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Black Jack (Vertical Inc.)

Black Jack (Vertical Inc.)

English Title: Black Jack
Japanese Title: ブラック・ジャック
Publication Date: 2008-2011
Publisher: Vertical, Inc.
No. of Volumes: 17
In Print:
Digital:

From the Publisher

Among adult readers in Japan Black Jack is Osamu Tezuka’s most popular achievement, and perhaps the most close to the creator’s heart, as Tezuka considered entering the medical field—majoring in medicine in college—before devoting his life to comics. Black Jack is a genius surgeon who never acquired his license due to his clashes with the medical establishment. He is hired out by anyone willing to pay his exorbitant rates and is perceived as a heartless rogue because of his enigmatic nature and antisocial manner. But as readers will soon discover, that is not the whole story.

Scalpel for hire”

Limited Edition HC

Limited Edition HC

What you should know

Originally published from 2008 to 2011, Vertical‘s long-awaited 17-volume trade paperback release of Black Jack duplicates the Akita Bunkoban edition – the deluxe collection Tezuka himself arranged and edited.  This “nearly complete” set is only missing the sealed, semi-sealed and some of the excluded chapters.  Published mainly in soft-cover, 6″ x 8″ format, each volume is roughly 275 to 300 pages in length.  Black Jack is also one of the only series Vertical released in the original “unflipped” format.

It is worth noting that the first three volumes were also released as special “exclusive” hardcovers with different cover artwork and design.  Each exclusive volume contains one special chapter not included in the standard Akita release. These three special chapters are ones that Tezuka himself removed from the collection, however Vertical received special permission from Tezuka Productions to include them.

Although Black Jack is now out of print, in 2014, Vertical Inc. began releasing digital editions of their Tezuka editions, primarily available in Amazon’s popular Kindle format.

Special note: The third “exclusive” hardcover volume also contains an essay by Tezuka in English‘s own Ada Palmer discussing Tezuka’s Star System and the publication history of the excluded issues.

Story List by Volume

Since the chapters published in Vertical Inc.‘s editions of Black Jack are out of the original publication order, please refer to the hand list below to track down each of the stories by volume.

Volume 1

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
001 Is there a Doctor? 医者はどこだ!
167 The First Storm of Spring 春一番
012 Teratoid Cystoma 畸形嚢腫
052 The Face Sore 人面瘡
029 Sometimes Like Pearls ときには真珠のように
050 Confluence めぐり会い
086 The Painting is Dead! 絵が死んでいる!
185 Star, Magnitude Six 六等星
057 Black Queen ブラック·クイーン
U-18 Knew U-18は知っていた
054 The Legs of an Ant アリの足
049 Two Loves 二つの愛
037 The Two Jans* 2人のジャン

* Note: only in limited edition HC

Volume 2

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
061 Needle
089 Granny おばあちゃん
090 The Ballad of the Killer Whale シャチの詩
168 To Each His Own 三者三様
078 Emergency Shelter 地下壕にて
015 Dirtjacked ダーティ·ジャック
099 Where Art Thou, Friend? 友よいずこ
023 Kidnapping 誘拐
239 Assembly Line Care 流れ作業
201 Helping Each Other 助け合い
055 Stradivarius ストラディバリウス
116 Pinoko’s Challenge ハッスルピノコ
091 Hospital Jack 病院ジャック
126 The Blind Acupuncturist 座頭医師
128 The One that Remains* 海のストレンジャー

* Note: only in limited edition HC

Volume 3

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
164 Disowned Son 勘当息子
051 Shrinking ちぢむ!!
123 Dingoes ディンゴ
124 Your Mistake! きみのミスだ!
155 The Robin and the Boy コマドリと少年
143 The Boy Who Came from the Sky 空からきた子ども
157 Black Jack in Hospital B·J入院す
212 A Woman’s Case ある女の場合
056 Two Dark Doctors ふたりの黒い医者
132 The Residents 研修医たち
193 Recollections of a Spinster ある老婆の思い出
013 Pinoko Loves You ピノコ愛してる
127 Tenacity 執念
102 An Odd Relationship 奇妙な関係
042 Baby Blues 赤ちゃんのバラード
139 Witch Trial* 海のストレンジャー

