Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 3: The Flute of the Fallen Tiger

子連れ狼 [Kozure Ookami] #3

by Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima, Dana Lewis

Join renegade samurai Itto Ogami and his infant son, Daigoro, in five more adventures on the dark road to Hell. What do three mysterious Shogunate assassins, a street entertainer, and the crests of the dead have in common? "The Baby Cart Wolf" continues his dealing of death for gold and encounters one ronin who is bent on putting a stop to his journey. Will he succeed? Follow the monthly adventures of Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the true classics of comics literature, available in America for the first time in over a decade!

This volume contains the following
The Flute of the Fallen Tiger
Half Mat, One Mat, A Fistful of Rice
The White Path Between the Rivers
The Virgin and the Whore
Close Quarters

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Japan, Historical

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Kazuo Koike (小池一夫, Koike Kazuo) was a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.

Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.

Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.

Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.

Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka.

In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga.

Reviews

[Algernon (Darth Anyan) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent addition to the ongoing saga of ronin Ogami Itto and his son Daigoro. I have previously remarked on the quality of the writing, so rich in detail about medieval Japan, and on the skills of the graphic artist, both in action scenes and in background panels. What I believe is the most remarkable aspect of this third bloody installment, is not so much the level of explicit violence, but the way the epic of Lone Wolf and Cub is presented as a spiritual journey, a balancing act between thirst for revenge and the hope for redemption.

The Flute of the Fallen Tiger



Ogami Itto, the Lone Wolf, meets three ninja brothers aboard a ship transporting an important prisoner (some sort of witness protection program and Mob assassins). The Bentenrai look almost exactly like the fighters from the cult movie "Big Trouble in Little China", with their huge conical hats completely covering their heads, but I guess the influence is the other way around, where the movie is inspired by Edo period customs. As the ship burns down over water the three ninjas and the Lone Wolf head towards a thrilling final confrontation. With his dying breath, one the ninjas explains the title:

'My neck ... it sounds like whistling ...
Worthy of ... the shogun's executioner ... my blood spurts forth ... the diagonal cut across my neck ...
Keens like the wind in the bare trees ...
They call it ... mogari-bue ...flute of the fallen tiger ... I always dreamed of making a cut that would sing ...
And now ... I hear my own ... such irony ...'

Half Mat, One Mat, A Fistful of Rice



This episode is like one of the classic westerns I grew up with, with samurai swords replacing six-shooters. A samurai would always wonder if he is the fastest draw around. A duel will usually settle the issue, but when Ogami Itto crosses path with Headless Sakon, an impoverished ronin selling his skills to the peasants as a circus entertainer, the confrontation has a much higher philosophical slant. Sakon urges Ogami Itto to abandon the assassin's road as a way to save his soul and the life of his son:

No matter how many people you kill, countries you steal, fortunes you plunder, or titles you earn ... you only cover half a straw mat when you sit, one when you sleep, and your stomach only holds a handful of rice.

The White Path Between the Rivers

One heart.
Two rivers.
The White Path: Ishin Nissen Byakudo!
In the words of the Buddhists, the river of fire is the river of Jealousy, the river of water is the river of Greed. But to he who defies temptation and walks the white path between the rivers with perfect Heart, to him the shores of Jodo, the pure land of Paradise.

Probably the most important episode in the series until now, here we are presented with the backstory of how Ogami Itto became an outcast. As Kogi Kaishakunin, the shogun's own executioner, Ogami is the only person who can kill a daimyo, or high lord. The position is understandably liable to create a lot of enemies for the executioner, but he is protected by the shogun himself. When a powerful clan, the Yagyu, decides to remove him from a position of power, the only solution is to set him up with the help of assassins who plant incriminating evidence in his personal family shrine. Rather than risk capital punishment from the shogun, Ogami Itto takes to the road as a paid assassin, swearing revenge against the Yagyu.

The Virgin and the Whore



Another faction of people living at the edge of the law in the Shogunate is introduced here: Kioroshi Bohachi are the yakuza clan who control ukiyo – the Floating World of brothels in Edo period Japan. Of particular interest is the fact that their leader is a lady samurai. Ogami Itto clashes with them when a damsel in distress stumbles into the room he shares with his son Daigoro at a wayside inn. the young girl is a virgin who killed the man who purchased her from her parents, as he tried to rape her before delivering her to the yakuza. The Lone Wolf accepts punishment in her stead from the yakuza, but he may have his own agenda to pursue once he enters the halls of the Kioroshi Bohachi.

