Big O TPB (2002-2004 A Viz Digest) comic books

Volume 1 - 1st printing. Story and art by Hitoshi Ariga. Created by Hajime Yatate. Presenting Hitoshi Ariga's adaptation of Bandai's hit Cartoon Network TV series, a stylish "manga meets film noir" story which goes beyond the tantalizing TV series ending to tell the true climax of The Big O! In amnesia-afflicted Paradigm City, Roger Smith, a "negotiator," is secretly also the pilot of The Big O, an enormous giant robot which protects the great metropolis from evil. The manga begins with prequel stories set before the beginning of the anime! Roger Smith must negotiate with criminals who hold the city's Memory Repository hostage! Then, the master criminal Beck uses high technology against the Big O, summoning a million lightning bugs to drain the giant robot's batteries dry! Plus, the introduction of Dorothy, Rogers android assistant! Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 216 pages, B&W. Cover price $15.95.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. Story and art by Hitoshi Ariga. Created by Hajime Yatate. The official comic adaptation of Bandai's Cartoon Network hit which goes beyond the plot of the TV series! Roger Smith, negotiator-cum-vigilante foils dark foes in the streets of amnesia-plagued Paradigm City. In this volume, Smith encounters an android girl, a vanishing blonde, a fleet of phantom ships, a mysterious serial killer, and a journalist who delves too deeply into the city's enigmatic past. Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 224 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

Volume 3 - 1st printing. Story and art by Hitoshi Ariga. Created by Hajime Yatate. In amnesia-afflicted Paradigm City, Roger Smith, a "negotiator," is secretly also the pilot of The Big O, an enormous giant robot that protects the great metropolis from evil. Completely original stories never seen before in the hit anime series! The master criminal Beck breaks out of jail, enlisting his old cronies in a scheme to ruin The Big O's reputation! A starving artist falls in love with Roger's housemaid Dorothy, using the android as the model for his greatest painting ever. A monster, which feeds on steel, begins to consume the city itself, block by savory block. Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 200 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

Volume 4 - 1st printing. Story and art by Hitoshi Ariga. Created by Hajime Yatate. Things are really heating up for Roger Smith and the denizens of Paradigm City. Having flashbacks to a half-forgotten romantic liaison, Roger starts to put the pieces of his past together. Meanwhile, the super negotiator's arch-enemy, Schwarzwald, remains focused on crushing the world around him. With the heat tuned up, things start to get steamy in the city beneath the dome. Based on the popular anime series seen on Cartoon Network, The Big O brings justice to a world desperate to discover its forgotten past! Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 176 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

Volume 5 - 1st printing. Story and art by Hitoshi Ariga. Created by Hajime Yatate. Something happened 40 years ago to wipe out the memories of everyone living in Paradigm City. The people have lost their past and now they're desperate to grab the best future they possibly can. Into this world comes Roger Smith, super negotiator and giant robot pilot. Employing a combination of brains and brawn, this hero-for-hire keeps the peace in a city inching towards madness. After receiving a huge financial windfall, Paradigm City's crime boss is now living large in the city under the dome. But money, as everyone knows, can't buy happiness. Super Beck may be rich, but he'll never be happy until Roger Smith and the Big O are crushed! And in the most disturbing story yet, a disreputable fortune-teller exploits the pain of an orphan girl to garner fame and prestige for himself. The citizens of Paradigm City are taught a sad lesson: It's better to dream about the future than obsess about the past. Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 216 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.

Volume 6 - 1st printing. Story and art by Hitoshi Ariga. Created by Hajime Yatate. As Paradigm City's top negotiator, Roger Smith provides a valuable service for people desperate to recapture their forgotten past. In a world of lost memories, Roger does his best to make sure chaos doesn't erupt into madness. Ironically, the savvy negotiator has never been concerned about his own forgotten past. What's the point, he reasons? The past is gone, the future is the only thing that matters. But something unexpected happens to make him re-evaluate his outlook. On the day that Dorothy Wayneright disappears, Roger realizes that the past is indeed a very important part of his life. Dorothy's ravaged robotic body is eventually found and retrieved but her memory circuits have been stolen. Thus starts a chain of events that will eventually reveal the deepest secrets of Paradigm City. In a world where memories are a valuable commodity, Roger Smith must outplay a host of disreputable characters all of whom are jockeying for the biggest prize of all: Paradigm City! The person who controls the past will ultimately control the future. Softcover, 5-in. x 7-in., 208 pages, B&W. Cover price $9.95.