* Note: only in limited edition HC

Volume 4

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
232 False Image 虚像
120 The Scream 悲鳴
197 Drifter in a Ghost Town ゴーストタウンの流れ者
080 Pinoko Love Story ピノコ·ラブストーリー
083 The Sewer Way 地下水道
205 The Sea Smells of Romance 海は恋のかおり
218 Tetsu of the Yamanote Line 山手線の哲
188 Titles 肩書き
148 Lost and Found 落としもの
040 Burned Doll 焼け焦げた人形
110 The Heart of a Giant デカの心臓
069 Gas ガス
053 From Afar はるかなる国から
024 Thieving Dog 万引犬

Volume 5

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
151 Hospital ホスピタル
074 Quite a Tongue なんという舌
223 Asking for Water もらい水
236 Yet False the Days されどいつわりの日々
199 The Last Train 終電車
079 There was a Valve! 弁があった!
141 Two at the Baths 湯治場の二人
222 Pinoko’s Mystery ピノコ·ミステリー
227 Imprint 刻印
146 99% Water 99.9パーセントの水
170 The Helper 助っ人
100 Country Clinic 古和医院
063 Wolf Girl オオカミ少女
006 On a Snowy Night 雪の夜ばなし

Volume 6

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
179 – 180 Downpour (Surgical Knife) 土砂降り(メス)
070 A Body Turning to Stone からだが石に..
125 The Old Man and the Tree 老人と木
018 Twice Dead 二度死んだ少年
033 Lion-Face Disease 獅子面病
094 Con Man, Aspiring サギ師志願
240 Brachydactyly 短指症
066 Amidst Fire and Ashes 火と灰の中
088 Revenge 報復
137 Vibration 振動
011 Nadare ナダレ
032 Three in a Box 閉ざされた三人
230 The Substitute 身代わり
046 Terror Virus 恐怖菌

Volume 7

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
214 Guys and Birds 鳥たちと野郎ども
017 The Gray Mansion 灰色の館
062 A Cat and Shozo ネコと庄造と
067 The Two Pinokos ふたりのピノコ
115 Unexploded Bomb 不発弾
183 Younger Brother おとうと
161 High and Low 上と下
136 Goribei of Senjogahara 戦場が原のゴリベエ
221 The Kuroshio: A Memoir 黒潮号メモ
160 Black and White 白い正義
190 A Hill for One 一ぴきだけの丘
121 Cloudy, Later Fair 曇りのち晴れ
119 Hurricane ハリケーン
111 Timeout タイムアウト

Volume 8

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
035 What Lurks the Mountain なにかが山を..
020 Fits 発作
043 A Wrong Diagnosis 誤診
072 The Tattooed Man イレズミの男
092 Abnormal Pregnancy 奇胎
096 On the Way 道すがら
118 Cold Disdain 白い目
129 A Visit from a Killer 殺しがやってくる
234 Accident 再会
177 One Hour to Death 死への一時間
181 Random Killer 通り魔
104 Pinoko Goes West ピノコ西へ行く
200 Swapped すりかえ
207 Finish しめくくり

Volume 9

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
034 Teacher and Pupil ある教師と生徒
030 Pinoko Lives ピノコ生きてる
044 Eyewitness 目撃者
182 As He Wills ご意見無用
152 The Promise 約束
194 Thee-Legged Race 二人三脚
242 A Question of Priorities オペの順番
064 You Did It!! おまえが犯人だ!!
189 Gunshot Wound 銃創
027 Mistress Shiraha 白葉さま
117 Gift to the Future 未来への贈りもの
133 Sun Dolls てるてる坊主
122 Third Time’s the Charm 三度目の正直
169 Guinea Pig モルモット

Volume 10

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
186 Avina’s Isle アヴィナの島
068 The Mask Chosen えらばれたマスク
231 Revenge is my Life 復讐こそわが命
149 Unfinished House やり残しの家
002 Strangers at Sea 海のストレンジャー
038 Pinoko Returns ピノコ還る!
220 The Man Who Threw up Capsules カプセルをはく男
233 Flesh and Blood 骨肉
142 Burglary 盗難 Tōnan
025 Ashes and Diamonds 灰とダイヤモンド
173 Hot Night あつい夜
174 Ransom 身の代金
213 Mannequin and Officer 人形と警官
159 Playing Doctor お医者さんごっこ

Volume 11

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
071 Spasm けいれん
073 Smithereens こっぱみじん
172 Life Bond 命のきずな
008 Sealed Memory とざされた記憶
098 The Whispers of a Dog 犬のささやき
147 Showa Shinzan 昭和新山
105 Visitor in the Snow 雪の訪問者
203 Grasping Duo がめつい同士
235 Talk 話し合い
226 Pocket Monkey ポケットモンキー
082 Call Sign ハローCQ
131 Fear in Blue 青い恐怖
219 The War Never Ends 戦争はなおも続く
229 The SL Called Life 人生という名のSL

