Phoenix A Tale of the Future TPB (2002 Viz) comic books 2001-2003

1st printing. Story and art by Osamu Tezuka. A gripping science fiction parable about the pitfalls of technology that takes place in the far future and around the globe, this Tale of the Future is as relevant now as it was when it was first published in Japan in the late '60s. A testament to comics as an art form and as literature, Phoenix: A Tale of the Future is an essential component of any serious comics collection. After several nuclear wars, civilization has gone underground due to the toxic atmosphere. The five cities resemble huge shopping malls, and each city is ruled by an enormous computer. Meet Masato, who secretly owns a creature called a Moopee, an extraterrestrial capable of assuming any form and inducing hallucinations in those it contacts. He attempts to discover the secret of the Phoenix, while the world veers toward Armageddon. By the creator of Astro Boy and Adolf. Softcover, 7 1/2-in. x 10-in., 298 pages, B&W. Cover price $22.95.