Usagi Yojimbo

[Gryphon]

Just a thread for discussing the awesomeness of Stan Sakai's comic about the rabbit ronin.

usagi-yojimbo-print.jpg


The comics about the Ronin Miyamoto Usagi and his travels trhoguhout Edo period Japan has struck a chord with readers all over the world

Here is a link to Stan Sakai's facebook page

A Link to the art being auctioned off as a fundraiser for Stan's family

The Usagi Yojimbo Dojo ( one of the best Usagi Fansites out there)

Usagi Yojimbo Book 1: Ronin

Usagi Yojimbo Saga Vol.1

Usagi Yojimbo Reader reviews

A video of the Usagi Yojimbo Video game


What's YOUR favourite Usagi story? I'm partial to Grasscutter for its information on feudal Japan

Do you have a favourite character? My favourite Character is Jei simply because everything we learn about him just gives more questions.

[AngusH]

Never read a single issue, but I've always been curious. What's the best starting point, Volume 1?

[Deathstroke]

I can't really think of which individual story is my favorite, but I do now that Usagi Yojimbo is indeed one of my favorite titles bar none.

[Gryphon]

Never read a single issue, but I've always been curious. What's the best starting point, Volume 1?

Volume 2 is consistently regarded as a good starting point

[Angilasman]

Never read a single issue, but I've always been curious. What's the best starting point, Volume 1?

The first volume consists of short stories where Sakai was getting a feel for the characters. The second was when he really got serious about making a series. That's probably the best place to start, but really, no matter how much continuity Stan Sakai establishes he always keeps it pretty accessible. You could conceivably start with any number of things. As long as it's not a direct sequel to a previous story (like Grascutter II or Duel at Kitanoji) you're safe.

[dupont2005]

I agree that you could start with the most current volume and not be lost. There is continuity, but it's linear and confined to just this title (and a few short stories that pre-date the title), not an entire universe of events. I missed about 80 issues and still keep up.

But at the same time, I'm the type that likes to start from the beginning. If I remember correctly there are some character introductions in volume one that could come in handy later when they are seen again. It's just a couple hundred pages, no point in skipping if you're not just going to start with the next issue. It's true that volume one is just a series of shorts while volume two is the start of the long stories.

[Spike-X]

I'm years behind on this (only have the first eighteen or so volumes). I really need to get stuck in and catch up.

Oh, yeah. Money. *sigh*

[clayholio]

My favorite Usagi book is probably "Fathers and Sons." I think it benefited from my having read Usagi over a number of years, but it would possibly stand on it's own. That volume is such a fantastic story down to the very last page.

I recently noticed that I had a stack of unread Usagi trades (once I switched from monthly to trades, there wasn't as much of pressure to keep up), so I tore through the last five trades in something like two weeks. That was a good two weeks!

Has anyone read the 47 Ronin story Stan Sakai drew? I'm only vaguely aware of the original story, but it's on my shortlist of books to pick up.

[DT Winslow]

I just finished reading the whole series about two weeks ago.

Wow. Just amazing, beautiful work. Stan Sakai is a master of the form. Rich characters, fantastic plots, detailed, yet simple line work.

Gah, just could gush all day. Grasscutter is my perhaps my favourite right now.

Anyone pick up Nilson Groundthumper? Read that too and thought it was great fun.

[Groo Odyssey]

Initially there were a couple of fun little stories where Leonardo would pop over into Usagi's dimension and they'd either butt heads or team-up. It wasn't clear if these were supposed to be in continuity, they were just goofy little extras. Later, those stories were made canon when Stan took a serious stab at an Usagi/TMNT crossover in a story that spanned three issues of Usagi (the first 3 issues of Usagi vol. 2).



Fantagraphics is pretty good at reprinting the first 7 volumes (which are the only ones they publish) after they go out of print for too long. Dark Horse, who publishes every other volume, have plans to collect the individual volumes into big hardcovers.

Where have you heard that dark horse is reprinting the individual volumes into hardcovers? I can't find news of this anywhere.

[Angilasman]

^Nothing official, but Stan's mentioned it a couple of times in the last... two years or so?

[dupont2005]

^Nothing official, but Stan's mentioned it a couple of times in the last... two years or so?

I thought I heard that DH was planning a slipcase set similar to the one from Fantagraphics as well.

[Groo Odyssey]

oh god yes please. Darkhorse's hardcover editions are terrific. I wish they get their act together and do ones for Usagi and the Goon please!

[Groo Odyssey]

^Nothing official, but Stan's mentioned it a couple of times in the last... two years or so?

I hope so, there's a lot of usagi stuff coming out this summer which I'm getting. I'm new to usagi but I do like to read from the beginning but a lot of the volumes are out of print and I hate to have holes in my collection. A giant omnibus hardcover would be great.

[AJpyro]

To anyone who has bought the Big Usagi Fanrahrpahics book, is there anything there that wasn't collected in the smaller trades?