From the creators of Lone Wolf and Cub comes Samurai Executioner. It's true! Before Koike and Kojima created Itto Ogami, they created Kubikiri Asa, better known to Lone Wolf readers as Decapitator Asaemon. He was the equal to Itto, bearer of the sword Onibocho, the man charged with the duty of testing the swords for the shogun. Samurai Executioner is based on the decapitator himself, in life before his fatal duel with Lone Wolf. Expect the same legendary drama, frantic action, and stoic samurai stature, combined with the exemplary art and storytelling that made Lone Wolf and Cub one of the most popular and influential comic books in the world! • Never before published in America, Samurai Executioner was the precursor to one of the most seminal works of manga, Lone Wolf and Cub! • Since the inception of its Lone Wolf and Cub publishing program in 2000, Dark Horse has sold over 800,000 copies! And the series continues to sell thousands per month! • FOR MATURE READERS.

Today, Churubusco is a residential suburb of Mexico City. In 1847, it was the stronghold of the San Patricios, a motley battalion of soldiers ― even some runaway American slaves ― who deserted the United States Army for a just, if suicidal, cause. In this graphic novel, Ferraris uses a bold charcoal technique to tell their story through the eyes of Gaetano Rizzo (based on a real U.S. soldier). A 22-year-old Sicilian immigrant, he joins the U.S. Army, who has promised him citizenship and a parcel of land if he will fight to take California away from Mexico. Soon, he sees sees the cruelty he is being ordered to inflict is no different from what he had escaped from in his home country.

Raido, a young amnesic Ronin–a masterless Samurai–roams about in a quest for his memories. His first stop is the city that talks to the sky, the ultimate stronghold against the ice invading the land of the rising sun. There, he meets Meiki, a graceful puppeteer and storyteller of charms. "Legend of the Scarlet Blades," as painted by the tormented and airy style of Saverio Tenuta, is a series whose universe is inspired by feudal Japanese history and traditions, full of breathtaking settings and populated by a myriad of wondrous mythical beings.

He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese Mafia. But to the criminal underworld who fear him, he is known as Crying Freeman, the killer who sheds tears at the fate of his victims. A young, handsome, sensitive artist, Yo has been hypnotically programmed by his Dragon masters to kill on command: he cannot resists his masters' commands to kill; his masters cannot stop his tears of remorse. Written by the legendary Kazuo Koike, creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, and illustrated by the incomparable Ryoichi Ikegami, Crying Freeman is adult manga at its most challenging: dark, violent, morally complex, erotically charged and regarded worldwide as one of the classics of adult graphic fiction. Dark Horse Manga is proud to present Crying Freeman, yet another of the jewels in the crown of manga classics, presented in its original right-to-left reading orientation.

A cursed, seemingly immortal warrior aids a young girl in her quest for revenge, as the students of a brutal new sword school tear a bloody path across Japan. Hiroaki Samura's massive manga series spawned an anime run, a spinoff novel, an art book, and a live-action film! Samura's storytelling tour-de-force also won Japan's Media Arts Award, several British Eagle Awards, and an Eisner Award, among other international accolades. Intense and audacious, Blade takes period samurai action and deftly combines it with a modernist street idiom to create a style and mood like no other work of graphic fiction. Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Volume 1 contains the first 3 volumes of Blade of the Immortal by Dark Horse. "Samura's work will thrill you, engage you, and even horrify you like no other artist working in film or print today." -Geof Darrow

Rin continues her quest across feudal Japan to avenge the murder of her parents, joined by Manji--her seemingly immortal protector. The eccentric, bloodthirsty Ittö-ryü sword school tries to carve a path to Edo castle, led by the hated Anotsu as they obliterate all rival schools along the way. What they don't know, though, is that the deadly Mugai-ryü has formed--with the sole purpose of destroying Anotsu's clan! This epic manga series won Japan's Media Arts Award, several British Eagle Awards, and an Eisner Award, among other international accolades. Relentless and shocking, Blade takes Edo-era samurai action and combines it with modernist street idioms to create a style and mood like no other work of graphic fiction. "Samura's work will thrill you, engage you, and even horrify you like no other artist working in film or print today." --Geof Darrow (Shaolin Cowboy, Hard Boiled)

The harrowing, bone-crunching finale! Hiroaki Samura's long-running manga series ends with a massive, 704-page omnibus collection filled with action and suspense. Who will survive? Disgraced Edo officer Habaki faces the devious Anotsu in a decisive showdown, while Manji, Rin, and only a few others witness the end of an era. Rin's quest concludes with a violent bang--then things get weirder! Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal finale overflows with heartbreak and bloodshed! This manga series has won many awards across the globe, including the Eisner Award in America, the prestigious Media Arts Award of Japan, and multiple British Eagle Awards. Collects Blade of the Immortal Dark Horse TPB volumes 29, 30, 31.

With Hiroaki Samura's epic series completed in Japan, now's the time to catch up with Manji, Rin, and your favorite battling groups of anachronistic, enigmatic warriors! Anotsu Kagehisa's Itto-Ryu crew is splintered — yet still deadly — as Habaki Kagimura's group of suicidal Rokki-dan soldiers closes in on them! The cursed former general Kagimura is desperate to find and kill the remaining members of the Itto-Ryu — even if it puts his own daughter's life on the line! Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal series has won many awards across the globe, including the Eisner Award in America, the prestigious Media Arts Award of Japan, and multiple British Eagle Awards.

Striking similarities between Lone Wolf and Cub and Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima's sidebar story line, Samurai Executioner (known as Kubikiri Asa in Japan), are evident in the cool attitude, rebellious honor, and unflappable bushido of the lead characters of both series, but readers will delight in the whole new crime-fiction genre of Edo-era samurai spirit in Samurai Executioner. Here, we enter a world of harsh and violent crime and the forces that stand against it. In this volume, after initial stories of criminals' lives leading to their executions, we meet two Edo-era police officers and explore their specialized methods of capturing crafty criminals. Then, in Koike's signature fashion, the volume ends with a psycho killer's grueling and violent end. It's a history lesson, an art education, and a pulp sensation, all wrapped up in one fantastic series. • FOR MATURE READERS

From the creators of Lone Wolf and Cub comes Samurai Executioner. It’s true! Before Koike and Kojima created Itto Ogami, they created Kubikiri Asa, better known to Lone Wolf readers as Decapitator Asaemon. He was the equal to Itto, bearer of the sword Onibocho, the man charged with the duty of testing the swords for the shogun. Samurai Executioner is based on the decapitator himself, in life before his fatal duel with Lone Wolf. Expect the same legendary drama, frantic action, and stoic samurai stature, combined with the exemplary art and storytelling that made Lone Wolf and Cub one of the most popular and influential comic books in the world! • Never before published in America, Samurai Executioner was the precursor to one of the most seminal works of manga, Lone Wolf and Cub! • Since the inception of its Lone Wolf and Cub publishing program in 2000, Dark Horse has sold over 800,000 copies! And the series continues to sell thousands per month! • FOR MATURE READERS.