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Post by Gray Lensman on Nov 15, 2005 5:37:26 GMT
I'm starting this thread to discuss the universe of Lone Wolf & Cub, easily my favorite manga ever. Its spinoff, Samurai Executioner, also belongs here, considering that it takes place in the same world, featuring a character from LW&C.
LW&C follows the adventures of Ogami Itto and his young son Daigoro. Itto is a former shogun's executioner who was betrayed and disgraced by the Yagyu clan. Itto and Daigoro are the last survivors of the Ogami clan. Now forced by necessity to walk the assassin's road, Lone Wolf & Cub pursue a relentless quest of honor and vengeance...
Samurai Executioner follows the story of Asaemon, a royal executioner. This series is far more about the idea of law and justice in Tokugawa-era Japan. I prefer LW&C, but the first couple of volumes are interesting.
I believe LW&C has been fully reprinted in the US, though I haven't found all the (30+?) volumes yet. Samurai Executioner has only partially been reprinted in the US (I think it's 5 volumes to date), with more to come.
I love this book because, while it is manga, it's the kind of manga that I'd like to see more in the US. It doesn't have the kind of art style that turns me off, and the stories are well-written and powerfully drawn.
Anyone else read these?
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Post by janggut on Nov 15, 2005 6:08:41 GMT
hey, mr Grey! my eyes lit up upon seeing this thread. indeed the drawing style of this manga is not the typical big eyes present in the majority of manga. facts: written by Kazuo Koike, drawn by Goseki Kojima, published by Dark Horse Comics (english edition) Lone Wolf & Cub volume 1 info page from Dark Horse site www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=40-092Kazuo Koike's official site; www.koikekazuo.jp/awards: Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima: Winner 2002 Harvey Award Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work for Lone Wolf & Cub, Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima: Winner 2002 Harvey Award Best Presentation of Foreign Material for Lone Wolf & Cub, Lone Wolf & Cub: Winner 2001 Eisner Award Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material there are total of 28 volumes for this manga. Samurai Executioner, while a spinoff, is actually a prequel of Lone Wolf & Cub. the real sequel of Lone Wolf & Cub is already out in Japan, again by the same author, Kazuo Koike. the artist however is someone else as the original artist, Goseki Kojima, sadly has passed away in 2000 IIRC. on a personal note, i was in disbelief that THE author of Lone Wolf & Cub (for me that's the best manga/comic ever) is also the very same who wrote the horrendous sexploitation manga called Crying Freeman. i saw an episode of Crying Freeman anime & thought it was among the dumbest ever which can easily be one of those that make people think anime & manga are for sickos & freaks.
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Post by Gray Lensman on Nov 15, 2005 6:24:22 GMT
Very interesting stuff, Jang. Thanks. 28 volumes... thought there were more, but guess not. Good to know. I have most of them, then. Yeah, Samurai Executioner pretty much has to be a prequel, given what happens to Asaemon in LW&C. (Which I won't spoil for the uninitiated.) He's still a fairly interesting character regardless, and the action in SE is up to standards. I did try Crying Freeman anime once, way back when. Like you, I wasn't terribly impressed. LW&C gets graphic at times, but the content there has a dramatic purpose. I didn't get that sense from Crying Freeman. But then, even great writers can have a dud of a project from time to time. LW&C is far, far better than anything else I've seen from Koike. I think, ultimately, Koike is best as a samurai writer. The genre plays to his strengths best, with the honorable hero surviving an an amoral world. He's almost writing "samurai noir" in a sense, really.
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