Astro Boy, Vol. 4

鉄腕アトム [Tetsuwan Atom] #4

by Osamu Tezuka

Standing shoulder to shoulder with comics and animation icons Krazy Kat, Mickey Mouse, and Tin Tin, Osama Tezuka's Astro Boy remains as fresh today as when the boy robot first appeared nearly fifty years ago. And Tezuka's Astro Boy original manga are now finally available in America in an English-language edition, produced in collaboration with Studio Proteus and translated by Frederik L. Schodt, well-known to manga readers for his work on Ghost in the Shell . In this Astro fights to free abused robots from a robot theme park that masks a secret weapons factory; Astro and fellow robots are stranded on the moon only to discover a valley full of diamonds...but they are not alone, and the diamonds are not unguarded; Astro becomes trapped in the twentieth century after a child prodigy's time machine breaks down; and Professor Ochanomizu and Astro Boy are caught up in a movement to overthrow a dictator who has a machine capable of producing human clones...and a force of evil robots to defend it!

This volume contains the following
Robot Land
Ivan the Fool
A Day to Remember Ghost Manufacturing Machine

Genres: Manga, Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Adventure, Action

213 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

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

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next up in my mini-marathon of Astro Boy titles is volume 4, with four stories included. Stories full of action showing Astro Boy zipping around saving the world.

KERSMUSH! KABOOSH! KABAAAM! KABOOM!

I think my husband will have fun with this book and will enjoy adding it to his collection.

And now ZOOOM!

I'm off to read Astro Boy #5!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the opener "Robot Land" in which Astro and friends visit a theme park of robots in recreations of fantastical themes, and things get a little too real when they meet the Satan Robot who is terrorising everyone else in their "home". "Ivan the Fool" was fun too as Astro Boy goes to the moon and finds diamonds, but can anyone use them since they are stuck there with an over-protective robot and need to find their way home. "A Day to Remember" starts well enough, being about using robots to stand in for lost loved ones (pretty sure that idea became a Black Mirror episode), but then veers off into an underdeveloped time-travel sci-fi story. Finally "Ghost Manufacturing Machine" is the longest and weakest offering about a dictator who is suspiciously like Hitler trying to get Ochanomizu's old friend to finish off a ghost-cloning device so he can create his own double and continue his nefarious rule. There's not too much to make that one stand out from the pack.

All in all, another great collection of stories.

[Natalie]

I can honestly say that I have no idea how the heck this book was the manga that ‘started’ the shounen manga or inspired manga artists with their successful shounen series such as Dragon Ball. This manga is just kind of out there that I have absolutely no idea how I was going to rate this.

First off, this manga was made in the 50’s so the art and the story really has an old fashion type story structure that we’ve seen in old comics before. Especially in the sci-fi and the action genre. The hero lives life normally (or sometimes discovers new powers about himself). A villain appears and causes chaos.

There’s nothing much to say about this book except for the fact that some of the scenes in this manga don’t make any sense and just pop out of nowhere. For example, in the beginning of the manga there is this young boy driving a car. Mind you that this kid is no older than 12 years old and yet he recklessly drives the car and ends up getting into an accident. There’s also the police cars that are shaped like dog heads and there are some sort of diamonds on the moon (or some sort of crystals with an abandoned city, I can’t remember).

The plot is just series of events that happen to our protagonist, Astro Boy and they are kind of boring and lame. They’re predictable and the villains are not really that interesting and can sometimes be kind of stupid. Astro Boy is the only thing about this manga I actually enjoyed. He’s nice, wants to do the right thing, stands up for his friends and is basically your typical superhero. He’s not that interesting or complex but they do give him a good backstory that makes you feel sympathy for him.

If you like the story of robots coexisting with human then this’ll be a cute manga to check out. Just keep in mind that it was made in the 50’s so the plot and the characters are kind of old fashioned and not that complex.

[Allan Olley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection contains the stories Robot Land (1962), Ivan the Fool (1959), a Day to Remember (1960), Ghost Manufacturing Machine (1957). The first two stories also have a later comic form prologue with Osama Tezuka giving some background. The stories are fun although the character motivations and attitudes can be a bit too simplistic or bizarre at times there are occasional moments that are heavier and more well drawn. The stories range from a fairy tale land run by a robot Satan to a trip to the Moon, the day of the dead being interrupted by loan sharks and time travel and finally stories of science experiments and resistance against a obvious parody of Hitler.

