In 2018, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Osamu Tezuka's birth, Tezucomi magazine was launched in Japan, in which authors from all over the world revisit works by the famous mangaka. With 18 volumes, the project originally reserved for Japan, arrived 3 years later in France. Delcourt editions have indeed begun since January 2021 to publish these tribute stories grouped in 3 collections of 400 pages (the first has just been released) simply entitled Tezucomi. Through reinterpretations of Tezuka's universes or the invention of spin-off chapters, the reader discovers a collection mixing tribute, reinterpretation and introduction to the Tezuka universe. A perfectly mastered balancing act.
A cleverly disguised anthology
For the general French public, the character of Osamu Tezuka is often summed up as the figure of the brilliant inventor of Astro the little robot. Drawn between 1952 and 1968 in Japan, the manga is indeed an editorial success in the archipelago before becoming a cultural phenomenon thanks to its multiple television adaptations. In France, it is the one produced in 1980 and broadcast in 1986 in the Club Dorothée that will conquer the audience of the youngest. However, Tezuka's work is much broader (700 works, 70 animated series), very diversified in its themes (science fiction, fantastic family drama, thriller). Several questions often come up about Tezuka: how to enter into his work? chronologically, thematically? What are the essential series? Tézucomi offers a clever way to answer these questions.Indeed, in this volume, 11 stories allow us to understand the diversity of themes that have nourished Tezuka's imagination. Fantasy ( Dororo, Prime Rose), the wonderful (Princess Sapphire), the initiatory tale (King Leo), a family chronicle (Ayako), thrillers (MW, Black Jack), social stories (Midnight) or a dive into the great History (the story of the 3 Adolfs). There is no reading order. The chapters are independent and even some stories (Dororo) have the right to two different visions. Throughout the 400 pages, the reader discovers the incredible richness of the mangaka's work. The choice of stories also succeeds in a skilful mix between famous and lesser-known writings. You will find Dororo or King Leo but not Astro or Metropolis, two of the most famous sagas in France. Conversely, you will have the chance to read much darker stories (MW), more intimate (Ayako). Each chapter is accompanied by very informative supplements : interviews with the authors or pages detailing the original work. Enough to satisfy connoisseurs and neophytes. 
Blacksad, La Sentaï School, Sillage, Monica and her friends gathered at the same table
It is the coup de force of the concept of Tezucomi to have invited an areopagus of talents: Jean David Morvan, Florence Torta and Philippe Cardona, Juan Diaz Acanales, Mauricio de Sesousa. Their freedom was total to make respectful, bold and assumed remakes. Indeed, in each of these pages we feel the immense admiration for Tezuka. This goes through the style of the drawing (Princess Sapphire), the winks (the verticality of the city in Dororo reminiscent of that of Metropolis; the figurine of Astro the chapter King Leo), the resumption of cult scene (King Leo). The general plot of the original stories is respected. The spirit is always present as well as the humanistic morality so dear to Tezuka. But each author reappropriates this original material to lead the story to new horizons. As such, two stories are exemplary. The first rewrite of Dororo transports us to a futuristic steampunk universe. The "remake" of Ayako chooses a more adult, carnal and disturbing tone (in the good sense of the word). Two strong choices that transcend the original story and lead us to very contemporary themes. This freedom of tone is also seen in the graphic dimension. The chapters drawn by mangaka each pay tribute to a different style of current manga. You will find photorealism (The story of the 3 Adolfs), pure shonen (Prime Rose), seinen more than adult (Ayako). As for collaborations with non-mangaka cartoonists (Comics or Franco-Belgian), they produce original graphic, narrative and visual mixes. Thus, Les Yeux de Pandora, cover of MW by Victor Santos looks towards Franck Miller. Jean David Morvan and ScienceTronc connect Western storytelling with the Japanese imagination.Florence Torta and Philippe Cardona (creator of the Sentai School) inject all the energy of their drawing, a mixture of references to the worlds of video games and manga, enriched with offbeat and fine humor. This results in 11 singular stories, different all very interesting. 
Tezucomi and the universality of Tezuka's work
The authors and creators invited are Belgian, French, Spanish, Brazilian, Japanese of course. This selection highlights Tezuka's impact far beyond the archipelago. If we know well his influence in France, this volume also tells us the collaboration, complicity, that he had with the great Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa. The short, synthetic interviews enrich Delcourt's entire editorial approach. This anthology (18 magazines in Japan) fills a void with the general public especially in a year when the Angoulême Comic Strip Festival does not take place. More than a collection, it is a bookish exhibition. But the Tezucomi project goes further than the exercise in brilliant style. Some stories are indeed destined to continue. The Dororo Steampunk, the new version of Ayako will be declined in a complete series. Tezucomi makes us discover the first chapters. A very nice idea showing how these universal stories in space, are also in time as reminded us of the work of Urasawa on Astro in his extraordinary series Pluto. In the end, we must salute and thank Delcourt editions for having decided to publish this magnificent anthology in France. We must also recognize the judicious choice to group Japanese magazines into three volumes of very good quality. Only one expectation: devour the following volumes before diving back into Tezuka's work.
