A Taste of Poison

You fight off an army. You beat back the hammer and the anvil. You steal a warship and you slip into Edo. You make a fool of a man that would be a god. Yes, every action has a reaction and the reaction to this is not a pretty one. It is instead one that brings out the guns that work in silence - the tasters of food and the people who can poison you if you make any mistakes. The world is not a safe place for a man and his child. This book and the next few editions are dedicated to the chase that takes a dfferent route than before. Instead of seeing flashing swords and noting bodies flowing like rivers as they lose pieces of their heart, soul, and varied appendages, Lone Wolf and Cub are now chased by marketers. They are also chased by a woman that seems harmless at first, but that brings a weapon with her that can kill or cause addiction just by allowing yourself one little slip-up. Add to that the power behind these people - the food-tasters are held in the highest regards because of the service they provide - and you can see how much they can harm you. The way the story evolves here is a continual tribute to the talents that both write and illustrate this book. The story knew it needed to change or grow stagnate, so it found a new way to continue the saga. It also knew that targeting the father was not the only way to play, and that many readers would wonder if the boy would be caught in the crosshairs. to answer this they brought in something everyone fears, something tampering with their food, and they go after the fleeing in yet another route. combine to that more ecclectic characters with derrangements that include strange forms of sexual contact, a spider tattoo that seems to rip from the owner's back, nighthawks that pimp anyone that gets in the way, and a man that needs his fears removed by having two women play with his nipples and you have the opposite side of the spectrum. i like the way this is done, too, showing us the meager living that empowers the samurai versus the things it takes to move the other side of the spectrum. It creates the yin and the yang, and it shows us what type of trickle down impact that was noticed by one sword and his son. It is powerful on many levels. If you haven't seen this series, go to the beginning and read it. It won many awards because of what it is, and deserves praise for what it accomplished. It is very time-oriented, too, and comes with something to tell the readers about the many menaings that a single word could have or about a specific tool or weapon that is seen in the book. It doesn't leave you in the dark, doesn't disappoint you by not finishing up, and doesn't make our characters forces of nature. They all have flaws, even if it is love, and they all have something that drives them. Exploring that is exploring humanity and thereby exploring the self. I really love this series.

When at the end of the previous volume Ogami Itto and Daigoro "walked on the Moon" and entered Edo, I was prepared for a new chapter in the quest of Lone Wolf & Cub. But Volume 20, "A Taste of Poison" finds Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima surprising us again, as this is far and away the most thematic collection to date. "A Taste of Poison" is basically a novel with the epic manga series, although as such the story within the story does not end here. The Shogun has endured the pathetic attempts of Retsudo Yagyu and his retainers to kill Lone Wolf long enough and loans the head of the Yagyu clan the services Abe-no-Kaii, the head of the Kuchiyaku. As the "official mouths" of the Shogun, the Kuchiyaku were the tasters who check food for poisons. Abe-no-Kaii is a master of poison and this entire volume is devoted to this sordid man and his efforts to kill Lone Wolf & Cub.WARNING: This manga was never a story for children and that has never been truer than it is with regards to this volume. There has been strong sexual content in previous stories, but Abe-no-Kaii's depravity extends well beyond such things. (98) "Good Fortune, Ill Fortune" introduces us to Abe-no-Kaii and finds the Shogun ordering Retsudo Yagyu to bring him the Wolf's head in ten days. The master poisoner explains his plan to bring Ogami Itto to bay by poisoning Daigoro. However, neither Abe-no-Kaii nor Retsudo Yagyu trusts the other, and each has murderous plans for when Lone Wolf and Cub are dead.(99) "Lair of the Nighthawks" refers to the prostitutes who walk the streets of Edo by night. Into their world comes the Yakuza thief O-Tsohi, the "Silk Spider." Addicted to Abe-no-Kaii's kizami narcotic, she becomes a key part of his plan to poison Lone Wolf & Cub.(100) "Blighted Leaves" tells of how Ogami Itto and Daigoro are finally spotted and Abe-no-Kaii's plan is put into motion by O-Tsohi. Clearly we have entered a realm where Lone Wolf's sword may not be able to defend him and his son.(101) "Abe-No-Kaii" finds the master poisoner taking a more active role in the effort to kill Ogami Itto and Daigoro. Along the way, he captures a ninja assassin sent by Retsudo Yagyu, which ups the ante on their conflict as well. But the emphasis here is on the series of traps set for Lone Wolf and Cub.(102) "A Taste of Poison" shows the ruthlessness of Abe-No-Kaii in trying to kill Daigoro, as he puts his most dangerous poison in a river just to achieve his goal, without caring about the consequences for everybody else who lives downstream. Meanwhile, the ninja assassin he captured becomes an unwilling pawn in the struggle between the master poisoner and Retsudo Yagyu.By this point it is no longer surprising that even as we cross the 100th episode mark that Koike and Kojima continue to raise the level of their epic story (compare with what happened to Spider-Man when his comic hit issue #100). Not since father and son were separated for several stories have we had a similar "nove

A taste of poison is aptly named. The Yagyu are diminished, yet not defeated. Having exhausted his personal retainers, staff and any others under his direct control - Retsudo is directed by the Shogun in a previous volume to eliminate Lone Wolf at any cost. He is now given access to the Shoguns own retainers, in this case - a master poisioner. Thus far all of those tracking Lone Wolf have had some sense of dignity, honor... but this is an all new character. The sense of loathing and vileness is exemplified in may aspects both the obvious (such as the character himself) and the less obvious (the way in which the story manifests its self). It would be a mistake to lable the graphic nature of this issue as being harsh or out of character... on the contrary - it's brilliant in being able to introduce new feelings at such a late point in the story line. Fabulous - all LW & C readers will enjoy.

The Lone Wolf is now in Edo but the Yagu is the least of his worries. The Shogun gives the Yagu its poisoner and he is a most contemptable creature that one finds one cheering for the Yagu against him. He is ruthless, cunning, controls the peasants for miles and is willing to kill thousands just to test out Ito. As a rule the Lone Wolf and Cub series once one gets past the first few books young kids should stay away this issue is even more so. It crosses some lines that if it wasn't for the quality of the series I would object more. High quality, can't wait for the rest.