New Releases by KAZUO KOIKE

What exactly needs to be said in solicitation copy for the VERY LAST VOLUME OF LONE WOLF AND CUB? It''s the moment you''ve all been waiting years and years to read. It''s the end of the long path the ronin father and son have been on since the boy''s birth. Through unimaginable violence and bad weather, across hundreds of miles of blood-soaked roadbeds, over years of tragedy and anguish, to this final still-epic story, Itto and Daigoro have kept us holding on to what little hope exists in a world where honor is all but forgotten and warriors are obsolete. It''s a bloody battle all the way to the finish, with dramatic twists and turns right up to the final page. Stay with us as we conclude the translation of what will always be considered one of the finest examples of comic-book mastery ever created, Lone Wolf and Cub. This volume contains the following stories: Corpse Tree Flute and Wave The Lotus Throne Empty Stirrups Arms

Hooooo doggy! The tension is getting so thick, a dotanuki wielded by the strongest samurai would have a hard time cutting through it! Just two more volumes left until one of the world''s most classic pieces of comic-book literature reaches its exciting and emotional conclusion. Two swords remain planted in the ground, awaiting the final duel between the conniving Retsudo and the vengeful Itto, and little Daigoro guards the two blades with his life. Indeed, his life is threatened when a stampede of villagers escaping a burning village almost plow him into the dirt. Impressed townfolk decide to stop and help him, staying for a while on the same beach. For once, Daigoro experiences the joy of being a child, playing with the other children, but that peace won''t last long. Yaygu Retsudo, imprisoned in the castle of the shögun, deceives his way to freedom and commands the very last members of the Yagyu ninja to kill Itto! But knowing swords alone won''t kill him, Yagyu sends a strange and fascinating weapon to the battlefield, the exploding ninja! This volume contains the following stories: To Protect and Defend For Whom to Die Way of the Warrior, Way of Man Battle''s Eve Grass that Never Flowers

One could believe the old adage about the grass being greener on the other side. But, if you''re referring to the "other side" of the Sanzu, the river between life and death, chances are it will be white, the color of a samurai''s death robes. And a lot of that "grass" was probably dispatched by the hand of Itto Ogami. The Yagyu "grass," spies planted for years in local citizenry, has been on the move, gathering in Edo for a final battle. The ronin Itto Ogami has walked a path of demons with Daigoro at his side, on a quest of vengeance and death that has shaken the very foundations of the samurai caste and the shögunate. No one has been able to stop him, not even the crafty, Abeno Kaii and it looks like he''s about see his final day, but he won''t go out without a battle of wits! Only three more volumes until the long-awaited conclusion of Lone Wolf and Cub. And when it''s over, you''ll only want to read it again. This volume contains the following stories: Tales of the Grass: Nindo Ukon Struggle in the Dark Song of the Spirit Great Reversals Scarlet Summer, Silver Fall

The mortal enemy of our ronin hero, Retsudo Yagyu has been imprisoned in Edo castle by the shogun. It seems the conniving poisoner, Abeno Kaii, has exposed the Yagyu letter! And Yagyu''s jailer is none other than the poisoner himself, determined to feed Retsudo the dose that will end his life in a pit of dishonor. But Yagu has spies even in Edo caslte, and a message is sent to his "grass," members of the clan hiding in secret, living as normal townspeople throughout Japan. It is up to them to give their lives in this final hour of desperate need. Meanwhile, Itto Ogami is living in a shack and training his little boy for the day when he must protect the battlefield with his own little hands. Still, two swords remain in this field of death, awaiting the two hands that will draw them from the soil and bring us closer to the end of our tale.

Holy hand grenades! Edo is flooded, and by flooded, we mean crazy-flooded. Bridges are crumbling, rivers are washing past retaining walls, and everything in Edo is floating away, including our vengeful ronin, his foe, and his little boy. In an ironic show of samurai respect, little Cub Daigoro gets saved by the conniving Retsudo Yagyu. And proving he can lend a hand, too, Lone Wolf Ogami pulls someone to safety as well -- but maybe he should have let him drown. Eventually, the two opposing master swordsmen dry off and go head to head in a sword fight of a thousand stances and couple of days length. This seems like it could be the deciding bout between the two, unless that nasty, Abeno Kaii gets in the way, and he seems to do that a lot lately.

