Blade of the Immortal (1996) comic books

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) On sale May 11, b&w, 32pg, $2.99 FOR MATURE READERS The vicious grudge match between Giichi and Magatsu concludes! Two fan favorites exchange blows on a rickety bridge above a deadly chasm ... and someone's headed for oblivion! Don't miss this heavyweight bout, as the Mugai-ryü crew's top headhunter clashes with a skilled Itto-ryü anti-hero. Nearby, Manji fights for his life after being blinded by a tenacious new foe. Facing an enemy armed with kessen-satsu, the only poison known to damage his immortal blood, Manji is vulnerable, falling apart, and swinging in the dark! ? Look for our complete Manga Month backlist beginning on page 00. Cover price $2.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) FOR MATURE READERS On sale June 8, b&w, 32pg, $2.99 The concluding chapter to the "Trickster" story arc! The winner of last issue's brutal dogfight between Giichi and Magatsu is revealed! Also, Manji fights for his life after being blinded by a tenacious new foe. Facing an enemy armed with kessen-satsu, the only poison known to damage his immortal blood, Manji is vulnerable, falling apart, and swinging in the dark! Will the vindictive Itto-ryü noose finally close in around Manji's neck? Fans of Hiroaki Samura's entertaining, colorful characters, complex grudge matches, and beautifully brutal swordfights will be delighted with this hard-hitting "Trickster" finale! Cover price $2.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) On sale July 13, b&w, 32pg, $2.99 This poignant episode, "Pity," deals with the complex relationships of compassion, honor, and revenge in the vicious landscape of Hiroaki Samura's modern, samurai-punk epic. Abayama, an older Ittö-ryü leader who has seen his share of death and violence, stumbles into a surprising predicament. After joining the surviving Ittö-ryü warriors on a quest for vengeance, a chance encounter leads him to a face-off with Makoto, the youngest Mugai- ryü conspirator and Abayama's former assistant. Find out why this deep, frenetic series won Britain's 2004 Eagle Award for Favourite Manga Comic! Cover price $2.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) FOR MATURE READERS On sale August 10, b&w, 32pg, $2.99 The return of Shira! With "Forsaken," another one-shot episode, manga master Hiroaki Samura gives us a peek at what his most despicable character has been up to since the "Autumn Frost" storyline. Get ready to be seriously disturbed! Also in this issue, Rin is reunited with an old ally, two compelling, new Ittö-ryü warriors are introduced, and Manji finds himself in the "lion's den" of Habaki Kagamura, leader of the Mugai-ryü. This Eagle and Eisner Award-winning epic reaches another major turning point! Cover price $2.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) The feud between the Ittö-ryü and the Mugai-ryü heats up as Anotsu renews his quest for revenge. Still reeling from the Mugai-ryü surprise attack that wiped out most of his troops, Anotsu rallies his surviving followers and sets a new plan of attack in motion. Manji finally meets with Habaki Kagamura, leader of the shadowy Mugai-ryü, and they sit down to discuss Manji's past, his connection to Habaki, and the kessen-chu bloodworms that grant him immortality. Intrigue and surprises in another tense installment from Hiroaki Samura! ? Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. ? FOURTEEN volumes of this modern classic available in the Dark Horse backlist! FOR MATURE READERS Cover price $2.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) Two new, complex characters come to the forefront of Hiroaki Samura's samurai epic! As Rin frets over Manji's disappearance, she is surprised by the arrival of two traveling warriors, the feisty, headstrong Döa Yoshino and her huge, brutish companion, Isaku Yasono-ökami. Rin quickly regrets her decision to let this strange couple stay with her, but her detective work takes priority when she returns to Habaki Kagamura's stronghold to search for Manji. Meanwhile, Manji awakens to find himself in a very disturbing situation ... and the horrific reason behind Kagamura's interest in him becomes clearer! Cover price $3.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) FOR MATURE READERS Hiroaki Samura takes Blade of the Immortal into darker depths, as his latest story arc, 'Shortcut,' gets rolling. Visceral horror takes center stage, and this masterful manga series begins to explore man's hunger for immortality and the early years of 'modern Japanese medicine.' Habaki Kagimura's medical examiners begin to test the seemingly immortal Manji, who is imprisoned, chained, and a very unwilling toy in their merciless hands! Also, as Hyakurin and Rin step up their search for Manji, Hyakurin receives some shocking news concerning the future the Mugai-ryü assassins. · Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. · FOURTEEN volumes of this modern classic are available in the Dark Horse backlist! Cover price $2.99.

