Usagi Yojimbo

[Danny Rand's Other Fist]

Right, so I got the first seven Yojimbo collected (Fantagraphics) books and I'm about halfway through the second of them. Essentially, I love it already. Simple but incredibly effective story-telling in terms of art, lighthearted on the surface but with plenty beneath as you go along.

So yeah, I'm in!

[Angilasman]

Issue #153 came out last week, and it's a rare supernatural yokai tale that doesn't feature Sasuke!

... naturally excluding the ones that were published before the Sasuke character was introduced.

[Vermis]

I'm backtracking a little, but...

Yeah, Dark Horse's "Usagi Yojimbo Saga" omnibuses (which collect 3 trades each) are becoming the standard reprints for the older material and they're letting the old volumes fall out of print. If you really want 20 - 24 you'll have to buy they from third party sellers, but if you don't care about your collection changing formats, Usagi Yojimbo Saga vol. 5 comes out this December and collects 20, 21, & 22. Saga vol 6 comes out in May and collects 23, 24, & 25.

The original format paperback volumes will still be released to collect the newest material.

How do people find these omnibus volumes? I'm thinking of continuing and replacing my older TPB collection with them, but I've got one minor niggling thought that a paperback that thick might not open and lay flat so easily. I'd guess the larger page size mitigates that and I'm worrying over nothing (and the idea of 600+ pages of UY mostly makes me drool a little) but I thought I'd pick the brains of people who might have them already.

[Angilasman]

The Saga editions should be avaliable everywhere: online shops like amazon, and I see them stocked in my local comic shop and Barnes and Noble.

[Mormegil]

I'm backtracking a little, but...



How do people find these omnibus volumes? I'm thinking of continuing and replacing my older TPB collection with them, but I've got one minor niggling thought that a paperback that thick might not open and lay flat so easily. I'd guess the larger page size mitigates that and I'm worrying over nothing (and the idea of 600+ pages of UY mostly makes me drool a little) but I thought I'd pick the brains of people who might have them already.

I read the first two Saga volumes and they held up good, no creasing on the spine. Once i got about halfway through i each book i would lay it flat on the table and read it that way, it seemed to work just fine. Even if they didn't hold up over time, its hard to beat the price. If you get them right as they are released you can get each one for about $17.50 on Amazon. That's almost the price of the smaller digest sized books.

My one complaint would be that they are hard to read in bed, or sitting in a reclining chair. The only comfortable way i could read them is setting the book on a table.

[Angilasman]

Some sort of promo material leaked showing a samurai-themed toyline for the new TMNT show... featuring Usagi! - and Jei! I suppose the turtles will be visiting Usagi's world in the new cartoon.

[Gryphon]

Some sort of promo material leaked showing a samurai-themed toyline for the new TMNT show... featuring Usagi! - and Jei! I suppose the turtles will be visiting Usagi's world in the new cartoon.

F*Ck Yeah!

[Angilasman]

Seems we're in for a period of Usagi palling around with Inspector Ishida.

They had an adventure together in the 3-part story of issues #155 - #157, but it seems the next two issues (#158 and #159) are Usagi solo stories - but the cover for #160 shows that Ishida is back, and Stan showed a rough of his cover for #163 on twitter, featuring Usagi, Ishida, and Kitsune!

[FlictsLantern]

Just got Brink of Life and Death, my first Usagi in a long time - they don't publish the Rabbit Bodyguard regularly in Brazil. The quality of the stories remain amazing, and the research done for some tales (like the kaisô colectors) is superb.

[Angilasman]

Stan Sakai has taken another hiatus from Usagi... albeit a really short one this time: only three months or so. The project he's working on is shrouded in mystery, apparently it's a licensed property and the announcement is forthcoming.

[Angilasman]

... and it's a 40 page Usagi/TMNT team-up comic written and drawn by Stan coming out this July!

It seems to coincide with the fact Usagi will appear in a story arc of the TMNT series on Nick and will, naturally, turn up in their toyline.

[AJpyro]

Sweet. Imma buy it.

[Mormegil]

This is great news. I keep trying to convince myself to wait for the trades for tmnt, but with announcements like this I can't help it. I'm going to go to my FLCS and try to pick up the back issues for the main line and universe.

I was going to do another Usagi reread this year but i think i should do an IDW tmnt one instead.

[Angilasman]

Main Usagi series returns in September with issue 161, and 162 comes out in October.

[matt levin]

I'm concerned abhout thre cover price on Usagi and Turtles-- seems really pricey.