Path of the Assassin, Volume 1

August 15, 2006
This historical manga (the first of 15) from the creators of Lone Wolf and Cub and Samurai Executioner follows Hattori Hanzo, a ninja assigned to protect the future shogun and uniter of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Heir to the Matsuhdaira clan, 16-year-old Ieyasu is being raised as a hostage of the rival Imagawa clan. Fifteen-year-old Hanzo is assigned by the Matsuhdaira to "serve our master in the dark." Ieyasu, portrayed as fat, clumsy, and somewhat sniveling, resents his younger servant's physical skills and experience. Hanzo in return questions the worthiness of his master, after being given awkward tasks such as demonstrating the facts of life before Ieyasu's marriage. Through a series of subtle and clever situations, the novel examines the bond forged from this fragile initial relationship. Koike continues the ingenious and often surprising plotting characteristic of his earlier work, crafting an extremely engaging and well-paced story. Presented in the original right-to-left format, the black-and-white artwork by Kojima is superb, alternating between detailed closeups of people, costumes, and objects and lush landscapes reminiscent of paintings. With scenes of extreme violence, nudity, and sex, this manga is clearly for adult collections, for which it is recommended.David Ward, Univ. of Illinois Undergraduate Lib., Urbana

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2006
Koike and Kojima's third collaboration is, like " Lone Wolf and Cub" and " Samurai Executioner," a period piece. But its protagonists are genuine, not fictional, historical figures: sixteenth-century shogun Ieyasu and his right-hand warrior, Hattori Hanzo. Legendarily, their relationship began when Hanzo was assigned to be Ieyasu's ninja bodyguard. Ieyasu was 16, Hanzo, 15. Koike and Kojima retreat slightly from that encounter to show first the young ninja proving himself by besting his two older brothers in a matter requiring brains more than brawn. After a faulty first meeting, master and servant quickly become friends. The quality of their relationship is unforgettably crystallized by Hanzo's fulfillment of a challenging but enticing task Ieyasu sets him: to demonstrate how to make love to a woman, which neither youngster has ever done. Hanzo succeeds at obliging his master and winning himself a woman whom he pleases. As in Koike and Kojima's other work, there is plenty of sex, earthy humor, brilliantly realized martial-arts action, and humane characterization.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)