Read 30 Pages of Tezuka-Reimagining Comic, Unico: Awakening

Publisher Scholastic and writer-artist team Samuel Sattin (The Essential Anime Guide) and Gurihiru ((Superman Smashes the Klan, It's Jeff) are set to release Unico: Awakening, their 210-page comic based on Osamu Tezuka's classic series on August 6. Anime News Network is sharing the first 30 pages ahead of the release, following the pages' early debut as part of Free Comic Book Day.

The new manga is inspired by Tezuka's original "The Cat on the Broomstick'" storyline. The campaign describes the story:

Check out the comic below and read on for exclusive comment from Samuel Sattin.

In writing UNICO: AWAKENING--especially these first 30 pages--I wanted to introduce readers to what's at stake: the very source of love itself, which resides in an unlikely little creature.

UNICO tells the story of a fierce young unicorn who angers the goddess Venus with his ability to inspire positivity and hope. Driven by jealousy, she vows to destroy him, ordering her servant, the West Wind, to abandon Unico on the Hill of Forgetfulness. Instead, the West Wind takes pity on Unico, and to protect him, brings him from era to era, constantly on the move, always forgetting where he's been before. As he works to unravel the mystery of who he is and where he comes from, he is hunted by gods and monsters, and will need to unlock his full powers to save the world. Unico is joined by a cast of characters, some of whom–like Chloe the watchcat or the mysterious Sphinx–are brave and kind, while others–like the all-powerful Venus and her servant the Night Wind–are bent on destruction.

Unico was originally created in 1976 by the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka. You may know him as the creator of Astro Boy, but his legacy represents so much more. When I first found his books, it was as if the doors to an entirely new way of looking at the world opened. Notably, Osamu Tezuka helped me understand the importance of learning a visual language, and about embracing expansive, ambitious ideas that reach for the stars. He also wasn't afraid of introducing difficult truths into even his warmest and most accessible stories, and taking stories from other cultures and reimagining them in his own right. Above all, his work was humane, artful, and beautiful, and has withstood the test of time.

Now we have the great honor of reimagining one of Tezuka's works for a modern audience, and to create something entirely new in the process. I have the fortune of doing so with the internally renowned artist team, Gurihiru, which, to put it short, are geniuses. The way their art combines Japanese and Western drawing aesthetics is truly groundbreaking. They understand so much about both Tezuka and a lot of the work that inspired him–like Disney, for instance–and they are able to capture that spirit while doing something utterly unique. I'm often agog at their ability to combine color, movement, and technical expertise so seamlessly, creating an unbelievable sense of wonder and drama. I can't imagine anyone else who could do what they've done with this reimagining. And they're lovely to work with, to boot. In this intro, they tell the story of Unico in a classic storybook style. The result is breathtaking.

So please, read the first 30 pages of UNICO: AWAKENING, and enter an exciting, dangerous, and beautiful new world that will inspire your imagination. This series is about a lot of things, but most of all, it is about the power (and danger) of love, and how important it is to protect it.

You can also read our interview with Samuel Sattin last year following the comic's successful Kickstarter campaign.