The cover of Black Cat volume 1 as published by Shueisha on January 11, 2001 in Japan.
The chapters of the manga Black Cat were written and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki. They were published by Shueisha in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 2000 to 2004.[1][2] Black Cat's plot follows Train Heartnet, a former assassin known as the Black Cat, who now lives as a bounty hunter, dubbed Sweeper.
The 185 chapters from the manga were collected in 20 tankōbon volumes that were published from January 11, 2001 to October 9, 2004 by Shueisha.[3][4] It was licensed in English in North America by Viz Media as they first announced it in the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con International.[5] The twenty volumes were published from March 7, 2006 to May 5, 2009 under Viz's Shonen Jump label.[6][7] Madman Entertainment published Viz's English release in Australia and New Zealand.[8] Black Cat was also adapted into a 24-episode anime series with the same name by Gonzo. Directed by Shin Itagaki, the anime aired in Japan from October 6, 2005 to March 30, 2006.[9]
Volume list[]
| No. | Title | Japan release | English release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Man Called Black Cat kuroi neko to yobareta otoko (黒い猫と呼ばれた男) | January 11, 2001[3] ISBN 978-4-08-873065-3 | March 7, 2006[6] ISBN 978-1-4215-0605-0 | |
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| "Sweepers" (bounty hunters) Train Heartnet and Sven Vollfied capture a man wanted as a mafia witness, but who is then killed by the mafia. They track down the killer, but before Train kills him, he recognizes Train as the Black Cat - an assassin who supposedly died when he betrayed the organization named Chronos. Now that Chronos knows Black Cat is still alive, it sends a messenger to either convince Train to return or to kill him, but Train kills him instead. Soon after this, Train and Sven are approached by Rinslet Walker, a famous thief, offering the sweepers a partnership on a job. She is trying to steal data from an underground research program, and wants them to capture its wanted head, Torneo Rudman, as a diversion. They agree, and while scouting the lab, Train mets Eve while she is killing two guards and learns that she was created by the lab as human bio-weapon using nanotechnology. He escapes from her, and while she searches for him, she meets Sven, who buys her ice cream. When Torneo catches up with her, however, she stabs Sven while protecting Torneo. When Train catches up with him, he is angry his partner got hurt, but agrees to let Sven return to the lab after he wins a round of Russian Roulette. | ||||
| 2 | Creed | March 7, 2001[10] ISBN 978-4-08-873091-2 | May 2, 2006[11] ISBN 978-1-4215-0606-7 | |
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| Train and Sven come back to Toreno's lab to finish their job, during which Train avoids using lethal force. When Eve insists she wants to be free, Toreno tries to give her a formula that will maximize her power, but is stopped by Train. During the subsequent fight, Eve is accidentally shot but her nanomachines protect her. Torneo claims the protection of Creed, but before Train can get him to reveal where Creed is, Rinslet blows up the lab with all his research and they all escape. Sven and Train decide to keep Eve with them, training her as a sweeper. They take her to a carnival, where Train is met by Shiki, a taoist working for Creed, who tells him Creed is holding Rinslet captive. Train meets Creed, who tries to force him to join his campaign to rid the world of Chronos. They duel, with Creed using his "imagine blade", an invisible sword that can change length at Creed's will. Train is forced to sacrifice his right arm to see the invisible sword before shooting Creed in the chest. After rescuing Rinslet, Train is met by "Doctor", one of Creed's allies. On Creed's orders, he reattaches Train's severed arm using Tao. Creed is injected with medical nanomachines, allowing him to gradually recover fully. | ||||
| 3 | What the Living Can Do ikirumono ni dekiru koto (生きる物に できる事) | May 6, 2001[12] ISBN 978-4-08-873114-8 | July 5, 2006[13] ISBN 978-1-4215-0607-4 | |
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| Train and Sven resume Sweeper work, along with Eve. After capturing two jewel thieves, they are met by a member of the Chrono Numbers - Chronos' elite assassin group of which Train was originally a member of. After revealing himself to be No. II, he delivers a video letter to Train. In the letter, the Mayor of a town, who is a member of Chronos and a former acquaintance of Train, asks Train to capture a serial murderer named Gyanza Rujike, who is hiding in the city. Gyanza Rujike was once captured by Sven, but has since escaped became a Taoshi. After an extended fight with Gyanza, Sven is forced to use his right eye, which allows him to see a short time into the future. Gyanza is eventually defeated, and dies due to overusing his Tao powers. No. II confronts two of Creed's allies, Kyoko and Charden. After a long fight with no clear winner, Shiki appears, and the three retreat on Creed's orders. | ||||
