New Lone Wolf and Cub #1 Review: Still Special

“Lone Wolf and Cub” is considered by many to be one of the greatest manga ever created. 38 years after its original run ended, it still holds a special place in the hearts of otaku. In 2002, writer Kazuo Koike was tasked to continue the story- decades after the original run ended and after original artist Goseki Kojima died in 2000. With another new artist in Hideki Mori under the helm today, there’s “New Lone Wolf and Cub.” The manga has finally hit U.S. shelves and it is as gratifying as the original.

This sequel is essentially the original “Lone Wolf and Cup” without Ogami. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading. It still has the samurai drama feel of the original. It also has the same tone and likable characters as the original.

The plot is pretty straight ahead. Ogami Itto (Lone Wolf) is dead. He and his rival Yagyu Retsudo killed each other in a duel. Ogami’s son Daigoro (Cub) is now without a father. Togo Shigekata, a wondering samurai, finds him and decides to take him under his wing.

We also get to see Daigoro develop even more than last time. He even speaks once in while even if is just “papa.” It brings out the character more and we do him grow. Togo does a fine job as a replacement lone wolf. He treats Daigoro the way Ogami would want him to be treated. His Satsuma accent is a nice touch, too.

Kudos must be given to Mori for making the art look exactly the same. Mori is influenced by Kojima and it shows. It looks as if Kojima himself drew the comic.

This volume has two extras: an “epilogue” written by Koike and the collected commentary originally published in the magazine “Shukan Post.” The epilogue tells the success of “Lone Wolf and Cub,” the request by “Shukan Post” to write a sequel and how he met Mori. Both this and the commentary, which reads like academic writing, are both worth reading to get better insights on the series.

“New Lone Wolf and Cub” continues to impress even if is more of the same and without Kojima. The storylines are still intense, the characters well developed and the art memorable. The two extras gives readers more incentive to buy the manga.