Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu
Ratings26
Average rating4
The Eisner and Harvey Winner The third volume of this epic graphic novel send Siddhartha further into a world mired in pain and suffering. The journey to peace and enlightenment looms far but bright. Prince Siddhartha quickly learns that the monk's path is covered in thorns and self-abuses much more profound than shaving your head. His new companions Dhepa and Assaji accompany him to plague-ridden town, ruled by the ravashing Visakha. On a different path filled with as many vararies is Devadatta, an orphan who learns only that bad almost always gets worse. To strange cities, and dire prophecies...
Series
Series
8 primary books#1 in Buddha
Buddha is a 8-book series with 8 released primary works first released in 1972 with contributions by Osamu Tezuka.
Series
2 primary books#1 in Buda
Buda is a 2-book series with 2 released primary works first released in 1972 with contributions by Osamu Tezuka.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
Enjoyable start to this series. More humorous than expected. Will continue with the next installment.
The thing I love about Osamu Tezuka's brutal Buddha series is:
- The brutality
- Especially the brutality as juxtaposed by the drawing styles: rich, deep, textured nature drawing versus cartoonish humans - and those cartoons doing awful, non-cartoon violence to each other.
- Especially the brutality as an illustration of Buddhism's First Noble Truth (“life is suffering”) - so much that happens to these cartoons is HORRIBLY UNFAIR and just plain horrible. Some of the horribleness is because of the Hindu caste structure (and Buddhism as a reaction to Hinduism is a very rich vein to mine indeed), but some of it is just cosmically, randomly horrible.
- The rich, deep, textured history lessons! I dunno about all yinz but I looooove - LOOAFFFFFF - 500BCE history, and especially ancient Indian history. So I love hearing about the kingdoms of Kapilavastu and King Suddhodana and all that.
Most of vol. 1 introduces this crazy, brutal world and the titular Buddha - Mr. Siddhartha, plz - is born in the latter half of the book and then but a tiny babe for the rest of it. But, oh, the other storylines are great - GREAT. Onto vol 2!
