Path Of The Assassin, Vol. 3: Comparison Of A Man (v. 3) [Paperback]

Kazuo Koike (Author), Goseki Kojima (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2006

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

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The third volume of the graphic-novel biography of Tokugawa shogunate founder Ieyasu and his personal ninja Hanzo is nearly all development. Ieyasu walks a tactical tightrope between the factions contending for rule--one led by his de facto father, the other by his older brother--in the run-up to a decisive battle that hasn't broken by volume's end. In the middle of this, Hanzo encounters the female ninja who will be his wife in an ultimately erotic episode worthy of the best in Koike and Kojima's Samurai Executioner. Relatively wordy but brilliantly paced and, of course, drawn. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593075049
• ISBN-13: 978-1593075040
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #429,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Motoyasu becomes a candle flickering in the wind, February 8, 2007

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Path Of The Assassin, Vol. 3: Comparison Of A Man (v. 3) (Paperback)

There was a moment when I found myself thinking that Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima were the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby of manga, but I really do find that their work has a lot more in common with the films of Akira Kurosawa than anything in the realm of American comic books. My exposure to their work has been dictated by the production schedule of Dark Horse, which means I first read all of "Lone Wolf & Cub" and then "Samurai Executioner," and now am waiting impatiently for each new volume of "Path of the Assassin." The Japanese title was "Hanzo no Mon" because the tale is about Hattori Hanzo, the fabled master ninja who served Matsudaira Montonbu, the young lord who would grow up to become Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who unified Japan and set it on the path to becoming a modern nation. As always there is a Parental Advisory level slapped on the cover to warn about the explicit content inside, but you also should be aware that the series is printed in the original right-to-left format, which takes a wee bit of getting used to.

Volume 3, "Comparisons Of A Man," begins with the final four-and-a-half episodes of the series' second storyline, "Chapter on Relinquishing Factions." In the first year of Eiroku (1558), Motonobu has a stunning victory when he captures Mikawa Terabe Castle because of a combination of surprise tactics and Hanzo's stealth as a ninja. Because of this victory, Motonobu earns the trust of Imagawa Yoshimoto, who gives his vassal permission to change his name to Motoyasu. However, as Yoshimoto prepares to move against the capital , Motoyasu is caught between Imagawa's ambitions and the forces of Oda Nobunaga. In No. 5: "It Rains at Home, and It Rains on the Battlefield, Part 2," Motoyasu tries to find a way of lighting a fire in his wife Tsukiyama, while Hanzo considers the coming struggle. No. 6: "Blue Flag and War" finds Hanzo teaching his master how to fight in full samurai armor and then goes on a rescue mission that has an unforeseen consequences. No. 7: "Wife's Horse" has Hanzo and Tsuikomo figuring out their relationship and how to shrink rice to one tenth its size. At Imagawa's war council in No. 8: "When Bitten by a Mosquito," Motoyasu surprises everyone by volunteering to get provisions to Odaka Castle. In No. 9: "Comparison of a Man," Motoyasu's brilliant strategy is revealed, impressing the Baldy Rat, if not his master.

The final episode-and-a-half are the opening of the third story, "Chapter on Relinquishing Death." The stage is set in No. 1: "Straw Sandals for Conqueror's Horses," where Nobunaga takes the Baldy Rat's advice regarding fighting in the rain. No. 2: "Hard Crossroad on the Plain, Part 1," covers the fight for Marline Fort, where Motoyasu surprises his officers by ordering his troops to fall back when the enemy come charging out of the castle. By now we understand that there is always a reason to his strategy and tactics, but it is fighting Sakuma Morishige in a duel between the two generals that is the surprise in this one. While the personal interaction between Motoyasu and Hanzo is a key part of the story, I have become more interested in the giant chess match that the future shogun is playing, especially because at this point in the game his opponents are unaware that they are playing. Fortunately Volume 4 is on its way because I am looking forward to the next set of moves.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Into the Fire, December 22, 2006

By 

Juan C. Depaz - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Path Of The Assassin, Vol. 3: Comparison Of A Man (v. 3) (Paperback)

War has finally come and both master and servant are thrown into it feet first. As Ieyashu tries to "see tomorrow" all he can see is catastrophe and slaughter. Friends are NOT, and enemies MIGHT not be. Hanzo finds someone to love, in light and in shadow. But all that may be academic if Ieyashu cannot win a duel against a master warrior. With only what little Hanzo has taught him!

It is the ending of the age of civil wars in Japan, but before it is over the country will be awash in blood and nothing will ever be the same. For those few who survive it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but complicated, July 13, 2009

By 

Timoleon Kiritsis (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Path Of The Assassin, Vol. 3: Comparison Of A Man (v. 3) (Paperback)

Like the other two series "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Samurai Executioner", "Path of the Assasin" is a very pleasant book for one to read. But unlike the other two series, there is a focus on the geopolitical events of that era in japan and much less battles. Also it is almost impossible to remember all the different names and charactes that take part on the plot.