| 4 | One-Day Darling ichinichi dārin (一日ダ–リン) | August 8, 2001[14] ISBN 978-4-08-873148-3 | September 5, 2006[15] ISBN 978-1-4215-0608-1 | |
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| Sven visits the grave of Lloyd, his former partner in the International Bureau of Investigations (IBI). During his time as a member of the IBI, Sven lost his right eye when he was captured by a group of criminals. Lloyd then sacrificed himself to rescue Sven. It is revealed that Sven's right eye originally belonged to Lloyd, who had foreseen his own fate, and had registered as an eye donor prior to the incident. After Sven's visit to Lloyd's grave, Rinslet asks for Train's assistance in stealing an unknown but valuable treasure from a wealthy woman during a banquet. At the banquet, Train meets and duels with a skilled assassin named Lugart Won, whose target is the wealthy woman. Their duel is interrupted when the woman's treasure, revealed to be a Tyrannosaurus, goes on a rampage. Eve requests that the dinosaur not be killed, and with Sven's help, Train is eventually successful in stopping the dinosaur. After the incident, Lugart Won appears before Train and Rinslet. | ||||
| 5 | Spark of Revolution kakumei no noroshi (革命の狼煙) | October 9, 2001[16] ISBN 978-4-08-873172-8 | November 7, 2006[17] ISBN 978-1-4215-0609-8 | |
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| Lugart asks Train why he, a legendary assassin, would protect strangers. After Train's reply, Lugart swears to challenge him again once his skills surpass Train's. Creed and his allies, known as the "Apostles of the Stars", gather in a remote island and initiate plans to destroy the global summit. Despite heavy security, the Apostles of the Stars easily decimate the security forces and kills all of the head of states attending the summit. Chronos is forced to take action, and orders No. I to use every resource possible to exterminate the Apostles of the Stars. Meanwhile, Eve challenges Train to a pursuit of a target. When they go to get information, they find that the target has already been captured by a man calling himself the Black Cat. They eventually locate him, a man named Woodney, who has been abusing the name Black Cat with a fake "13" tattoo. Because of this, Woodney finds himself facing a highly skilled adversary. Train steps in, identifying himself as Black Cat's disciple and easily defeats him. No. I and No. II pays a visit to Train, and asks him to assist in eliminating the Apostles of the Stars as a sweeper. | ||||
| 6 | The Price of Happiness | December 29, 2001[18] ISBN 978-4-08-873217-6 | January 2, 2007[19] ISBN 978-1-4215-0610-4 | |
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| Durham, the gunman of the Apostles of the Stars, looks for Train for a duel to prove he is the superior gunman. He forcefully obtaining the location of Train's hideout, and goes to pay Train a visit. He arrives to find only Eve present, and after seriously injuring her, leaves a message for Train in Eve's blood. An enraged Train goes duel Durham, eventually defeating him after a fierce gun-battle. Eve's nanomachines rapidly heal her injuries, and she makes a full recovery. However, because of this incident, Sven decides that they cannot take Eve along with them anymore; a decision that greatly distresses Eve. Sven and Train goes after their next target, and after an extended chase, the criminal takes a child hostage. Eve comes to the rescue with her nanomachines, and together they capture the target. With the help of Train, Eve manages to convince Sven to change his decision. A beaten Durham returns to the Apostle of the Stars headquarters, and is interrogated about his independent actions. He incurs the wrath of Creed, who promptly kills him, causing Charden and Kyoko to question their roles in Creed's plans. | ||||
| 7 | Time for Vengeance | March 9, 2002[20] ISBN 978-4-08-873233-6 | March 6, 2007[21] ISBN 978-1-4215-1036-1 | |
