Billy Bat, Volume 1

Set in 1949, Billy Bat tells the tale of Kevin Yamagata, a Japanese-American artist who has hit it big with his popular new series Billy Bat.

As you can see, that comic is a cartoon noir, with lots of subterfuge and, it turns out, communist spies. Everything is going all right until one day, Kevin learns that his character may be based on one that originated in Japan, where he was stationed during World War II. 

Even though the stories that character Billy Bat has are not based on any story he's consciously read, he feels obligated to travel to Japan and track down the original artist in order to get his blessing and also head off any issues with plagiarism. What Kevin finds in Japan instead turns into a tangled web of murder, politics, ancient texts, graffiti, tattoo artists, and communist spies. And the reaches of this conspiracy range far, maybe even beyond planet Earth. There are plenty of twists and turns in this single volume, likely a portent of the amount of suspense to follow.

The kick-off to this series was made by writer/artist Naoki Urusawa and Takashi Nagasaki. Urusawa is an internationally known manga creator, winner of the Shogakukan Manga Award three times, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize twice, two Eisner Awards, and the Kodansha Manga Award. His works have been some of the most celebrated of recent times and include Asadora!, Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Pluto. Nagasaki is also an award winning manga writer/editor with a long list of credits. Billy Bat has been completed in Japan for some time and only now being published in the US, and editor Kriistina Korpus explains more about why in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Matthew Orozco opined that it is "an enthralling, genre-defying series that combines mystery, historical fiction, conspiracy theory, and metafiction, unfolding across multiple eras and continents." David Brooke called it "exactly the kind of ambitious, unpredictable storytelling that has made Naoki Urasawa one of manga’s most celebrated creators." Kara Dennison wrote, "The art is wonderfully dissonant, slipping easily between stylized mid-century cartoons and a more settled, faded realism."

Billy Bat was published by Kana, and they offer more information about it here.

My Life in 24 Frames Per Second

Anime seem omnipresent in contemporary times, and I feel I did not know much about it before I read this book. Rintaro is a veteran anime director who has an impressive body of work to his credit. My Life in 24 Frames Per Second is a different sort of artistic endeavor for him, a manga memoir of his life and work in the cartoon industry. This book melds his personal and professional lives, beginning with him as a child and his family dealing with the fallout of World War II.

He and his father end up having a tenuous relationship, though they do share a love of cinema. Rintaro begins working in animation at the tender age of 17, and the rest of the narrative traces his circuitous rise to being one of the most storied and influential people in his field. Along the way, he worked at multple studios and collaborated with such titans of the industry as Osamu Tezuka, the god of manga, and Masao Maruyama, another founder of Madhouse Studio. He worked on seminal TV series like Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion as well as directing the groundbreaking film Galaxy Express 999. Seeing the behind-the-scenes goings-on of these projects lends a lot of insight into how much work, uncertainty, and ingenuity went into these classic works.

I love how this book humanizes the people who may seem like otherworldly figures because of their accomplishments. Rintaro comes across as a driven but ordinary person, trying his best to realize his dreams. Also, it is clear that many of these anime/manga artists really overworked themselves with their projects, some to the detriment of their personal lives and health. This is a very engaging and eye-opening book that educated me tremendously about anime. 

My Life in 24 Frames Per Second has been nominated for an Eisner Award, and all the reviews I have read of it have been positive. Publishers Weekly concluded their starred review, "This meticulous portrait of a life in animation glows with love of the art form." Orrin Scott called it "a powerfully personal story written like a screenplay."

My Life in 24 Frames Per Second was published by Kana, and they have more information about it here.

I borrowed this book from my local library. Libraries RULE! 

Akane-banashi, Volume 1

Akane-banashi is an engrossing manga series that  focuses on a niche area, but I took a lot away from it. The main character is teenager Akane Osaki who aspires to excel at rakugo, which is a tradition of comedic storytelling. Part of what drew her to this field was seeing her father rehearse his routines when she was younger, and she loved seeing his skill at portraying characters and scenarios. However, he was shamed and expelled from his rakugo school, and part of why she strives to succeed is to avenge his harsh treatment. 

