The acclaimed Phoenix series is regarded as Tezuka's masterpiece. Osamu Tezuka painstakingly created his epic 12-volume series over several decades, stretching the limits of manga to address fundamental questions about existence. All 12 episodes of Phoenix are linked by the presence of the mythical bird, an immortal guardian of the universal life force. Beginning in AD 270, ‘Phoenix: Dawn’ follows the ambitions of Queen Himiko, capturing with precise period detail the early phase of Japanese civilization.

First published in the 1960s, Phoenix remains relevant today. Civilization has gone underground after several nuclear wars. Masato, a resident of the underground capital of Tokyo, is discovered owning an outlawed alien animal with hallucinogenic properties. Fleeing for his life, he learns the secret of the Phoenix as the world veers toward Armageddon.

Considered by many the peak of Osamu Tezuka's artistic achievement and called his "life work" by the author, PHOENIX is made up 12 complex stories linked by the presence of the mythical bird, an immortal guarden of the universal life force. Read in order, the separate stories jump across time, alternating between a distant future and a distant past, converging on the present, with characters from one story being reincarnated in another. The 12 stories over 3000 pages.

The wolf-faced Harima fights on behalf of the once deified Ku tribe, who are perceived as demonic after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. This conflict is mirrored in the 21st century, where Harima's counterpart, Bando Suguri, fights against a Phoenix-worshipping group known as "Hikari." Sun is the longest chapter in the Phoenix series, and its structure is threefold. Harima's story in 7th century Japan interweaves with that taking place in the 21st century, while another tale of a spiritual battle bridges both past and future.

Phoenix: Early Works contains stories serialized from 1954 to 1957. This volume contains an early version of the story Dawn, as well as a chapter on ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The stories collected here showcase an earlier phase of Tezuka's art and storytelling—and expose a more youthful, sweet side of the master creator. They also illustrate the link between early manga and American comics and cartoons, and reveal Tezuka's deep fascination with Walt Disney. The work was originally geared toward a younger audience than the Phoenix sagas, which began in the 1960s.