ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 1), from Titan Comics on October 12th, 2022, begins an epic saga of Umatoro Tenma’s college years, long before building Astro Boy, as he perfects his experimental A.I. inside a special prototype robot.
The Details
- Written by: Osamu Tezuka, Masami Yuuki
- Art by: Tetsuro Kasahara
- Letters by: Jessica Burton
- Cover art by: Tetsuro Kasahara
- Cover price: $12.99
- Release date: October 12, 2022
Is It Good?
ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 1) is the perfect blend of robot-fighting, nostalgia, and heart you could ever want in a Manga. Taking inspiration from the legendary Astro Boy series, Osamu Tezuka and Masami Yuuki have concocted a prequel tale where we learn about Professor Tenma’s (Astro Boy’s creator) early years as a robot inventor and the creation that would inspire him to later create his famous “son.”
The key to this volume’s success is in that one word – “heart.” When we meet Tenma, he’s a college student struggling to find funding to continue his AI experiments based on developing true AI that gives the machine a “heart,” meaning the ability to think, reason, and do what’s right without the need for complex judgment rules. A106 (Tenma’s prototype robot) has a virtual “heart” that guides its actions in every circumstance.
As we preach whenever possible, if you can establish an emotional connection to one or more characters – in this case, A106’s heart – you hook the audience, and this volume hooks you in the first chapter.
The plot centers around A106’s exploits as he adapts to an experimental new codebase Tenma created. Faced with accidents and enemies, A106 quickly proves to be a hero in every respect, so it becomes incredibly easy to root for A106, whatever the challenge it faces. When rival inventors present an unstoppable robot for A106 to fight, it’s impossible not to root for it.
Tetsuro Kasahara’s art is fantastic in this volume. The small, quiet moments speak volumes. The big action moments hit like a sledgehammer, and the lighter moments are packed with amusing humor through character expressions and reactions. The art suits the story perfectly.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin by meeting Hiroshi Ochanomizu, a young robotics student working with his lab partner, Umatoro Tenma, to perfect true thinking AI. One morning, Hiroshi hurries to retrieve Tenma for their part-time job, which they need to help fund their experiments, when he learns Tenma updated their test robot, A106, with an experimental AI program. The new program gives A106 the ability to reason, adapt, and act with “heart.”
A106 is tested through a series of adventures (some unplanned) when it stops a fire that could have created a deadly explosion, stops a runaway cargo truck, and saves Ran, Tenma’s sister, from an attack.
We conclude the volume with rivals, a tournament, and an attempt at talking instead of fighting.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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ATOM: THE BEGINNING (VOL. 1) is a must-have volume for Manga fans, especially Astro Boy fans. The action is intense, the mysteries are intriguing, and oodles of heart permeate every page.
Related Information
Is Astro Boy the first anime?
By most standard measure, yes, Astro Boy is considered the first anime in that the cartoon (premiering in 1963) establishes many of the hallmarks of what anime would eventually become.
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