Rain. Poison. Explosives. Vengeance. It''s a deadly combination that forms a volatile mixture of deceit, betrayal, and hate as the final showdown between Lone Wolf assassin Ogami Itto and his nemesis Retsudo begins. While the torrential rains continue to pound Edo, the fiery Retsudo and his bloodthirsty Yagyu army rush along the banks of the swelling Hatcho River, racing to beat a load of explosives that''s traveling down the other side, heading right into the hands of the vengeful samurai Ogami. Meanwhile, the cunning poisoner Abeno sees his chance to destroy both sides as they run headlong on their collision course -- he''s going flood all of Edo! Forced to put their battle aside, Ogami and Retsudo find themselves fighting side by side to save all of Edo from the floods, while Ogami''s little son Daigoro wanders alone, fighting for his life and searching for his father! It''s a deluge of evil, and it threatens to wash away all that stands in its path!

A quest for vengeance wouldn''t be complete without a little poison. Having tired of his retainer''s futile attempts at reining in the unstoppable samurai, the shogun himself sends Abeno Kaii, a master of poison, to join the Yagyu in their hunt for ronin Itto Ogami and his little boy Daigoro. Armed with a sack full of poison and a network of streetwalking spies, Abeno creeps ever closer to the father and son. Soon Ogami and Daigoro find themselves surrounded on all sides, facing deadly secret agents, murderously seductive prostitutes, and a river of poison flowing all around them! The Eisner and Harvey Award winning series rolls ever onward with five more stories of intrigue and intensity.

The Shogun himself has given Retsudo a stern warning: do something about Itto Ogami, the Lone Wolf, or the Yagyu clan will fall out of favor. Now Retsudo must turn to the Fire Watchers, a select band of warriors, for help — as well as the last surviving members of the legendary Kurokuwa ninja clan! As death stalks him, Ogami is confronted by desperate, impoverished peasants who want him to share his fortune with the suffering. With Ogami''s cub, Daigoro, caught in the middle, what will he decide? Find out what everyone can''t stop talking about. This volume contains the following stories: Firewatchers of the Black Gate The Immortal Firewatchers Paper Money Lifeline Twilight of the Kurokuwa

The epic journey of Ogami Itto and Daigoro continues in this stunning volume! A female yakuza and her band are ordered to catch Lone Wolf and Cub, but the authorities aren''t counting on a woman''s heart. Meanwhile, the Yagyu have called in Japan''s most deadly bounty hunters, and offer an even greater reward — can the Lone Wolf trust anyone around him, when the lure of wealth tempts even seemingly harmless peasant folk? And with Daigoro feverish and near death''s door, can Lone Wolf and Cub make it through a winter gale to safety? This volume contains the following stories: To a Tomorrow That Never Comes Bounty Demons The Will of the Fang When the Wolf Comes Life in Death

The Lone Wolf''s arch-enemy, Yagyu Retsudo, begins to reach the end of his rope, as he sends his only daughter and last child after the blood-storm that is Itto Ogami! Meanwhile, Ogami and Daigoro happen upon another clue about the mysterious Yagyu Letter in a final showdown with the Kurokuwa ninja clan. A desperate Retsudo puts a bounty on Ogami''s head, and two of Japan''s most deadly bounty hunters hunt for the Lone Wolf and his Cub, while a poor woodcutter must decide between the bounty and his life by sheltering Ogami and Daigoro! All this and much more awaits in one of comics'' most legendary series. This volume contains the following stories: Umbrella Sayaka Clouds of Silk Demon Hide, Demon Seek Gateway into Winter

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".

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.

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".

Yagyu Retsudo is a man on fire. For years he''s been planning the destruction of Ogami Itto, the Lone Wolf. Ogami is a one-man army, having cut down all of Yagyu''s sons — except one, who''s been sent to avenge his brothers or die trying! Meanwhile, the toughest cop in Edo, now retired, has the chance to take in the killer of a lifetime, Ogami himself. But is he up to the task? And Daigoro, the Wolf''s cub, finds himself in adventures of his own, befriending a rich family and their spoiled son, and mysterious female falconers! It''s all in a day''s work for Lone Wolf and Cub... Don''t miss out on the best-selling graphic novels of the year and a series that belongs on every bookshelf! This volume contains the following stories: The Moon in the East, the Sun in the West "Marohoshi" Mamesho Spoiling Daigoro The Hojiro Yagyu The Bird Catchers

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

The #1-selling graphic-novel sensation continues! The Lone Wolf and his cub, father and son, are separated by the hatred of the Yagyu -- and the path to togetherness is lined with blood and honor. As Ogami continues his search for little Daigoro, he must battle deadly Yagyu assassins and aspiring, cocky samurai. He prepares to give them a taste of his blade... Meanwhile, Daigoro visits a crazed old woman living under a bridge, and teaches her a valuable lesson. In these and other stories in this volume, Lone Wolf and Cub continue to unlock the mystery of the Yagyu, one step closer to the truth behind his quest for vengeance. Prepare for more legendary action, in a handy size that fits in your back pocket! This volume contains the following stories: Talisman of Hades Ailing Star Thirteen Strings A Poem for the Grave

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".

The six paths and four lives are split asunder, as Itto Ogami and Daigoro become separated in one of this series'' most powerful stories to date! The Lone Wolf''s arch-enemy, Yagyu Retsudo, pursues Ogami to retrieve the secret letter stolen from him, only to watch dozens of his men fall victim to the Lone Wolf''s hungry sword! But Yagyu drives father and son apart as they tumble down a cliff and must survive on their own! Little Daigoro must begin his honorable search for his father. But with Yagyu''s henchmen hunting high and low for the Lone Wolf and his cub, the net drags closer and the danger wraps tighter, but the blood flows ever freely... This volume contains the following stories: The Yagyu Letter The Tears of Daigoro The Fisherwoman''s Love Drifting Shadows Straw Boy

An epic samurai adventure.

Dark Horse Comics is proud to present one of the authentic landmarks in graphic fiction, Lone Wolf and Cub, to be published in its entirety for the first time in America. An epic samurai adventure of staggering proportions — over 7000 pages — Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami in Japan) is acknowledged worldwide for the brilliant writing of series creator Kazuo Koike and the groundbreaking cinematic visuals of the late Goseki Kojima, creating unforgettable imagery of stark beauty, kinetic fury, and visceral thematic power that influenced a generation of visual storytellers both in Japan and in the West. Don''t miss this monumental monthly release, twenty-eight volumes, with each collection approximately 300 pages! This volume includes the following stories: Son for Hire, Sword for Hire A Father Knows His Child''s Heart, as Only a Child Can Know His Father''s From North to South, From East to West Baby Cart on the River Styx Suio School Zanbato Waiting for the Rains Eight Gates of Deceit Wings to the Birds, Fangs to the Beast The Assassin''s Road

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".

Dark Horse Comics is proud to present one of the authentic landmarks in graphic fiction, Lone Wolf and Cub, to be published in its entirety for the first time. Lone Wolf and Cub is an epic samurai adventure of staggering proportions -- a 17th century story of a disgraced Shogun''s executioner wandering the country as an assassin.

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".

Aided by a female yakuza leader, Ogami Itto and his young son Daigoro continue towards Edo, and later the Yagyu clan offers an immense reward for the death of the Lone Wolf and his Cub, leaving them unable to trust anyone.

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".

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".

The epic continues! Among the five stories in this issue: Cub has been captured while Lone Wolf lies unconscious! All of Cub''s captors are cruel, all but the osue (the lowest maid). But her help may be her undoing. The household waits for the feared Lone Wolf to come looking for his son...and when he does...pick up Volume Two to find out what happens -- plus four other great stories, as this classic epic continues! This volume includes the following stories: Red Cat The Coming of the Cold Tragic O-Sue The Gateless Barrier Winter Flower

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".

The journey of vengeance in blood and honor continues. Under the itinerant thumb of Yagyu Retsudo, the Shogun''s secret ninja warriors, the Kurokuwa clan, attempt to ensnare Ogami. Can the Lone Wolf break the chains? If so, there are many in line behind Yagyu waiting to challenge the masterful swordsman, such as a vengeful widow, numerous police, and the freezing cold of winter itself. Plus, read the story of Ogami''s rise to the position of the Shogun''s Officer of Death, feel the seething root of Retsudo Yagyu''s bitterness against Ogami, and watch Ogami teach a proud thief about true honor and the wages of deception. Five action-packed chapters, including never-before-translated material, are included in the latest volume of this classic series. Read it on the bullet train to Edo! This volume contains the following stories: Tidings of the Geese The Frozen Crane Chains of Death The Infinite Path Thread of Tears Beku-no-ji

Continues the epic samurai adventure.