ComicsgodOsamuTezuka’sdarkestwork,MWisachillingpicaresqueofevil.SteeringclearofthesupernaturalaswellasthecuddlydesignsandslapstickhumorthatenlivenmanyofTezuka’sbetter-knownworks,MWexploresastarkmodernrealitywhereneitherdivinenorsecularjusticeseemstoprevail.Thiswillfully“anti-Tezuka“achievementfromthemaster’sownpenneverthelesspulsateswithhisuniquegenius.MichioYukihasitall:looks,intelligence,apedigreeasthescionofafamousKabukifamily,apromisingcareeratamajorbank,legionsoffemaleadmirers.Butunderneaththesheenofperfectionlurksasecretwiththepowertoshaketheworldtoitsfoundations.DuringaboyhoodexcursiontooneofthesouthernarchipelagosnearOkinawa,Yukibarelysurvivedexposuretoapoisongasstoredataforeignmilitaryfacility.Theleakageannihilatedalloftheisland’sinhabitantsbutwaspromptlycoveredupbytheauthorities,leavingYukiasanunacknowledgedwitness--onewhosesenseofrightandwrong,however,thepotentnerveagentmanagedtoobliterate.Now,fifteenyearslater,YukiisasocialclimberofBalzacianproportions,infiltratingtheworldsoffinanceandpoliticsbydaywhilebrutallymurderingchildrenandwomenbynight--perverselyusinghisKabuki-honedskillsasafemaleimpersonatortopasshimselfoffasthewomenhe’skilled.Hisdrive,however,willnotbesatiatedwithapromotionhereandarapethere.MichioYukihasafarmoreominousobjective:obtainingMW,theultimateweaponthatsparedhislifebutrobbedhimofallconscience.Thereareonlytwomenwithanyhopeofstoppinghim:one,abrilliantpublicprosecutorwhostrugglestobuildacaseagainstthepsychopath;theother,atormentedCatholicpriest,IwaoGarai,whosharesYuki’spast--andfrequentlyhisbed.Serializedbeginningin1976inBigComicmagazine,whereTezuka’strailblazingmedicalthrillerOdetoKirihitohadappearedafewyearsearlier,MWprobesthecomplexitiesofhomoeroticismaswellastherealityofextensiveU.S.militarypresenceinJapan.Theresultisasbracingtodayasitwasthirtyyearsago.“Darkerthanyouthink--thanyouwanttothink[...]MWtookonthestuffoftoday’sheadlinessomethirtyyearsago.“--TheAgonyColumn“MWisthenewestofthosemasterpiecestobetranslatedintoEnglish,andlikeeverythingelsewith[Tezuka’s]nameonit,youarecheatingyourselfoutofoneofthebestgraphicnovelsoutrightnowifyoudon’treadit.“--AdvancedMediaNetwork“Tezukaspinsanentertaining,slightlypreposterousyarn,servingupmoreplottwists,carchases,andgender-bendingcostumechangesthanDressedtoKillandTheManchurianCandidatecombined.“--popcultureshock“You’llstareatthepage,eyespoppingandmuttering,’IcannotbelieveIjustreadthat.’Butyoudid,anditworked,andyouturnthepage.“--DavidWelsh,ComicWorldNews
