Thanks Vile for reccing Lone Wolf and Cub. Gosh, it takes me back! I really enjoyed it although I did find some of the stand-alone stories and scenes a bit over-the-top. Having said that, the last several volumes were fantastic. The very last volume had me all choked up
And that art! Sooo beautiful! Yeah, I agree that while Vagabond tells a coming-of-age story (with Musashi's development on the line), LW&C follows the tale of someone who's deeply principled and knows exactly where he stands. While I personally love effective character development (it's like my holy grail in stories!), LW&C was charming in its own right.
Will try to get hold of a copy of Abandon the Old in Tokyo. They're hard to find but once I do, looking forward to reading it ...