The earliest incarnation of what would eventually become Tezuka’s epic masterpiece, Phoenix [Manga Shonen] (1954-55) was Tezuka’s follow-up series to the popular Jungle Emperor (1950-54) in Manga Shonen. It began publication in July 1954 and ran until the magazine suddenly folded in May 1955, unfortunately leaving the work unfinished after just eight instalments.
 
In a mythical age of ancient Japan, Nagi Iza, a young boy living on one of the southern islands, is on a quest to find the legendary Phoenix and save his dying father. Believing the magical healing properties of the blood of the mysterious bird is the only way to cure his father, Nagi sets off on a mission to climb up Fire Mountain, a local volcano and the home of the Phoenix.

Phoenix: Early Works contains stories serialized from 1954 to 1957. This volume follows the tumultuous love affair of a sweet-voiced slave girl named Daia and the Egyptian Crown Prince through the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman eras...with a little help from the Phoenix and her adorable offspring.
 
The stories collected here showcase an earlier phase of Tezuka's art and storytelling--and expose a more youthful, sweet side of the master creator. They also illustrate the link between early manga and American comics and cartoons, and reveal Tezuka's deep fascination with Walt Disney. These short pieces were originally geared toward a younger audience than the Phoenix sagas which began in the 1960s.
 
(Source: VIZ)

"All things are born and all things die. That is the law of heaven." According to legend, the Bird of Fire called the Phoenix is the eternal spirit of life, death and rebirth. She oversees the cycle of reincarnation and the rising and falling of civilizations and species. Those who can obtain her blood will be granted eternal life, while to others she can grant infinite wisdom, or eternal suffering. Throughout history, from the dawn of civilization to the extinction of the human race, those human souls touched by the Phoenix have hunted her over and over in multiple reincarnations, and their actions in one life determine or reflect the sins and sufferings of other lifetimes. (Source: AnimeNewsNetwork) Note: This is an incomplete series due to Tezuka's death.

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