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Hidden in a fortified prison cell near Edo Castle, Manji endures rough inspections at the hands of Habaki Kagimura's medical examiners. Oddly enough, despite being imprisoned and tortured, Manji finds some comfort and friendship in a conversation with his cellmate-a simple man with a sad story. Giichi, Mugai-ryü assassin extraordinaire, is also missing, and Hyakurin and Rin consider their next move as they search for their friends. Politics, horror, and squabbling, demented surgeons! Hiroaki Samura is pulling our favorite immortal warrior down a very disturbing, bloody pathway ... and the twisted fun in this 'Shortcut' story arc is just getting started! Cover price $2.99.

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Drugged and helpless, Manji's unconscious body is a bloody plaything in the hands of two demented medical examiners! Working for Habaki Kagimura, Burando and Mozen are determined to tap into the secrets of the kessen-chu, the mystical bloodworms that heal Manji's wounds and grant him near-immortality. As Mozen decides to take a direct, heavy-handed approach, the competitive, backstabbing Burando waits gleefully in the wings with katana and scalpel at the ready. Horror, politics, and squabbling surgeons, as Hiroaki Samura takes his award-winning samurai epic down a disturbing, gory pathway. FOR MATURE READERS Cover price $2.99.

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Hiroaki Samura takes his readers on a stroll down a dark, disturbing pathway in the 'Shortcut' story arc! Mozen's recently botched 'exploratory operation' on Manji brings unexpected results. Backstabbing Burando, Kagimura's most deranged medical examiner, is about to have his chance to cut into Manji to explore the secrets of the kessen-chu, the mystical bloodworms that heal Manji's wounds and grant him near-immortality. Enraged and in chains in Kagimura's prison, Manji befriends his dim-witted cellmate, Dewanosuke, and begins to formulate an escape plan. FOR MATURE READERS Cover price $2.99.

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A look into Burando's dark past gives a hint at how Kagimura's deranged medical examiner wound up becoming so heartless and twisted. Having survived Kagimura's first few experiments, Manji braces himself for the next test on his body and on the mystical bloodworms that grant him near-immortality. The kessen-chu keep their secrets well! It's going to take a lot of bloodshed and pain before Kagimura has his answers! For Manji, the kessen-chu are both a blessing and a curse, now. Will he only find comfort in death? And where's that old witch Yaobikuni when you need her? Cover price $2.99.

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Yamada Asaemon, the Shogun's executioner and sword tester, arrives at Burando's request! Known as Kubikiri Asa, the legend of this historical figure is explored in Dark Horse's Samurai Executioner series, and his presence will certainly be felt in Blade of the Immortal! Medical examiner Burando continues his studies on limb transferals and Manji's immortal body, with the hope that Asaemon's deadly, precise skills can quicken the pace! Hiroaki Samura's wild samurai ride takes a darker turn, as his horrific 'On the Perfection of Anatomy' story arc begins! This issue also sports a beautiful, wraparound Rin cover, painted by Samura. Cover price $2.99.

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Yamada Asaemon, the Shogun's executioner and sword tester, is on the scene to help Burando accelerate the pace of his sadistic medical experiments to discover the secret of Manji's immortality. Still chained in a prison near Edo castle, Manji stews and ponders his next escape attempt. With Manji's old cellmate, Dewanosuke, recovering and possibly benefiting from Burando's schemes, will he help Manji regain his freedom or will Dewanosuke become enticed by the allure of immortality and rally to the side of Manji's captors? This issue also features a color Blade of the Immortal pinup by Samura fan Becky Cloonan. FOR MATURE READERS Cover price $2.99.

