Reviews for Black Jack, Volume 5

The average rating for Black Jack, Volume 5 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-05-22 00:00:00 William Morrison Several stories in this collection feature the return of characters from Black Jack's past, including two stories with arch-nemesis Kiriko, the doctor who's as enthusiastic about euthanizing patients as Black Jack is about saving them, and one featuring Konomi, the so-called "Black Queen." There's also some stories that push the envelope for sentimentality, even within the extreme context of "Black Jack," like the one about the thalidomide-afflicted child who gets a new set of arms from Black Jack but can't count on them to help him win an abacus tournament, a few that are just plain weird, like the ghost story, and the genuinely creepy "Pinoko's Mystery"--a story that not only acknowledges the more perverse aspects of Black Jack's relationship with his young sidekick, but finds comfort in them. But there's hardly anybody who can rival Tezuka at laying out a story in comics form, and even when the stories are silly, he's able to hold your attention with his powerful, dynamic imagery.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-10-29 00:00:00 Beau Eidt If you haven't been following along in the series then you can rest assured that you won't miss too much if you haven't read anything previously. That's not to say that you shouldn't run out & pick up the previous volumes- they're excellent- but the series' setup of one-off chapters makes it easy for new readers to jump in at almost any point. This volume collects all sort of different stories, from trying to save Kiriko's father to working on a celebrity. The stories are as varied as you could get without getting off the subject at hand. Like I said in a previous review- some of the feats in this series are pretty unbelievable & just as many are almost impossible. Even so, the excellent Tezuka story telling will entrance even the most reluctant reader.