Path of the Assassin

Infobox animanga/Header
name =


caption =
ja_name =
ja_name_trans = Hanzo no Mon
genre = Historical, Martial Arts, MatureInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Kazuo Koike
illustrator = Goseki Kojima
publisher = flagicon|Japan Kodansha
publisher_other = flagicon|USA Dark Horse Comics
demographic = Seinen
magazine =
first = 1972
last = 1984
volumes = 15

"Path of the Assassin" (known in Japan as "Hanzo no Mon") is a well-known "gekiga" or "manga" created by the writer Kazuo Koike and the artist Goseki Kojima. Unlike their previous collaborations on "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Samurai Executioner", this story focuses on two historical figures from 16th-century Japan.

"Path of the Assassin" is the story of Hattori Hanzo, the master ninja whose duty it was to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu, who would grow up to become shogun and unify Japan. The creators poetically describe the story as "Lifelong Friends, with the Same Dreams, Striving to Grow into a Rising River." The 15-volume series is being reprinted by Dark Horse Comics, translated into English but oriented in the original right-to-left reading format. [http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=13-524 Dark Horse Comics > Profile > Path of the Assassin Vol. 1: Serving In The Dark ] ]

Dark Horse manga volumes

*Volume 1. "Serving in the Dark" (July 2006).
*Volume 2. "Sand and Flower" (August 2006).
*Volume 3. "Comparison of a Man" (November 2006).
*Volume 4. "The Man Who Altered the River's Flow" (December 2006).
*Volume 5. "Battle of One Hundred and Eight Days" (February 2007).
*Volume 6. "Life's Greatest Difficulty" (April 2007).
*Volume 7. "Center of the World" (June 2007).
*Volume 8. "Shinobi with Extending Fists" (August 2007).
*Volume 9. "Battle for Power - Part 1" (October 2007).
*Volume 10. "Battle for Power - Part 2" (March 2008).
*Volume 11. "Battle for Power - Part 3" (April 2008).
*Volume 12. "Three Foot Battle" (May 2008).
*Volume 13. "Hateful Burden" (September 2008)

Volume 14 will be on sale from January 8, 2009.

ee also

* "Kozure Okami" ("Lone Wolf and Cub")
* "Kubikiri Asa" ("Samurai Executioner")

References