The 47 Ronin
This eBook is also available from Comixology.
Here is the first historically accurate graphic-novel version of a legendary event in Japanese history. In the eighteenth century, forty-seven samurai avenged the death of their master in a plot involving over two years of secrecy. After succeeding in their mission, the masterless samurai all committed ritual suicide. The story, which is a national legend, remains a most potent example of Japan’s deeply rooted cultural imperatives of honor, persistence, loyalty, and sacrifice, and of bushido—the samurai code.
"A masterful retelling of one of the greatest stories in Japanese culture. An engrossing, engaging, emotional, and unforgettable epic." —Jonathan Ross, BBC television presenter
"A dignified telling of a dignified story. It's violent when it needs to be, precise and calm when it's called for, and never once loses focus. This is a tightly focused, perfectly pitched retelling of the story and a perfect entry point for anyone coming to the story for the first time. The Keanu Reeves version may have all the spectacle, but this version has all the heart." —BleedingCool.com
"Wilson uses exactly the right scenes to tell this famous story, creating a quick, engaging read." —Library Journal
"Despite being widely known in both Japan and abroad, the story of the assassination of a court official named Kira Yoshihisa by the 47 Ronin—and their subsequent suicide—has seldom been retold with accuracy since its occurrence in December 1702. . . . Readers interested in accurate Japanese history rather than Hollywood embellishment will enjoy this well-done retelling of the legendary event." —The Japan Times
"Readers who prefer streamlined storytelling will be drawn to Sean Michael Wilson's The 47 Ronin. Spare and understated, the script sticks close to historical events and elegantly recounts the legend's central elements." —School Library Journal