Inuyasha (VIZBIG Edition), Vol. 9

Reads R to L (Japanese Style). Uneasy Allies Our friends are drowning in enemies! First, Miroku and Sango face a poisonous adversary; then, Inuyasha is attacked by the half-man, half-machine--but all evil--monstrosity known as Ginkotsu. Later, our friends encounter a mountain so sacred that most of them aren't even good enough to set foot on it. And finally, when their battle with the undead assassins known as the Band of Seven looks all but lost, Inuyasha and his comrades get some unlikely help from his brother, Sesshomaru, and rival, wolf demon Koga. Everything comes down to a fiery climax as another one of Naraku's malevolent plots is revealed!

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another--Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987, Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, and One-Pound Gospel.