Book Review: LONE WOLF AND CUB by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima
An epic, blood-soaked Japanese drama in words and pictures
Cover for the American edition of LONE WOLF AND CUB from Dark Horse Comics (cover art by Frank Miller).
Book Review: LONE WOLF AND CUB (1970) by Kazuo Koike (script) & Goseki Kojima (artwork)
I discovered this graphic novel when translated editions began to appear in Scandinavia from the 1980s and onward. It was originally released as a Japanese manga serial from 1970 to 1976, and much later it was published in English.
Make no mistake, this collected serial is truly a graphic novel. It is a complete epic story about the outlaw swordsman Ogami Ittō and his small child Daigorō, and their long quest for revenge — all set in feudal times.
The antihero protagonist, Ogami Ittō, is the Shogun’s executioner. He is stern and merciless in his profession. In a shocking scene, he executes a child of noble birth who has been sentenced to death by the Shogunate. Ogami is only doing his job, and fanatically follows the samurai code of honor.
When Ogami’s family is murdered by the rival Yagyū clan, he swears revenge on the entire clan … and sets off on a bloody journey through feudal Japan.
The unique twist is that his infant son Daigorō has survived, and follows him on this road to hell.
Is Ogami insane? By Western cultural standards, he could be seen as a homicidal maniac. But judging by the cultural standards in which he lived, he is simply a man who takes “the rules” more seriously than anyone else.
At the beginning of the story, the protagonist makes his own small child choose path. It seems monstrous to force such a choice on an infant. But this is not a story about a “hero” in the Western sense; the protagonist is doomed to (Buddhist) hell and he is fully aware of it.
For me, the experience of reading LONE WOLF AND CUB was like visiting another planet or parallel universe. The narrative depicts not only the protagonists, but also their stratified feudal society. References to Japanese religion and Zen Buddhism appear frequently.
The gorgeous expressionist artwork by Goseki Kojima makes even the bloody swordfights and gruesome carnage look poetic.
Goseki Kojima’s stunning artwork in LONE WOLF AND CUB is frequently wordless.
LONE WOLF AND CUB is a captivating, tragic tale, well told and exceptionally well drawn. I recommend it for adults only — and sensitive readers should stay away.