These nine stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi were originally published in the early 1970s in Japan.  They have been translated with English writing replacing the original Japanese, with the images reproduced in mirror image so that the story runs from left to right, rather than right to left in the original.  These are dark stories set in post war Japan, with themes the mixture of traditional culture being threatened by Western culture, and people taking comfort in sex.  The city is in a state of decay, and it is being modernized.  The characters are gloomy and find it difficult to take control of their lives.  They seem lost and without purpose, haunted by memories of the Second World War.  The stories are distinctive and groundbreaking, especially in their political dimension.  The black and white artwork is mostly simple and elegant, but occasionally it is detailed, especially in its depiction of the city.  Drawn & Quarterly deserve praise for translating and republishing this work, since it is an important part of the history of comic books. 

Link: The Push Man and Other Stories

© 2008 Christian Perring

Christian Perring, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Dowling College, New York.