Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
Lone Wolf and Cub: The Assassin's Road (1995)
Authors: Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
Genre: Graphic Novel (Manga/Shonen)
Plot Summary:
Lone Wolf is a highly skilled ronin traveling through medieval Japan with the banner 'Son for Hire, Sword for Hire'. We are introduced to him as he enters the shima, the zone of death, having been hired to kill a devious politian. With his son Daigoro at his side as both his son and accomplice, he travels the road of meifumado, the Buddhist hell, on a path of revenge which is hinted at at the end of the volume. Along the way he offers his services as an assassin to those who need it, whether they can pay or not, showing along the way that he's more than just an assassin.
Geographical Setting: Japan
Time Period: Edo-Period (approximately 1655)
Appeal Characteristics:
This manga is the story of a ronin, a masterless samurai, seeking revenge while raising and traveling with his young son in medieval Japan. The sweeping cinematography is beautiful and is used to illustrate and teach quite a bit about Japanese history during the time as well as tell the story. There is also a strong father-son relationship that is very apparent throughout the book.
Read-alikes: If you are interested in more tales from this era in Japan and filled with Japanese history as this is, try the authors' spin-off series Samurai Executioner starting with When the Demon Knife Weeps (2004). Written by Kazuo Koike and penned by Goseki Kejima, this has the same writing style and sweeping cinematography that makes Lone Wolf and Cub so distinctive. If interested in a manga filled with martial arts fights, revenge quests and do not mind a darker, grittier story, try Lady Snowblood (2005) by Kazuo Koike. (This is said to be partial inspiration for the Kill Bill movies; warning, this is not suitable for younger readers). If interested in another collaboration between the two authors, one might try Path of the Assassin (2006), a manga title being published in July 2006. Another manga title set in feudal Japan that is filled with Japanese history and has a revenge quest as the plot is The Legend of Kamui (1990) by Sanpei Shirato. Also consider Samurai Legend (2003) by Kan Furuyama and Jiro Taniguchi. This is another manga title set in medieval Japan with the deep Japanese history and samurai emphasis that is characteristic of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Red Flags: violence, sex, nudity, use of a toddler as bait in several traps
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