Four titles by “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka are on the way to English for the first time via comics and graphic novel publisher ABLAZE under its ABLAZE MANGA imprint and in cooperation with DI Books. Tezuka works on the way to print and digital in 2023 and 2024 include One Hundred Tales, Shakespeare Manga Theater, Tomorrow The Birds and Neo Faust.

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Here’s a rundown of each along with their respective release windows:

One Hundred Tales – August 2023

An adaptation of the Faust legend as a samurai period piece. Ichirui Hanri is an ordinary accountant servicing his lord. Though innocent, he is sentenced to death by hara-kiri after being entangled in a power struggle. A witch named Sudama appears and offers Hanri three wishes in exchange for his soul. Hanri accepts. Is it worth it?

Shakespeare Manga Theater – Q4 2023

Over the course of his career, Tezuka adapted many of Shakespeare’s works: Hamlet, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet (featuring Astro Boy!), and The Merchant of Venice. This book collects them into one volume and is sure to be popular not just with Tezuka fans, but also schools interested in presenting Shakespeare in a format that is easier for readers to engage with.

Tomorrow The Birds – Q2 2024

A science fiction manga depicting a future society in which evolved birds surpass humanity, Tomorrow the Birds is a parable about how we treat those who aren’t like us, and the eventual price that must be paid for arrogance. An unforgettable tapestry of seven-page chapters and longer stories.

Neo Faust – Q4 2024

This adaptation of Goethe’s Faust is Tezuka’s third rendering of this classic and one of the serializations he was working on at the time of his death. Despite being terminally ill, Tezuka continued to develop his already legendary storytelling and illustrations and left behind this enthralling take on a timeless theme.

Source: Press release

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Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his comics at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.