Close Quarters

This is a 'dotanuki battle sword'.
To one who bears this sword, the whole world is a battlefield.



Lone Wolf and Cub are sometimes forced to take on dubious contracts, in this episode for example they are to kill several rebel samurai who oppose their daimyo's decision to sell their ancestral forest for profit, endangering the land to floods. The title refers to the dangers of fighting in closed up spaces, and to the readiness of the soldier of fortune to be always ready to face betrayal.

>>><<<>>><<<

Great stuff! I can't wait to start on book 4!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume three of “Lone Wolf and Cub” expands on Ogami Itto’s backstory quite a bit and finally shows us what led an upstanding samurai to abandon the world and embark on the path of the assassin. It also shows us that those who fear Lone Wolf and Cub do so not only because of the skill with which he wields his sword, but due to the knowledge of the ways and secrets of the Shogunate that he possesses. Criticism of the hypocritical nature of the way of the samurai continues to be voiced and it seems at times as though Ogami Itto is a corrective to the offenses of those that abuse their powers grown from their very ranks and using their own methods against them.

“The Flute of the Fallen Tiger”: Ogami must face three deadly fighters whose job it is to safely transport key witnesses in disputes between Hans to the court of the Shogun. Interestingly we start to see the mysterious assassin Lone Wolf and Cub starting to be identified as one and the same as Ogami Itto, one time executioner for the Shogun. Agents of the powers-that-be know that this deadly assassin is more than just a warrior to be reckoned with, he is one of their own whose inside knowledge might shake the place of the Shogunate itself.

“Half Mat, One Mat, A Fistful of Rice”: Merely stopping to watch an itinerant street performer leads Lone Wolf and Cub into a battle of life and death. This is another case where Ogami is recognized and must fight against a warrior of exceptional talent in order to continue on his quest. This time, though, his enemy takes up the sword not out of a wish to safeguard the powers-that-be from an enemy who knows their secrets, but rather through the fear of a compassionate man that the unchecked violence of Lone Wolf and Cub will lead to far too much suffering and death. So far in the series this tale is probably the most explicit in its criticisms of the bushido way and the imbalance and violence that it spawns in society.

“The White Path Between the Rivers”: At last we get to witness all of the events that led Ogami Itto, the Kogi Kaishakunin (the Shogun’s own executioner), to adopt the way of the assassin and take to the road of meifumado with his baby son. A tale of murder, political intrigue, and vengeance that doesn’t leave one too surprised at the ruthless determination that Ogami adopts, and we get our first glance at his true enemy, the wily and resourceful Yagyu Retsudo, secret leader of the powerful Yagyu clan.

“The Virgin and the Whore”: A young woman sold into prostitution kills her procurer after he attempts to rape her and ends up running for protection to Lone Wolf and Cub. Uncharacteristically, Ogami decides to intervene in the affairs of the ‘real world’ and protects her in the face of the threat of death and torture at the hands of her Yakuza masters. What could possibly cause Ogami to abandon the heartless path of meifumado merely to protect a young girl in trouble? Does his compassion perhaps have some other motive more true to the ruthless assassin we have come to know?

“Close Quarters”: Once again we see that Ogami has to beware of not only his targets, but also his employers. Yet again putting his son in danger’s path and using him as a tool to fool his victims, Ogami infiltrates the hideout of a group of rebellious samurai in a bid to halt their attempt at coercing their Han Governor into giving up on a newly instituted lumber scheme. As is often the case Ogami’s clients aren’t always happy to let the assassin leave once he fulfills his contract.

Also posted at Shelf Inflicted

[Jefi Sevilay · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlk kez Ogami Itto'nun geçmişi ve neden Ronin olduğuna değindik. Tahminen ileride bu konuyu daha da çok okuyacağız.

Daigoro'cuğum da ilk kitapta hiç konuşmamıştı. İkinci kitapta ilk kez "Baba" dedi. Düşen Kaplanın Islığı'nda da "Abla kanı sil"e geçti. Artık yeni kitapta ne gelir bilinmez.

Oldukça hızlı okunan bir kitaptı ve muhtemelen her haftasonu bir tane bitirirsem 2 aya ilk 10 cilt tamamlanmış olur.

Herkese keyifli okumalar!

