Path of the Assassin TPB (2006-2009 Dark Horse) comic books 2005-2007

Volume 1 - 1st printing. "Serving in the Dark!"

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

Path of the Assassin, called Hanzo no Mon in Japan, is the story of Hattori Hanzo, the fabled master ninja whose duty it was to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu was the shogun who would unite Japan into one great nation. But before he could do that, he had to grow up and learn how to love the ladies! As the secret caretaker of such an influential future leader, not only does Hanzo use vast and varied ninja talents, but in living closely with Ieyasu, he forms a close friendship with the young shogun.

Published in original Japanese format and unretouched which keeps the art intact.

This is a fifteen-volume story starring the legendary ninja and Kill Bill reference Hattori Hanzo.

Softcover, 4-in. x 6-in., 316 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 2 - 1st printing. "Sand and Flower!"

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

It's not easy being Hattori Hanzo. If he's not teaching Leyasu, the young, future shogun, how to love, then he's behind the scenes, teaching Leyasu how not to die in case of a momentary lapse of protection. If you thought you had a tough job, try taking a pudgy, protected youngster, and making him into the leader who will unite Japan under his single rule. From the creators of Lone Wolf & Cub comes a series about two young men bound to a nation's potential future at a time when Japan was in transition from a warlike feudal state into an era of bureacracy and infighting.

Another quasi-historical tale from the masters of Japanese samurai culture, Path of the Assassin shows a side of feudal Japan that entertains with action as well as political drama.

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 3 - 1st printing. "Comparison of a Man!"

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

Koike and Kojima's story of the famed ninja, Hanzo Hattori and his trials and tribulations protecting the shogun-to-be, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Each page builds upon the relationship between the two warrirors and the women they love. Path of the Assassin, printed in the same size format as Lone Wolf and Cub and Samurai Executioner, this title is a wonderful addition to the Koike and Kojima samurai collection.

Published in the original Japanese format and unretouched which keeps the art intact.

This is a fifteen-volume story starring the legendary ninja and Kill Bill reference Hanzo Hattori.

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 4 - 1st printing. "The Man Who Altered the River's Flow!"

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

War! Ninjas! Love! Political intrigue! It's all packed into Path of the Assassin.

Drafted by classic samurai manga creators Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, Path of the Assassin is the story of a young shogun on his way to unite Japan, and the trusty ninja assigned to protect him. Be it in crafty maneuverings of war, political push and pull, or bedroom adventures, young Hattori Hanzo will not be kept from his duties.

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 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.