At first, she trains in secret with his former teacher and in this first book she begins to meet other young storytellers as she joins a school. Some of them are supportive while others are more competitive, which makes for some drama.

Aside from all of the interpersonal intrigue, there is also a healthy amount of historical background about rakugo, which offers insights into the intricacies involved in being a performer as well as how it ties into Japanese culture as a whole. So, in combination with it being a gripping story, it is a sort of sociology as well. I might be making this book sound ponderous, but it was full of colorful characters and a breeze to read.

This manga is written by Yuki Suenaga and drawn by Takamasa Moue. It is the first serialized manga by Suenaga. Moue wrote and drew a prior series Ole Golazo, published in Shonen Jump.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive.  In a starred review from School Library Journal Joe Pascullo concluded, "With its lovable protagonist, strong artwork, and unique exploits at its heart, Akane-banashi is not only a must for any budding manga collection, but for any reader simply looking for a magnificent reading experience." Sara Smith wrote, "This is a great read for its characters but also for anyone interested in learning more about this Japanese art form." Sakura Eries "if you’re open to learning (a lot) about Japanese traditional culture, Akane-banashi might be a fun way to do it."

Akane-banashi, Volume 1 was published by VIZ Media, and they offer a preview and more here. So far, the series has been collected in 15 volumes in the USA (and 22 in Japan), so there's plenty more for fans. It has also recently begun to be adapted into an anime series.

Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams

Being contacted by the Louvre, one of the most well known and prestigious museums in the world, to collaborate on a comic seems a highly unlikely proposition, but then again most artists are not as renowned as Naoki Urasawa. Among his many manga credits are contemporary classics such as 20th Century Boys, Monster, Pluto, as well as the ongoing Asadora! Urasawa has won numerous awards, including the Shogakukan Manga Award three times, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize twice, and the Kodansha Manga Award. He has also been recognized internationally, with honors from the Angoulême International Comics Festival and the Eisner Awards.

Mujirushi is exceptional among Urasawa's works in two ways: first, because it is based on holdings and input from the Louvre, it features a lot of the architecture, artworks, and behind-the-scenes schematics from the buildings. Second, it is a serial story that can be contained in one graphic novel-seized volume and not a multi-volume epic that takes years to be published. Still, it features the grand craftsmanship, pacing, and vivid characters that are a hallmark of his past work. 

The plot focuses on a father Kamoda and his young daughter Kasumi. Kamoda stops paying taxes and gets mixed up in some get-rich schemes, which end up with him destitute, desperate, and stuck with a factory full of unwanted rubber novelty masks. Also, his wife leaves him. Through a convoluted series of events he and Kasumi end up involved with a Francophile con man ("the Director") who has a scheme to "borrow" a Vermeer painting from the Louvre. What they do not know is that they have all become people of interest in an investigation of an international art smuggling ring, and the detective is determined to catch them in the act.

What makes this book work is its incredible artwork, strongly defined characters, and a plot that takes many twists and turns as the complicated backstory of the Director is slowly untangled. There are many revelations and twists in these nine chapters, maybe too many coincidences, and the ending is a clever weaving together of seemingly unrelated plot threads. If you would like to get a taste of what makes Urasawa's work so appealing and do not want to invest the time to read multiple volumes of a manga serial, this book is for you. If you are already a fan of his, this book is another gem to be enjoyed. 

The reviews I have read of this book have been mixed. Morgan Santilli wrote, "Though perhaps not as engrossing or complex as some of Urasawa’s other offerings, Mujirushi does leave the reader with that familiar feeling of awe at a master’s manipulation of line, panel, and story." Irina found it "to be both entertaining and endearing in many ways." In a long critique of this book and Urasawa, Austin Price calls the story "cute" but also "contrived and overblown."

Mujirushi was published by Viz Media, and they offer more information about it here.

Asadora! Volume 1

My experiences with manga are pretty limited, I feel, but there are certain authors whose works I seek out and Naoki Urasawa is chief among them. Asadora! shares many features with his other works, including an exploration of how the past affects the present, a compelling mystery, expressive art, and a series of breathtaking cliffhangers. The titular star of this book comes from a large family, and is often overlooked in the shuffle of daily life. (SPOILERS ahead!) One eventful day, she gets kidnapped, a giant hurricane hits, and she and her kidnapper have to band together to survive. While trapped, she learns about his background as a fighter pilot in World War 2, and when they finally survey the damage they see what appears to be a giant footprint among the wreckage. (end/SPOILERS)

What are they looking at? Buy the book and find out!