[Yusuf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her sayfası bir inci tanesi gibi işlenmiş, okuyabileceğiniz en iyi "şey"lerden birisi.

Mutlaka okumalısınız.

[Petergiaquinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, a mere 700 pages into the narrative, we get the backstory we need to understand the events that set our Lone Wolf and Cub on the Demon Way through Hell. This third volume's third episode, "The White Path between the Rivers" finally depicts the horrific opening scene of the first movie, Sword of Vengeance, where Itto Ogami in his capacity as the Shogun's executioner, decapitates the child daimyo, the event which the Yagyu clan then uses to betray Ogami and murder his household, including his pregnant wife who delivers their son Daigoru as she is dying.

Fans of the movies will also be happy to find here the title episode featuring Ogami's fight with the three ninja Hidari brothers, the "flute" in the title referring to "mogari-bue," Ogami's perfect killing blow to the throat of the third brother which makes a whistling sound. That fight with the three brothers, each with his own specialized killing weapon, makes up the final scene of the second film, Baby Cart at the River Styx. I have often thought that the brother with the iron claw must have influenced Chris Claremont in his portrayal of the Marvel superhero Wolverine, in the same way the blind swordsman Zatoichi must have inspired Stan Lee in his depiction of Daredevil. This third volume also features "The Virgin and the Whore," the story of Ogami saving the girl sold into prostitution which comprises much of the third film, Baby Cart to Hades.

And speaking of baby carts, although Itto Ogami and Daigoru sled away on the baby cart in the final scene of the last movie, it seems the baby cart has already outlived its usefulness here in this third volume of the manga. Here’s hoping we’ll see that baby cart again soon!

[J.G. Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

The role of comic books in America is in transition, and so comics hold a tenuous and unusual position in the American psyche. To some degree, they are still considered dirty and cheap, still artistically bankrupt, and there are good reasons for this. For a long time, the industry had its hands tied by the 'Comics Code', a punitive ratings system. One can realize the effects the code had by imagining what movies would be like if the government stated that all films released must attain a 'G' rating.

Imagine a G-rated Star Wars, a G-rated Godfather, a G-rated Blazing Saddles, and you may begin to understand the impossibility of trying to write quality comics under the code, which held sway over comics for thirty years. To give you an example of just how punitive the code was, at one point author Marv Wolfman was not allowed to be credited with his real last name because under the code, it was too scary.

It wasn't until the early eighties that publishers began to break away from the code, first under the daring pen of Steve Gerber, who lost his career in comics over it, and then under Alan Moore, who was made a household name for helping break the grip of the code. But comics are still fighting a bad reputation, as evidenced by the fact that the term 'graphic novel' has been coined solely so people who consider themselves sophisticated don't have to condescend to read 'comics'.

But this struggle for recognition as an art form has played out very differently around the world. In Europe, the revolution took place in the mid sixties, so that today, an individual can get a government grant to work in the field of comics, so that, instead of trying to please the narrow requirements of a multimedia conglomerate bent on cannibalizing old stories (like Marvel and DC), they can freely bring to life their meticulous, experimental visions, pointing towards a future for comics, instead of a well-thumbed past.

And it's this level of experimental artistry that I have come to expect from comics, since my experience with them has been primarily from foreign authors. Even the early books I read from the big publishers were mostly the result of their hiring British and Irish authors. After this experience, I explored the Franco-Belgian and Italian traditions, much to my edification.

But oddly enough, I had never read any Japanese manga. Here I was, searching the back shelves fruitlessly for English translations of rare European comics when every bookstore has a thickly-stocked manga section. It's partially a sense of stubborn iconoclasm I can't seem to shake, but there are other reasons I have remained wary.

Like anyone my age, I'm familiar with 'anime'--animated cartoons from Japan. In fact, I got into them fairly early, around '94, before we had the word 'anime' to describe them. So it's odd that I never became a committed japanophile like so many of my peers.

Most of the anime I've seen is just repetitive escapism, but there have been a few works, here and there, that impressed me. But then, that's true for any medium: most books are sub par, as are most movies and comics, and we hold out for the rare good one.

But there are some larger complications to get around. Firstly, America has an Animation Age Ghetto to match its Comics Age Ghetto, meaning that when companies bring in animation from Japan (or Europe), they are looking for something to sell to kids, and aren't very picky about the quality of the writing or acting.

