In 1987 American comics fans were introduced to a landmark series of Japanese graphic storytelling -- a samurai epic of staggering proportions comprising over 8000 pages of compelling stories and stunning artwork. Lone Wolf and Cub quickly earned a reputation as one of the most remarkable works in the medium of comics ever created, and now -- for the first time ever -- English-reading fans of writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima's intense and influential series will have access to the entire body of work that encompasses the story of the renegade Shogun's assassin and his devoted, young son. Now-defunct American publisher First Comics released but a small chunk of the entire saga during the late 1980s, and Dark Horse is both filling in the blanks, so to speak, of stories First skipped during its publication, and picking up where First left off after publishing about a third of the original material.

We spoke with Lone Wolf and Cub editor Dan Harris about Dark Horse's publishing plan for the epic Japanese tale.

Shawna Ervin-Gore: It's been a long time since Lone Wolf and Cub has been in print here in the U.S. Any special reason Dark Horse is doing it now?

Dan Harris: The main reason is that Dark Horse's president and founder, Mike Richardson, wanted to print Lone Wolf and Cub for a very long time -- in fact, when Dark Horse was first getting off the starting blocks in 1986, Mike pursued the license for Lone Wolf only to have the license go to First instead. This time around, the opportunity was there, and we are going to do it right this time, meaning we're publishing the entire set of material instead of select stories, as First did. Mike feels strongly about doing some projects because "they should be done" and Lone Wolf is one of those projects.

SE-G: What format will Dark Horse be using to publish Lone Wolf and Cub?

DH: We're reproducing the books in a 4"x6" pocket book format, and each volume will contain approximately 300 pages of story. Our main reason for publishing the books at this size is that it is the current format of the Japanese editions we are using as sources. We feel this is an elegant format which also happens to keep the cost of the book -- both for production and purchase -- low. It was really important to us that fans would be able to enjoy this series in its entirety -- and one of more important factors in that equation is the cost of the book. There is a huge amount of material here, and it would be quite costly for any fan to collect the 28 volumes we'll be publishing if the price point were much higher than $9.95 each. We hope that keeping the size small -- and the price down! -- will help American audiences better enjoy this work. And maybe it will even encourage people who have never read the series to give it a try.

SE-G: You said Dark Horse will be publishing 28 volumes, and at 300 or so pages each, that's a lot more material than First published. I'm assuming this means fans will have access to Lone Wolf and Cub stories they've never seen before?

DH: Yes. First tended to skip stories and jump around a little, and they actually started their run of the series with the last story in Volume 1 of the original series. Dark Horse is going to start at the beginning and follow the original Japanese series chronologically. In our first volume, American readers will finally (for the first time!) see the beginning of the story, 257 pages of which have never been seen in America!

SE-G: Frank Miller contributed both covers and editorial content to the first 12 or so issues of First's versions of Lone Wolf and Cub. Is he involved at all in Dark Horse's series?

DH: The present plan is to use all twelve of Frank Miller's covers (but not his introductions). After that, we're not quite sure what direction we will take for the cover art. We are currently looking into commissioning new art for the volumes after number twelve --- but it is too early just yet to tell who will be doing those covers.

SE-G: In addition to the never-before-seen material Dark Horse is publishing, what else will be different about the series?

DH: Anyone who read the First series will notice one distinct difference right off the bat: These stories have all been relettered and retouched. The entire First series translated smatterings of volumes 1-13 (of 28) which comprises about 3800 story pages, but of all those pages, the amount they did not translate that Dark Horse is now having translated is 1072! The retouch work is being done because we feel that we can present an entirely new, and superior, version for American audiences. All anyone has to do to see what a difference this makes is to hold up one of the First books to one of Dark Horse's. The change is dramatic and very, very positive. This isn't to say that First didn't do an excellent job, but Dark Horse's production team is a little more demanding, and very bent on perfection. And that really comes through in these books.

SE-G: I'm sure there are a lot of Lone Wolf and Cub fans who are eager to know how the series ends, since the entire final two-thirds of the saga weren't published in the original American editions. Are you willing to give any hints as to fate of Ogami and Daigoro.

DH: Not on your life! (laughs) But I will say this: The very final chapter of the series is amazing and incredibly poignant. And the events that transpire in the final few stories add a lot to both the psychological and emotional impact of what came before. The rest of the series becomes so much better, to my mind, when all of the secrets and all of the Shogun's betrayals are finally revealed. I won't tell you what those are, but I guarantee no fan will be disappointed.

Grab your kitana and babycart and head for your local comics shop August 30, to pick up Lone Wolf and Cub: Volume 1 -- The Assassin's Road.