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 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.Zen and the art of comic book genius. Osamu Tezuka is frequently referred to as ‘the father of manga’, and with a work like Buddha it's easy to see why. The eight volume saga, created between 1974 and 1984, tells the life story of Siddhartha Gautama, the 5th century BC Indian prince whose spiritual and philosophical questioning lead to his becoming the supreme Buddha, or ‘awakened one’.This is no heavy, earnest retelling of an esoteric religious story: it's a vibrant, action packed epic that blends the tradition of Buddha's life with fictional elements of Tezuka's own making, which not only bring to life the inner journey undertaken by Siddhartha but also its historical context. Siddhartha's tumultuous transition from sickly royal to teen who questions the inhumane caste system, to severe ascetic, to founder of a religious sect, takes place against a similarly tumultuous backdrop of political machinations and warfare. Alongside Siddhartha, a vast cast of characters – slaves, bandits, monks, warriors, royals – undertake their own journeys. Tezuka, who was born in 1928 and initially dedicated himself to a career in medicine, is probably best known in the West for the few characters he created that made the cultural transition from Japan, notably Astro Boy. Of his vast output, Buddha is his most acclaimed and accomplished work. It is a unique achievement, bringing a religious story to life with unparalleled vibrancy. This is a brave, audacious work that blends serious philosophy with audacious playfulness through such devices as ahistorical asides (such as comparing a city to "New York or Paris, if you know what I mean") and American slang, anachronism (references to TV and cola, appearances by ET and Yoda), and even cameos from Tezuka himself. The result is a remarkable version of a remarkable story. Buddha vols. 1-8 by Osamu Tezuka, out now published by Voyager.
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comment by Dante
Jun 1, 2007
what about 'constantine'? that's kinda religious...
comment by rowan
May 30, 2007
I'm finally near the end of the 8th book in this series. I really enjoyed it at the begnning but have to confess to finding it over long.
comment by karthikkumar
May 30, 2007
The book combines three things: Philosophy, an action packed comic and the biography of a great great man. The book's style is very distinctive. Not only does it annotate each setting with vibrant pictures, it also humorously brings in contemporary dialogues and elements, starting with the pack of cigarettes and timepiece in master asita's pocket... The book has sexy manga in it. But nevertheless, that shouldn't affect the serious reader; It could be that what was portrayed might have been "typical" of those times. The book is deeply philosophical, and everyone can understand and infer what is conveyed in this particular book. The pictures supplement what's missing in the text and greatly enhance your reading. Further, the examples illustrated in this book reinforce the teachings of the buddha. At certain points in the book, we can see through buddha just as we see through ourselves. A normal man who wishes to get away from family and work by sheer will; The man falling into desire and trying to resist them; And that his thinking changes even after 20 years of firm belief by a certain event. I had a great time reading this book, and I hope that if you get to read it, you'll feel the same way.
comment by WantWorldPeace
Oct 23, 2006
Comics can actually be an effective medium to bring kids closer to religion. I personally feel that it would be a Herculian task to take children (of today) away from XBOXs, Ninetendos and a lot of other such stuff, and get them interested in knowing religion. After all, kids need to know 'religion' to pass on 'traditions'However, it must also be noted that comics represent the 'true' essence of religion and does not deviate in any manner. Apart from that i dont see how comics and religion would gel!
comment by _surtr_
Oct 1, 2006
just in regard to medibot's statement that christian media is sometimes a little conservative...Jack Chick is well known and loved in the interweb world for his Christian propaganda comics, which ironically is much more effective at damaging the cause. http://www.weirdcrap.com/chick/links.html... there is also an EXCELLENT short parody of Chick's work which discusses why you should worship the Lovecraftian elder gods... http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=135... there's a better site with sarcastic and puerile commentary about each chick comic which is still hilarious, but I can't find it. 
comment by rowan
Sep 11, 2006
I've started reading Buddha, it's brilliant. The art is beautiful and easy to take in and the language is modern but doesn't jar as I'd feared it could.
comment by Simon-Games Nut
Sep 11, 2006
Battle Pope thats the one thanks that was bugging me for ages lol
comment by pseudofake
Sep 8, 2006
Hooray, the mention of Preacher and Transmet, RIP...Anyway, as for religious comics, you should see the ones in the Philippines. I was out there a while ago and saw one advertised (I think it was called "The Twelve"). It included various religious superheros including what looked like a PVC-clad nun kicking amoral butt. It was also completely serious.
comment by CombineHarvester OfSorrow
Sep 4, 2006
Simon.Is the comic you Speak of "Battle Pope". If so, it's not nearly as bad as it looks. Quite entertaining in a dumb kind of way. Quite a few comics have religious themes, although usually from an Anti-religion stance. Preacher, obviously, was mostly about religion, and a good swathe of Transmetropolitan revolved around religious beliefs. I have the Marvel "Pope John Paul II" comic from when that particular Pope was crowned as well.
comment by flyingtwinkle
Sep 3, 2006
Hi, Chris i am sort of a Budhist, dalai lama lives not very far, I read a lot about Budhism and its sub- branches. How are You?
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