Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 24: In These Small Hands [Paperback]

Kazuo Koike (Author), Goseki Kojima (Author), Kazuo Koike (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lone Wolf and Cub (Dark Horse) | Publication Date: August 23, 2002

The code of the samurai is complex and rich with irany, which is why so few carry this code through life. But as we draw closer to the conclusion of this epic struggle, the true bushi are stepping forth and showing their colors. It will truly be a light to the finish.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (August 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569715963
• ISBN-13: 978-1569715963
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > Dark Horse

Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ogami Itto and Retsudo Yagyu are unable to continue..., January 13, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 24: In These Small Hands (Paperback)

The epic saga of Lone Wolf & Cub certainly changed once father and son finally entered Edo, the city of the Shogun. But the final confrontation between Ogami Itto and Retsudo Yagyu has been disrupted by the intrigues of Abe-No-Kaii, the master poisoner. As "In These Hands," Volume 24 of this manga saga by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima opens, the two master swordsmen have collapsed in the snow, felled not by the wounds they have inflicted upon each other, but by the poison with which Kaii tainted their blades:

(117) "Child in the Fields" finds Daigoro struggling to save his father's life, even though the child has a severe case of frostbite. If Daigoro succeeds, then who will save him? Another touching example of a Daigoro story in the series.

(118) "In These Small Hands" finds Daigoro's life in the hands of the most unexpected person of all. Meanwhile, the Yagyu letter falls into the hands of another.

(119) "Kaii Triumphant" reminds us that every dog has his day as Abe-No-Kaii's latest plot seems to bring him as close as he has ever been to his quest for power.

(120) "The Last Cherry Blossoms" begins with Ogami Itto and Retsudo Yagyu appointing the time for the continuation of their duel. Each prepares for the resumption of the duel in his own way, Retsudo by spearing cherry blossoms from the air and Ogami Itto by visiting the house that once was his home.

(121) "Stone Upon Stone" finds Retsudo Yagyu called before the Shogun to answer for the Yagyu letters. This is a most unusual story because the sparring is all done with words rather than swords this time around.

The emergence of Abe-No-Kaii as a major player in the death struggle between Ogami Itto and Retsudo Yagyu brings to the forefront the way of the warrior, bushido, and what it means to be bushi, a member of the samurai class. Obviously Kaii is not bushi, a point that Retsudo reminds the poisoner of on several occasions. But it seems to me that in castigating Kaii for his failings in that regard and having been confronted with the example of Diagoro, that Retsudo adheres more to bushido in the last couple of volumes with regards to Ogami Itto than he has over the course of the entire epic. It is also interesting that so late in the game Koike and Kojima succeed in introducing another major villain, who not only functions to delay the climatic sword fight but to make Retsudo look good in comparison.

Only four volumes to go until the conclusion of one of the greatest comic books in the history of the known world.