But, even when this isn't the case, and we've got entities like Cartoon Network who are deliberately trying to bring in adult animation fare, we aren't getting the most conceptual and experimental stuff from Japan, because translating such a work is no enviable task. The wordplay, allusions, cultural content, and literary traditions are just not in the reference pool for Americans. Hence, the average American can only appreciate a story which is simple enough to translate clearly.

Even with European comics it's less challenging, because we are culturally and linguistically closer to France than we are to Japan. Unless you're willing to go in there and learn the language, culture, and history, the most complex and involved works will remain remote. Eventually, when you get a large academic community committed to the works of the culture, you can start producing expert, informed translations, but it's only recently that we've begun to look seriously at our own comics, much less those of Japan.

But there are still those stories that translate well, even across such boundaries, such as the film work of Akira Kurosawa, which I loved as a child, long before my occasional studies of Japan. But then, Kurosawa is, in many ways, reflecting our own culture back at us: he takes American film and story techniques--most notably Westerns and Shakespeare--and adapts them to his culture.

Even though the content and language are different, the film techniques and literary tropes are recognizable. But then, that should also be true for comics and animation, both of which were explored and refined in America three-quarters of a century ago. In both Disney's Fantasia and McCay's Little Nemo, we have visions of great experimental artistry in both animation and comics.

Unfortunately, the great conservative backlash of the nationalistic fifties put an end to that. The intense controls put onto films and books hurt these fledgling forms, who had few defenders in the arts and academia to keep fighting for authorial rights.

So, our comics and animation were sent out, all over the world, inspiring both Europe and Asia, where Carl Barks is still a household name. Without the same cultural controls and juvenile expectations, they thrived. And they have provided great inspiration for American authors and artist throughout the years, from the Spaghetti Westerns to Valerian and the abortive European 'Dune', which birthed Alien, Blade Runner, and Star Wars, the cultural exchange of ideas continued, though other media.

So it is far past time for me to crack open some of the great Asian works, daunting as their unfettered length might be (no thirty page issue limits, here), and see for myself how the visions of Osamu Tezuka--the innovative father of both manga and anime--have played out. After all, Tezuka based his stories off the works of Disney and Carl Barks, so in many ways, manga and anime are prodigal children, finally returning.

We should thank the Japanese and the Europeans for keeping the artistic vision alive and thriving for those long decades when we, blinded by fear and nationalism, had forgotten them. And now, they deliver them back to us, fully-formed, and I can only hope that some American artists will be able to help us get back on track, moving forward to a bright, innovative future for comics and animation.

Though perhaps I should have started with Tezuka, the appeal of the traveling ronin story was a great draw for me. As epitomized in the Kurosawa/Mifune films (Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Seven Samurai), and also in the Zatoichi films, such stories, while straightforward in concept, allow for many variations of theme and many explorations of characters and cultural elements.

Lone Wolf & Cub takes the form of a series of vignettes: small, self-contained stories. Each one has its own theme and tone, each shows the complete arc of an idea; but, like a poetic cycle, these stories are greater as a whole than they are alone. We return again and again to concepts, and each time, a new layer is added, a new side of the story is explored.

Gradually, these small stories build up into a much larger arc. They are not related by a continuous plot, but by continuous thematic explorations. I often find such collections of short stories are much more effective in creating intriguing settings and characters than a protracted plot full of exposition. The author is free to move through time and place, exploring character and world elements as they come up, and is not forced to create tenuous, convenient connections to string the plot together. The characters and themes anchor the story more deeply than a simple sequence of events.

The art takes its cue from traditional sumi-e ink and wash painting, with the swift, decisive strokes which were so equated with sword strokes that it was said you could read a man’s fencing style in his art and calligraphy. The marriage of this style with Western sequential art is seamless, and it’s hardly surprising that the stylized forms displayed here have proven so inspirational in the visual arts.

Some of the story comes off as cliché, but it’s always difficult to say with an original work how much of that is because other artists have copied the style in the meantime. We have the amusingly esoteric discussions of styles, attacks, and schools which grew up as Japanese society formalized and striated, turning death-dealing into an academic exercise for the literate. But that’s part of the charm for adherents of samurai and wuxia.

We also have the inevitable ‘passing stroke’ which dramatically ends every battle, which might seem repetitive to a Western eye, until we recognize that every Western fight ends with a haymaker. The scenarios which play out prior to this final blow are widely varied, action-packed, and fully realized in the onrush of dark, ever-moving lines.

