Best Selling Books by KAZUO KOIKE

A failed assassination attempt brings into Freeman''s possession Muramasa, the Devil''s Sword, an ancient samurai blade that brings misfortune and death to any who possess it. Wishing to spare Freeman and tame the sword''s malevolent spirit, Tiger Orchid, Freeman''s wife, takes the blade to Kowloon to train with a legendary swordmaster. But she''ll need to find him in Kowloon Castle, a slum so riddled with crime and destitution that it officially doesn''t exist. But its dangers are all too real, and even a possessed sword may not be enough to stop a gun-toting criminal army bent on selling Tiger Orchid into slavery! Written by the legendary Kazuo Koike, creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, and illustrated by the incomparable Ryoichi Ikegami, Crying Freeman is adult manga at its most challenging: dark, violent, morally complex, erotically charged, and regarded worldwide as one of the classics of adult graphic fiction.

Spring is a season of rebirth and delight, but not for Kubikiri Asa, the Shogun''s executioner. And for those condemned to lose their heads to Asa''s sword, this spring will be their final season. Samurai Executioner, the Edo-era samurai crime drama by Lone Wolf and Cub creators Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, continues down its path of heinous crime and diligent, bloody justice.

Im dritten Band des japanischen Meisterwerks, das bis heute Erzähler wie Quentin Tarantino und Frank Miller beeinflusst, wird Licht ins Dunkel der Hintergründe um Ogami Ittos Rache gebracht und der junge Daigoro muss sich gleich mehrfach selbst beweisen. Die Reise durch das feudale Japan geht unnachgiebig weiter – mit Herz, Charme, Trauer, Mut und jeder Menge Action.

Der herrenlose Samurai Ogami Itto und sein Sohn Daigoro stellen sich erneut dem Spionclan der Kurokuwa und die Vergangenheit um Antagonist Retsudo der Yagyu wird beleuchtet alles unter dem Hintergrund eines minutiös recherchierten feudalhistorischen Japan.

As the flames draw nearer, the fire gets hotter. Ronin assassin Ogami Itto seeks to learn what''s written on the secret messages from the corrupt Yagyu clan to the Shogun, and leaves a river of blood in his path. Elsewhere, a shamed woman attempts to force her husband to name his own child, but his job and honor stand in the way. Daigoro makes a new friend in another samurai fated to seppuku — ritual suicide — and defends the honor of a young playmate. The world keeps turning as the Lone Wolf and his Cub wander the land seeking revenge and answers, the questions to which are written in blood and ink. This volume contains the following stories: One Rainy Day O-Shichiri Man The Kyushu Road Day of the Demons

Der herrenlose Samurai und Attentäter Ogami Itto ist mit seinem kleinen Sohn Daigoro auf einem Rachefeldzug. Auf ihrem grimmigen Pfad begegnen sie allerdings zahlreichen Verbündeten, Betrügern, Gleichgesinnten, Gaunern, Bauern, Taschenspielern, Feudalherren und Kriegern. Das epochale Meisterwerk von Kazuo Koike und Gôseki Kojima gilt nicht ohne Grund als eine der besten grafischen Erzählungen aller Zeiten.

Es bahnt sich eine große Konfrontation zwischen dem Yagyu-Clan, Retsudo und den herrenlosen Wölfen Ogami Itto und Daigoro an, die nicht alle unbeschadet überstehen werden. Der junge Daigoro muss erneut beweisen, dass er auch für sein eigenes Leben einstehen kann, während er auf seinem Weg auf Fischer, gesuchte Verbrecher und alte Damen in Not trifft ...

In this final volume of the series, Lone Wolf and Cub finally reach their destination and all of Edo awaits the outcome of the final encounter between Ogami Itto and Yagyu Retsudo.

Lady Snowblood is a woman born with a singular purpose, revenge. Revenge for the death of her father at the hands of greedy criminals. Revenge for the life of her mother, who birthed her in a prison to continue this demon''s path of death. Sometimes this path is odd, sometimes sexy, often painful, and always violent. By means of a world''s worth of skills, Lady Snowblood will find her revenge. But who knows what lies at the end of this path. • Skillfully written by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame and master-drafted by Kazuo Kamimura, Lady Snowblood is a sexy story of a woman bound by dire desires.

An epic samurai adventure.

