Another excellent volume in this series. Some very good stories where the assassin takes jobs for various reasons, some very moving. This particular volume features the story from the assassin's path detailing a betrayal and the loss that would drive him to become the assassin known as Lone Wolf and Cub. Just for that, this volume is worth picking up, but it has four other very good stories. Overall, the author continues the good work, and I will be looking up the next volume. ( )

I'm not really into manga or anime for that matter because I have a real hard time wrapping my head around the Japanese style of storytelling, not to mention all of the subtle cultural differences that tend to keep me in the dark on what should be obvious metaphors. This series by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima though was perfect for me. The plots are very straightforward and executed with a very graceful style, simple enough that I feel like I'm getting everything even though I'm probably not. I also really like the concept of a father and his baby out in the world, both swords for hire. ( )