Strain, Vol. 1

Sex, violence, spectacular artwork, and a pleasantly dark storyline. I've read Vol. 1 and anticipating for my Vol. 2 to arrive. This is the best manga I have yet to set my eyes upon. I love how the assassin, Mayo, only charges five dollars per kill because "that's all we're worth." May not be suitable for the faint of heart and/or easilly offended.

Strain is a story of a hitman named Mayo who's fee to kill is only $5. He takes in a young stray girl who he's hired to kill and protects her from mob hitmen who want her dead because of her family ties, which she was no clue of. The girl is tied into Mayo's past more than he thinks. The young girl is actually his brother's daughter, leader of a large company and part of a crime syndicate. Now Mayo has to go back to a past that he'd left for good and protect his new found niece and finally confront his brother, who to him believes Mayo is dead. I'll tell you why but you have to buy the book. If you want to read any of Fumimura and Ikegami's other graphic novels, Crying Freeman and Sanctuary are real MUST HAVES to start you off. I promise you, if you buy Strain, you won't put it down.

- I'm a comic reader, I have all the Sacntuary , freeman , samurai crusider , & many more novels, but this one is very special , it cobines between the killing desire with the love to survive & existance , If you like one of the last 3 anime series , DON'T MISS THIS ONE

Mr. Buronson & Mr. Ikegami weave a powerful story that rivals Director John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow". The story is gritty and the action is in your face.Once you flip the first page, you cannot put the book down. This is what a true graphic novel should be.