Many of the plots are likewise variations on a theme, presenting us briefly with a complicated bit of feudal shogunate politics which necessitate our protagonist’s intervention. Though he is an impossibly strong, invincible warrior, sometimes to the detriment of tension, his methods of solving these problems are often surprisingly insightful and subtle, showing a deep and shrewd intelligence behind his mighty sword arm.

The stories are unapologetically violent, which includes graphic sexual violence. However, the sexual violence is not pornographic: it does not linger upon carefully detailed forms, but is used to tell a realistic, if sometimes unsettling story. Nor does the book get drawn down into taking itself too seriously, as so many of its imitators have. Violence is only one part of the human story, portrayed in equal footing with love, honor, sorrow, hope, and humor. It is the nature of the story that physical conflict often takes the forefront, but never to the exclusion of other human desires.

My Suggested Reading In Comics

[Ill D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forwent a review of the second offering because, while still an enjoyable read, I found it to be somewhat wanting compared to the seminal first.

So here I am, Issue #3.

The same success of the first are well on display here. Impeccable artistry befitting of its deft pencil work beautifies each and every page. Historical accuracy as well finds itself well enmeshed in a story that has managed a Solomon like balancing act – well representing the past, yet keeping it enjoyable and fresh for modern audiences alike. There’s a lot of accolade earning stuff here, but like the eternal truths of the Yin-Yang, with the good must come the bad.

Just like the hyper-violence it has no doubt influenced and thus unleashed upon innumerable publications of the anime and magna varieties henceforth, it actually becomes hackneyed due to overuse. Melded to drab applications of cloudy graphite and lead throughout, if it’s not mind-numbingly repetitive, the otherwise heart-pumping violence can actually become something of a chore to peel through due to its Chinese-like opacity (ironic eh?). Reducing tension and interest alike, the action is actually the weakest link here.

Additionally, seemingly taking a page from a future anime production, Samurai Champloo (well obviously derived from) Lone Wolf and Cub favors an expositional approach instead of a more linear one. With only an endless road to wade through, cyclical repetitions become the modus operandi here. From conflict to conflict, from odd-job to odd-job, there’s little to tie together an obstensibley more progressive movement here beyond a tiny band of recurring characters.

All in all there’s still good shit here but, it’s marred by flaws that cannot be exonerated. As someone who grew up on Cartoon Network’s highly futuristic Toonami block, I highly appreciate Japanese culture and their phenomenal contributions to the world at large. And given that most every work of Anime/Manga (of pretty much ever) can indubitably trace its artistic genealogy back to Lone Wolf and Cub (in one way or another) I will always have a deep and abiding respect for Koike’s work. But I can’t tell you it’s flawless in any way, shape, or form.

Ultimately Lone Wolf and Cub is a thoroughly Japanese work primarily for Japanophiles.

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κάθε φορά, λες πως θα κάνει το τσακ, θα υποχωρήσει, θα μαλακώσει. Όχι. Καμιά φορά. Αλλά πάντα θα έχει λόγο που το κάνει.

Επίσης, τι θα γίνει Νταϊγκόρο, θα μεγαλώσεις τελικά για 'κέινον τον γάμο που λέγαμε;

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 3 continues the adventures of Assassin Itto Ogami and his son Daigoro. nothing much have progressed in this volume. The stories are still episodic in nature.

Yet more backstory is revealed in volume 3 where Itto Ogami, then a shogun executioner, was framed by the powerful Yagyu clan. The clans Ura-yagyu is the first ever character who have claimed that he could beat Ogami's skills. So that is something to look forward to in the future.

[Václav · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book of Lone Wolf and Cub and it is getting better and better. This volume is mostly about two strong and brilliant minds: famous brother bodyguards or lady yakuza lieutenant/local boss, but above all is Headless Sakon. When two brilliant characters with opposite paths meet, it usually ends with clash. And the sequence of "mind duels" is perfect. This manga is great, the only flaw is that Dark Horse forgot to mirror the frames so samurai wears swords on the right side and wears kimono right side over left and so on... Lousy job, I hope they will do some re-edition in future, fix this annoying stuff and get books to print (as many of them are out of stock).

