Two-in-One Review: Viz Publications Don and Randy take a look at some of Viz Comics' recent offerings. Randy: Just about once every couple of months, Don and I recieve a great big package of manga from Viz for review. I don't know about Don, but for me it's become like Christmas, never knowing exactly what awaits in these packages and whether it's the "cool, a new bike!" of Phoenix: A Tale of the Future or the "gee, another pair of socks" of No Need for Tenchi! Don: "Another pair of socks"? Randy, dude, you're supposed to take the blue pills, not the yellow ones. Keep in mind that despite our occasional exposure to Viz's books and other manga, Randy and I are still rookies when it comes to the world of Japanese comics. Read on, and follow our further education in Manga 101. Phoenix: A Tale of the Future by Osamu Tezuka Don: Civilization has progressed to the point that mankind has become a slave to the whims of the super-computers it created to govern everyday life, and one space patrol officer has decided he has had enough of it. Thus, the first domino falls in a string of events in a story about the seamlessness of evolution and divine creation. The fiery Phoenix aims to ensure the rebirth of man in this odd tale of science fiction. Randy: Don and I actually had a look at the first 60-odd pages of Phoenix in April, and I think we were both pretty impressed then. I'm even more impressed with the final product, which is a stunning accomplishment of science-fiction, philosophy and manga. It served for me as both an introduction to Osamu Tezuka, who sounds more and more like manga's Will Eisner and/or Jack Kirby and as a solid read in its own right. Don: Initially, Phoenix starts out as a sci-fi love story, with familiar Big Brother overtones. But about halfway through the book, the tone of the story, and themes explored, shift radically. Tezuka makes it clear that life ultimately sets out to destroy itself for some bizarre, disheartening reason. But it's all part of a never-ending cycle. Life can never be completely extinguished, as the potential for it lies within every subatomic particle. Tezuka's philosophy has a unique scientific and genuine quality. Randy: Phoenix has a tone that is hard to describe, as it blends the dark horror of a post-apocalypse with an almost whimsical look at human culture and society. I was reminded at times of Jay Hosler's work, with the attention paid to evolutionary theory and sociology, but there's also a sense of wonder that can be found in the best of classic science-fiction. Tezuka name-checks at least one of his influences, naming a character Bradbury, and this reads very much like the sort of story Ray Bradbury and his ilk wrote, based on intelligent scientific thought but not so much that it is dry and boring. Don: There's more than just a standard manga look at play in the artwork. Tezuka is obviously strongly influenced by old Warner Bros. cartoons, and that lighter tone makes for an interesting contrast with the mature and intellectual quality of the script. Tezuka, who passed away in 1989, is more than just a major influence in Japanese comics. I can't help but wonder, for instance, if Scott (Understanding Comics) McCloud is a Tezuka enthusiast, as I could easily see that he'd be influenced by the Japanese artist. Randy: This stands up remarkably well for a work that was created in the late 1960s, and the praise heaped upon Tezuka in the text pieces calling him a "visionary" aren't too far off the mark. While the characters are drawn a little broadly in terms of their personalities, Tezuka does give each of them redeeming qualities, and even the most noble of the characters is vulnerable to human frailties and failings. In addition, while the fear of atomic annihilation that was prevalent in the 1960s informs the work, the notion that humanity has given itself over to computer rule is a theme that would turn up later in the mid-80s in films like War Games, Tron and The Terminator. Though the storytelling and dialogue does at some times evoke a Stan Lee feel, this is a fairly sophisticated work that is truly ahead of its time. To see more of Don and Randy's thoughts on Phoenix, check out this previous Two-in-One review. Uzumaki Vol. 2 by Junji Ito Randy: Turning from the spiritual and philosophical into the realm of horror, we have Uzumaki, which I've heard a lot about from various folks. I've even glanced at a couple of pages, and found that all the hype, claiming it to be one of the most disturbing horror comics out there, is well-deserved. The simple concept, that a "spiral pattern" is haunting a small town, gives rise to a variety of Twilight Zone-esque stories. Don: Viz is two for two in this review. Uzumaki made for a thoroughly disturbing read. One of the stories even turned my stomach... and I mean that in the most complimentary manner possible. As Randy notes, the book is based just on a spiral imagery theme, but that simple concept yields plenty of horror potential. Ito jumps from one spiral image to another, and he comes up with some truly bizarre and frightening premises. Randy: Uzumaki is tied together through the main character, a young girl named Kirie, and her boyfriend Shuichi, but it's really a series of vignettes about the horrible effects that the spiral has on the town and its inhabitants. Ito plays up a style of horror that is reminiscent of Lovecraft in the scope of his antagonists but also has a touch of classic horror films and modern-day slashers in the pacing, suspense and use of gore. The concepts that Ito comes up with, ranging from a reanimated corpse to a lighthouse that burns inhabitants to death, are creepy enough, but the way he illustrates them is sure to induce a few good nightmares. Don: Ito's core concepts wouldn't work nearly as well, though, if the art weren't so dark, realistic and horrific. There's a detailed, organic look to the monsters and supernatural phenomena that makes them leap off of the page. It's remarkably easy to relate to Kirie's sense of foreboding and fear as a result. Randy: It's hard to do horror in comics, as the reader, not the author, controls the pacing, but Ito manages with some striking imagery to really strike terror into the heart of the reader. It's hard not to be disturbed by the sight of Mitsuru's body crushed under the wheels of a car, or the horrible shape of the boys-turned-slugs or the parade of predators that haunt Kirie in her stay at the hospital. And it's hard not to be afraid of a hurricane that seems alive, using its "eye" to track down the girl it wants for some unspeakable purpose. Don: It's the "mushrooms" from Chapter 11 -- "The Umbilical Cord" -- that's going to keep me up tonight. Thoroughly creepy, clever and chillingly entertaining. For more information on Viz Comics, visit www.viz.com. And be sure to return to The Fourth Rail on Friday for more Viz reviews. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.