Three things recommend this book: 1. It is incredibly well crafted in terms of plot. Each chapter ends with a revelation/cliffhanger that compelled me to keep going. 2. The characters and their personalities are quickly introduced and communicated, both visually and narratively. They are drawn in an incredibly expressive style, and I found myself intrigued and enchanted by them in short order. 3. It sets up a captivating mystery, adding a touch of magical realism into an otherwise straight-forward action tale. There is so much going on that is unresolved and unanswered, and this book is a great introduction to a nuanced and detailed serial comics series. I have read the next four books already, and I cannot get enough of them.

Naoki Urasawa is regarded as one of the premier manga creators, and he has won the Shogakukan Manga Award three times, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize twice, two Eisner Awards, and the Kodansha Manga Award once. His works have been some of the most celebrated of recent times and include Monster, 20th Century Boys, and Pluto. More recently, he has started a YouTube channel where he demonstrates his artwork (in Japanese).

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Tom Shapira contextualized it against others in his oeuvre, and although he has some issues with some tics, he concluded that "Urasawa can do it all." Will called it "another strong entry in Urasawa’s career." Publishers Weekly wrote, "Urusawa excels in focusing on human drama and multifaceted characters, and the storytelling is matched with dynamic, classic realist manga artwork."

Asadora! is published by Viz Books, and they offer  more information about it here.

Crash Site

I was intrigued when I saw this title solicited, and reading it was a beguiling and bewildering experience. Crash Site is a strange and provocative book that definitely makes an impression. It is ostensibly a survival tale starring three protagonists: Rosie, a young, white, British woman who is vapid and self-centered; her devoted dog Denton, whom she uses as a drug mule, and Pants Dude, the most sinister anthropomorphic pair of underwear ever. 

After plane crash left the trio as the sole survivors stranded in the Amazon, they have to deal with the elements as well as a each other. A self-centered woman, emotionally needy dog, and murderous pair of panties that wants to pocket the entire score for itself make for a whole lot of drama.

This survival plot is intriguing and captured my imagination, but there are many aspects in this book that make for curious juxtapositions. The main narrative is a harrowing tale where one character is literally a cute pair of panties wielding a knife. There is an ongoing exploration of colonialism, from the practice of smuggling drugs to racist stereotypes in video games to the artwork of the book, which borrows heavily from the conventions of horror manga. It is also somewhat cartoonish and kawaii, which belies so many of its situations and commentaries. There are also several scenes that look at the intersections of sexuality and violence, such as when Rosie and her friends practically murder a lifeguard who tells them they cannot sunbathe in the nude and when Denton gets caught masturbating to a magazine called Woke Girls.

This is a book that lets readers have their cake, but the cake is a tough one to swallow, a mixture of disparate and clashing flavors. Instances of fan service are combined with horror imagery. Almost every joke accompanies scenes of violence and murder. Social commentary appears and is overwhelmed by absurdity. I think this is a surprisingly complex book, one I appreciated and enjoyed, though I imagine it is not to everyone's taste. So much about this book made me feel uncomfortable and off-balance, but in such compelling ways.

I could not locate much information about this book's author Nathan Cowdry, but I plan to check out whatever he publishes. He has put out a few other zines and comics, including Shiner and Western Voyeur.

The reviews I have read about this book wrestle with its complexity. Publishers Weekly concluded, "Cowdry’s mix of rock-solid gags, horrifying imagery, and surreal satire makes for an unsettling and indelible experience." Nicholas Burman wrote, "Crash Site is a comic that tickles your ribs and also strikes them a few times with a hot poker." Hillary Brown opined, "I kept teetering between annoyance at Crash Site and liking it, which could be what Cowdry is striving for."

Crash Site was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. If you have even skimmed this review, you should glean that it is suggested for mature readers.

