Anyone in the West who has heard of Akira has probably just heard of (or seen) the Manga animation, but the roots of that were in the long running japanese comic of the same name. Like so many comicbooks, there is a BIG backstory, and if you want to get into Akira, then your best bet is to hunt down a local comicbook store (or trawl the net for your nearest mail order stockist) and catch up by reading the trade paperbacks (collected editions of comics as big paperbacks).
Akira is definative Manga, the strip has that slightly deformed look of most japanese art, big eyes and heads, action sweeps and unusual expletives, but Akira does it all VERY well. I think the artist was called Katsuhiro Otomo, but I have hunted my attic and can't find the original comics.
This op is based on my memories of reading the comics a few years ago, so forgive the sketchy detail. The stories I remember were similar to the film, cyber influence, techno, young vigilantes, romance, but I remember the storys and action sequences dared to push the boundaries, and were by turns, very moving and quite shocking. (I read the English translations by the way.) My abiding memory of Akira is of being drawn into a very different world, caring about it and wanting to know what happens next, what more can you ask from any literature? The comicbook ran for AGES (it might still be going) and was a total phenomonem in Japan, so check it out if you get chance.
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