MOST IN NEED OF ENGLISH VERSION (publishers please read!)

[cmoon]

[putrocca]

[cmoon]

[Jiminy]

[BJ4ever]

All the titles listed in first post deserve to be published in English !

- Black Jack and Leo are both classic.

- Prince Norman (1968) is a very good sci-fi tale which can please both mature and young audience.

- Tomorrow the Bird might be the less accessible. But still worth publishing. Actually, i would put it in the last position if i had to prioritize them.

- Vampires is another classic but unfinished (the publication stopped because of financial problems).


Now I would personnally add to the list the following titles :

- Dororo (1967-1968) : Tezuka took inspiration of the main character Hyakimaru to create Black Jack. Thriller title set in warring-state period of Japanese history featuring a guy who has been robbed of 48 of his body parts by the devil. The story depicts his journey to find it.

- Ayako (1972-73) : very dark and adult work. Social drama that depicts the fall of an old family from the end of WWII to the 60's. Tezuka writes about the period between defeat in the war and reconstruction of the economy seen trough the eyes of a girl locked up in a storehouse for 20 years.

- Swallowing the Earth (1968-69) : i have read it last year in french and definitely worth to be translated in English.

- Alabaster (1970-71) also needs to be published.
- MW (1976-1978) too. Both titles depicts men's evil minds.

- Human Metamorphosis (1970-71) : a satirical story depicting human society compared to the insect world, focuses on the life of a devious woman.

- New Treasure Island (1947) for its historical meaning.

- Paper Fortress (1974) for it's autobiographical.

- Big X (1963-66), after the name of a special weapon developed during WWII which gives a boy an iron body. Tezuka tried to realistically depict the terror of the war through this action hero tale.

- Captain Ken (1960-61) : Sci-fi action drama that reminds of the early part of American history when people moved to the West seeking gold. The setting of the story is Mars in the future.

- X-Point on the South Pacific (1953). It might interest Dark Horse after Metropolis, Lost world and Next world. This work is a human science fiction story satirizing war in which a man who used to be a gangster tries to stop the testing of the most dangerous weapon known, at the risk of his own life.

- Number 7 (1961-63) : science fiction story featuring seven soldiers fighting against invaders from outer space. The setting is in the future after a nuclear war.

- White Pilot (1961-62) : science fiction war story in which twin brothers fight each other in a twist of fate.

If Norman is published, i think those two (Number 7 and White Pilot) should be as well. Tezuka used multiple central characters in their stories.

At last, Tezuka has never been as good as when writing short stories. Here is my selection :

- The Crater (1969-70) : a series of short complete stories ranging in genre from suspense to mystery and horror.

- Under the air (1968-70) : Tezuka dealt with various themes ranging from science fiction to thriller and horror in this series of short complete stories. It focuses on the greed and despair of people living under the air of a tiny planet called Earth.

[cmoon]

I've added those to the list with the obvious exception of MW which is coming out in another month or so.

[putrocca]

Actually, if you review thoroughly, there have been 2 votes for Alabaster already, and 2 for Swallowing the Earth.

I also vote for Ayako absolutely - it's like Adolf, extremely powerful, not to be missed.

[cmoon]

[strobe_z]

[putrocca]

Swallowing the Earth is about Zephyrus, aka. the infamous Black Queen from Black Jack. She's in a very sensual role, as a seductress with complex globe-spanning schemes of mass destruction. Lots of focus on sexual manipulation, but also on transformation and disguise and the psychological effects of people being able to change their appearance.

In style/content/themes I'd say it's extremely close to Vampires, except that it's actually finished. (And doesn't have Rock in it, though since Zephyrus as Black Queen is Rock's wife I like to think she got the ideas from him... heh.)


How can Ayako only have two votes? It's one of the most mature and psychologically powerful Tezuka series I've ever read, like a cross between Adolf and Kirihito but focusing on the aftereffects of WWII on traditional Japanese family structure. It's perfect for Vertical! An unmissable series.

[cmoon]

[putrocca]

[putrocca]

[cmoon]

[strobe_z]

I have to say that I believe Ayako will be published by Vertical sooner or later. It fits in perfectly with the rest of their Tezuka Line, a real no-brainer in my opinon.

My vote though goes to Alabaster... mainly because it's arguably the darkest of Tezuka's work (something which will be hard to believe after reading MW), but also selfishly because it's not been published in any language I can speak (or read).