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It's time for Manji's dimwitted-yet-likeable cellmate, Dewanosuke, to shine . . . or die! Searching for the key to immortality, the twisted doctor Burando finally feels that his experiments are leading towards success. However, the Shogun's bangashira, Habaki Kagimura, grows impatient and decides to 'up the ante' in the tests on Dewanosuke's regenerative abilities. Also, while all of the Itto-ryü warriors are supposed to be keeping a low profile, one cute sparkplug is about to threaten everything. Yes, it's the return of Döa, the feisty Itto-ryü renegade who's been causing so much trouble for Rin! This time, however, Döa's headstrong attitude may turn up something very essential to Rin's search for her beloved, missing Manji. ? 'Blade of the Immortal's image of pre-modern Japan might be filled with anachronism, but it is also gifted with loving detail and interesting perspective.'- VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates). Cover price $2.99.

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After the last issue's shocking death, Burando's grip on reality slips a bit more, and he struggles to continue his research while in a depressed stupor. Habaki Kagimura isn't letting his prize doctor off the hook, though. Kagimura pushes for new tests with a new felon. Word of his experiments in immortality is spreading through Edo's jails, and Manji's cocky cellmate is a willing volunteer who has no idea what pain is in store for him. Hiroaki Samura's samurai drama continues its dark descent into a horrific world of torture and 'modern Japanese medicine,' as the secrets of Manji's mystical kessen-chu are slowly revealed. FOR MATURE READERS Cover price $2.99.

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The return of Hyakurin! Rin continues to live in her family's abandoned döjö, fretting over Manji's absence and disturbed by her odd visitors, Döa and Isaku. Hyakurin's arrival is a relief, and the two ladies set out to search for their missing friends, starting with Giichi. This fan-favorite, bald-and-bespectacled warrior has been missing for quite a while. After the death of his son and the dissolution of the Mugai-ryü, does Giichi even want to be found? Meanwhile, in a horrible prison under Edo castle, Doc Burando continues to write his medical opus, On the Perfection of Anatomy, and several more unlucky convicts become unwilling participants in the demented doctor's experiments. This issue also features the return of Hiroaki Samura's absurd and hilarious 'Biography,' with rare, accompanying Samura pinups! Cover price $2.99.

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The conclusion of the 'On the Perfection of Anatomy' story arc, and. . .the return of Giichi! Monthly readers will be surprised to see the state Giichi in! Rin and Hyakurin have found one of their missing friends, but do they really want to know what he's been up to since the Mugai-ryü disbanded? Will he still be the warrior he once was, especially after the injuries he sustained in Samura's 'Trickster' storyline? Rin, tortured over Manji's disappearance, is determined to check every clue and look into every lead, but disturbing Edo Castle is tantamount to suicide. This issue also continues Hiroaki Samura's hilarious 'Biography' piece, accompanied by hard-to-find Samura pinups-extras found only in this monthly series! Cover price $2.99.

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The start of a new story arc, as 'The Sparrow Net' begins! Hyakurin, disturbed by her recent encounter with Giichi, takes a break to drink and cry on a stranger's shoulder. Döa and Isaku have two surprise reunions. One will reinforce deep-seated beliefs and long-term goals. The other will have them fighting for their lives in the streets of Edo! Deep in an underground cell, Manji is imprisoned and tortured-all in the name of 'modern Japanese medicine.' Hiroaki Samura's hilarious 'Biography' text piece continues, with exclusive pinups, and this issue features another color back cover by Stan Shaw that will link up with other covers to form an exciting, extended image! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for Favourite Manga Title. ? Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. ? FIFTEEN volumes of this modern classic available in the Dark Horse backlist! Cover price $2.99.

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by Hiroaki Samura More surprise reunions, as Döa and Isaku run into some high-strung acquaintances on the streets of Edo. Isaku reveals that he's got more going for him than long legs and pretty eyes, and Döa shows that there's more under her hat than a stubborn mind. An action- packed exercise in survival ensues, leaving Rin dumbstruck. Hiroaki Samura's hilarious "Biography" text piece continues, with exclusive pinups?an added bonus found only in this monthly series. This issue also features Stan Shaw's third back cover illustration that will link up with other Blade of the Immortal covers to form an exciting, extended image! 32pgs, FCSRP: $2.99 Cover price $2.99.

