Blade of the Immortal: Cry of the Worm — Dark Horse Manga
Issue: #1
The curse of the bloodworm is what keeps Manji alive -- slit his throat or stab him in the heart and those mystical worms will force his body to heal. This immortal curse will not be lifted until Manji has killed one thousand evil men. Manji's female companion, Rin, finds the treasured sword of her destroyed Mutenichi-ryu dojo (school of swordsmanship). The ronin who has it must have been involved...
First appearances: Yaobikuni Impostor, "Yaobikuni's" Grandchild, Sword Polisher
Creators: Hiroaki Samura, Wayne Truman, Suzanne Taylor, Tomoko Saito, Toren Smith, Dave Chipps, Mike Richardson, Dana Lewis
Characters: Yaobikuni Impostor, Taito Magatsu, Rin Asano, Manji, Kagehisa Anotsu, Eiku Shizuma, "Yaobikuni's" Grandchild, Sword Polisher