Cult leader Naiji Kumaga is poised for a hostile takeover of Japan. He has the tools--1000 submachine guns in a land with few firearms--but needs expert hands to wield them, and the assassins of the 108 Dragons definitely have what it takes. Kumaga''s plan: capture the Dragons'' leader, Crying Freeman, and replace him with a trained double. Snatching the world''s deadliest killer is a tall order, but maybe not too tall for the merciless giant, Tohgoku Oshu! • Long out-of-print in America, the Dark Horse edition of Crying Freeman is the first English translation of the title in the original Japanese format!

A samurai epic of staggering proportions, the acclaimed Lone Wolf and Cub begins its second life at Dark Horse Manga with new, larger editions of over 700 pages, value priced. The brilliant storytelling of series creator Kazuo Koike and the groundbreaking cinematic visuals of Goseki Kojima create a graphic-fiction masterpiece of beauty, fury, and thematic power.

Kazuko Koikes und Gouseki Kojimas historischer Manga zählt dank seiner spannenden Story und zweier faszinierender Hauptfiguren zurecht zu den weltweit besten Comics überhaupt. In lose verknüpften Episoden erzählt er die Odyssee des herrenlos gewordenen Samurai Ogami Itto, der mit seinem kleinen Sohn Daigoro als Auftragsmörder durch das Japan des späten 17. Jahrhunderts zieht.

"He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese Mafia. But to the criminal underworld that fears him, he is known as Crying Freeman, the killer who sheds tears at the fate of his victims. Young, handsome, sensitive, an artist, Yo has been psychologically programmed by his Dragon masters to kill on command: he cannot resist his masters'' commands to kill, they cannot stop his tears of remorse."--Page [4] of cover, v. 1.

Ronin samurai Ogami Itto and his young son Daigoro travel a dark road, beset by enemies sworn to destroy the Lone Wolf and his Cub. But how did Ogami, once the shogun''s loyal retainer and trusted executioner, become a dishonored fugitive marked for death by the shogun himself? What hidden forces moved to destroy Ogami''s family and fuel his relentless quest for retribution? Lone Wolf and Cub has sold over a million copies of its first Dark Horse English-language editions, and this acclaimed masterpiece of graphic fiction is now available in larger format, value-priced editions.

The path of revenge can have many twisted turns, and Lady Snowblood''s is no exception. Born in a prison, a product of her mother''s grudge, Yuki is a child of hell. What will she do for revenge? Pose as a nun? Become another woman''s lover? Possibly. In this volume we learn about Yuki''s training and youth, see her woo some allies, and embark on the first steps of her angry path. Written by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf & Cub fame, Lady Snowblood is a tale of a woman''s path in hell. FOR MATURE READERS

Lone Wolf and Cub chronicles the story of Ogami Ittō, the shōgun''s executioner who uses a dōtanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyū clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigorō, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as "Lone Wolf and Cub".

A master ninja''s duty is to protect the boy who would grow up to become Shogun and unify Japan.

As samurai were losing their bearings in a time of change, Yuki brought back the demonic spirit of vengeance. And the good part about this last volume of Lady Snowblood is that she saved her most hated targets for last. Yet, in the midst of a maelstrom of sex and violence, the reader will still catch a few glimpses of warmth and human compassion. That''s because Kazuo Koike, the creator of the popular Lone Wolf & Cub manga, knows how to build around good characters, and Lady Snowblood is certainly no exception. See how it all ends in volume 4, the second part of "Retribution." • From Kazuo Koike, writer of Lone Wolf & Cub, Crying Freeman,and Samurai Executioner. • Lady Snowblood is published in the authentic Japanese format. FOR MATURE READERS

Vater und Sohn sind endlich wieder vereint, während Yagyu-Oberhaupt Retsudo in die Vergangenheit des Clans blickt, und das Geheimnis des Yagyu-Briefes in greifbare Nähe rückt.

Separated from his son while battling Yagu assassins, Itto Ogami''s mission of retribution heats to a boil as he cuts through any obstacle to find his missing child. But little Daigoro, though a mere toddler, is the son of the most formidable and resourcefull samurai in the land. Though alone in a cruel world, Daigoro has the heart of a warrior! Created by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Lone Wolf and Cub has sold over a million copies of its first Dark Horse English-language editions, and this acclaimed masterpiece of graphic fiction is now available in larger format, value-priced editions.