[Stephen Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of Lone Wolf and Cub, reprinted by Dark Horse, continues with Vol 3. of adventures . Written by Kazuo Koihe with black and white art by Ogami Itto, A fine example of staying true to period of Japanese history and Zen Buddhism .

[TJ Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic again with some added backstory.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first half of the 2nd omnibus for a book group. And I planned on reviewing it after talking to the group - but then I never did. So not that we are reading the 2nd half of the omnibus I decided to do a re-read.

Part of the problem with reviewing the books this way is that the volumes don't line up.

This volume contains the following
The Flute of the Fallen Tiger
Half Mat, One Mat, A Fistful of Rice
The White Path Between the Rivers
The Virgin and the Whore
Close Quarters

What I just read

The White Path Between the Rivers - basically the origin story of Lone Wolf. I kind of had given up on backstory. So it was cool to get some.

The Virgin and the Whore - I keep on thinking we are going to start seeing recurring characters. The young woman in this one would seem like she should be one of them. It is interesting seeing Lone Wolf defending someone without killing someone else

Close Quarters - This one was fairly involved but definitely followable. And we get to see Lone Wolf making choices about who is right and what needs doing

Tsuki Genichi, the Bell Warden - some of the more followable combat. Only the 3 of these fights really made sense to me. The story was great but the motivation of the hiring party wasn't believable enough for me

Unfaithful Retainers - This one was told leaving an important detail out until most of the way through the story. But had a great ending.

[Tiago Germano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das cinco histórias, destaque para "Nisenbyakudou", que dá título ao volume e reconstitui os eventos que levaram ao assassinato de Azami, esposa de Ito, numa armação do clã Yagyou. O passado retorna a fim de justificar a conduta do herói no Meifumadou, o "caminho errante do mundo dos mortos", no qual o sentimento de honra dá lugar ao de vingança e o ronin se permite certas concessões como o lançamento da espada no peito dos adversários - técnica utilizada por Ito em sua batalha com o artista de rua, em uma dos contos deste número, e outras várias vezes mais adiante, traindo o espírito samurai que considera a espada como parte de sua alma. Sobre este conflito, vale observar o recurso narrativo utilizado por Koike e Kojima, simulando os vários desfechos que a contenda teria, dependendo do movimento de espada aplicado para tentar sublimar o adversário.

[Paco Correa · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mejor de los 3 tomos que he leído hasta el momento , por fin aparece un poco de backstory del protagonista , algunos capítulos vienen con pensamientos muy místicos , muy profundos sobre el bien y el mal , el honor , el deber ; hay uno en particular , el segundo capítulo es de este tomo es una obra de arte , desde la narrativa de la pelea , hasta todo el contenido filosófico de ambos Guerreros , demasiado emotivo , demasiado humano

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the backstory is contradicting itself. A prior volume had a story where the Cub is offered an unknowing choice between a child's toy ball and a sword. Choose the sword, accompany his father as an assassin. Choose the ball, choose death and stay with his dead Mother. The cub is young, but walking, a toddler. It is strongly implied that the family's destruction has just happened. Here the mother is depicted as dying practically at the moment of childbirth. The umbilical cord is still attached when his Father finds him after his Mother's murder.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am fully invested in this series after this volume.

[R.J. Huneke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just gets better and better!

[Recep · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Pranay · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER: this volume reveals the back story of the Lone wolf and the reason why he chose the path of the assassin. This volume also highlights one of the most confusing behaviors from the Ronin. In one chapter he kills a Beggar Ronin who has the Lone Wolf's interest at heart (this story is also drawn in a fantastic manner which shows the various moves which the two warriors could make) & in the other one he saves a girl from a life of prostitution by taking her place in seeking the punishment. This is surely getting into an amazing volume with stories filled with great adventure.

Happy Reading.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We open with new flavors of assassins.

We pass through the history of Ogami Itto.

We close with his wisdom.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally the back story! Unsurprising and classic, but still very foreign in terms of politics and culture. An interesting study!

