Astro Boy Volume 13

Zolomon’s Jewels [May to December 1967] This is one of the longest Astro Boy stories I’ve read and deals with a lot of different topics. A boy finds a gem and 50 years later attributes all his enormous financial success to the jewel but an enormous robot named Zolomon is trying to retrieve the gem for his master, Shiela. Meanwhile, the son of the owner of the gem, Hikari, hates robots for their superiority and wants to become a cyborg through surgery. A lot of the story threads start and sputter out including the one with Hikari which could have been quite interesting. There is a tease of a huge fight between Zolomon and four robots including Astro but that doesn’t really go anywhere. In the end it turns out the jewel is actually a miniaturized planet and characters who initially appear benevolent turn out to be evil. I think this story could have been used to create three smaller stories and each one would have been better than the story here. Not a terrible tale but a bit unfocused.Shootout in the Alps [January 1956] Astro Boy is disappointed that he is never moved or inspired by art or music and pleads with Professor Ochanomizu for a human like heart. Although the Professor resists, concerned that Astro will begin to experience human fears, he does go through with the operation. It’s Christmas time and Astro is finally able to experience the joy but his occasionally outbursts of fear at things like reckless driving become evident and some villains decide to capitalize on Astro’s new weakness. They kidnap Astro’s parents and blackmail him into helping them. The story culminates with Astro battling the villains’ robot and Astro is forces to give up his human heart or lose the fight from fear. It could have been a sad ending with Astro giving up the emotions of joy and wonder but he accepts it and vows never to envy human’s again.Apparently some of this story was done by Jiro Kuwata who is somewhat famous of late as the Manga artist behind the Bat Manga comics of the late 60’s. He wrote part of Shootout in the Alps and drew the later part of the story although Tezuka redrew it when it was reprinted in book form. It’s not explicitly stated but I assume we are getting the Tezuka art in this book rather than the Kuwata although it’s interesting that Jiro was involved in the writing.The Lying Robot [September 1964] A robot boy runs through the city telling everyone to seek safety from a coming earthquake but when none arrives he’s questions and proceeds to tell a series of lies. The robot escapes and Astro peruse him to the home of his creator. It turns out the robot was modified to lied because as caretaker of the inventors dying mother the robot would bluntly tell her she would be dead soon. He modified the robot to always lie with all the obvious problems that brings. The story has a very sad ending but not uncommon for a Tezuka tale.

Q: Do you have a male preteen, who likes Pokemon, Yugioh, cartoons, owns at least two game systems (handhelds count) and knows what anime is?A: Yes.Stop here and buy the series. Don't ask why, or is it valuable, beneficial or even engage in the debate about the academic merits of comic books, or graphic novels. I could tell you it is a Japanese classic, on par with Superman, that it may be a collectors item in the future or it is an engaging series with complex subplots for this age group.That doesn't matter.You only need to know that if you buy it:1. He is reading2. He is reading3. He is not playing a video game4. He is reading5. He is not arguing or fighting with a sibling6. He is not watching TV like a mindless drone7. He is reading8. He will want to read other graphic novels.