The Man Without Talent

The Man Without Talent is a landmark manga book, a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by a classic creator who has not published a comic since 1987. The six chapters in this book follow the travails of Sukezō Sukegawa, a middle-aged man who is married and has a son but little direction to his life. He used to draw manga but now he is casting about for a vocation. Mainly, he tries to sell river rocks, but his improvised stand does not attract any customers and the rocks he collects impress no one. He is more successful in restoring and selling vintage cameras, but when he runs out of cameras to refurbish his prospects trickle out. I'd say that he was suffering from a mid-life crisis but it seems more like he struggles to find his place in a capitalist system. He was only good at one thing, creating manga, but he does not want to do that anymore.

His life is a disappointment to his wife, whose face is barely seen as she can't bear to look at him. And even though he shown to be a good father to his little boy, the family struggles financially and emotionally. Sukezō's melancholic state of mind manifests in many musings, concluding in a prolonged meditation on the life and works of Seigetsu, a wandering, derelict haiku poet, which closes this book. I won't call this ending hopeful, but it does comment on the potential of creating art that lives beyond its creators. Although there is no broad action in this book, what it does extremely well is present a portrait of a desperate, frustrated man and his inner thoughts. This work is more philosophical and literary, but it is nonetheless still beautiful, captivating, and impressive.

The stories here are considered classics in manga that established the tradition of I-stories, which focus more on literary matters than genre conventions. This book's creator Yoshiharu Tsuge is an important figure in Japanese comics because of the conventions he established with his various works. He has not been active in publishing for decades now, but his works and life have been adapted into a number of movies. He speaks about the recent revival of his works in English here. After a long-standing opposition he had to have his works translated into other languages, The Man Without Talent is his first book to be published in the US. It was translated and includes a great informative essay by scholar Ryan Holmberg.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Brian Nicholson wrote that "it resonate[s] on a deeper level than simply being relatable." Morgana Santilli called it "an excellent read for anyone who wants to know more about early underground/art manga history." In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews concluded, "Humanity stunningly observed—a treasure."

The Man Without Talent was published by New York Review Books, and they provide a preview and more information about it here.

Magician A

 

Magician A is not a book for children. It is a collection of short stories that highlight feminine sexuality and competition in different milieus, providing a range of insights into how contemporary women strive to take control of their own destinies. In some stories the women act in entrepreneurial ways, for instance a sex worker who provides her one client with a loyalty punch card, a magician who gets paid to pray for people's wishes to come true, and a young woman who provides manual relaxation for customers in a park. 

Almost all involve women who are struggling to find their confidence or way in the world, including one who has a random encounter with a really cool woman she aspires to be like in a bookstore, a fledgling magician trying to make sense of magic school, and an artist trying to find her voice and style in art school.

I found all of these stories of revelation and personal growth compelling. The author has a way of immediately portraying her characters' personalities in striking, empathetic fashion, and I found it easy to get involved with their personal dramas. Additionally, each story is unique and intricately plotted to deliver both an emotional wallop plus a good deal of suspense. These stories are not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. They are erotically charged, emotionally wrenching, and eminently memorable.

This impressive debut was created by Natsuko Ishitsuyo. I learned a lot about her from the journal entries and Q &A that appear at the back of the book.

The reviews I have read of this book were very positive. Morgana Santilli opined about the prevalence of masculine sexuality in manga and wrote, "Magician A is a striking counterpoint where instead of wallowing in self-pity and fantasizing about harming others, Ishitsuyo’s protagonists use their sexual awakenings as personal reflection and a catalyst for empowerment that men, born into power, take for granted." Katie Skelly concluded, "These are very accomplished visions from a determinedly independent creator, and we’re so lucky to have them." This book's translator Jocelyne Allen commented about the original Japanese version, "It’s so assured and unlike anything I’ve come across in the world of manga before."

Magician A was published by BDP, and they offer more info about it here. There are previews available here at the Kickstarter page where this project was originally funded. If you have gotten this far into my review, you probably know that this book is suggested for mature readers.

Tono Monogatari

The original version of Tono Monogatari was published in 1910 by folklorists Kunio Yanagita and Kizen Sasaki, recording a number of folk stories from the Tono region of Japan.These tales feature all sorts of creatures, including yōkai, unpredictable spirits that haunt the wilderness, and kami, which are minor deities that frequently wreak havoc on people's lives. These tales are also significant in that they are roughly the equivalent of the Brother Grimm's fairy tales, a record of the folklore of a particular country. 