[Michael Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved watching Astroboy on TV in the 1960's. This volume of Astroboy manga contains at least 3 stories that later became animated TV show episodes. Tezuka's characters and control of line and shape fascinates me now in ways that were totally above my head when I was a boy. You don't have to be a mangaphile like me to enjoy this book, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

[Johnathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic entry in the "Astro City" as he fights to free robots from an oppressive nation while also dealing with limits of his own. Tezuka tells a fun, action packed story that actually deals with themes of political oppression and unfair. While on the surface, it looks like kids stuff but Tezuka always delivered something more. A great read altogether.

[Anthony Wendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume features Astro Boy fighting against Satan, or at least a robot named Satan. Later a totalitarian regime kidnaps Dr. Ochanomizu for his expertise. There are a lot of intense action scenes as Astro fights the good fight.

[Dan P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foreign dictators abusing robots is one of the big repeating themes in Astro Boy, and we've got couple different flavors of it in this volume. Tezuka's consistent focus on universal human rights and dignity makes each of these stories special, even when they get a little repetitive or juvenile

[Andrew Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I particularly liked Ivan the fool and ghost manufacturing machine. Sure, it's a little hokey, but it's a fun read and a nice change from my typical fare lately.

[Marchel · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Robot Bom
Sebuah robot datang ke sekolah Atom. Terjadi perkelahian antara Atom dan robot itu yang menghancurkan sekolah. Belakangan diketahui robot itu adalah sebuah robot bom. Robot Bom adalah robot yang dikirim ke suatu tempat dan meledak saat sudah tiba di tujuan dengan mematahkan tanduk pengamannya.
Tentu saja ini menjadi masalah, karena robot bom sudah dilarang sejak lama dan alat pembuat terakhirnya dibuang ke laut yang dalam. Apa mungkin alat itu memproduksi robot sendiri dan malah me-re-produksi robot-robot bom lebih banyak sehingga menjadi suatu komunitas tersendiri?

2. Mesin Pembuat Arwah
Salah satu cerita yang menggambarkan hasrat terpendam lama manusia, ingin hidup abadi.
Hitling (kemiripan yang disengaja dengan Hitler???) adalah presiden negara Gorgonia. Dia khawatir salah satu anak buahnya akan memberontak, sehingga meminta profesor Babros menciptakan alat bernama Mesin Pembuat Arwah. Dia ingin supaya arwahnya bisa lepas, dan karenanya tidak perlu lagi takut akan kematian dan berkuasa selamanya.
Seruan Hidup Hitling dengan tangan terjulur ke depan agak ke atas saat Hitling melintas di depan rakyatnya sangat sangat mirip dengan seruan Heil Hitler, jadi cerita ini pastilah bikin heboh ketika ditulis tahun 1957 dulu.

3. Topeng Hitam
Suatu organisasi bernama Topeng Hitam, dengan ketuanya bernama Topeng (nama yg aneh >.<), sangat membenci robot. Menganggap robot tak lebih sebagai budak, dan bisa dibantai kapan dan di mana saja (dihancurkan hingga menjadi kepingan). Tak disangka ini karena salah paham seorang anak yang mengira ibunya (sebuah robot ^^) mati karena robot (padahal cuma rusak ^^)
Lokasi cerita yang mengambil tempat di Afrika Selatan, sangat mengingatkan akan politik Apartheid.

4. Bola Misterius
Sebuah bola aneh ditemukan di Brazil. Ketika bola tersebut bersinar terang ke langit, suatu ras bernama Manusia Eros datang menyerbu dan memakan segalanya.
Manusia Eros ternyata datang dari suatu planet kecil (dugaan gw sih dari sabuk asteroid), hidup dengan memakan habis sebuah planet kecil lalu pindah ke planet lain dan kembali memakan habis planet itu dan begitu selanjutnya. Dan kali ini bumilah yang mereka incar...
Penyelesaian masalah ini kelewat gampang. Petunjuknya terlalu banyak makan manis maka gigimu bisa sakit...hahahaha

[sucker4synth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The further adventures of Astro from the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka. With themes like robot rights, these books really make you question about life, civil liberties, whether something is "alive" and deserving of rights. The cutesy Disney-esque style can make you forget how deep some of the stories can be.

[Hillingdon Libraries]

Find this book at Hillingdon Libraries

[Fugo Feedback]

Ahora que lo conseguí a un precio irrisorio junto al #5, sólo me falta leerme el 3 para hacerme panzada de Astroboy.

[Jonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it but the cover looks a bit strange :/