Phoenix : Resurrection (Phoenix)

Rating:
Summary: Another outstanding entry
Review: Dr. Tezuka's life work--'Phoenix'--is a somewhat uneven assortment of often brilliant story telling and images. This should be expected since his work on this epic (can we use any other term, given the storyline spans all of human history?) starts in the late 60's and continues until the end of his life (1989). Phoenix seems to be one of Tezuka's outlets for exploring the very boundaries of comics the samw way he explored experimental techniques in animation (Jumping, Broken Down, etc.) It is exciting to think how Phoenix came very close to changing the comic industry, translated some time ago (I forget exactly when) by the Dadakai group. Then for some reason the idea was scrapped. When we look at the publications by Alan Moore and (rightfully) elevate his work--seeing it as influential on where modern comics are right now; there is something humbling in how Tezuka was building a mountain of works more awe-inspiring and more innovating than anyone could have imagined decades before anyone heard of Moore. Tezuka seemingly created the lengthy graphic novel on his own, pushing the comic as a serious artistic medium. If only Phoenix had gotten published when the translations were first made! (late 70's, early 80's???)


Though the impact is somewhat lessened, Viz has made a serious attempt to rectify the problem. The first 5 volumes of Phoenix in print and in English is truly a marvelous thing. They are most often moralistic, but Dr. Tezuka seems to enjoy pushing our own sense of morality to its breaking point (and I suppose that is where story telling really begins to get interesting anyway). The stories are often somewhat cosmic in nature, featuring a giant flaming bird right out of Stravinsky's firebird suite (Tezuka even admits the inspiration). Being a bird which lives forever and who's blood gives eternal life, there is rarely a question that each story will in time deal with issues of mortality and resurrection. A lot of characters die, often in horrible ways. Tezuka is both pessimistic about the final outcome of the human race, while also retaining some hope--and for me that's where I find the work fantastic.

Vol. 5 is probably not the very best of what's published (I award this to Future and Karma) but it is excellent nonetheless and still miles beyond what most people would consider to be comic. Although the story is really no different in tone from early installments, the in-jokes are notably gone. This change seems to be wide-spread through Tezuka's later work, and it does aid the story a bit (the in-jokes nearly overwhelmed and capsized his earlier Phoenix entry, Yamato).

What Resurrection exceeds at is good science fiction. This story wrestles with many of the same themes that P.K.Dick is famous for in the West. What it means to be human is central to this story along with themes of persecution of the weak (just as in Astroboy, Robots continue to have questionable rights--being treated as tools while they clearly have feelings in Tezuka's stories).

Now the next step is terrifying because this is where Dadakai stopped translating Phoenix. There are seven more volumes (though even this is not a complete cycle since Tezuka did not live to complete the entire piece), and I can only hope the Viz choses to continue the publication of this series--even though it may not be as profitable as Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh! This is so very clearly an important contribution to comics (for English readers), along with Viz's earlier publication of Tezuka's Adolf and Vertical's publication of Buddha, that it would be terribly unfortunate if Viz chose to stop here.