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I'm aware that the Dark Horse version of Astro Boy was edited, but I'm not sure to what extend, aside from missing a few chapters here and there.

1: Language Translation (well DUH!)
2: Some minor changes in names (Atom == Astro) and English variants of Japanese names.
3: Printed mirror image so it reads left to right. I wish they left it reading right to left as Viz did for the Blackjack series so the images would be correct.
4: Size? The Japanese originals were probably printed on larger paper that would be easier to read.

Pretty much what kscharf said. The English edition is based on the most complete Japanese edition that was available, plus an extra volume to compile the 80's manga. There's not really any differences other than the obvious.

"kscharf" wrote:1: Language Translation (well DUH!)
2: Some minor changes in names (Atom == Astro) and English variants of Japanese names.
3: Printed mirror image so it reads left to right. I wish they left it reading right to left as Viz did for the Blackjack series so the images would be correct.
4: Size? The Japanese originals were probably printed on larger paper that would be easier to read.

"F-Man" wrote:Pretty much what kscharf said. The English edition is based on the most complete Japanese edition that was available, plus an extra volume to compile the 80's manga. There's not really any differences other than the obvious.

Good to hear that the changes weren't significant. I'll be checking those out. It'll be my first manga.

dark horse was pretty good I read the first manga and the second they still relate very well to the 1960s series

Actually though many stories may have remained largely intact, more than a few were not only revised, but to the extent that characters were written out entirely. The BLUE KNIGHT teratology comes to mind as the best example, & I think I may have covered this in another thread, but here is an example:

After Atom & family move, not into their own home, but Higeoyaji's after Atom rescues them from the warehouse, Atom continues his anti-human attitudes, & is rebuked for them. Atom decides to run away from home, & takes BOTH Cobalt & Uran along. But when the air force pursues them, Atom accidentally drops the suitcase with Cobalt in it. Then, we see Cobalt standing in the open case, as Tawashi yells at him.

CROPPING: I think that what was reprinted in the little manga books I have & in the DH comes from larger panels, as sometimes I noted that while the DH may have cropped the left or right edges, its panels have more detail in height. So, suppose the original panel was 4 by 9, & the JLV reprint has it 3 by 9, while the DH has 4 by 7. An example is that among the stars discussing Uran's upcoming fight as Sapphire, though the DH has only her arm in the panel:


Note the difference:
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The JLV is wider, where the detail really counts, but the ELV has more height. Also, for those REALLY familiar with Sapphire, it may have been apparent that she was out of the frame, but most would fail to note her presence. I cannot identify the man, unless he is Sherlock Holmspun.

Jeffbert, considering the many different editions that came out in Japan, and that Tezuka would often edit them, wouldn't that just mean that the Dark Horse edition is based on a different one?

Yes, there were quite a few compilations over the years, & as I understand it, panels were dropped & dialogue revised when the series was reprinted from time to time. I have two sets of JLV manga, the 1st two in this series http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4778032195/ref=pe_309492_43228022_pd_re_dt_dt4, that after a brief comparison to the DH, appears to have identical content, & therefore represents that upon which the DH is based.

In fact, there is a book in Japanese, that compares the original stories to their latest versions. I think I made a thread about it.

By the way, it's me or Dark Horse made chapters out of order and skipped introductions of characters like Cobalt and Uran?

The story order that many of the re-issues of the Manga were in varied greatly.