity¡¯s many facets, by looking at all walks of life, from single mothers to those crossing gender boundaries. He also delves into metaphysical considerations on what money cannot buy.
Tezuka, the ¡°god of manga,¡± graduated with a degree in medicine from Osaka University before deciding to devote his life to comics The realistic surgery scenes Tezuka draws for his fantastical doctor in ¡°Black Jack¡± and his unflinching look at society will keep readers believing he made the right career change.
As one of Tezuka¡¯s last works before his death at 60 due to stomach cancer, ¡°Black Jack¡± highlights a mature artist at the height of his thematic powers.
Vertical, a longtime publisher of ¡°Black Jack¡± in English, now offer the series as e-books, hoping to give a wider global audience access to Tezuka¡¯s beloved philosophizing gadfly.
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