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| Chronos sends No. VII to locate Rinslet Walker. After locating her on one of her jobs, he helps her dispatch a group of thugs and escape. Meanwhile, Train's group are in the town where Train first met Saya, trying to catch a bounty. After the arrest, Train decides to have a wander around town, where he meets and talks to a man whom Saya once helped. Train follows him to his home, only to find it was a trap set up by the man to kill Train. Train is instantly surrounded, but easily dispatches all of his opponents and leaves. After a bit of training, Train's group find a boy who is being chased and shot at. Seeing Train dispatch the enemies with ease, he hires Train to avenge his father, who was murdered by the police. Train accepts the job and succeeds in infiltrating the police headquarters. After Train shoots the police chief in front of the boy, the boy begins to regret taking his revenge. Train then reveals that the bullet he used to shoot the police chief was only a paralysis bullet, and that he only took the job to teach the boy a lesson about vengeance. | ||||
| 8 | Cerberus Strikes | June 9, 2002[22] ISBN 978-4-08-873271-8 | May 1, 2007[23] ISBN 978-1-4215-1037-8 | |
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| Train thinks back to his childhood, when he was trained to kill by the man who murdered his parents. Meanwhile, No. VII takes Rinslet to see No. I, Sephiria, who wants to hire Rinslet to help locate the base of the Apostles of the Stars. Rinslet is unable to accept that the leader of the Chronos Numbers is a weak-looking woman, and takes the job on the condition that Sephiria must resign her position. Rinslet, equipped with a transmitter, gets herself captured by the Apostles of the Stars. After receiving the location of the base, team Cerberus, consisting of No. V, VII and XI, infiltrate the base. Upon entering the base, they fight several members of the Apostles of the Stars. After a lengthy battle, team Cerberus gets past the members of the Apostle of the Stars by bringing down a column, and continue their hunt to kill Creed. On Sephiria's orders, No. X uses his mastery of disguise to trick Train into going to the Apostle of the Stars' base. | ||||
| 9 | Showdown at the Old Castle | August 7, 2002[24] ISBN 978-4-08-873299-2 | July 3, 2007[25] ISBN 978-1-4215-1038-5 | |
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| Team Cerberus reach Creed, who unleashes a werewolf on the trio. The werewolf, a fallen sweeper whom was injected with nanomachines, triggers Eve's nanomachines and causes her to faint. Train decides to go deeper into the base to locate the source. No. V fights the werewolf, and eventually manages to dispatch it despite its near-instantaneous regeneration. Using her portal ability, Echidna succeeds in seriously wounding No. V, and No. VII and XI fight the remaining members of the Apostles of the Stars. During the battle, Train appears and fires at Creed. Using a flash grenade, Train grabs Rinslet and escapes, leaving Creed stunned at Train's departure. Creed then becomes enraged, causing his Imagine Blade to transform. The base becomes unstable, and the Apostles of the Stars decide to retreat. When the doctor enquires about the absence of Charden and Kyoko, Leon informs him that they have decided to leave the Apostles of the Stars. Creed goes berserk and fights team Cerberus solo. No. V decides to sacrifice himself to defeat Creed, and eventually manages to hold Creed while No. XI fires on them at point blank range. Meanwhile, Train's group escape and run into No. X, where Train learns that he was part of Sephiria's plan to destroy the Apostles of the Stars. | ||||
| 10 | Big Changes | October 9, 2002[26] ISBN 978-4-08-873329-6 | September 4, 2007[27] ISBN 978-1-4215-1039-2 | |
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| Creed manages to survive with Echidna's help losing his left arm in the battle against the time guardians. It is reveleaded that Janus make Belga's attack fail because he doesn't want to sacrifice a comrade and was he who dismembered Creed's arm. Belga dies when the time guardians tried to escape crushed by the building. Naizer is unconscious in an hospital. Later, Train and company meet again with Sheldon and Kyoko and they explain why they leave Creed's organization. When they separate, Echidna's ability makes Eve and Sven to teletransport to a church where Creed is waiting for them. Creed tries to kill Sven, but decides to implant nanomachines known as Lucifer in him instead. Trains arrives just to receive the nanomachine bullet instead. Creed escapes. Five hours later, nanomachines turn Train into a kid. The team is now after professor Tearju, Eve's creator, in order to find a solution to the problem. | ||||
| 11 | The Promise | December 9, 2002[28] ISBN 978-4-08-873349-4 | November 6, 2007[29] ISBN 978-1-4215-1040-8 | |
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| Kyoko happen to meet Train when he was out and Chronos starts to pursuit them. Sheldon left Train in charge of Kyoko. They hide in an hotel, but No. IV, Kranz, and No. VIII, Baldor, arrive there and force Train and company to battle them. In the battle, Train's kid body seems to limit his abilities. Finally, Janus appears and stop the time guardians to continue the fight. Kyoko left the team and the battle's sequels start to hurt Train. They must find a way to return him to his old body. | ||||
