Vertical announces another Tezuka license...

[strobe_z]

@Vertical_Ed announced on Twitter:

We just confirmed a new Tezuka license for next summer. I hope to have it announced by either AWA or NYCC. Stay tuned.

Anyone care to speculate what it is? I'm going to say "Human Metamorphosis" I'm reading it in French right now and I have to say it'd fit in perfectly with the rest of the Vertical library. Anyone else care to make a guess?

[agentghost]

I hope that it is Black Jack Neo.

[Deda]

I hope it's either Euphrates tree or Bomba!
Out of selfishness, I never read those and would love to read them... especially bomba!

I honestly hope it would not be one of those surrogate things like damon or black jack neo or the other black jack thingy because they were super commercial, shallow and completely betrayed all of Tezuka's characters and idea.

[strobe_z]

Bomba! is an interesting thought... Vertical might be up for that. Daemons or Black Jack Neo are probably not on Vertical's plans though. Their market is usually niche stuff and not commercial fluff.

[strobe_z]

Can I call it or what? Vertical announced Human Metamorphosis at the New York Comic Con. Apparently it'll be released under the name "Book of Human Insects" and will be released next summer (7/26/11) in hardcover, about 360 pages.

I KNEW it!

[Xenops]

I wrote an email to Vertical because I was concerned about the Black Jack delays, and Ed Chavez gave me some tidbits:

Do not despair, Black Jack will continue in November. We just sent the book
off to the printers so it should finally be available.

Unfortunately the translator, Yani Mentzas, the editor-in-chief of Vertical
has been busy working on our other fall Tezuka release, Ayako, along with
three new novels. Ayako being 700+ pages took a lot more time than he
expected (and thus that was pushed back from it's October date to early
November also). Fortunately both are now in the process of being printed so
he should be on schedule for his Tezuka duties (until next summer when we
launch two more Tezuka series and release a new special edition of Black
Jack 17...look forward to them.)

-Ed Chavez
Vertical, Inc.

[Jikorijo]

I'm sad that it wasn't Adolf, but any new Tezuka is excellent for me.

[strobe_z]

I wrote an email to Vertical because I was concerned about the Black Jack delays, and Ed Chavez gave me some tidbits:

Do not despair, Black Jack will continue in November. We just sent the book
off to the printers so it should finally be available.

Unfortunately the translator, Yani Mentzas, the editor-in-chief of Vertical
has been busy working on our other fall Tezuka release, Ayako, along with
three new novels. Ayako being 700+ pages took a lot more time than he
expected (and thus that was pushed back from it's October date to early
November also). Fortunately both are now in the process of being printed so
he should be on schedule for his Tezuka duties (until next summer when we
launch two more Tezuka series and release a new special edition of Black
Jack 17...look forward to them.)

-Ed Chavez
Vertical, Inc.

Now isn't THAT interesting... I wonder if Human Metamorphosis is included in that "next summer two more Tezuka series" or not. The word series is a bit of a misnomer I suspect. Vertical often releases a "series" in one book. Still, interesting to contemplate if they actually mean a series a la "Black Jack" or even "Dororo".

I'm also very curious about what "new special edition of Black Jack 17" means. Black Jack 16 is scheduled for May, so that would put Black Jack 17 theoretically out in July. Hopefully there isn't 2 editions of Black Jack 17.

I'm very happy with Vertical's choice to release Human Metamorphosis, even though I've read it in French (you won't be disappointed!). Selfishly I would've like one that I don't already have in French (Alabaster anyone!?), but HM fits very nicely with the rest of the Vertical library and should be read.

[Xenops]

I'm also very curious about what "new special edition of Black Jack 17" means. Black Jack 16 is scheduled for May, so that would put Black Jack 17 theoretically out in July. Hopefully there isn't 2 editions of Black Jack 17.

I assume there would be, since we have two editions of the first three volumes. I also suspect that the special edition would have a story or two not included in the regular release. If that is the case, I'll probably practice being thrifty (as thrifty as a manga collector can be ) and just buy the special edition.

Something I've seen on Ebay are collections of Tezuka's horror stories. I'm interested in peoples' attempts at this genre, and while I acknowledge Junji Ito's work to be successfully terrifying, I prefer not to live life terrified by spirals. Just something mildly disturbing is more my taste.

[Jikorijo]

I can't find much info on Human Metamorphosis. What's it about?

[Xenops]

I can't find much info on Human Metamorphosis. What's it about?

I haven't read it either, but this link provided some info:

http://reccaphoenix.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/konchuki/[/url]

[Jikorijo]

Thanks. Though, I did find a more detailed source from TezukaWorld.net:

"Human Metamorphosis," a satirical Manga depicting human society compared to the insect world, focuses on the life of a devious woman. Tomura Toshiko, who is said to be a genius, is a rising star writer. Her novel wins the Akutagawa Prize for the best novel of the year. While she attends the award ceremony, another woman named Usuba Kageri commits suicide in another place. It turns out that Kageri and Toshiko used to live together, and the awarded novel was copied from Kageri's transcript. Toshiko is like a parasite: approaching talented people one after another, squeezing everything out of them and stealing their works for her own fame. Behind her success story, she has her secrets.

[Xenops]

Certainly does not sound like a person I would want to meet. Of course, at this point in my reading, maybe the only Tezuka characters I would feel comfortable around are Unico and Astro Boy. Black Jack would have his say, and then leave.

[Inazawa]

I hope that special edition Black Jack 17 is another hardcover with an excluded issue bonus story!! I really enjoyed "the one that remains" and "The Two Jans".

[Xenops]

I hope that special edition Black Jack 17 is another hardcover with an excluded issue bonus story!! I really enjoyed "the one that remains" and "The Two Jans".

Indeed! I personally am interested in "the Seat of Pleasure", but I doubt I will ever see that one, being a completely sealed chapter.