From the pen of Kazuo Koike, of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, comes Lady Snowblood, the manga that eventually would become an inspiration for director Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill blockbuster films. A story of pure vengeance, Lady Snowblood tells the tale of a daughter born of a singular purpose, to avenge the death of her family at the hands of a gang of thugs, a purpose woven into her soul from the time of her gestation. Beautifully drafted and full of bloody, sexy action, Lady Snowblood lives up to its title and reputation.

Lady Snowblood is a woman born with a singular purpose, revenge. Revenge for the death of her father at the hands of greedy criminals. Revenge for the life of her mother, who birthed her in a prison to continue this demon's path of death. And sometimes this path is odd, sometimes sexy, often painful and always violent. By means of a world's worth of skills, Lady Snowblood will find her revenge. But who knows what lies at the end of this path.

As samurai were losing their bearings in a time of change, Yuki brought back the demonic spirit of vengeance. And the good part about this last volume of Lady Snowblood is that she saved her most hated targets for last. Yet, in the midst of a maelstrom of sex and violence, the reader will still catch a few glimpses of warmth and human compassion. That's because Kazuo Koike, the creator of the popular Lone Wolf and Cub manga, knows how to build around good characters, and Lady Snowblood is certainly no exception. See how it all ends in Volume 4, the second part of "Retribution."