Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 1

Truly excellent manga. Reminds me of PKD's best works. Strongly recommended. ( )

A modern reinterpretation of Osama Tezuka’s seminal manga Astro Boy, Urasawa turns the original story on its head; he presents a post-war world where robots with a potential for mass destruction had such an impact on the battle that a campaign of revenge is directed at them and the scientists that gave birth to the technologies. Gesicht, a former combatant of the war, is now working as a world-renowned detective with Interpol and is tasked with solving the murders—the series, which just finished this year, is regarded as one of the greatest modern manga tales written and is a compelling look at the consequences of humanity’s unending desire to wage war. ( )

I agree that this is a good series to begin exploring manga -- or really gekiga, manga's more "serious" cousin. The touching, human, non-stylistic treatment of the characters (robot and human) and the naturalistic treatment of landscapes is a real hallmark of the gekiga style; beautiful stuff, no matter what you call it. It has something to appeal to every reader; the mystery/detective aspect, a touch of the foreboding supernatural, human drama, and the philosophical questions of what human really is tying the series together -- all with masterful artwork. You'll be hard pressed not to fly through the books, but take your time! ( )

Mont Blanc, a gigantic but gentle Swiss robot adored by the world as a hero, has been violently torn apart. Europol inspector Gesicht, a human-looking robot, has been charged with determining who is responsible for the murder of Mont Blanc and whether or not this murder ties in to a greater movement to limit the rights of robots in this world. This manga murder mystery left me wanting to read the rest of the series. ( )

I've been a long standing fan of all things Astro Boy, and this is quite possibly the best story I've read in regards to him. Right from the beginning the book is compelling and a page turner that cannot be set down, and I assure you the continuing volumes are the same. You will think hard, and will feel pangs of sadness as you relate to characters who aren't even human. It really doesn't get better than this. ( )