Lone Wolf & Cub (Vol 1)
photo of Avalokiteshvara taken in the southwestern part of Chongqing Municipality - Dazu Rock Carvings at Mount Baoding
Lone Wolf & Cub by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
Lone Wolf and Cub is a little different from what I normally read with this being the first manga I have reviewed. With manga becoming more and more mainstream over the last fifty or so years it is important to review a historical epic that has a massive amount of influence on authors and creators from all over the world. Lone Wolf and Cub has been a favorite read of mine for several years and re-reading it was sublime, as with graphic novels I always notice something I missed the first read around.
Lone Wolf and Cub is credited with influencing big-name titles from The Mandalorian to Bobs Burgers, both of which have had major success. Rumor has it that Hollywood will be making a movie based on manga/graphic novel as well. Moreover, for a manga to be written in the 70's and be followed up by having a TV series, over 5 movies, and various spinoffs just speaks to the genre-defining display of writing and drawing found within all 28 Volumes, and yes you read that correctly TWENTY-EIGHT VOLUMES. This series is massive and for its storied history, I would consider it to be an underappreciated epic graphic novel. When I picked up volume 1 at Barnes and Nobel it was at the bottom of the shelf. This is straight-up disrespectful and seeing that put this review to the top of my list. Now on to the novel itself.
Lone Wolf and Cub was a joint project by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima about a disgraced shogun executioner who is hell-bent on seeking revenge for the transgressions committed against his family. Taking the path of an assassin for retribution the father-son duo, Ogami Itto and Daigoro, travel across feudal Japan taking assassin jobs and pursuing the art of death. The first volume does not go too in-depth into their history which is why I will not go into too much detail in this review but just know that every page is action packed filled with lots of death and suffering as the path of the assassin is long and hard. Every Panel is drawn artistically and is pioneering for the format of graphic novels themselves. Each swing of the sword can be felt by the reader as Ogami Itto takes lives like he is harvesting wheat. His skill with the sword and naginata is illustrated to perfection in every clash and captures the chaos and confusion of battle to the death.
Besides the artistic representation, the is a distinct lack of dialog within the confines of this novel. While there exists some dialog, creators Kazuo and Goseki keep it to the minimum which only adds to the character development. It is fitting that Ogami Itto does not have a lot to say as he is a man of action. Moreover, the father and son relationship within the book is heartless and filled with respect. That description may seem like a contrast in concepts but it is accurate in describing the relationship. Ogami has the utmost respect for his young son Daigoro and gives him the choice to die with honor or join him on the road to vengeance. Remember this is series is called Lone Wolf and Cub and a wolf cub is still deadly.
“Meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddha”
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