UNICO: Awakening
Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin, illustrated by Gurihiru
Scholastic

Created in Osamu Tezuka’s Japanese manga style, this is in part an exploration of good vs evil. Herein a little unicorn, Unico has been banished by the evil goddess Venus whom he has angered. (The prologue tells how Venus, threatened by Unico’s power, which was born of his friendship with the goddess Psyche, dispatches the Zephyrus, the West Wind, to get rid of him. Instead Zephryus decides to save the little unicorn, repeatedly transporting him through space and time.) The disorientated Unico is befriended by a watch-cat, Chloe. Unico cannot recall events from his past or what his real purpose was. Chloe pleads with the little unicorn to enable her to become human and he agrees to turn her into a girl once a day provided she helps their witchy Granny friend.

It’s not long before Byron, an affluent, very sinister trophy hunter has eyes on Chloe in her human form and Venus, sensing that Unico has reappeared on Earth, decides to use Byron to destroy him. When Chloe accepts Byron’s invitation to visit his abode, she soon feels uncomfortable especially with his talk of predator and prey.

The action and excitement ramp up with the book ending on a cliff-hanger as this book is to be followed by a second volume, UNICO Hunted.

Sattin was clearly inspired by Tezuka’s original manga from some fifty years ago and with Gurihiru’s jewel-coloured art, this book will appeal most strongly to those readers who prefer their stories presented mainly through high quality visuals. Backmatter includes information about Tezuka, Sattin and Gurihuri as well as some history of the Unico story.