Pluto Vol. 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 The peaceful, nature-loving robot, Mont Blanc is decimated. Murdered in a mysterious way and left in a bizarre manner to be found- with make-shirt horns placed in the head. Elsewhere a key figure in Robot Rights is murdered and also found with horns. Robot detective Gesicht is assigned to the case. Another famous robot soon meets a similar demise after serving one last purpose (very different from what he was designed to do). Gesicht soon learns that all seven of the Great Robots of the World have been targeted. That includes him ... and Atom (Astro Boy).I am amazed. I really didn't care for Naoki Urasawa's art or storytelling style (despite him being award-willing) with his manga, Monster, but since this particular manga is based on such an important manga, and since it was created with the help of the originator's son, I had to give it a read. Astro Boy is the story of a very human-like robot boy who saves the world - and it revolutionized the world of manga, and the world of sequential art. Osamu Tezuka's works are not to be retold lightly. Pluto is based on the story "The Greatest Robot on Earth", and what I really like about this retelling so far is that it greatly changes perspectives. Now it's told from the dectective's perspective rather than the boy's. Taking a relatively minor character and making him the lead opens up wonderful new ways of looking at the same story. I also think Urasawa's art style works well for this new version - it's not so vastly different or "shojo-y" - it stays hard and real like the story, but can also offer softness or warmness when it needs to. It's still not my favorite art style by far, but I was so into the story that it didn't bother or distract me at all. Fans of Tezuka's works will enjoy this retelling as will fans of Urasawa. If you like hard crime stories or futuristic robot stories you'll also enjoy it. In fact, reading it, I felt a very strong sense of deja vu and a connection to the movie I, Robot - especially with the Robot Rights bit thrown in there. There's also a really neat interview in the back with Urasawa and Nagasaki about the challenges of tackling something as great and as respected as Tezuka's Astro Boy. Written: February 15, 2009
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