|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
Reviewed by Michael Aronson From the creator of Astro Boy and Metropolis, comes Nextworld, part of Osamu Tezuka’s cycle of original science-fiction graphic novels published in the late 1940s and early 1950s. When nuclear testing creates mutated animals with amazing supernatural abilities, the world and its great superpowers are drawn into political conflict that could light the fuse for World War III. A wry satire of the Cold War – and guest-starring some friends you may recognize from Astro Boy – Nextworld is timeless graphic fiction from one of the medium’s true masters. As a self-professed Tezuka fanatic, it’s with great regret that I inform you of a work of his that falls way below his usual level of excellence. Granted, Nextworld is one of his earliest works, and many ideas, figures and themes within are explored and developed to far greater effect in his later works, but Nextworld itself is quite a mess. Hardly a line of thought is given more than half a panel when the next panel jumps to an entirely different scene or time – sometimes days after the previous one, followed by another panel which takes places days after that. Though manga is famous for its slow and calculated pacing, Nextworld never stops barreling through. Which would be okay if the plot held together better. A scientist makes a discovery of an island inhabited by strange creatures, but his efforts to inform the nations of the world is thwarted by internal politics which erupt into the next World War. Basically, countries are attacking each other while the earth is in danger and monsters are on the loose. It almost works as a metaphor for modern America’s preoccupation with war while global warming becomes a hot-button issue, but not only is it intended to reflect the Cold War era in which it was written, but the monsters-run-amok stuff throws it out of phase. Nextworld features the beginning of some of Tezuka’s characters and stylings that would eventually become famous in books like Astro Boy, but it’s very rough here. His experimentation with panel layout and action is very timid and his designs are very simple and often dull. Granted, one needs to keep in mind the time in which he was working, but compared to his later masterpiece, this is just the roughest of drafts. Dark Horse’s presentation sure didn’t help make Nextworld any less patchy. The dialogue is as jumpy and inconsistent as the story’s progression, probably having gone for a more straight translation than adaptation to English. There are a few noticeable spelling gaffs, and the chapter breaks are awkward and given little indication other than in bold words at the top panel of their respective pages. And the price is criminal for a mere 164 pages, but that’s pretty much par for Dark Horse manga. Most of my recommendation for Nextworld is on the basis of its novelty factor. It’s like watching Davinci paint his first portrait. Only hardcore manga buffs need inquire, and even then be prepared for a rickety rollercoaster of unfocused potential. It’s not great, but some day it will be. Comment on this review of Nextworld v1 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
|
||||
 |
| home | reviews | news | features | about us | advertise | privacy policy | contact us |
