Berserk Volume 23

Desperate as Guts, the Black Swordsman, has been to reunite with his former captain and lover, the now-mad Casca, he's quickly learning that being together is as dangerous as being apart. What should be a simple journey to the safety of Puck's homeland proves to be a gauntlet of perils, as the Mark of Sacrifice each bears brings the fury of Hell down upon them, and Guts discovers that in his darkest moments he himself is the greatest danger to the woman he loves. Created by Kentaro Miura, Berserk is a fiery manga apocalypse, an ominous omnibus of furious action, fearsome horror, and funereal humor that strikes a power chord in the hearts of its devoted followers and strikes down the rest like a scythe through wheat. Bring in the sheaves!

While attending college at Nihon University, in 1988, Kentaro Miura debuted a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken (Fist Of The North Star).

In 1990, the first volume Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga entitled Japan. Miura's fame grew after Berserk began "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of this masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary manga artists.

In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV.

The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan made, ranging from statues and action figures, to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentaro Miura received the second place in the Tezuka Osamu (Astro Boy) Cultural Prize of Excellence for Berserk. The author lives in Tokyo, Japan.