Lone Wolf and Cub 1

Kazuo Koike / Goseki Kojima – Dark Horse – 2000 – 28 volumes

I wish someone had told me this was like Golgo 13, except he baits his targets with a baby. I would have read it years ago.

Without knowing that, I nearly gave up on the first page. “Sugito Kenmotsu, the Kuni-Karo elder of our Mibu Han, is guarded by eight masters of the Nen-Ryu Sword School, the Guardian Eight of Mibu.” I am reminded of an article I read today, Words of Truth and Wisdom, except this sentence isn’t a joke, and unfortunately almost all of those are proper nouns so there’s nothing to do adaptation-wise to fix it. Flipping through the first chapter wasn’t very encouraging either, since it was originally in color and had that 90s translated manga look where there’s too much ink on the page and it makes reading the illustrations really difficult.

There is a glossary of terms in the back, but I was familiar with a lot of the terms back there already, it was the proper nouns that gave me problems. I had to screen them out to enjoy the story.

Itto Ogami, the main character, is a dead ringer for a feudal Duke Togo. He is a man of few words, absurd action, and always accomplishes his hits in ridiculous and over-the-top methods. The problem is that, in Golgo 13, the stories focused on those around the assassin, developing the story before Golgo 13 swept in for the kill. A story from Golgo 13′s perspective would be incredibly boring. Primarily because Golgo 13 shows no emotion, but also because the plot relies on other characters to build suspense and develop the story. Stories told from Golgo 13′s point of view would be a lot like this. Except Itto Ogami is at the distinct disadvantage of living during the Tokugawa Shogunate in the land of Confusing Proper Nouns, things which immediately turn me off.

But the short stories that form the chapters aren’t the point here. It’s all about the visuals, which are very dynamic and incredibly cinematic. Plenty of the chapters end with a one-on-one between Ogami and his target, or a secondary victim, or with a fight in a big group of guys. The art is unlike almost any other manga I’ve seen, very inky with heavy outlines and a lot of detail. The figures and facial expressions are stiff, but the flow comes from the linework, similar to traditional ukiyo-e or sumi-e. The age helps set it apart (I’ve seen very few manga series from the 60s and early 70s, which makes this look very distinct to my eye), but I wonder if this was how samurai comics were drawn back then, too. Of course, it could be entirely distinct to this series, too, which would help explain its lasting popularity.

I can’t find it in my heart to condemn a series with an assassin as clever as Ogami. He frequently uses his son and other confusing tactics (like giving himself away) to set his opponent off guard, making it possible to gain the upper hand and take the lives of a large group of men. As of this volume, he has yet to fail any assassin mission he’s hired out to do, and no opponent has harmed or even touched him.

The baby is an interesting character. Far from being a handicap, he is a useful tool in battle, precisely because others assume he is a handicap. He is three, and is variously pushed in a cart, carried on Ogami’s back, sleeping, or toddling off for cover. He also knows how to do very useful things, such as create a distraction and mislead. Interestingly, he never speaks or does much more than pantomime at this stage. He is also adorable, which is important for a girly reader like me.

I’ve got another volume of this. It’s worth reading… but it is very slow, and not really my thing. Also, still good, and for sure a classic, but the least entertaining of the three swordsman series I’ve started (the other two being Vagabond and Blade of the Immortal). I’m probably going to keep collecting it, but at 28 volumes, it’s going to be years before I finish.