| 12 | The New Weapon | March 9, 2003[30] ISBN 978-4-08-873395-1 | January 1, 2008[31] ISBN 978-1-4215-1470-3 | |
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| Annette argues with Sven, telling him Train knows Eve better than he does. Train tells Eve about Dr. Tearju, and she insists on meeting her in order to develop her strength. Kyoko is summoned by Sephiria but refuses to become an assassin for Chronos. While Train, Sven, and Eve find Tearju, and she tells Train how to turn back into his old self, but he can't concentrate enough to picture his adult form. While he continues to try, Tearju tells Eve that she is a clone of her just before the Apostles of the Stars lead by Echidna attack. Tearju refuses to join them, but a monkey with Tao power, Eathes, copies her, including her memories and skills. When Echidna tries to kill Tearju, Sven and Eve protect her. Train, now back to normal, joins the fight using a rail gun and together they beat Echidna's forces. In the aftermath, Tearju explains the Apostles believe the Ultimate Nanomachine will grant them immortality and let Creed rule the world as "God." Train, Sven, and Eve decide to stop him. | ||||
| 13 | Dear Friend | May 6, 2003[32] ISBN 978-4-08-873421-7 | March 4, 2008[33] ISBN 978-1-4215-1604-2 | |
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| Train tells Eve and Sven about his grudge against Creed about Saya: After Train meets Saya, he starts to disobey Chronos orders and is enclosed and Hades, his gun, is removed. Creed kill Saya and disappear. Then Train left Chronos after Hades was returned. Sven left the team to improve his foreseeing eye. meanwhile Eve and Train go to a Sweeper's cafe looking for Creed's whereabouts. River, an apparent sweeper, challenges Train to a duel against his fists, if Trains wins he will gain info about Creed. | ||||
| 14 | Recruiting Allies! | August 9, 2003[34] ISBN 978-4-08-873494-1 | May 6, 2008[35] ISBN 978-1-4215-1605-9 | |
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| Train agrees to a fight with another sweeper (River) with the promise of a reward of learning the whereabouts of Creed if he wins. After doing so, he is given a video game. When he wins all the levels, he is told where to meet with all the other Sweepers who wish to learn of Creed's whereabouts. After that, all the Sweepers leave on a boat, going to Creed's island. During the last two chapters, Shiki arrives to kill two of the Sweepers, and blowing up the boat. However, the rest of the Sweepers survive to swim to Creed's island, but are separated along the way. | ||||
| 15 | Eve in Battle | October 8, 2003[36] ISBN 978-4-08-873517-7 | July 1, 2008[37] ISBN 978-1-4215-1606-6 | |
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| Trains find River, but they are challenged by Maro and Preta Ghoul. Train defeats Maro with a sedative bullet in his leg and River defeats Preta Ghoul with a mach fist. In other part of the island, Eve is challenged by Leon, but his wind abilities can not stand Eve's. And Finally, Sven is about to confront some Tao user with freeze abilities. | ||||
| 16 | The Truth of "Tao" | December 9, 2003[38] ISBN 978-4-08-873535-1 | September 2, 2008[39] | |
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| Sven's eye have improved and allow him to defeat Deek Slasky, the ice manipulator. Meanwhile Train and River reach Creed's mansion, but Shiki is waiting for them. Shiki summons a powerful insect, Setsuki, that is firstly defeated with two Railguns attacks and River's help. Setsuki is resurrected but it becomes slower, River battles it while Train confronts with Shiki. It is revealed that 25 years ago, there was a war between Chronos and the main sect of the tao, Shiki survived the war. Finally Train wastes his last railgun attack on purpose. | ||||
| 17 | Go After Them! | April 9, 2004[40] ISBN 978-4-08-873574-0 | November 4, 2008[41] | |
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| Train defeats Shiki with a melee attack using his gun. Then he, River, Eve and Kevin success entering Creed's mansion. Inside, on an upper floor they find the others sweepers of the league, but they were injected with nano-machines making they go on rampage against Train and company. The fellow sweepers are saved by Eve's nano-machines injection. Kevin and River who were injured are left in care of the other sweepers. Train and Eve go to the next floor. | ||||
| 18 | Light of Guidance | May 9, 2004[42] ISBN 978-4-08-873596-2 | January 6, 2009[43] ISBN 978-1-4215-1609-7 | |
