Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus 1

Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 1 by Kazuo Koike
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Framed by his enemies, Ogami Itto walks the Assassin's Path with his infant son Daigoro as... Lone Wolf & Cub!

Just before my son was born, I wrapped up Usagi Yojimbo and looked for another series to read. Months later, after watching The Mandalorian, I decided to pick this up. It was a long time before I could snag this first volume but was it ever worth it!

Lone Wolf & Cub has long been touted as one of the greatest manga of all time. It didn't take long to see why. Kojima's art is expressive and highly detailed. The action has a clarity to it that I find lacking in a lot of black and white works. There's also a far amount of gore, which was surprising at first but seems appropriate with all the decapitations and such.

The writing is superb as well. Kazuo Koike crafts a three dimensional character in Itto. He's far from the bloodthirsty killer he could have been, a philosophical warrior with deep love for his infant son. Koike and Kojima pit Ogami Itto up against bandits and other killers with Lone Wolf and Cub defeating the enemies through brain power as well as bloodshed.

Lone Wolf and Cub earns its reputation as a masterpiece of manga. 5 out of 5 naginatas.

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