The Fall 2023 Manga Guide

Team Phoenix

What's It About? 

The Robot Alliance dominates 90 percent of the universe, but one of the brave biologicks (organic organisms) ― Sapphire, Princess Knight of Silverland ― forms a band of space pirates to strike back against injustice!! Joining her in her rebellion are Leo of the planet Jungaly, and Sharaku, the Three-Eyed One.

Team Phoenix manga has story and art by Kenny Ruiz based on the original works of Osamu Tezuka. The English translation is by Caleb Cook, with lettering by Andworld's Amethyst Xuan. Published by Udon Entertainment (November 21, 2023).

Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman

Rating:

How important is it that you know all of the various Osamu Tezuka characters present in Team Phoenix? It's probably not too important, although it will ensure you get more out of the story. Tezuka Productions gave Spanish comic creator Kenny Ruiz free reign (or something like it) to create this science fiction mashup of Tezuka characters for a Japanese manga magazine, and Ruiz took that and ran. If you know what you're looking for (or who you're looking at), there are some pretty solid Easter eggs and homages. But even if you don't know precisely who Princess Sapphire is or Leo the Jungle Emperor, there's still plenty to enjoy in this tale of humans (“Biologicks”) versus robots action adventure.

Our main character is Sapphire, from Tezuka's Princess Knight, and the story opens with her realizing that living her truth is better than bowing to her robotic overlords. Although we don't see it happen, we're told that Sapphire revealing her true gender to her planet doesn't go well, and like all reasonable people in similar situations, Sapphire teams up with Leo and Saraku to become a space pirate. Most of the action takes place in and around the peaceful sanctuary of El Nido, where Sapphire clashes ideologically with Fire, a young woman who is desperately trying to find a route to peaceful coexistence. Since Sapphire had that idea stabbed out of her two years ago on the planet Treasure Island, she's pretty sure that Fire is hopelessly naïve and maybe a little weird.

It's up to readers to decide if Sapphire's cynicism or Fire's optimism is correct, and since Black Jack pops up at the end of the volume, that may indicate that both of them are in the right, depending on the situation. (Black Jack, I feel, is the definition of morally grey, although it's been a long time since I read his story.) There's plenty of fodder for both sides as the volume details how the robots exercise their authority over humans and other nonrobotic lifeforms. Like with anyone in power, the range is vast, although the mere idea of humans needing “survival permits” is enough to make your skin crawl. But is that enough to make Sapphire's grim worldview the correct one?

This all sounds very heavy and philosophical, but Team Phoenix is a romp at its heart. Ruiz clearly delights in playing in Tezuka's world(s), which comes across in how the story unfolds. The art is manga enough that it doesn't feel derivative like a lot of “manga-style” art can, and everyone is recognizable while still carrying Ruiz's own style. It's like a more serious approach to what Infini-T Force did, and there's something entertaining about that, even if the volume itself feels like a prologue to the greater story.