The Book of Human Insects
“Brilliant. Just once, I’d like to read a work by Tezuka that  wasn’t either at least nearly or totally perfectly crafted… A                                          typical complaint nowadays is  that the usual comic costs about $4 and takes about 10 minutes (or less)  to read. But with Tezuka’s work,                                          you’re invited to linger over a  page for a minute, just taking everything in. One of Tezuka’s (many)  skills is his deftness with                                          background details, with an  emphasis on lived-in spaces that seem to have texture that you could  just grip.”           —MTV Geek“I suppose just reading a story like that could be repugnant to  some people, but I found it weirdly enjoyable. It’s not like Tezuka                                          sugarcoats his lead’s  fundamental awfulness, or blatantly asks that we enjoy it as she  destroys people—even in that ‘hate the                                          player/love the game’ way that  you saw all over pop culture in the early 1970s. It’s most fascinating  to me as a big ol’ hate                                          letter to the emerging Japanese  post-war generation, although Tezuka includes a vile war-era criminal in  the book as well.”                                   —The Comics Reporter“It is a riveting experience with so much to think about that  multiple readings will not only be in order, but also a great pleasure  because                                          this is quality manga from page  one… I have read a lot of Tezuka, almost everything of his that has been  released in English actually,                                          andThe Book of Human Insectsis amazing… It stands up withOde to KirihitoandMWas one of his best but doesn’t                                          have any/many strange quirks  that might throw off new readers… A must-own volume from both Vertical  and Tezuka. Grade: A+”                    —Fandom Post"Epic Tezuka is back! As always, Tezuka builds long, winding  plotlines and then brilliantly connects them to each other, creating a  massive but memorable network of characters. This journey through the  worlds of art, entertainment, crime, politics, and business also  presents a deeper message about the dead ends and pitfalls of modern  society. Tezuka’s ambitions can also be seen in the art, where wild  metaphors and images jump off the page"-Anime News Network