ATOM: The Beginning Vol.12

Illustrated by Tetsuro Kasahara
Paperback
$12.99 US
| $16.99 CAN
On sale Aug 05, 2025 | 176 Pages | 9781787741072
Experience the thrilling prequel to Tezuka’s Astro Boy, with intense mecha battles and rich storytelling. Dive into the origins of this iconic series, based on the world-renowned franchise streaming on Netflix, Amazon, and Crunchyroll.

In Atom: The Beginning Volume 12, the origins of the iconic Astro Boy myth come to life with new intensity, as readers can enjoy a new side to the franchise that currently has an anime streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Crunchyroll.

As Laboratory No. 1, now under Haido's control, showcases its latest marvel, the robot Mu emerges as a formidable contender during a robot wrestling tournament. After a dominant victory over U-ran, Mu's power and prowess are undeniable. Meanwhile, the team from Lab No. 7 shifts their focus from the recent competition to refining their own robot creation, setting the stage for future advancements.

This volume is a crucial installment for fans of the legendary Astro Boy series, providing deeper insights into the prequel’s development. With high-octane robot battles and complex ethical dilemmas about robotics, it caters to fans of mecha manga and those intrigued by the broader implications of robotic technology.

Atom: The Beginning enriches the legacy of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, offering beautifully drawn action scenes and a compelling storyline that explores the roots of one of manga’s most influential works. Perfect for readers who enjoyed Battle Angel Alita and Ghost in the Shell, this volume continues to blend intense robot combat with philosophical questions about the nature of being.

With a quirky, lovable cast and rich backstories that set the stage for the beloved sequel series, this manga is a must-read for fans and newcomers alike.
“This is such a fun series…Brings back memories of watching the Astro Boy anime.” - Near Mint Condition
Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator whose revolutionary comics earned him the title of manga no kamisama (“God of Manga”). His body of work is one of the largest and most prolific in all of Japanese culture, and he produced several of the country’s greatest drawn stories for both children and adults, including the iconic Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack, Dororo, Message to Adolf, and Princess Knight. Tezuka passed away in 1989.

Masami Yuuki is a manga artist and member of the artist group Headgear. He is most known for his celebrated manga series Mobile Police Patlabor, which has spawned many spin-offs and adaptations into anime, movies, live-action projects, novels, video games, and more.

Tetsuro Kasahara is a manga artist whose body of work revolves mostly around the robot and mecha genres. One of his most famous works, RideBack, was adapted into an anime in 2009. Now, he is focusing on ATOM: The Beginning, a prequel to Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy.

About

Experience the thrilling prequel to Tezuka’s Astro Boy, with intense mecha battles and rich storytelling. Dive into the origins of this iconic series, based on the world-renowned franchise streaming on Netflix, Amazon, and Crunchyroll.

In Atom: The Beginning Volume 12, the origins of the iconic Astro Boy myth come to life with new intensity, as readers can enjoy a new side to the franchise that currently has an anime streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Crunchyroll.

As Laboratory No. 1, now under Haido's control, showcases its latest marvel, the robot Mu emerges as a formidable contender during a robot wrestling tournament. After a dominant victory over U-ran, Mu's power and prowess are undeniable. Meanwhile, the team from Lab No. 7 shifts their focus from the recent competition to refining their own robot creation, setting the stage for future advancements.

This volume is a crucial installment for fans of the legendary Astro Boy series, providing deeper insights into the prequel’s development. With high-octane robot battles and complex ethical dilemmas about robotics, it caters to fans of mecha manga and those intrigued by the broader implications of robotic technology.

Atom: The Beginning enriches the legacy of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, offering beautifully drawn action scenes and a compelling storyline that explores the roots of one of manga’s most influential works. Perfect for readers who enjoyed Battle Angel Alita and Ghost in the Shell, this volume continues to blend intense robot combat with philosophical questions about the nature of being.

With a quirky, lovable cast and rich backstories that set the stage for the beloved sequel series, this manga is a must-read for fans and newcomers alike.

Reviews

“This is such a fun series…Brings back memories of watching the Astro Boy anime.” - Near Mint Condition

Author

Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator whose revolutionary comics earned him the title of manga no kamisama (“God of Manga”). His body of work is one of the largest and most prolific in all of Japanese culture, and he produced several of the country’s greatest drawn stories for both children and adults, including the iconic Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack, Dororo, Message to Adolf, and Princess Knight. Tezuka passed away in 1989.

Masami Yuuki is a manga artist and member of the artist group Headgear. He is most known for his celebrated manga series Mobile Police Patlabor, which has spawned many spin-offs and adaptations into anime, movies, live-action projects, novels, video games, and more.

Tetsuro Kasahara is a manga artist whose body of work revolves mostly around the robot and mecha genres. One of his most famous works, RideBack, was adapted into an anime in 2009. Now, he is focusing on ATOM: The Beginning, a prequel to Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy.