Osamu Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese manga artist, animator, and producer, and is frequently referred to as the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney. He is best remembered as the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. His series Black Jack—an extravagantly weird medical drama about a brilliant but unlicensed surgeon—is one of our Featured Book picks.

Aftertaste:
On the back cover of Black Jack, VIZ describes the book as an "epochal work" by the "God of Manga". Apparently, it's "the most popular series among adult readers in Japan"!

Don't get me wrong—Black Jack is awesome. But couldn't they have toned the hyperbole down a tad?

Availability:
Everywhere, but I doubt that will be true for long. Buy this one while it's still there in front of you.

Other Recommendations:
Brave Story, by Miyuki Miyabe