Kazuo Koike was a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist, and entrepreneur. Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series. Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.

Goseki Kojima was a Japanese manga artist known for his collaborations with Kazuo Koike. The team was often referred to as the "Golden Duo." Kojima's best-known work was Lone Wolf and Cub. Other titles attributed to Kojima are Samurai Executioner and Path of the Assassin.

Praise for Lone Wolf and Cub

"A classic in every sense of the word. Strongly recommended for fans of historical epics and essential for all graphic novel collections."--Library Journal

"The storytelling is patient and kind. Pages of beautiful artwork and zero dialogue. People walking through the landscape, looking into the sun. It makes the world feel that much more real and the tension that much more profound."--Fanbase Press

Publisher: Dark Horse Manga

Pub date: 2025-12-09

Length: 720 pages