Cyborg 009 opens with a wordless page depicting the fall of one of the bombs which ended the second World War. The use of black for the background in stark contrast to the circles of white around the motion of the bomb’s descent provides for a visually memorable first page, simultaneously displaying Ishinomori’s skill at drawing striking images, in addition to immediately setting the stage for what is to come. The following pages explain the major relevant events since the end of the War, leading up to the beginning of the series proper. As a result, they become quite text-heavy at times, a trait which
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is prevalent for the first few chapters as a means of providing the relevant context for the series. This could be seen as a weakness, but I think of it more as a compromise of sorts in order for the series to have as minimal interruptions as possible after the basic groundwork is laid out; indeed, once the series hits its stride, it doesn’t really let up from then on.
The main story is simple in its premise, albeit somewhat novel for the era. The main cast, who have been modified into cyborgs by the evil organization Black Ghost, decide to rebel against their would-be masters, working together to stop said organization, seeking to prevent them from perpetuating conflict around the globe for their own profit. Black Ghost’s main motive in creating the cyborg warriors was for them to be used as weapons of war, instilling in each cyborg a unique superpower, giving them unique powers to go along with their distinctive designs. It must be mentioned that Cyborg is, above all, an anti-war manga, with this basic setting being one clearly reflective of a lot of the major events of the 20th century, especially considering the time when Cyborg first released; a time not too long after wars such as WWII and the Korean War; a time during the Cold War and the Vietnam War- all of which were major preoccupations not just for Ishinomori, but many others of that generation, as evident in a lot of other manga of the ‘postwar era’, from ‘Astro Boy’ to ‘Barefoot Gen’. Such concerns, which may seem to be ‘of the time’- while certainly lesser overall than they were during those times- are still far from being gone today, as is obvious even just from many recent happenings. As a result, such concerns don’t feel out of place even in today’s world, which allows for the story itself, despite obviously no longer coming off as novel as it may have once been, to still feel very much relevant even in a more modern context.
The most easily noticeable aspect of the series is probably its ethnically diverse main cast. It is unusual even today for a superhero team series to have almost every member come from a different country. This can’t not be all the more surprising considering Cyborg originally came out in 1964 Japan, a time not just during the Cold War, but also the Vietnam War, and in the US, the civil rights movement. Today it is easy to point at certain characters and call their portrayal problematic, specifically in regard to 003, 005, 006 and 008. Though they were not controversial at the time of release, today such depictions will be considered problematic by most. However, it is clear that each cast member, including the aforementioned members, get fair treatment as characters. Each is clearly being treated by the author with respect, becoming integral members of the team throughout the series. They are never reduced to being stereotypes, and certainly never ridiculed as if they were any lesser than their peers, with each more than pulling their own weight. Even when they are played for laughs, such as 006, one of the comic characters in the series, the impression seems to be more as if they were laughing alongside the reader, rather than making them out as if they were on the receiving end of the joke, in the way that perhaps a lesser artist may have portrayed such a character, especially at the time.
Cyborg features Ishinomori’s earlier art style, before it solidifies into the aesthetic which is probably more associated with him today, as seen in works like ‘Kamen Rider’ and ‘Kikaider’. In contrast to those, the art in Cyborg is of a more simplistic nature. Today this is more often than not thought of as a flaw, and perhaps as a result, a style very uncommon in modern comics, if at all present. But the art in Cyborg is quality cartooning: particularly in the earlier volumes, the art is of a lively, bouncy, and cartoony nature that almost feels ‘pure’ in just how well it plays to the strengths of comics as a visual medium. What I mean is that each page is energetic, each panel unique and each line drawn gives a vitality to the characters, making them feel much more animated than they would be otherwise. This is especially prominent in the opening chapters, which deal with backstory, laying the basic groundwork for the series. This style gives a light bounciness to the action, and the animated feel I think suits the cyborgs well, especially in light of the speedy feel of the battles, which matches 009's powers. This is in addition to just how unique and well composed visually the pages consistently are. This is of a high level and quality of ‘pure’ cartooning, that I would place alongside the likes of early Tezuka, Kurtzman, Franquin or Segar. Oftentimes most are quick to dismiss the art in a lot of ‘older’ manga, labeling it ‘bad’ or ‘outdated’; yet if anything, for many their bouncier, more flexible nature provides great energy to the work, playing to the strengths of comics as a distinctive, visual medium. It lacks the illustrative quality and technical polish of a Hal Foster or a Jean-Claude Gal, but its sheer cartoony flexibility gives every line a vibrancy of its own that is absent in such a more technically accomplished style in comparison.
