A review by graypeape
ATOM: The Beginning, Vol. 1 by Osamu Tezuka

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is essentially a prequel to Astro Boy, though it can absolutely be read as a standalone series. The story is about Umataro Tenma, the eventual creator of Astro Boy, as a university student, learning about A.I. with his partner Hiroshi Ochanomizu; together, they have created A106, an autonomous A.I. robot that develops in some interesting ways. Things start a little slow, but pick up after Six starts interacting with the world, culminating in a battle tournament that has Six using an unusual technique to defeat opponents, and highlights his emerging personality. This volume sets up the series well (though it does move a bit slowly, as setups often do), and leaves us with an intriguing cliffhanger. The art is good, and pays homage to the source material. I look forward to seeing how this plays out!

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