Path of the Assassin TPB (2006-2009 Dark Horse) comic books 2007

Volume 5 - 1st printing. "Battle of One Hundred and Eight Days!"

Written by Kazuo Koike. Art and cover by Goseki Kojima.

It's a battle of ninja vs. ninja, with all the stops pulled out and every trick in the book. Well, almost every trick.

Our protagonist/ninja, Hanzo's young ninja wife, Tsukumo, must avenge her father's death at the hands of another shadow warrior, but he's as crafty as they come. This mystical, imaginative faceoff consumes all 300-plus pages of this action-stuffed volume.

Softcover, 4-in. x 6-in., 312 pages, B&W. MATURE READERS

NOTE: These are Japanese manga-style GNs and are meant to be read right-to-left.

Cover price $9.95.

Volume 6 - 1st printing. "Life's Greatest Difficulty!"

Written by Kazuo Koike. Art and cover by Goseki Kojima.

If Art of War tactics and ninjitsu arts pique your interest, Path of The Assassin is the quasi historical samurai manga you've been waiting for! From the legendary comics creators Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima of Lone Wolf and Cub fame comes the story of Japan's greatest shogun and his rise to power through the battles and intrigues of his late teens. Central to the story is a young ninja who must go to great lengths in order to secure victory for the boy who would become the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Based loosely on fabled tales of the age, Path of the Assassin is an exciting and sexy series. And at the same trim size as past Koike/Kojima titles, it's a must-have for collectors of the influential creators' works.

The popular pocket-sized books are packed thick with action, bushido, and super-complex strategy!

Softcover, 4-in. x 6-in., 320 pages, B&W. MATURE READERS

NOTE: These are Japanese manga-style GNs and are meant to be read right-to-left.

Cover price $9.95.

Volume 7 - 1st printing. "Center of the World!"

Written by Kazuo Koike. Art and cover by Goseki Kojima.

Warning! Reading this series might not only entertain you in many ways, but it might be somewhat educational as well!

Let's start with ninja skills, samurai period drama, and sexy teens. Yes, we have them all in one informative, semi-historical series from the famed creators of Lone Wolf and Cub, Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima.

It's the story of to-be shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, in his late teens, battling and politicking his way to the leadership of Edo-era Japan. To do so, he must survive assasination attempts, political sabotage, bloody battlefields, and a ferocious wife. And he does this with the help of his friend and vassal, the unstoppable ninja Hattori Hanzo. Heard these names before? That's because they're a revered part of Japan's (sometimes secret) past!

Softcover, 4-in. x 6-in., 304 pages, B&W. MATURE READERS

NOTE: These are Japanese manga-style GNs and are meant to be read right-to-left.

Cover price $9.95.

Volume 8 - 1st printing. "Shinobi with Extending Fists!"

Written by Kazuo Koike. Art and cover by Goseki Kojima.

If Sun Tzu's Art of War and Musashi's Book of Five Rings were to be drawn into a manga, then Path of the Assassin would be that manga. An impenetrable castle must be defeated, the country's best samurai swayed, competing warlords politicked and tricked into line. All this sounds technical and textbook, so how does it turn out to be so sexy and dramatic and fun?

Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima (Lone Wolf & Cub) are masters of samurai storytelling, and Path of the Assassin is no slouch when it comes to action, drama, tactics, sex, love, honor, and a terrific, engaging story.

Softcover, 4-in. x 6-in., 312 pages, B&W. MATURE READERS

NOTE: These are Japanese manga-style GNs and are meant to be read right-to-left.

Cover price $9.95.