Lone Wolf and Cub: The Bell Warden

If there's an underlying theme to this set of stories, it's honour. In the feudal Japanese society the assassin Lone Wolf and his son live in, honour is held in a higher regard than all other elements of life, including the family unit. As a result we see the story of a father who would rather test his sons to destruction than have unworthy offspring inheriting his important role, and two stories in which the Lone Wolf can help people regain honour as a side-line to his murderous tasks-in-hand. If one thing comes from this it's confirmation that our assassin, although separated from society and walking his own path, remains a product of that society and is morally tied to its code of honour.

The one story that stands separate from this is a further investigation of Diagoro's character - the son of the assassin and the 'Cub' of the title. Left alone (again) as his father goes on a job, Diagoro gets concerned that something may have happened to his Dad and sets off to find him. Diagoro's life has always been close to death, which gives him an acute understanding of the potential danger to his father, but also an inspiring instinct for his own survival.

As usual, the situations and plots are imaginative and informative, providing insight into the life and times of the period. The artwork is dynamic and fast moving when it needs to be, but is also capable of layers of emotion. The opportunity has been taken with this volume to create a guide to the weapons used in the series so far, which is a handy little extra to add to the book.

Although there's little done to progress the grand murderous soap opera, the series remains a glorious read, especially if you have an interest in the life and times of the Japanese in this unique era of history.