Product Description

Robot Vol. 1 is an all-color manga compilation and edited by the elite manga artist Range Murata, character designer for Studio Gonzo's Last Exile and Blue Submarine No. 6. His hand-picked contributors come together in a mind blowing experiment of what happens when top manga artists work in the unusual medium of color. From Range Murata's picturesque portrayal of a long and hot motorcycle ride through the countryside to Yoshitoshi Abe's tale of dark fantasy resembleing a D&D campaign gone horribly wrong, narrative diversity competes with high level artistic experimentation in this monumental work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #303578 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 164 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781569709399
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Stunning, dark, exhilarating and disturbing, Murata's collection of contemporary Japanese comic art gives an inside view of the explosive work happening there today. The collection begins with an odd, almost wordless little piece, beautifully rendered in watercolor; it seems an innocuous tale of two teenagers taking a ride in the country, but why does the final panel show the boy, laughing, parked on the train tracks? Next is a tale of schoolgirls (it appears there are unshakeable comic conventions, even for the avant-garde set) in space, followed by another postapocalyptic piece about the serendipity of found imagery in the future. The beautiful, the charming and the downright bizarre all have their place in the collection. There are watercolor adventures in an otherworldly villa, a boy who rips the wings off angels, a cartoon bird that proclaims how adorable it is and more than a few well-endowed heroines slinging swords. Though the plotting is at times uneven, every piece is meticulously drawn, with a range of styles including pencil, pen and ink, delicate paint washes, and Technicolor graphics. The final effect is a nearly overwhelming work that bears repeated reading and is a must for older readers interested in contemporary Japanese comics. (July)
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Customer Reviews

Eye Candy for All Anime Fans
Robot is not so much a manga book as it is an art book. Few of the stories have any clear-cut meaning, especially since few of them are more than five pages long. And almost all of the stories have as confusing an ending as you'll ever find in an anime or manga. The book is officially called "Super Color Comic: Robots 1: Works in Progress" so none of what is found in this book is a surprise. What is shared by all the stories, however, is that they are smart, and beautifully drawn and colored.

The stories cover all ranges of genres. A lot are haunting tales of murder, while some deal with childhood and the love. One fantasy story deals with witches who are curious about their human neighbors, while a horror story deals with necrophilia and murder. There is a Cowboy Bebop-like actioneer, and not one but two stories about angels, both with a disturbing slant. There is even a few pages donated solely to manga art, no story whatsoever. However, even though some of these stories seem very innocent, this is not a book for children. Nudity, blood, and gore can be found in every other story; there are no "bald spots" in this book (long time anime fans know what I mean).

Range Murata, who created characters for Blue Submarine #6 and Last Exile, compiled this book of supreme Japanese art, and I'm praying that it sells extremely well so that others in this Robot series are released. He was able to get the liveliest collection of artists around, including the character designer for Burst Angel. In the future, there is no telling who else could make an appearance in these books. So, for fans of manga out there, please buy this book. If not for the stories then definitely for the art. Artists or fans of fantasy art should also take a look at this book. It's only so long before this type of art gets recognized in art books like Spectrum, so get a grip on it now while you can.

Beyond that, I'd recommend it to veteran fans of anime. The names and the art styles in this book may seem familiar to some of you. For those of you who like those artsy anime wallpapers that can be found on many websites devoted solely to this, I'd also recommend you take a look. It will be a matter of time before the art in this book becomes available as wallpaper.

Beauty and innovation
With its striking cover and impressive collection of artists, Robot is sure to draw quite a bit of attention, and for the most part it lives up to expectations.

The only reason you should be buiying this collection is for the art, and it certainly delivers on that aspect. Most of the artists have backgrounds in animation, and it shows. While I'm not a huge fan of anime art, it's undeniable that every story in this is stunningly drawn. With a wide range of styles and techniques, there's something in here for everyone. Each style lends to the story, and some of the atmospheres created (particuarly in the second story and third) are breathtaking.

As for the stories themselves, the fact that many of the artists have little background in manga shows. Most of the stories really aren't worth mentioning. Some don't even attempt to have a coherent narrative, instead focusing strictly on the atmosphere. There are several tales that really leave an impression on the reader, in particular the wonderful slice-of-life story set in the future as well as the haunting "Bitting Summer Play". Even if most of the other tales don't reach this level of exellence, none are particuarly horrible. Besides, you shouldn't be buying this collection for the writing; it's stricktly eye-candy.

So while it doesn't break any new ground in terms of narrative or storytelling, Robot fufills its promise of providing gorgeous visuals. As of October, it looks like this is the best manga artbook of 2005.

*Concerning the other reviewers complaint that the binding came loose, DMP has fixed this issue in time for the first printing.

Amazing book!
This book is well made with brilliant color design and firm, glossy pages. Each artist went all out to create a beautiful conglomeration of stories. While this book is not for everyone, due to its sometimes graphic content, it is most definately worth ones time and money. Range Murata has done a beautiful job on the cover design and the first three or so pages. The book is not just done by Range Murata, but also by other artists, each style of drawing and color distinctly different. My only qualm with the book is that the comics are some times too short! However, I believe they will be continued in the next volume.