Lone Wolf and Cub

[shaolin_monkey]

Howdy all.  Has anyone got this series?  I was very lucky a few years ago when someone offloaded all 28 volumes on eBay for £50, and I was first past the 'buy it now' post! 

Anyway, they took me months to read, and I devoured them so rapidly I'm sure I didn't absorb them as I should.  They need a reread, and soon! 

The plot is relatively straightforward - the Shoguns executioner is framed and dishonoured, and he has no choice but to tread the path of assassin.  The hook is his family is wiped out, except for his 1 yr old son, who he decides to take with him on his journey to revenge.

The books start off as a series of one story per volume, with his journey of revenge as an overarching theme, but as he gets closer to the source of the lies and corruption the books become very much episodes leading to a definite conclusion.

They are beautifully drawn, extremely well written, always exciting and interesting.  If you have read them, I'm keen to hear your thoughts on the series.  If you haven't read them, I recommend you do.  They are pricey, at about £10 each, but well worth it. 

[Grey M@a]

Been looking for the full 28 myself, along with a full collection of Monster but currently the prices fetch £100+ each for both the collections.

Been on my wants list for some time now and when the odd auction pops up on eBay these days the bids go ballistic. I'll get hold of them one day

[Colin YNWA]

Really that's weird I put up issues 7 and 26 last year for 99p each and didn't get a sniff... now if anybody wants to offer me a tenner for them...

[SmallBlueThing]

I bought 4,5 and 6 from waterstones a couple of years back for just under two quid each, on a whim, in one of their periodic 'massive clearances'. They were okay- i can see why it's so revered, but it's not for me i'm afraid- i ended up putting them outside my house in a box for people passing by to take.

SBT

[Tombo]

Lone Wolf & Cub was the first manga I ever bought, and the first I ever completed. 

The first few volumes are a bit repetative - they show up, kill someone, move on, rinse and repeat - but after a few books the back story slowly fills in and the whole conspiracy theory kicks in.  The last two or three books feature a single fight which lasts most of a night and is one of the most suspenseful scenes I've every read.

[Grey M@a]

Really that's weird I put up issues 7 and 26 last year for 99p each and didn't get a sniff... now if anybody wants to offer me a tenner for them...

Probably due to them being patchy on availability, most places will have a few volumes so you will never get the full story start to finish. The full 28 volume auctions get bids left, right and centre

[Proudhuff]

DOH! I  had this and foolishly sold off a just a couple (2,3?) at a wee comic fare, now they will all have to go on ebay, so thanks for the heads up. Looks like its back to Mama's loft for me!!

I loved the series and bought it as it came out, top quailty story and art which lead me to the films as well.
A really inspired comic.

[I, Cosh]

I get the impression that Colin and Huff are talking about the epic comics edition that was released in the late 80s, around the same time as Akira, rather than the more recent pocket-sized collections. Did the epic one ever make it to the end? I always liked the look of it so I got the first couple of the new collections but stopped when I realised how long it was going to go on for and, therefore, how much it would cost me.

I did read the end in the shop though.

[Proudhuff]

I get the impression that Colin and Huff are talking about the epic comics edition that was released in the late 80s, around the same time as Akira,

That's the ones I have, i think I got to about 52 or some such, then thinks either got too repetitive, ended or I stopped having a 'file' in the comic shop*

* could be any of these as the 1980s are one big blur and that's the bit can remember.

[Colin YNWA]

Yeah quite right there Cosh, sorry I didn't realise there'd been new editions in 2000. The old Epic comics got to 45

http://www.comics.org/series/10081/covers/

Given that my issue 26 of the old Epic issues seems to appear in issue 8 of the new series and that got to 28 issues I'd say the Epic one didn't get to the end... which is all guess work of course.

[JamesC]

If he has a cub with him he's not a lone wolf.

[gdwessel]

1) Epic didn't do the original US run of KOZURE OKAMI, that was good ol' First Comics. Part of the initial appeal of their issues, of course, were the covers: the first 12 by Frank Miller (who considered this a great influence as seen in RONIN), second batch by Bill Sienkiewicz, and the last by Matt Wagner.

2) The series was fantastic, yeah? Anyone ever see SHOGUN ASSASSIN, the English dub of the first movie?

[shaolin_monkey]

If he has a cub with him he's not a lone wolf.

True, and as he's a human too, and not an actual wolf, that's the entire title of the series blown out of the water!

Artistic licence eh?  Just plain confusing sometimes. 

[Proudhuff]

If he has a cub with him he's not a lone wolf.

and That Judge Dredd too, he's not reallya Judge with the wig and robes and stuff and is that the right spelling of Dread? tsk!

[mattb]

I got the Dark Horse series as it came out.  I had previously got the First comics ones, but only a few of them.  Uuumed and aaahhed about getting the DH ones as they were a bit of an expense at the time.  But am I glad I did.  It used to take me a few months to get around to reading an issue, so that I usually had 3 or 4 to get through.  But then they were devoured and I ended up wanting more.  A superb series, building great emotional depth, brilliant fight choreography and some just plain beautiful drawing.  I do not read manga, except for this, which is well due a reread.