Astro Boy Vol 9 : 3 of 5

As always, Tezuka (in comic form) introduces the stories in this volume, and he explains that Astro has gone through several different looks over the years. These stories are from his "extra cute" stage, so he's a little shorter and rounder. There's a lot more comedy in general scattered throughout, with lots of one-liners that sometimes seem out of place, but they're funny, so I don't mind. The longest story is about someone who builds a Cleopatra robot (a sexy one, of course) so he can revive the Egyptian empire, but my favorite is about an accident with a matter transporter (just like in The Fly, which Tezuka admits was his inspiration). A rival scientist traps another scientist in limbo while his molecules are being transported (along with a rabbit, a fish, and a robot), so he becomes a bizarre ghost that can form as a mist from 3D televisions! The third story is pretty short, but it features Cobalt, a replica of Astro in every way, except his brain isn't as developed (so he seems kind of dopey). Astro gets hurt a lot in this volume - I think he has his arms ripped off more than once! Be more careful next time, Astro.