Name: Apollo's Song
ISBN: 9781932234664

Camellia Nieh

Osamu Tezuka

In a continuing effort to show Americans the more literary and adult side of Osamu Tezuka's manga-graphic novels, Vertical proudly introduces Apollo's Song, the story of Shogo, a troubled young man who has no faith in love. When his misanthropy reaches its peak, he is met by the Goddess of Love, who condemns him to an eternity of heartbreak.

Apollo's Song

Gavin

Surprising mix of nurturism and eco doomster stuff, with some laughable scenes of e.g. allegorical sperm. Death = love = death or something - they can’t communicate except by hurting each other. Shogo is unlikeable - initially because of his whining and viciousness, later for other reasons. His character does develop - sideways. his repeatedly murdering the woman who loves him is hard to forget. Both stupid and deep, like the other Tezuka works I’ve seen. 

Elevated by some stunning single panel pages, of Ginza streets packed with graves, of dark floral patterns where they shouldn’t be, of animal communism.