Heart of Darkness
Part 3 of 8
Story and Art by Samura Hiroaki
English Adaptation by Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc.
Copyright © Samura Hiroaki
New and adapted artwork and text Copyright © 1999 Studio Proteus and Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

Followup to the previous review in EX 4.2:

Rin and Manji are still on their quest for vengeance, and they've picked up another "member" of their team, the assassin Shira. They are all out looking for Anotsu. But Anotsu is no fool and he knows he's being hunted. So he decides to sneak out of town in a most interesting manner.
The art remains as compelling as ever, as Samura's rough, sketchy style stands out as unique from the more refined, polished techniques in most other manga released in the U.S. The art conveys the mood and the period very well, and gives a grittiness to the story that would be difficult to reproduce in any other art style.
Since this is the middle of an 8-issue series, jumping in at this point will leave the reader very confused. And, as often happens with Japanese manga when split into a standard U.S. format, this issue is short on action. In fact, all we learn from this issue is that Anotsu is leaving Edo (Tokyo) and that Rin is getting lonely.
There's also a fair amount of Edo-period jargon thrown around in this issue, including "bakufu" (the Tokugawa central government), "ada-uchi" (a vengeance quest), and the like. Fortunately, there's a glossary at the back of the issue so this isn't quite as distracting. However, if you're not familiar with Japanese history I suggest reading this before you read the issue—it will make the read much easier.

English version published in N. America by Dark Horse Comics
32 pages; black & white
ISBN 7-6158-95340-4-03711
$2.50
Available now in the USA
Where to buy