Join renegade samurai Itto Ogami and his infant son, Daigoro, in five more adventures on the dark road to Hell. What do three mysterious Shogunate assassins, a street entertainer, and the crests of the dead have in common? "The Baby Cart Wolf" continues his dealing of death for gold and encounters one ronin who is bent on putting a stop to his journey. Will he succeed? Follow the monthly adventures of Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the true classics of comics literature, available in America for the first time in over a decade! This volume contains the following stories: The Flute of the Fallen Tiger Half Mat, One Mat, A Fistful of Rice The White Path Between the Rivers The Virgin and the Whore Close Quarters

Water, death, and angry ninja take the foreground in this exciting volume of the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub series! A pitiful ferryboat girl discovers the tragic ways of "A Wife of the Heart," as the Lone Wolf, Ogami Itto, stands against the man she loves. In "Wayward Swords," a rogue swordsman-for-hire learns a valuable lesson about Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, from the Lone Wolf. Afterwards, Ogami once again must face the treachery of the Kurokuwa ninja clan, then becomes a river porter to foil the secret plans of his enemy, the Yagyu clan, and in doing so declares war against them all! The Lone Wolf''s actions lead to a nationwide manhunt and an epic, bloody battle unlike any in comics. Don''t dare miss a volume of the series that belongs on every bookshelf: Lone Wolf and Cub. This volume contains the following stories: Wife of the Heart Wandering Samurai Echo of the Assassin Naked Worms The Yagyu Letter: Prologue

Yuki works as a master assassin, living out an old tradition of vengeance for crimes committed against a family she never met.

A woman driven to insanity by the murder of her child, and the horribly burned husband seeking revenge; unseen samurai under the thumb of a power-hungry woman; a beggar ronin seeking the downfall of his greedily ambitious wife; a good-for-nothing beggar willing to use a child to make easy money; a lady magician threatened by swindling gangsters: all of these people have something in common — the need to regain their honor, and this quest almost always means death. Ogami Itto, a wandering ronin on a road to vengeance, has been paid to put these folks back on that path, at any cost. For this grim samurai and his infant son, there is nothing left in this world except honor, vengeance, death, and blood. Fortunately, there''s plenty of each to go around... This volume contains the following stories: Nameless, Penniless, Lifeless Body Check Shattered Stones A Promise of Potatoes Wife Killer

Offered GN #2

He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese Mafia. But to the criminal underworld who fear him, he is known as Crying Freeman, the killer who sheds tears at the fate of his victims. Young, handsome, sensitive, an artist, Yo has been hypnotically programmed by his Dragon masters to kill on command: he cannot resist his masters''commands to kill, his masters cannot stop his tears of remorse. Written by the legendary Kazuo Koike, creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, and illustrated by the incomparable Ryoichi Ikegami, Crying Freeman is adult manga at its most challenging: dark, violent, morally complex, erotically charged, and regarded worldwide as one of the classics of adult graphic fiction. Dark Horse Manga is proud to present Crying Freeman, yet another of the jewels in the crown of manga classics, presented in its original right-to-left reading orientation. FOR MATURE READERS

The author provides an explanation of Japanese workers'' high morale and Japan''s economic performance which, he argues, results from skilled employees working against a background of high technology.

Le tueur aux yeux de pluie Tueur japonais au service de la mafia chinoise des 108 dragons, il a pour nom de code “Freeman”. Après chaque meurtre commis, il laisse couler des larmes. Quel secret dissimulent-elles ? C’est au travers de sa rencontre avec une jeune femme en quête d’amour que Freeman découvrira qui il est vraiment... Après Sanctuary, Ryoichi Ikegami revient avec une autre de ses séries emblématiques : Crying Freeman. Cette saga en cinq volumes avait déjà eu les honneurs d''une adaptation cinématographique par Christophe Gans, le réalisateur du Pacte des loups. Avec cette édition Perfect, l''œuvre mythique revient en grand format et avec des pages couleurs. Vous n''aurez plus aucune raison de passer à côté de ce monument.

Lone Wolf and Cub enlist the aid of a tailor to I prepare robes of white silk for what could be their last stand. There''s something in the air, and it smells like death. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.