Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell

Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (#6, 1974) – Ogami Itto racks up (according to some counts) the still-standing record for individual body count (150!) in this series finale that, while it doesn’t wrap up the storyline, is generally satisfactory; it’s got some really great shots, and it’s as entertaining as any in the series, even though it’s to the next level of over-the-top-ness with missiles, ski ninjas, magical tunneling zombie guys, the James Bond baby cart/tank, the cannon sled, and other weirdness. 6

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (#5, 1973) – Ah, nobody can single-handedly kill a roomful of dudes like Ogami Itto; while the attempts at story here are pretty silly, the action is top-notch – some of the best in the series, in fact; all the Lone Wolf and Cub films use painfully dated music, but this one’s got some wacky sound effects, too. 6

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (#4, 1972) – The opening shot gives you the feeling that this entry in the series is going to be subpar, and it is, from the fights (which don’t even pretend to be related to the story half the time) to the ridiculous leaping to the flaming swords to the jumbled script; the new director is a change for the worse, and that’s without the nauseating handicam finale. 5

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (#3, 1972) – An increased character focus adds some nice touches and helps make up for a haphazard story; even so, this one’s not quite up to the standard of the first two; it’s got too many guns, for one thing. 6

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (#2, 1972) – This sequel’s got more style, less story, and somewhat more weirdness than the original, but it’s just as entertaining. 7

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (#1, 1972) – This is classic stylized samurai violence: Wakayama brings an impressive gravity to the role as he slices and dices folks in cool ways, irrespective of number; there’s even enough story to carry it. 7