It should be mentioned however, that in contrast to the more cartoony nature of the art in the earliest arcs, the latter runs (especially from the 70s) much more resemble the Ishinomori of ‘Kamen Rider’ or ‘Kikaider’, especially in terms of page composition. These resemble more Ishinomori’s own Jun, with frequent uses of long vertical panels, and page compositions themselves becoming more consistently unique and distinctive. Such an aesthetic has its own charm, of a different nature than the rubbery cartoons of the earlier style; a style which Scott McCloud once described as ‘beautiful’, specifically in regard to these latter parts. Ishinomori may have been the single biggest influence on shojo manga, arguably even more than figures like Takahashi or Tezuka; certainly, many of the most important figures of the legendary Year 24 group such as Hagio and Takemiya have directly stated him to be a big, if not the biggest, source of influence on their work. This lineage becomes evident with Cyborg’s increased use of vertical panels, a trait common in shojo manga since. The style and general composition itself in the latter arcs becomes much more reminiscent of manga like the aforementioned 'Jun', or 'Ryuujin Numa'; though never as visually experimental as those two, the latter parts of Cyborg still feature wonderful segments, which could rightly be termed ‘beautiful’. There are many chapters later on which, like 'Jun', use such layouts to emphasize the emotions of the characters and the general mood of the scene. Hagio once stated Ishinomori’s images to be ‘marvelous’, and this feels an apt description to apply to these latter parts. They actually feel much more reminiscent of shojo manga sensibilities over shonen. This gives Cyborg an additional dimension as an ‘evolving’ work- I can’t really think of many other superhero comics from a sole artist that change quite like this, not just in art style, throughout its run, while still being wholly recognizable. In manga the only other major series to do so may be ‘Astro Boy’. If the earlier sections have a charm more resembling early Tezuka or perhaps Segar, the latter feels more Year 24, or even Howarth. Neither parts are ‘better’ than the other- rather, different- and that both are present make Cyborg as a work that much more interesting.
Another similarity with 'Jun' (and common with Ishinomori manga in general) is the more ‘emotionally sensitive’ portrayal of its characters- something pretty unique now as back then in a superhero comic- without ever indulging in melodrama. This is exemplified particularly well with the lead, 009. Many of Ishinomori’s lead characters, including 009, are depicted as tragic heroes, displaying much more emotional range compared to their peers. Comparing 009 to Kaneda Shoutarou or Kabuto Kouji, the differences are clear. 009 expresses a spectrum of emotions throughout the series, but also refrains from such expressions depending on the circumstances. He is never as clear-cut as a Kaneda or a Kabuto. This quality I feel makes him (and Ishinomori’s characters in general) particularly compelling not just as characters, but also as heroes. They never feel invincible, but neither are their sources of weakness ever as simplistic as, say, Kryptonite. Rather, it stems from more internal affairs; mental, emotional turmoil often of a personal nature, which can feel much more relatable to the average reader. For instance, many of the cyborgs, especially 009 and 003, lament their existence as living weapons, but continue to live on and fight, the very thing they dislike, in order for a better future. If not for himself, then at least for others. A lot of the time this is at the sacrifice of himself as an individual- something which goes for the rest of the cyborgs, too. Each struggles to enjoy even what downtime they get in their new forms- a form neither man nor machine. In a way it’s a reflective mentality of many who have experienced wars firsthand- very few want to do it, but most are at least made to feel as if they must do so, in order to secure a future for their people and for future generations. Many do so at the cost of their own selves. Such depictions of the cyborgs make them into much more compelling, realistic and relatable characters, than if they were emotionless, invincible heroes who had no qualms about fighting.
