Cyborg 009 Vol. 1by Rebecca HenelyReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 World War II is over and the world has entered the arms race. As the world begins to discover the profit that can be made from perpetual war, a shadowy group known as the Black Ghost decides to create cyborg humans capable of taking war into space. They start the project, taking nine humans from all different parts of the world, including a Russian baby (Cyborg 001), an American gang leader (002), a young French girl (003), a German man who recently lost his wife (004), a strong, proud Native American (005), a poor Chinese farmer (006), an old alcoholic British man (007), and an African warrior (008). However, after the half-Western/half-Japanese juvenile delinquent Joe Shimura is turned into Cyborg 009 (the most powerful yet!), all of the cyborgs and one of the scientists rebel. Now all of them are a fighting against the Black Ghost to save themselves and the world.It's hard to say whether I really "enjoyed" Cyborg 009 or not. It's a well-written story and the art, while simplistic and seemingly racist in its depiction of the characters from different countries has a certain sort of kitschy charm. (These "racist" portraits are actually intended to be a satire of sorts. While the characters may look like stereotypes: the African has huge lips, the Chinese man is short with a thin mustache and a large nose, the Native American is huge and has a Mohawk and war-paint, etc. they are actually well-written and fully-formed people.) However, while I liked the manga, I didn’t really find it "fun." While I read Cyborg 009, I felt like I was reading the story as a look into what manga used to be like, rather than just reading it for its own sake. Not that the look into the past isn't compelling on its own. I recently watched the AniMatrix and a documentary on the disk entitled "Scrolls to Screen: The History and Culture of Anime" described early manga as a mixture between old Japanese picture scrolls, Disney, and American comics. In Cyborg 009, which was written in the 60's, the influences of Disney and American comics are still incredibly evident, especially in the art. The designs of the characters resemble old cartoons where political correctness had not yet taken its stronghold. The animals are also drawn in a style more commonly found in an old Looney Toons short than in a modern manga. Also, whereas modern manga tends to separate panels by thin lines or have them run into each other, Cyborg 009 actually uses gutters like in the old Golden and Silver Age comics. The story of Cyborg 009 is also heavily influenced by American comics. In fact, when I read the manga I was shocked by how "American" the story was. The Cyborgs' story of being changed into superhumans by a group of scientists is just another variation of the many origin stories that still grace the pages of American comics today. Even the powers seem to be fashioned in an American mold. Whereas Japanese heroes/heroines' powers seem to be based on elements (The Sailor Soldiers in Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura's cards, etc.) the cyborgs powers are based on ability. One can run fast, one can dig, one can change his body into anything, etc. Of course, the female ends up getting the defensive power, but that's a rant for another day ... In a way, Cyborg 009 reminds me the most of Captain America, who was created by the American government to be a war machine. However, where American comics glorified war as a noble battle where the good guys fight against insurmountable odds, Cyborg 009 sees war as a useless fight where the only real aim is profit for the weapons sellers. It's this viewpoint that makes Cyborg an intriguing read and not just an average superhero story. Don't get me wrong, I love superhero stories and always have, but writer/artist Shotaro Ishinomori puts the story in a light rarely seen on American shores. I doubt any fan of American comics will walk away from this comic without feeling that he or she has seen something different. All in all, Cyborg 009 is a well-written and well-drawn manga, but one that's compelling more for what it was then than what it is today. Years from now, I probably won't remember the characters or the details of Cyborg 009's creation, but I'll remember that I saw an eye-opening look into the rise of manga and the post World War II mindset of Japan. If it weren't for this look, Cyborg 009 would be your average superhero story. It's anti-war stance and look into old Japanese pop-culture makes it so much more. Written: January 11, 2004
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