This is the first volume of many in Naoki Urasawa’s Monster series. I’m not going to say too much about it as I don’t feel qualified to critically appraise Manga. I read it while asking myself what it has to contribute to the argument that graphic fiction could be a source for health professionals. I guess I’m used to reading gritty social realism in art comics and so I found this a bit… simplistic? Its certainly enjoyable: our altruistic hero, the young talented surgeon Kenzo Tenma, is cast against a background of corrupt, power hungry hospital doctors. After being briefly… Read More
Black Jack Volume 1
Created by “father of manga” and trained doctor (although he never practiced) Osamu Tezuka, Black Jack is a mysterious and brilliant surgeon who practices without a licence. Distaining mainstream medical institutions and living alone with a cute assistant he fashioned himself (from a cystic terratoma and doll parts!) he is the superhero doctor we would all love to be. Like a cartoon Clint Eastwood character, the truculant Black Jack is called upon by those in need to perform the operations only he can do. Often derided as mercinary and working only for money, his hard facade secretly hides a heart… Read More