At the time of Ishinomori’s passing, Cyborg remained ‘unfinished’; yet many, including the staff of the later 2001 anime adaptation, consider Cyborg to already have an ‘ending’ in the Underground Empire of Yomi Arc- which makes sense considering that it was originally intended to be the ending for the series. Ishinomori takes what is Bradbury’s greatest moment, the incredibly memorable ending to ‘Kaleidoscope’, and immortalizes it. The ending is the culmination of Cyborg 009, in equal parts bittersweet and optimistic. It’s a powerful image that is sure to haunt many long afterwards, as it does me. The final line of the last page is, in a way, the summation of the hopes of that generation that, unfortunately, had to witness firsthand some of the greatest large-scale tragedies in human history. But despite that experience- or perhaps as a direct result of it- believed in the ability of future generations to learn from the past. In this way it is as if it is burdened by a century’s worth of wartime trauma, but also of its hope. This moment may be when the series fully realizes its true potential, becoming something truly special, quite unlike any of its competition.
Of course, the series did eventually carry on past this ‘ending’- in fact, some of its best moments do come subsequent to it. Many of its later arcs focus less on outright battles and more on the cyborgs encountering mysteries and conspiracies; contemplating religion, philosophy, and the like. This often makes them more interesting as stories than the earlier arcs, which in terms of story are more typical for superhero fiction. Yet due to just how high of a note the Yomi Arc ended on, I have to concur with those that believe the end of this arc to provide the ‘definitive ending’ for the series proper.
Cyborg 009 is a lot of things. That’s to be expected: Ishinomori himself considered it his life’s work- in that regard, it could be thought of as his equivalent to Tezuka’s ‘Hi no Tori’. There are in fact similarities in both being long-running, largely episodic series bound together by themes and ideas rather than story, grand in their images and imagination, with great ambition and scope that they consistently deliver on. It's a truly great superhero comic, comparable to the best of Kirby, or Tezuka’s ‘Astro Boy’. But it’s also an anti-war work, alongside the likes of ‘Barefoot Gen’, ‘Maus’ and ‘It Was the War of the Trenches’ among others. Considering the anti-war nature in general of many other Japanese cartoonists of that generation, this ‘duality’ of sorts isn’t surprising. What is surprising is that Ishinomori managed to give a superhero comic aimed at young boys the depth that a truly effective anti-war work would need to have, without pulling any punches, while also making it entertaining simply as a superhero comic for said audience.
The 20th century was the bloodiest in recorded human history and as a direct result, saw the creation of the greatest works of anti-war fiction across all mediums of art. Comics had a particularly strong showing, with many timeless masterpieces- the three mentioned above being among the most notable. However, none has the range of Cyborg; great in both a classic cartoony way, as well as being, at times, almost shojo-esque in its sensibilities- all at a high quality at that. Nor, I think, does any other manage to capture the fears, trauma, optimism and hope of the last century all at once, which it does while also being a genuinely entertaining work of superhero fiction. And it is this, more than anything else, that I believe elevates Cyborg 009 into something genuinely great.
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Aug 10, 2024
Cyborg 009
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Cyborg 009 opens with a wordless page depicting the fall of one of the bombs which ended the second World War. The use of black for the background in stark contrast to the circles of white around the motion of the bomb’s descent provides for a visually memorable first page, simultaneously displaying Ishinomori’s skill at drawing striking images, in addition to immediately setting the stage for what is to come. The following pages explain the major relevant events since the end of the War, leading up to the beginning of the series proper. As a result, they become quite text-heavy at times, a trait which
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