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| Train and Eve are trapped in the Doctor's warp world where everything he imagines becomes reality with his Tao powers. The Doctor captures Eve and tries to dissect her but Trains appears and defeats the doctor. Sven join Train and Eve, while advancing they find Eites, the copy monkey but it is not match for Train. The chronos numbers make their move in the mansion and Creed is challenged by Sephira. | ||||
| 19 | As a Bounty Hunter | August 9, 2004[44] ISBN 978-4-08-873640-2 | March 3, 2009[45] ISBN 978-1-4215-2378-1 | |
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| Sephira aims Creed's vital points but Creed now have regenerative abilities making him immmortal. After a long battle, Sephira is defeated, meanwhile Train and company, including Eites and the chronos numbers are challenged by nano-machine soldiers in command of Echidna, known as the phantom star brigade. Train is allowed to pass in order to settle things with Creed. After Train defeats Creed's phantom blade level one and level two, Creed ends the volume activating his phantom blade level 3. | ||||
| 20 | A Carefree Tomorrow | October 9, 2004[4] ISBN 978-4-08-873662-4 | May 5, 2009[7] ISBN 978-1-4215-2379-8 | |
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| The Chronos numbers defeat easily the nano-machine soldiers, also Eve and Sven are able to defeat their enemies. Train use his burst bullet combined with his railgun to break the phantom blade. Because the phatom blade is connected to Creed's mind, Creed's mind also breaks and even with his regenerative abilities his mind and body have become separated, he will not be able to move his body again. Eve uses her powers to destroy Creed's nano-machines making him mortal again. In the epilogue, eight months after Clarken Island's event, Eve, Train, and Sven stop a group of escaping thieves, though Eve still hasn't gotten her sweeper license. The surviving Apostles of the Stars are shown living on, in better lives than before. | ||||
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "Kentaro Yabuki". Viz Media. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
- ↑ "2004年VOL.29". Shueisha. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Black Cat 1" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Black Cat 20" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "New Viz Manga". Anime News Network. July 18, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Black Cat, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Black Cat, Vol. 20". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Viz Media & Madman Entertainment Join Forces". Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- ↑ "Black Cat Anime". Anime News Network. May 10, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 2" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 3" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 3". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 4" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 4". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 5" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 5". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 6" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 6". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 7" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 7". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 8" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 8". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 9" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 9". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 10" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 10". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 11" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 11". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 12" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 12". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 13" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 13". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 14" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 14". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 15" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 15". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 16" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 16". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 17" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 17". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 18" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 18". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat 19" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
- ↑ "Black Cat, Vol. 19". Viz Media. Retrieved October 10, 2009.