Buddha, Vol. 3: Devadatta
Considered the father of Japanese comics, Tezuka is best known in America for the robot cartoon character Astro Boy. His other works are gradually seeing Western light, however, the latest being this ambitious, eight-volume account of the life of Buddha, originally published in the 1970s. In the third volume (followingKapilavastu[tr. 2003] andThe Four Encounters[tr. 2003]), young Prince Siddhartha abandons his kingdom and undergoes hardships on the road, accompanied by warrior-turned-monk Dhepa, who puts him through painful ordeals as he begins the search for enlightenment; and the pair meet the peculiar child Assaji, later one of Buddha's first disciples. Tezuka seamlessly combines characters from Buddhist lore with original creations, making moral points with skill and humor. His juxtaposition of broad comedy and often-violent drama, not to mention othermangaconventions, may at first put off readers used to comics being either serious or funny, but his storytelling and accessible cartooning should win over most. Tezuka's masterwork is an enlightening demonstration of the limitless potential of the comics medium.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved