This week I had the opportunity to dive into the world of Lone Wolf and Cub for the first time, thanks to Dark Horse Comics’ release of a new deluxe volume one edition of the famed manga series. Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima’s series follows Ogami Itto, former Executioner for the Shogun, and his son Daigoro as they travel the Assassin’s Path to revenge against the Yagyu Clan.
Dark Horse’s deluxe edition contains the first sixteen stories of the venerable series with translation from Dana Lewis. Lewis’ translation work retains much of the original Japanese terms transliterated into English, ensuring this edition maintains a level of authenticity. And there’s a glossary at the back for those looking to explore the history behind the cultural terms used in the story. As a history buff, I ended up reading the entire glossary, immersing myself in the setting of the series and learning a lot. Readers might also want to know that this deluxe edition presents the pages in traditional manga alignment with the story flowing from right to left. This added care to present the reader with a version of Lone Wolf and Cub as close to the original is greatly appreciated and makes this new collection feel more like a must-buy.
There’s not much I can add about Lone Wolf and Cub that hasn’t already been said. It’s a classic and I can clearly see why it still captures readers’ imaginations today. It was remarkable to see, as a I moved from chapter to chapter, how many modern classics owe so much to Koike and Kojima’s work. Just some recent examples like John Wick and The Mandalorian clearly draw inspiration from this series. Frank Miller has named Lone Wolf and Cub one of his greatest influences, and as many know he contributed covers to some of the past editions released in the U.S. In fact, Dark Horse presents a collection of these covers in this edition. It’s also striking how much this samurai tale mirrors classic Westerns with the roaming gunfighter bringing justice to an untamed west.
The journey of Lone Wolf and Cub allows readers to experience the social turmoil of the Edo period and the harsh reality of living under the Shogunate. The cruel social divisions and the whims of the ruling class are on full display. Each chapter is a morality play, teaching readers about justice and honor, as the characters Ogami Itto encounters fall prey to greed and other vices. This is a harsh world that demands a high price for survival. Kojima’s pencils, presented in black and white, perfectly capture the beauty and the grime underneath the pageantry of the samurai. The way Kojima lays out his panels in a cinematic way makes the reader feel like they are watching a classic director working at the peak of their skill. I’m unsure if this is a staple of Manga, but I found the action scenes a bit static and the characters feeling more posed than infused with kinetic motion. I would have also preferred a wider view of the fights and duels, as the close-in angle made it difficult at times to follow the action. Small points given how truly wonderful the art is here.
Overall, Dark Horse presents this classic series with a lot of love for the source material. The choice to leave some of the Japanese terms untranslated really allowed the world to come alive on the page. And aligning the panels in their original right to left configuration was a brilliant move. This feels like the definitive English language collection for Lone Wolf and Cub. As a newcomer to this world, I have to admit I’ve already tried to look online for when Dark Horse might release the second volume of this new collection. Longtime fans should have this new hardcover on their shelves, and for new fans like me, there really isn’t a better introduction to Koike and Kujima’s world.
Creative Team: Kazuo Koike (Story), Goseki Kojima (Art), Dana Lewis (Translation), Susie Lee and Studio Cutie (Lettering and Retouch)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Click here to purchase.
