Vertical Inc. News

In these difficult economic times people are cutting back on their expenses. The cost of food is up. Tuition fees have been increasing at a rate faster than inflation. Medical costs are still out of control. But one thing remains constant—Black Jack.

Volume 5 of Osamu Tezuka’s original brand of manga health care is now available for the affordable price of $16.95. That’s at least 20% lower than the co-pay for most PPO’s! There is no monthly premium for this plan and each story is self-contained. So Black Jack readers can have access to fourteen of Tezuka’s most entertaining stories without worrying about a long-term commitment. Best of all, with each installment of the Black Jack plan readers are provided a wide range of services including: cosmetic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine, pediatric care, and transplantation surgery. As an added bonus, readers of Volume 5 will also get full anesthesia and acupuncture coverage at no additional cost.

Check out what others are saying about Black Jack.
Get yourself some peace of mind by securing your copy of Black Jack, Volume 5 today!

Most of the American public is enjoying a beer on this beautiful St. Patty’s Day, and Doctor Black Jack is cutting a rug into town to help celebrate. Black Jack, Vol. 4 goes on sale today, and with any luck you’ll get to pick up your copy before it’s sold out! In this edition, you’ll be tearing up over each page with tender, heartwarming moments of friendship and love; and of course there are the insane scenarios of surgery that only our beloved recluse can perform. Black Jack even shows his sensitive side when an unrequited love sends him a favor. Pinoko continues to pour affection, and the doctor’s cup runs over when an unexpected detour turns into a quest for lost love.

Check out the reviews for this phenomenal series here.

The latest in Tezuka love comes from the third volume of Black Jack! In this volume, our favorite doctor pushes the limits of medicine: saving a long-abandoned infant; finding the cause of a literally shrinking population; even operating on himself! And Black Jack has more than just medical problems to contend with—he continues to ward off the romantic advances of his faithful sidekick Pinoko, and meets his match when the equally shadowy Doctor Kiriko arrives to treat one of Black Jack’s patients.

But you don’t have to take our word for it. Check out the Black Jack page to see what the critics are saying, or to preview stories from the first three volumes!

The highly-anticipated second volume of Black Jack hits stands tomorrow with an already overwhelmingly positive response from the reviewers! Vertical is presenting the world’s most celebrated doctor in 17 distinct volumes, along with 3 special hardcover editions each featuring a long-unreleased story from the vaults of Tezuka Productions. Volume 2 is packed with juicy new stories, from the origins of Black Jack’s scars to a tender friendship between the doctor and a killer whale. But you don’t have to take our word for it; check out the list of reviewers who are in love with Black Jack:

Volume 2 reviews at PopCultureShock and Advanced Media Network.
Volume 1 reviews at About.com, Publishers Weekly, and The Comics Reporter

And if that doesn’t satisfy your stomach for the solitary surgeon’s adventures, we also have a free preview from Volume 3 available at the Black Jack page!

The wait is over. The most anticipated manga of 2008 has arrived. Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack, Volume 1 is available today. Sporting a provocative cover by Vertical Art Director Peter Mendelsund that’s part cubism, part Hieronymus Bosch, that hearkens to a surgical procedure in progress, the high-quality trade paperback features 12 stories starring the titular scalpel-for-hire. Vertical is presenting Tezuka’s legendary character as he had originally intended in a deluxe collection planned just before his untimely death in 1989. What better way to celebrate the Godfather of Manga’s 80th birthday than by inaugurating the release of one of his greatest achievements? This peerless medical drama mixes action, mystery, intrigue, suspense, and adventure with a touch of humor. There’s a reason why it is Tezuka’s most popular work amongst adults in Japan. It’s that good. The perfect remedy for manga malaise: Black Jack!