Wandering the packed tunnels of Shinjuku Station, famous author Yosuke Mikura makes a strange discovery: a ragged hippie who can quote French poetry. Her name is Barbara. He takes her home for a bath and a drink, and before long Barbara has made herself into Mikura’s shadow, saving him from egotistical delusions and jealous enemies. But just as Mikura is no saint, Barbara is no guardian angel, and Mikura grows obsessed with discovering her secrets—tangling with thugs, sadists, magical curses, and mythical beings—all the while wondering whether he himself is still sane. Written in 1973 and 1974 and inspired by the classic opera Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach, Barbara may be Tezuka’s most psychological and unsettling work, shattering the fine line between art and madness with masterful precision.

Amidst the chaos of World War II, two Japanese soldiers hear of Zephyrus, an utterly captivating woman rumored to exist on an island in the South Pacific. The tales of this bold enchantress seducing men to their dooms are both chilling and fascinating. Over twenty years pass and Zephyrus resurfaces in Japan, seemingly unchanged, to wield her mysterious power over men once more. The one man immune to Zephyrus’ charms is a simple drunkard, Gohonmatsu Seki, son of one of the wartime soldiers. Employed to spy on Zephyrus, what will Gohonmatsu uncover about her ultimate plot to create international discord and consume the world of men? What brought this woman to conspire for decades against patriarchal society—against an entire gender—and can anything be done to stop her plans?

Life and death, twists and turns, Tezuka Osamu combines classic heart with the depth and mystery of The Twilight Zone in this beautiful, startling collection. The Crater is a series of horror-inspired, self-containing short stories that show the depravity of mankind in a way only the “god of manga” can. Tales range from the world of nymphs and interdimensional adventures, to deadly spiders on planes and depictions of apocalyptic futures. While some stories loosely connect, each story is its own carefully laid experience. Tezuka will chill readers with dark visages of the world counterpointed with his amazing art style that has influenced fans for decades.

The cries of war come soon from France, while a young boy destined for greatness simply cries in pain from a fateful blow to his head in Bonn, Germany. Ludwig van Beethoven will grow to become one of the most influential composers in a few short years, but in his early days, he was just a commoner trying to survive in a world that had yet to discover his brilliance. At this age, he wasn’t a renowned composer: he was a young man simply named “Ludwig,” which inspired hatred and fear in a certain nobleman, Franz Kreuzstein. But why does Franz have it out for all named “Ludwig,” and how will Beethoven survive this personal war he is deaf to?