Week Ten: Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix #1


I went into this text not really knowing what to expect. The only assumption I had made--based solely on the style of the art-- was that the subject matter would be lighthearted, as comics with this sort of classic style tend to be associated more with lighthearted content. I was surprised when I found that this wasn't the case; the story deals with death and how it is dealt out in multiple instances. The first character we are introduced to dies shortly thereafter, and the way in which he dies spares no theatrics; he is burned to death, his charred body promptly brought back to his home. Eventually the entire village of people are slaughtered, with no members of the community-- not even children-- spared. The story goes on to introduce the reader to Himiko, who eagerly sentences even the most loyal of her subjects to death. Not what I was expecting, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't also interest me a lot more than I anticipated.

I like the sense of humor that the author brings to the piece. Amid all of these dark themes of death, aging, loss, and violence, the story still manages to maintain a comical appeal. What else is interesting is that the humor often used in the work is typically very out of place in regards to the time period of the story. At times the humor makes references to things thousands of years in the future, for example in its comparison of Himiko to Hitler. Additionally we see the style change slightly in some panels, accompanied with labels like 'Broadway' or 'Disney'. The piece also breaks the fourth wall on some occasions, using character dialogue to point out the way panels are being used.

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