One of the first non-Big 2 superhero comics I encountered was “Usagi Yojimbo.” I, like many fans of a certain age, came into contact with the property through the crossover issues with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and those Mirage issues were the first comics I ever owned that, even then, I thought might be worth something one day.
Now, I don’t have those comics anymore – they have been long since traded away, or sold, or lost in one of my countless moves, but the value derived from those comics was legitimate. And I’m not talking about the monetary gains I may (or may not) have accrued from those books. I’m talking more about what those comics did to my understanding of what comics could – and should be.
But it wasn’t until relatively recently that I went back and read both those early issues and keep digging through more and more of Stan Sakai’s iconic work. Why did I wait so long? I honestly don’t know. But the best part about digging in again is simple: this is the definition of a timeless work of art.
Written and Illustrated by Stan Sakai
Celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Stan Sakai’s beloved rabbit ronin, Dark Horse proudly presents Miyamoto Usagi’s epic trek along the warrior’s path in a new series of deluxe compilations, beginning with over 600 pages of Usagi’s essential adventures. Collects Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 2#1–#16 and Vol. 3#1–#6!
* Stan Sakai’s series gets the deluxe treatment from Dark Horse!
* Over 600 pages of samurai action and adventure!
* Full-color cover gallery!
* Usagi Yojimbo has won multiple awards and been published all over the world!
For those that are unfamiliar with Sakai’s classic work, the two word phrase in the above solicit is as good a place to start as any: rabbit ronin. Miyamoto Usagi is a rabbit samurai. That is essentially all you need to know going into the book, aside from the fact that Sakai is a one-man show – he writes, draws, even letters the book. This is a labor of love, and one that has been ongoing – although with many breaks – for thirty two years.
Because of the size of the run, and the fact that all the stories are not available from just one publisher, it can be intimidating to jump right in. The volume that is solicited above is the first collected by Dark Horse, and picks up with the second volume of the ongoing series. Admittedly, this is not the ideal place to show up as a first time reader.
That isn’t to say that this is impenetrable – just knowing that he’s an anthropomorphized rabbit who is also a samurai is enough to get you going. But the first stories in this volume are crossovers with the aforementioned TMNT, and not even their first meeting. A few times, editor’s notes are directing you to stories that, presumably, you may not know exist, as you are holding a book that says “Volume 1” on it.
But once you get past that, the series unfolds in a really satisfying way over the course of this volume. In a way, having the Turtles show up is a perfect introduction, as it is pretty hard to be a comics over the age of 10 and not have some familiarity with Eastman and Laird’s creations, even if these black and white, less cartoony versions aren’t the version that you’re most familiar with.
Plus, the Turtles make a lot of sense in this universe of animals using weapons and whatnot.
Once you get past the Turtles issues, however, the series really begins to pick up. I’ve written and re-written this part of the piece about a dozen times now, debating whether or not to go into the specifics of the stories found within. On one hand, there are a lot of amazing moments that might get a reader to pick up the book. But the more I read, the more I realized that if you’ve made it this far into the review, and you’re not on board with the idea, no plot points are exactly going to sell you.
Continued belowBut I do want to talk a little bit about the types of stories found here. These border on the superheroic, but have a healthy dose of Japanese history sprinkled in, but they feel totally different from your average comic of swords and battles. There is a manga influence, but these don’t really feel like manga either, although there is absolutely some connective tissue there. There’s a healthy dose of Kurisawa films felt here, too, as suggested by the “Yojimbo” part of the title, and that might be the closest influence, but it isn’t exactly that either.
These stories feel both lived in and fresh; they are exciting and familiar. I can’t think of a single review I’ve done where I’ve talked less about the actual machinations of a story, but with every “Usagi” comic I’ve ever read, the things I’ve taken away aren’t story points. I sit with images of the iconic artwork, which looks like no one else; a bastard child of Carl Banks and The Seven Samurai. I could spend hours trying to describe a page of Sakai’s work and still feel like I’m only scratching the surface. His artwork is incredibly detailed in the important areas – facial expressions, tone setting – and almost comically simple in others. His work seems both effortless and worked over; he is a true master of comics.
What I also take away from these stories is the word I used above – timelessness. I recently went back and read a bunch of mid-80’s Marvel and DC. When those comics are good, it is easy to ignore the hairstyles and fashion that date it. But no matter how good they are, they are tied to a place and a time that is inescapable, and I love that. I love that those stories age and grow with us, and we might wince a bit looking at them the way we wince when looking at our old yearbook photos.
But “Usagi Yojimbo,” in part because of its feudal setting, in part due to its animal lead, and in part due to Sakai’s art style, occupies no real time. I can read a story from 1984 and a story from 2014 and see no real difference, aside from the ways that Sakai’s artwork has grown and adapted, and how the story has progressed. But there isn’t the same weight of real life trends weighing down these stories and, because of that, they feel far more iconic and of a time than most other books of the past 30 years.
I can understand why people, perhaps, haven’t dug too deep into “Usagi Yojimbo” before. And I want to tell you that you should (and you should), and that you shouldn’t wait any longer (you shouldn’t), and that you can attempt to catch up over the next few years and get current to enjoy the book while Sakai is still making it. And I’ll do all of that; but the truth is a little more complicated. This is a book that will last forever – and not in the way most other comics do. “The Death and Return of Superman” will live forever because DC will reference it – outright and subtly – for the rest of their existence, but that’s not what I mean here. One day, my grandkids will be able to enjoy the entirety of this series and will get no less or more pleasure than I did out of it, because they don’t need any cultural tethers to ground it. I might need to explain to my daughter when we watch Superman what a phone booth is; that won’t be a problem for folks read “Usagi Yojimbo.”
And so, yes, you should be catching up and enjoying this. And yes, you should take the opportunity to, in real time, enjoy one of the finest artists of our generation. But even if you don’t, this will still there, waiting for you to enjoy it. And that is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
