The first volume came out in the 1960's so the art style is much different than today's manga styles. At first, one may not think this series came from Japan because the characters look a lot like Betty Boop. The Tezuka's style exaggerates the characters but the backgrounds are drawn nicely. Those who aren't into the Astro boy style may not enjoy the artwork, but you'll get used to it.
Some characters are introduced in more than one volume through reincarnations, but most are strictly in one volume. The story jumps from past to future of people trying to gain the phoenix's blood. Each story to each volume is different, which is excellent because it shows how different people wish to obtain the phoenix. Also, it shows Tezuka's creativity. There are many hooks and suspense that make the reader want to read more. There are a variety of characters and their personalities are developed. Though, this series is incomplete due to Tezuka's death, it is still enjoyable.
The volumes are a lot thicker than regular manga, but the price to each volume is only an few extra dollars. It was released in North America recently, so one can easily find it in libraries and bookstores. Two volumes are packed into one for some of the Viz releases, making the series more affordable.
Those who like sci-fi, or historical manga would love this series. The artwork may be simplistic and not the greatest, but the storyline is very deep. It's a shame this series hasn't gotten the attention it deserves because it belongs on every manga fan's bookshelf. Be sure to pick it up.
