Blackjack 03

ブラック・ジャック [Black Jack] #3

by Osamu Tezuka

Black Jack is a mysterious and charismatic young genius surgeon who travels the world performing amazing and impossible medical feats. Though a trained physician, he refuses to accept a medical license due to his hatred and mistrust of the medical community's hypocrisy and corruption. This leads Black Jack to occasional run-ins with the authorities, as well as from gangsters and criminals who approach him for illegal operations.

Black Jack charges exorbitant fees for his services, the proceeds from which he uses to fund environmental projects and to aid victims of crime and corrupt capitalists. But because Black Jack keeps his true motives secret, his ethics are perceived as questionable and he is considered a selfish, uncaring devil. The Black Jack series is told in short stories. Each volume will contain 16-20 stories, each running approximately 20-24 pages in length.

Black Jack is recognized as Osamu Tezuka's third most famous series, after Astro Boy and Kimba, the White Lion.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Japan, Medical, Science Fiction

326 pages, Poche

First published May 29, 1979

About the author

Dr. Osamu Tezuka (手塚治虫) was a Japanese manga artist, animator, producer and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. He is often credited as the "Father of Anime", and is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during his formative years. His prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the father of manga" and "the God of Manga."

Reviews

[Mateen Mahboubi]

Can’t accuse Black Jack of not being self-aware. Another quality volume. Pinoko still makes me uncomfortable so I’m curious what is going to happen to her.

[Emilia P]

I love Pinoko, I can't help it. Lots of ladies and babies and Blackjack not really being in the money for it in this one. And blackjack performing BADASS surgery on himself and thenfending off dingoes. Man what a guy.

[Julie]

Much darker and more poignant than Black Jack #1, but such a good read. This series is my new favorite thing.

[Gary Shindler]

Great series and the global themes Tezuka worked into some of these stories resonated with me. Looking forward to continuing.

[crowsden]

I love Black Jack do much and I want to murder everyone at Viz media for letting this go out of print because it's impossible to buy the next volumes.

[Toni]

3.5

[Rosa]

This volume felt a little bit darker then previous volumes but was still very enjoyable. I still love Pinoko, but even her stories are more serious this time around. Due to the nature of the medical cases in this volume we do get to see more of Black Jack the anti-hero, who does right in a more round about way that people don't necessarily see.

[Lissibith]

This is one of the few issues where I think the way it was put together fails it, as we jump back in time for one of the stories without any real context to tell us until we're a bit into the story. Taken chronologically, this wouldn't happen, but as I understand it, the versions I've been reading aren't chronological.

Still, another good volume with some great character moments. :)

[ComicNerdSam]

A very strong selection of stories in this book. I think BlackJack features Tezuka’s strongest balance of comedy and drama.

[Avery Selivan]

For an episodic, adult medical drama with some whimsy Black Jack is always fun to turn your brain off and read. Since the series started in 1973 however, there are some outdated medical practices/beliefs and caricatures in the first two volumes— so Vol. 3 is good to dip your toes into. However, Vol. 1 has some very core stories so if you can suspend disbelief start there.

[Zane Gregory]

Another solid Black Jack volume.

This volume has a varied mix of outlandish stories to the more relatively down to earth. Pinoko's characterization still makes me a bit uneasy at times though.

[Patrick Flannery]

A solid collection. I'm still not sure why Black Jack has to be unlicensed though

[Lewistron]

Evoking a splendid eye into the mind of a lonesome medical doctor in Japan. A sprawling drama of greed and humanity. Tezuka once again gives us a tour de force in literary entertainment.

[Quoc Tuan Dang]

this is goated

I love it t t t t t t t t ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I love it so much

[エリくん]

Truck-kun did a number in this one. Not as great but still interesting.

[Peter Barr]

This is the graphic stories of a black market, unlicensed doctor in Japan named Black Jack. The stories move along well. The tales are interesting and show an inventive mind.

[Ron]

Another collection of stories about the unlicensed surgeon who's said to only take on patients who can afford his outrageous fees; in story after story, however, he reveals a heart of gold. This collection includes several all-out tearjerkers, including "The Robin and the Boy." Oh, and the one where he goes head-to-head with a Kevorkian-like patient in a dispute over a paralyzed woman; the question of whether she'll live or die is resolved in a particularly ironic twist.

As always, Tezuka's artwork is a huge attraction, blending near-cinematic composition with cartoonish caricature work.

[Paul]

Pretty much not for me.

I can see the skill on hand, but the storytelling conventions of manga pull me out of it, making me less willing to forgive melodrama that I happily overlook in American comics. So often I'm pulled out of the story by sudden wild cartoony reactions or other strange elements--what's with the angry pigs showing up in a panel to convey some unspeakable emotion?--not to mention the bizarre and annoying comic relief sidekick, Pinoko, whose baby talk grates horribly.

Perhaps not the best gateway to explore the world of Osamu Tekuza for the first time.

[Dania.]

Well this is my second manga and I'm loving it, maybe it has something to do with it being medical and I can feel related to the cases and diseases.
Despite the big flaws like transplanting part of a liver right away from one person to another with no tests or what so ever :D among others but it has some good medical info.
This volume is better regarding the plots of the stories they're not so straight forward.

[Emmy]

I'll be honest; I love the Black Jack series but this one was rather lackluster. While most of the stories in the previous two books had happy endings, or happy-ish endings, these were very depressing. We see a side of Black Jack that includes more failures than not, and it was hard to read more than a couple stories at a time, while usually, I fly through the collection. Three stars because I still enjoyed reading it, but if we could do halves in the scoring, I would have said 2.5.

[Tuatara]

Pakko pitää Black Jackin hahmosta, joka seuraa ihan omaa moraaliaan ja saa ajoittain koko ihmiskunnan näyttämään ihan naurettavalta. Tykkään myös siitä, miten vakavissa teemoissa ei ole säästelty ja siitä, että osa tarinoista on traagisia ja osa taas lohdullisia. Piirustusjälkeenkin on näköjään mahdollista tottua, koska se ei ole ekan osan jälkeen pistänyt silmään yhtään vaikka ihan alkuun en pitänyt siitä.

[Meredith]

Always a fun read. I enjoyed this one, but none of the plot arcs really jumped out and grabbed me. I'm starting to realize that I feel the same way about Black Jack stories as I do about Star Trek. Each one has that certain combination of ridiculousness mixed with a serious or meaningful message that makes for a great story.

[Lecta]

Another collection of short stories from Tezuka that explore moral gray areas. Black Jack is an enigma who I can't always predict, which makes him fascinating to follow. The stories and their side characters provide much food for thought, and some of them return to my thoughts months and years later.

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Chas]

great finish to the 3 vol. accupuncture episode helps widen the entire work by giving a sense of history/values to the surgeon. an excellent balance between one-off productions and interwoven story.

[Viva]

I picked it up for the pretty cover - and 'cause my kids all read manga and I thought I might be able to stomach this one.

[Mary Goodnight]

Le roi des mangas.

[Ruz El]

Continues to be dead solid in both story and art. Sad thing is I'm hooked and have to buy more volumes!

[Fugo Feedback]

A ver cuándo me lo puedo traer pal depto así sigo tezukeando de lo lindo.

[Dony Grayman]

Tercer tomo de la edición de Black Jack en tomos gruesos de la Colección Tezuka.