Vertical, a new publisher specializing in translating contemporary Japanese fiction, is preparing to publish an English-language version of Osamu Tezuka's 8-volume Life of Buddha manga series.  Tezuka, the founder of Japan's mammoth manga publishing industry, is perhaps the most prolific comic creator in history.  Currently Dark Horse is publishing Tezuka's Astro Boy (along with his Metropolis, Lost World and Future World sagas), while Viz, which has published Tezuka's masterwork Adolf, is currently in the midst of publishing his series Phoenix.  Now Vertical joins the club by publishing the first volume in Tezuka's Life of Buddha, Kapilavastu in October.  The 400-page hardcover features Chip Kidd's stunning design work and has a cover price of $24.95.

The second volume in the series, Buddha Vol.2: The Four Encounters, a 408-page hardcover, ships in November at the same retail price.  The National Book Network distributes Vertical books to the book trade, and Diamond Comic Distributors and FM International will be distributing Tezuka's Buddha series to pop culture shops.  While on the surface it may not appear that a serious biography of a major religious figure like Buddha would have appeal to the average manga fan, Tezuka's Buddha manga displays all the dynamism, narrative brilliance, and philosophical concerns that make his work so special.