Nagai Gou-ban: Barbara

In an excerpt from the introduction, Go Nagai reflects on the historical context of Osamu Tezuka’s work. He notes that Tezuka began serializing Black Jack in the same year Barbara was released, and introduced Black Jack’s assistant, Pinoko, the following year in 1974. Nagai suggests that these characters served as prototypes for the duo in Barbara, marking the series as a significant turning point in Tezuka’s career. This edition presents Go Nagai Version: Barbara, offering a fresh interpretation of the classic story through Nagai’s unique artistic lens.