The stories adapted here are often unsettling, creepy, and/or weird. Many of them have the flavor of a spooky campfire tale, and they often end abruptly without a moral or lesson. A couple also contain sexual imagery, so I would curate this book if I were using it with younger readers. The ones that stuck with me included a few accounts of women being kidnapped to be spirit brides, one where a fisherman murders a fox that was impersonating his wife, one where a man is blessed with a grinder that turns rice to gold, and another where a young woman is hounded by a yama haha, a spirit that resembles a large, old woman. In all there are 119 stories in this book, arranged thematically, so you can read them in bunches or take your time to enjoy them individually.

The artwork in this book is also a highlight. The backgrounds and landscapes are drawn in highly realistic fashion, and there are a few breath-taking double page spreads. The characters who inhabit these stories are more cartoonish and caricatures, especially the male ones. The various supernatural creatures are appropriately gruesome and fantastical. All in all, I think there is a great sense of joy and craftsmanship in this book. It seems a project completed in love.

This book's creator Shigeru Mizuki was an artist and historian best known for creating the series GeGeGe no Kitarō. It began in 1960 and starred a yōkai named Kitaro and told many supernaturally themed tales. It was wildly popular and has been adapted many times as anime and movies. In a fun, metafictional move, he inserts himself into the book as a character who is visiting the region, tracing the footsteps of his forbears and even having a ghostly conversation with original author Kunio Yanagita.

There are a few color pages among the B&W.

This book was translated into English by Zack Davisson, a translator, writer, lecturer, and scholar of manga, Japanese folklore, and ghosts. He has translated a number of Mizuki's works, including the Eisner Award-winning Showa: A History of Japan. He provides some prose to help contextualize the mythological and cultural features of these stories, which is a very helpful and informative feature.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Alison Fincher called it "a culturally-important celebration of an enduring work of literature presented by one of Japan’s greatest popular artists." Rebecca Silverman wrote, "The art is beautiful, and as always makes use of Mizuki's trademark style of cartoony people on photorealistic backgrounds." Publishers Weekly concluded, "The acrobatic visuals lend these fables a giddy charm, and the inviting collection opens up Japanese history for a broader readership."

Tono Monogatari was published in the North America by Drawn & Quarterly, and they offer a preview and more here.

Animus

Animus is an enjoyably creepy book. The story revolves around a playground that is somehow involved with the disappearance of multiple children in Kyoto, Japan. We gain entrance into this world via the actions of two youngsters, Hisao and Sayuri, who meet a fox-masked ghost named Toothless. This weird being tells them all about some of the features of the playground, which include mystical slides, monkey bars, statues, and sandbox. I won't spoil things by revealing their specific properties, but playing on and in those places leads the children on some pretty eerie, fantastic episodes. Along the way they get more clues about why the various children are disappearing. Things take a sinister, personal turn when one of their friends vanishes, and they gain a real sense of urgency to solve the origins of Toothless and the playground in order to save him. 

I must say, I really did not see the ending coming. This book is both a homage to manga and inventive and entertaining in its own right. Additionally, it is complex and holds up well to rereading, and I highly recommend it.

This book's creator Antoine Revoy is an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, and this book is his graphic novel debut. He has worked as an illustrator and animator, and has led an interesting life. He was born in France, raised in Japan, and now is located in the US, and all of these various influences crop up in his gorgeously composed, darkly atmospheric artwork and intricately crafted narrative. He speaks about his work on Animus in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "An eerie graphic novel mystery that is bewildering and unnerving in the best way possible." Todd Young wrote, "I appreciate the author’s ability to keep me thinking about the story long after I finished it." Publishers Weekly added, "Revoy’s otherworldly adventure moves quickly, but his succinct storytelling keeps readers on track with essential details."