[Rolando Marono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otro volumen que está a un nivel diferente de cualquier manga que he leído. En este tomo el maestro Koike no sólo construye sus personajes sino que al mismo tiempo, poco a poco nos da información sobre el pasado de los personajes.
Las historias contenidas en este volumen siguen siendo historias sueltas que no se conectan realmente una a la otra pero que son muy reveladoras hacia la trama y los personajes.
En todas las historias Ogami Itto y su hijo Daigoro tienen que asesinar a alguien, los motivos y la ejecución siempre es diferente, aún sabiendo que las temibles habilidades de Ogami son únicas, temes por los personajes.
Koike eleva un poco la trama de sus historias cortas, volviéndolas más complejas pero dándonos más información que hace la historia en general más clara. Introduce más conceptos de budismo y de bushido, información que le da otra capa de profundidad a la historia volviéndola aún más espiritual.
Los dos personajes, Ogami y Daigoro son verdaderamente entrañables, Daigoro es muy tierno y Ogami es profundamente honorable y astuto.
El arte sigue siendo inmersivo como en los otros volúmenes. Puedes oler y escuchar la lluvia, los "zoom" en las escenas de acción son muy cinematográficos, los ruidos y los escenarios están dibujados desde el ángulo adecuado y con una cantidad terrible de detalle que hacen que esta historia sea única. Leer lone wolf es una experiencia para todos los sentidos.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lobo Solitario 3
Historia del Ben-ten-rai, esta interesante lo del grupo Ben-ten-rai, pero la misión de Ito, fue de , por que hasta ese momento? Pero bien.
Luego está el del Ronin que se deja cortar la cabeza, que plantea una cuestión importante, sobre todo con el niño, porque aunque el padre diga que el niño eligió, y si el niño eligió seguir la senda del padre, primero tenía 3 años, y segundo la otra opción era sepuku, entonces realmente fue elección? Interesante lo de que cada uno ve los posibles escenarios de la lucha, y prácticamente está decidida al momento que hacen su movimiento. Bueno.
Luego hay un flashback a cuando nace el niño y por qué el padre termina en el camino del asesino.
La historia de la doncella en el burdel, bien, pero ahí vez, el hijo aún tiene un lado humano.
La historia final del clan del bosque, ok, pero el final, mi no gustar.
Si excelente dibujo
3.5 star

[Rick Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another spectacular series of stories starring Ogami Itto and Daigoro as the Lone Wolf and Cub. The volume opens the banger titular story, where Ogami faces the Bentenrai - three deadly ninja who are escorting a key state witness. Kojima's illustrations of the burning ship is truly breathtaking stuff.

My favorite individual tale in this volume would have to be "The White Path Between the Rivers" which depicts Ogami's fall from grace as the Shogun's executioner to the titular Lone Wolf. It's delivered with tragic poignancy but continues to exude the level of badass that is the mythology of the Lone Wolf.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Lone Wolf and Cub religiously when it was first released in the States, but eventually I fell out of the habit. Probably one of my poorer decisions. So it was very nice to revisit this fantastic series today. The stories in The Flute of the Fallen Tiger were consistently thrilling, offering a glimpse into a feudal Japan that is no more. The art is incredibly dynamic-this is storytelling at its' zenith.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series hits its stride with this collection as it follows the violent, spiritual path of father and son. Death poetry, yakuza, and ninja all feature in this Tokugawa period piece and we finally get a tale of political intrigue and murder of how the main character went from royal executioner to assassin.

The art has always captured the intent and fluid motion of the series, but this volume is where the writing and plotting finally match it. All five stories are memorable.

[Soraia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mais um volume incrível! Possivelmente vou repetir a mesma coisa até chegar no último volume, mas fico impressionada com a narrativa. Até o último momento fico sem saber qual será o desfecho daquele serviço que solicitaram ao Lobo Solitário. E os traços? Cada vez mais detalhados!

Nós sabemos que os Yagyu estão por trás do motivo de vingança do Itto Ogami, mas aqui vamos descobrir exatamente o que aconteceu. É de dar ódio.

[Johnathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another superb entry in the "Lone Wolf & Cub" saga that finds the assassin and his son on more dangerous missions while also revealing more about their tragic past. Koike continues to explore the world of feudal Japan, with its harsh sense of honor that works perfectly of Lone Wolf while Goseki Kojima's realistic art if a perfect fit for the story. Just one of the best manga series ever.

[Nordic Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den tredje boken av Lone Wolf and Cub och den blir bättre och bättre. Den här volymen handlar mest om två starka och briljanta hjärnor: berömda bror livvakter eller lady yakuza löjtnant/lokal chef, men framför allt är Headless Sakon. När två briljanta karaktärer med motsatta vägar möts slutar det oftast med krock. Och sekvensen av "sinnedueller" är perfekt. Femstjärniga streak fortsätter!