Genre: Samurai seinen
Age Range: 16+
Price: 9.95 USD

Eisner Award and Harvey Award winner Lone Wolf and Cub is one of "The Godfather"-level seinen manga. Lone Wolf has never lost its relevance and impact as a violent and moving tale. This seemed like a good time to remind readers of the Lone Wolf legacy that continues to influence manga of today.

Lone Wolf and Cub is the story of masterless samurai, Ogami Itto and his young son Daigoro as they criss-cross the land in search of clients for their "sword for hire - son for hire". At the same time Ogami also seeks out revenge for being framed for a crime against the shogun, yet the full roots of this back story are only touched upon in this first volume.

Their epic story is told over 28 volumes (7000 pages!), yet are told in short episodes slowly building up the greater story. This style is typical of the Japanese narrative of the time it is set in, and it is entertaining to see the crossover of this epic episodic and wandering tale (like the Tale of Genji or Tales of the Heike), into the modern manga format. Initially how Ogami uses his son as a tool for revenge and justice makes the reader wonder about his true feelings for his son, but it soon becomes clear that Ogami indeed does care for the young Daigoro, and the risks are calculated to Ogami's incredible skill with his sword.

And what skill he has! Of course it wouldn't be a true samurai story if our hero couldn't strike down droves of enemies with a single swing of his blade, and the body count here is high. The power of the fight is represented surprisingly well in artist Goseki Kojima's images.

Another nice thing about these books is the size (6.0" x 4.3"). Although the art is shrunk down a bit (by author Kazuo Koike's request) the detail is still clear, and the compact size means you can literally stick a volume in your pocket, then pull it out anytime you are have a little time. The episodic nature means each chapter takes only a few minutes to read, yet the story is easy to follow as a whole.

In the text, older Japanese words without direct English counterparts are not translated into English, but can be found in a glossary in the back. Those interested in this era and with the Japanese language may enjoy the authenticity that is left in the translations.

After reading this first volume my immediate reaction was to rush out and pick up the second volume. Because of it's fast pace, 7000 pages doesn't sound as intimidating as it did before finishing the book.

Over a million volumes of the Lone Wolf series have been printed in English, and it is not hard to see why. This is Kazuo Koike's masterpiece and samurai manga has never and will never be this good again.

 

10