Path of the Assassin Volume 2: Sand and Flower

If you enjoyed "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Samurai Executioner" from the same creative team, this series will not disappoint. It adds the ninja point-of-view to this well-crafted fiction of Feudal Japan. The depiction of ninja combat and techniques is handled realistically as opposed to the "ninja magic" of fantasy books. Due to graphic violence and sexual content the series is clearly for mature readers.

"Hanzo no Mon" ("Path of the Assassin") is the story of Jattori Hanzo, the fabled master ninja whose duty was to protect his master Tokugawa Ieyasu (called Motonobu at this point), who in the fullness of time would become shogun, unify Japan, and create a modern nation. While Hanzo uses his formidable talents as a ninja to serve the young Ieyasu "in the dark," the two form a relationship that goes beyond master and servant, teacher and student, and even friendship. In Volume 2, "Sand and Flower," we see the young Motonobu start to exhibit the skills that would make him shogun and the balance in their relationship tips decidedly towards him. This is the third manga series published by Dark Horse featuring the work of writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima following "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Samurai Executioner," and solidifies their spot in my mind as one of the great "comic book" teams of all-time. Once again there is a Parental Advisory for explicit content but this time the series is being printed in the right-to-left format of the original. Volume 2 begins with the final three chapters in the opening saga, "Chapter on Relinquishing Pain." Motonobu has been married to Tsukiyama, a daughter of Sekiguchi Yoshihiro, the key vassal of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Following the birth of his daughter, Motonobu is given permission to return to Mikawa, where the young man must decide whether to stay in Mikawa and defect from Imagawa, or to go back to Sunpu and remain a hostage. Yoshimoto is testing the young Motonobu, who must make a pivotal decision in his life. In Chapter 8: "Neyasu Samehan," Motonobu is thinking of changing his name now that the New Year has arrived an the name of the era has changed, trying to find the perfect name for the person he wishes to be. But while he desires a life of quiet idleness, his inability to fly a kite or even climb a tree without Hanzo's help makes him doubt that he can survive the war that is coming. Chapter 9: "Crisis--The Tree at Risk," is when Motonobu is sent back to Mikawa to force his hand. He sees a tomorrow full of terror, which is why Hanzo knows his lord will survive. Meanwhile, a "baldy rat" is sent to spy on Motonubo. Chapter 10: "Complete Absence," is where Motonobu makes an initial decision on what to do. The rest of Volume 2 is devoted to the first half (really) of the nine chapters that make up the next story line, "Chapter on Relinquishing Factions." Chapter 1: "A Mountain Is a Problem. But a Horse Is, Too," begins with Hanzo discovering the presence of the "baldy rat" and the two have an interesting conversation. Chapter 2: "Monkey and Pull," finds Motonobu considering the consequences of his actions. Chapter 3: "Sand and Flower" is an interlude in which Hanzo tries to stay alive long enough to say farewell to his bride. Chapter 4: "Fire Attack" finds Motonobu and his samurai laying siege to a castle in the pouring rain and to the surprise of his men ordering a fire attack.

Hanzo the ninja and the future master of Japan continue learning about life and each other, encountering historical personajes and personal heartbreak. Ieyashu must continue to walk on the edge of a knife as he tries to be a feudal lord and not make the lord who keeps him as a hostage see him as a treat and kill him. It will only get harder. And he can find no joy at home with his cold, unloving wife. Although he has a plan to make her less cold...