About this book

UNICO tells the incredible story of a young unicorn who, after enraging the evil goddess Venus, is banished from the heavens and forgets all he once was. Saved from oblivion by the kindhearted West Wind, Unico continues to help others, before having to escape Venus again and begin a new adventure.

In this first manga, Unico awakes in a mysterious land and is befriended by a resourceful watch cat, Chloe, who feels protective of the young unicorn. When they find themselves near a small village in the forest, they take refuge with a kindly, but helpless, old woman. To take care of her, Chloe begs Unico to turn her into a human girl, but that act of kindness has unforeseen consequences: Unico's love has awakened Venus and her minion, Byron, who want to destroy them both!

Conceived anew by Eisner-nominated author Samuel Sattin and Eisner-winning artist team Gurihiru, and developed in collaboration with Tezuka Productions, UNICO: Awakening is a groundbreaking reboot of a beloved story by Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Manga." With striking full-color artwork and reading left to right in the Western comics style to match the original manga, UNICO is a brilliant manga series featuring storytelling at its best. Join Unico on an unforgettable journey!

Reviews

"A spellbinding masterpiece." -- Dav Pilkey, #1 bestselling creator of Dog Man

"The modern setting, dramatic paneling, and mood-oriented ­palettes bolster the weight of Unico's helpful and heroic deeds... A reimagining of a beloved classic that will ­appeal to fans of heartfelt ­adventure manga and works like She-Ra and the Princess of Power. An ideal series to help fill the middle grade manga demand." -- School Library Journal

"With a careful balance of slow beats and whimsical action, Unico: Awakening builds alluring characters and keeps the suspenseful moments coming." -- Anime Corner

"Plenty of action and outsized baddies keep the excitement level high... The jewel-toned palette and creatively varied panel shapes sustain a high level of visual interest." -- Kirkus Reviews

"With all the energy of an animated cartoon, Gurihiru's eye-catching, cinematic art in a lush color palette offers excellent character design... the epic stakes, rampant magic, and manga feel will likely give this wide appeal." -- Booklist

About Osamu Tezuka:

"Widely considered the most important and influential figure in post-World War II Japanese animation." --

The New York Times

"Tezuka... looms like a colossus over Japanese comics and animation." -- Publishers Weekly