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It's almost funny, how Döa, the Ittö-ryü sparkplug, so brashly hurls herself into trouble. She's in some serious danger now, though, and Edo's angry police force has her and her friends cornered and outnumbered. With dexterous Döa swinging her daggers and Isaku showing off his heavy-handed fighting style, Rin is aghast, caught up in a senseless battle. Meanwhile, deranged Doc Burando stews in a jail cell, having failed his master too many times. However, that doesn't mean that his twisted mind will stop thinking about Manji and the mysterious kessen-chu bloodworms that grant immortality to their hosts. This issue also features Stan Shaw's final back cover 'Seasons' illustration, which links up to issues 117 through 119 to complete a gorgeous color quadtych image! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for 'Favourite Manga Title' Cover price $2.99.

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Crazy little Döa may have the quickest temper out of all the Ittö-ryü warriors, but this tigress turns into a kitten when she thinks she's lost her beloved Isaku forever. Downstream from their quick, puzzling battle with Edo policemen, Döa and Rin rest for a moment and ponder their next move. Rin finds her relationship with Döa taking an odd turn, and a long journey is about to begin for both of them. Samura finally gives some hints regarding Döa's past before returning us to Manji's cell and the sick experiments being performed by Kagimura's new doctor! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for Favourite Manga Title ? Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. Cover price $2.99.

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A new story arc begins! Separated from Isaku and Manji, Döa and Rin begin to lean on each other for support, with neither of them knowing that they're actually on opposing sides of a complex, generations-long conflict. As Edo's most esteemed doctors mull over Kagimura's experiments and Manji's mystical, regenerative bloodworms, Rin starts spying on Edo Castle and Kagimura's comings and goings. She knows that Manji is trapped inside, and she just needs one big clue to get her rescue operation rolling. The Edo Castle stakeout commences with 'Barefoot,' part one of five! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for 'Favourite Manga Title' ? Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. Cover price $2.99.

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In part two of the intense 'Barefoot' story arc, Rin's hard work as an amateur spy pays off, and she becomes closer friends with Döa as her quest to find Manji continues. Kagimura's dark experiments are revitalized, Manji falls into dreamland, and twisted Doc Burando's dreams come true. Karukozawa and Toraemon, the 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern' of Samura's savage samurai epic, provide a little comic relief. Our color back cover feature this month is a unique Hiroaki Samura geisha pinup, colored by frequent Blade of the Immortal contributor Dan Jackson! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for Favourite Manga Title. ? Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. ? FIFTEEN volumes of this modern classic available in the Dark Horse backlist! Cover price $2.99.

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Blade of the Immortal's level of unsettling horror gets kicked up a big notch in 'Barefoot,' Samura's current story arc. Doc Burando is put back into service in the dark prisons under Edo Castle. Kagimura gambles that he can get his top lunatic doctor back on track with just a few . . . unconventional adjustments. While surveying the grounds around Edo castle, Rin and Döa make a startling, stomach-churning discovery. Döa finds some ghastly clues and is thrown into another one of her furious fits of blind rage. Will Rin be able to calm her down before their search-and-recovery mission is blown? FOR MATURE READERS Cover price $2.99.

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Döa and Rin finally realize that they have something very strange in common! They begin a heated exchange over the existence of the murderous Ittô-ryû sword school before being interrupted by a clue that literally begs for their attention. Sounds odd? It is . . . and we won't be giving anything away here! As Döa and Rin come across a huge, horrific breakthrough in their quest to find Isaku and Manji, crazy Doc Burando revels in his newfound power. Imprisoned in an underground torture chamber deep below Edo Castle, Manji doesn't know what's worse, having his mystical bloodworms and healing powers tested every day or-as a 'captive audience'-having to listen to Burando's insane rants on modern medicine and immortality. Enjoy an episode of discoveries and heartache, as Samura's two powerhouse heroines reach a major turning point that will change their relationship forever! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for 'Favourite Manga Title' ? Winner of Japan's prestigious Media Arts Award and America's own Will Eisner Award. ? Sixteen volumes of this modern classic available in the Dark Horse backlist! Blade of the Immortal © 2007 by Hiroaki Samura. All rights reserved. New and adapted artwork and text copyright 2007 Dark Horse Comics, Inc. Cover price $2.99.