Animus was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more here. There is also an official website for the book here.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is a provocative title for a book that is not as titillating as it is confessional. This rare, autobiographical manga was originally published online on Pixiv, where it gained a wider readership and popularity. Although there are a couple of sexual interludes in the latter pages of the story, what it mostly entails are the ruminations and observations of a 28-year-old woman on her life and circumstances. Kabi struggles with finding herself, both in terms of her family and friends. She seeks the acceptance of her parents, though feels she falls way short of their expectations. She bounces from job to job, seeking friendship and social capital, though not really finding either.

All of these situations have a crippling, debilitating effect on her, all of which she expounds on in great detail. I found this to be a very personal and revelatory book, and I feel that I learned much about her situation, more about what it feels like to come of age in Japan, and also about the business side of becoming a manga artist. Many of the events of the book are also unsettling and discomforting, but I found the whole enterprise to be fascinating and quite moving.

Eventually, Kabi makes arrangements to visit a "love hotel" for a session with a female prostitute. It is a sexual scene for sure, but it is also a very emotional time that exposes many other pains, hangups, and thoughts she has. Far from being fulfilled, she is left with more questions than when she began. In all, I was shocked to see how far-ranging and introspective this book was, and it was a powerful read.

This book's creator Nagata Kabi is fairly new to the comics world, and she apparently has another manga she is working on called Solo Exchange Diary. She talks about her works and career in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been full of praise. Shea and Derek from The Comics Alternative called it the apparent "manga of the year" and added, "This is a manga all about self-discovery, a diary-like account of the author’s attempts to understand herself within the context of her culture and her yearning for what she calls 'next level communication.'" Kat Overland called it "a wild ride from start to finish." Aria wrote, "I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by this – but I was."

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness was published by Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC, and they have more information about it here. As should be clear by now, this book is intended for mature readers.

Black Jack, Volume 1

Black Jack is one of the most popular manga ever published, a series that even had social repercussions in Japan where it first appeared. It was written and drawn by Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Manga," a huge figure in Japan who was sort of Stan Lee and Walt Disney combined, leaving an indelible legacy of comics and cartoons. Much of his work was for children, characterized by his most known creations Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. Black Jack is decidedly different, a work more for adults.

This series follows the exploits of a scarred, mysterious doctor-for-hire. He is not licensed, but he is highly skilled and considered the best surgeon in the world, the person who you would turn to as a last and best resort. He will take any job, but his asking price is high, and he does attract a great number of shady characters. Still, he is not as mercenary as he would seem, and after reading a few stories it becomes apparent that he is quite charitable and just. All the same, he comes across as a dark, ominous, and dramatic figure, cloaked in a cape and face partly obscured by his wild hair. Take for instance the first story in the volume, where a crime lord hires him to treat his good-for-nothing son who has been mangled beyond comprehension:

Paging Dr. Badass...

Although Tezuka widely influenced manga and propagated the "big eyes" style that is pretty cutesy and cartoonish, in Black Jack he drew in a more realistic manner. This style is especially apparent in the surgery scenes, which I guess makes a lot of sense as Tezuka actually trained to be a doctor before he began working on comics. Still, there are a great number of science fiction or fantasy elements, such as his surgery on a woman whose conjoined twin has both awareness and great mental abilities to deter those who would separate her from her sister:

Black Jack not only saves the little sister, he builds for her a body. This woman, Pinoko, becomes his assistant and lives with him. She looks like a small, baby doll girl, and he treats her as such, but she calls herself his wife and is very jealous of his interactions with women. This strange characterization is somewhat jarring but emblematic of the powerful, memorable personalities that abound in this book. There is no real over-arching storyline, and each chapter is self-contained. A reader can just jump in and read any of these suspenseful and moralistic tales of life and death.

All of the reviews I have read have praised this classic manga. Heather Bretschneider wrote, "While the medical scenarios it presents may not always be accurate, they always succeed in creating a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish." Elliot Page commented that "despite its (admittedly few) flaws, I would not hesitate to recommend Black Jack to almost anyone."

Despite its (admittedly few) flaws, I would not hesitate to recommend Black Jack to almost anyone. - See more at: http://www.anigamers.com/2010/03/review-black-jack-vols1-9-manga.html#sthash.sNV5ctUj.dpuf

Black Jack, Volume 1 was published in the US by Vertical, Inc., and they have 17 books that cover the entire series.