Volume 12

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
206 Wildcat Boy 山猫少年
176 Signal 信号
101 Invader 侵略者(インベーダー)
045 White Lion 白いライオン
084 Tatsu the Outie デベソの達
010 Son of Hariti 鬼子母神の息子
195 The Second One 二人目がいた
224 The Boy in the Sealed Room 密室の少年
021 Save the Baby! その子を殺すな!
108 The Bear クマ
145 Operation of the Spirit 霊のいる風景
103 Looking Good 帰ってきたあいつ
241 Prone to Laughter 笑い上戸

Volume 13

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
093 Water and the Badness 水とあくたれ
007 The Pirate’s Arm 海賊の腕
134 Death of an Actress あるスターの死
140 Teratoid Cystoma, Part 2 畸形嚢腫パート2
065 The Cursed Operation のろわれた手術
191 A Fussy Suicide 小うるさい自殺者
014 Aftereffects 後遺症
215 A Night in a Cottage 山小屋の一夜
163 Honma’s Hematoma 本間血腫
211 A Challenge of the Third Kind 未知への挑戦
162 Timid Cyrano 気が弱いシラノ
225 Move, Solomon! 動けソロモン
210 The Day He Picked up a Runaway 家出を拾った日
097 A Lucky Man 幸運な男

Volume 14

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
060 The Corsican Brothers コルシカの兄弟
048 The Third Call 電話が三度なった
085 A Transient Love かりそめの愛を
087 Full-Moon Disease 満月病
095 Captain Satan 魔王大尉
106 Urashima 浦島太郎
107 Little Devil 小さな悪魔
114 Stop Drawing! ペンをすてろ!
150 A Rapid Current 激流
153 There Were Two Films フィルムは二つあった
178 The Man Swallowed by a Whale 鯨にのまれた男
204 The Vanished Noise 消えさった音
208 Black Jack Disease ブラック·ジャック病
237 Just Like B. J. B·Jそっくり

Volume 15

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
081 Treasure Island 宝島
075 A Star is Born スター誕生
019 Leaf Buds 木の芽
077 Dedicated To Dracula ドラキュラに捧ぐ
109 Dialogue With The Dead 死者との対話
112 Homesickness 望郷
130 Fog
135 A Happening at Dawn 夜明けのできごと
138 The Next Chance きたるべきチャンス
156 A Surgeon Lives for Music 音楽のある風景
175 A Clock in the Dark 闇時計
192 An Arrangement of Life 命を生ける
217 A Cholera Scare コレラさわぎ
202 Suggestion in the 20th Year 20年目の暗示

Volume 16

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
004 Anaphylaxis アナフィラキシー
003 Miyuki and Ben ミユキとベン
154 Lost Youth 失われた青春
059 I Want My Brother Back! にいちゃんをかえせ!!
113 Another J もう一人のJ
047 Gleaming Eyes 光る目
166 Lynching リンチ
184 The Nekogami Clan 猫上家の人々
198 Bath of the Floating World 浮世風呂
196 Cancer Hunter 腫瘍狩り
216 Bad Stunt 裏目
238 A Passed Moment 過ぎ去りし一瞬

Volume 17

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
016 Pinoko is Adopted ピノコ再び
005 A Girl who became a Bird 人間鳥
009 Two Shujis ふたりの修二
026 Captain Park パク船長
031 Avatar 化身
039 Pure Chinese Restaurant 純華飯店
144 Money! Money! Money! 金!金!金!
187 Test of Courage キモダメシ
158 The Phoenix 不死鳥
165 A Visiting Memory おとずれた思い出
228 After the Typhoon 台風一過

Excluded Chapters

As with all Black Jack (1973-83) manga releases, the Vertical Inc. series is only “nearly complete”.  Please see the list of the missing sealed, semi-sealed and excluded chapters below.

Chapter No. English Title Japanese Title
022 The Bleeding Won’t Stop 血がとまらない
028 Finger
036 The Sinking Woman  しずむ女
041 Vegetable 植物人間
058 Seat of Pleasure 快楽の座
076 Hydrocephalus 水頭症
171 The Wall
209 Falling Object 落下物