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As the horrific 'Barefoot' story arc comes to a close, Kagimura's prisoners are getting restless, and Burando continues to accelerate the pace of his deadly experiments. The other doctors in Edo call his 'immortality research' blasphemous and shameful. Burando feels that he's making medical history, though, and he becomes frantic and confrontational when Kagimura wants to put a test subject out of his misery. Burando's a new man, Manji's a sliver of his former self, and Döa helps Rin steal something that may be extremely vital to their rescue mission. Features the final image in Hiroaki Samura's 'China Cat' pinup series. Full color Manji pinup by Guy Davis (B.P.R.D.)!! Cover price $2.99.

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HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A) In this 'Life in Death' one-shot issue, we catch up with Giichi and Hyakurin, the two former Mugai-ryü warriors who have been somewhat on the sidelines as Rin hunts for the missing Manji. Hyakurin is still recovering from the brutal events chronicled in the 'Beasts' story arc, and Giichi-now a despondent drunk after losing his son-has some objections when she tries to solve a lingering problem on her own. Doc Burando reaches another milestone in his experiments. Although he's ridiculed by the doctors of Edo, Burando still believes that his bloody work is for the good of the country. Features a full-color Manji pinup by artist Farel Dalrymple!! b&w, 32 pages Cover price $2.99.

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The 'Badger Hole' is a tunnel of death that leads into the bowels of Edo Castle, where Kagimura and Burando have been killing scores of prisoners in their attempts to transfer and duplicate the 'kessen-chu immortality effect' that runs through Manji's veins. Mutilated body after body has been dragged out of the 'Badger Hole' by prison guards and beggars, as most of the immortality experiments have been failures. Rin and Döa begin a reckless descent into this darkness, hoping to find their captive friends, Manji and Isaku. The girls are reckless, indeed, but they're not going without a few new tricks up their sleeves! ? 2006 Eagle Award winner for 'Favourite Manga Title' Featuring a wraparound cover and the beginning of a new story arc! Cover price $2.99.

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Written by Hiroaki Samura. Illustrated by Hiroaki Samura. Mature Readers Samura's "Badger Hole" story arc continues, as Rin and Doa begin to explore the network of tunnels that wind below Edo Castle. One of these dank, dangerous tunnels may lead them to Kagimura and Doc Burando's blasphemous "immortality workshop," where they hope to find their missing friends. However, before they face the horrors of this demented bangashira's operating room, they'll have to get past more of Kagimura's foot soldiers. If Doa has her way, they'll be cutting a bloody path right to Isaku and Manji! Readers will also enjoy a flashback that sheds some light on hotheaded Doa's past, detailing an early encounter with her beloved leader (and Rin's nemesis), Anotsu Kagehisa. This issue will also feature a full-color pinup by rising star Rob Guillory! Cover price $2.99.

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Rin and Döa slink deeper into the 'Badger Hole,' hoping to find their missing friends at the end of one of the dark tunnels that wind below Edo Castle. Going in through the 'back door' won't be easy, as these tunnels are filled with Kagimura's foot soldiers and other dangers. When a surprise turn of events finds the ladies in an awkward, defenseless position, how will the arrival of a new Itto-ryü warrior sit with Rin? Meanwhile, Hyakurin reflects on a recent heart-to-heart she had with Rin and how her current role in the 'Badger Hole Rescue Mission' has placed her shoulder to shoulder with the angry women of Edo-a growing number of citizens fearing for the lives of the many men who have been disappearing into Edo's prison system. ? 2005, 2006, AND 2007 Eagle Award winner for 'Favourite Manga Title' Features a full-color pinup by rising star Joshua Boulet! Cover price $2.99.

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The 'Badger Hole' story arc comes to a close, with Rin and Döa still lost in the dark, dangerous tunnels below Edo Castle. Trapped by angry Edo soldiers, Rin is tortured while her friends hang helplessly nearby. A piercing, overpowering sound heralds the full introduction of a bizarre Itto-ryü warrior who's only been barely glimpsed in past issues. His arrival promises some vicious swordplay, as manga master Samura flexes his creative muscles to bring us another unique, fast-paced battle! Heads will fly! Featuring a full-color pinup by American Splendor and Meathaus contributor Zachary Baldus! Cover price $2.99.