Steven M. Bari's review of Usagi Yojimbo #110

[usagigoya]

It is always refreshing to read a review of Usagi Yojimbo written by someone experiencing the comic series for the first time. With twenty-four years of fairly consistent publication, most reviewers have run out of new ways to express how much they like each new issue of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, making it hard for them to write about it regularly.

Originally Posted by Matt Cohen

Usagi Yojimbo V.3 # 10: Despite how many decades this book has or will be published it will never get stale. It still is simply, one of the best comic series I have ever read. Its hard to differentiate each issue week to week in terms of level of quality, because in my opinion they are all the same degree of amazing art, courtesy of the genius that is Stan Sakai.
http://www.quickstopentertainment.co...he-con-of-man/

Originally Posted by Chris Sims

Usagi Yojimbo #110: I don’t usually talk about Usagi for the same reason that I skip over a lot of books: It’s so consistently good that I rarely have anything to say about it, and with over a hundred amazing issues and everything from an Eisner to a Parent’s Choice Award on Stan Sakai’s shelf, it’s not like that’s really news.
http://www.the-isb.com/?p=323

While I have yet to run across a bad review, there have been those occassions when the reviewer has picked up an issue which was just part of a multi-issue story and was left with questions concerning what preceeded or followed the issue which they just read, and surprisingly that still had not produced any bad reviews.

Steven Bari is one of the lucky reviewers who has managed to jump in on one of the self-contained stand-alone issues which showcases Stan Sakai's always excellent story crafting skills. And Steven has written a great review in response.


www.usagiyojimbo.com

Usagi Yojimbo, literally the “bunny bodyguard,” follows the adventures of Miyamoto Usagi, an anthropomorphic samurai in anthropomorphic feudal Japan. With a sword at his side, and his stingy, loud-mouthed friend Gen over his shoulder, Usagi ventures into the Kitsune Woods. Will Usagi and Gen make it through the forest or be tricked by the deceitful, nine-tailed foxes?

Issue #110 is a self-contained tale that examines the moral of generosity. The story begins with a magician’s act that astounds the audience. Usagi willingly contributes to the entertainer’s dish, but Gen does not, remarking, “I can’t afford to throw money away.” His selfish penny-pinching will inevitable come back to haunt, but very unexpectedly.

Sakai’s writing and narrative is amusing and well balanced. His characters dialogue reveals how well fleshed out and realistic they are, despite being a rhinoceros and rabbit. For example, after Usagi pays for both their entertainment and directions, the two are forced to split. As Usagi reassures his friend they will meet up later, Gen replies, “You’re just going to abandon me out here? Some friend you are!” Yet, Gen is also characterized as a capable swordsman and a true friend, rounding him out to more than just a moocher.

Similarly, the art is well balanced and fun. Sakai handles comedy, action, and even the expository scenes with energy and charm. As the magician completes her act, the audience contorts their faces in surprise, astonishment, and, in Gen’s case, bewilderment. The action scenes are lively and realistic, as you can actually follow the sword moves panel to panel. Sakai art isn’t overtly intricate as other artists because of his cartoony style, but closer inspection reveals his effort to detail and consistency.

Although this my first Usagi Yojimbo comic I ever read, I’ve known of the character from his cameos on Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles TV series back in the early '90s (which I imagine was a lot of people’s introduction to the rabbit ronin). That said the comic surpassed my expectations. I anticipated a cutesy cartoon with outlandish plots and soon-to-be action-figure characters.

Instead, Usagi Yojimbo is a samurai adventure akin to Samurai Executioner and Lone Wolf and Cub, geared for all ages. There isn’t bloody splattering violence or lewd sexual behavior, but the morality tale set around the noble bushido bunny is no less moving than its Japanese roots. The completeness of issue’s story follows the hallmark of the genre while letting new readers to pick it up easily. Usagi Yojimbo #110 is accessible and enjoyable without requiring knowledge of earlier issues or a degree in Japanese culture. Or anthropomorphic physiology.

[vark]

Quite the little cheerleader, eh, usagigoya?

I like but don't love Sakai's work. I'd recommend it on the nod but not bend over to endorse it. Unlike Mr. Bari, I discovered the Rabbit long ago, in Fantagraphics Critters series, and picked up the first handful of Yojimbo books. Clever as it might be, I'm just not that interested in the exploits of bunnies (at least not those kinds of bunnies; Josh Quagmire's bunnies are a whole other thing ).

The most important aspect of Lone Rabbit and Child for me was to make me seek out Lone Wolf and Cub, and for that I'll be eternally grateful to Mr. Sakai. And still tell people to try the bunny. Try the bunny!

[Thom Young]

Originally Posted by vark

Quite the little cheerleader, eh, usagigoya?

Yep, six of his seven posts are about Usagi Yojimbo. The seventh is about Groo, the Wanderer. I guess it's a sword thing.

I also discovered Usagi in a Fantagraphics book. It's the one and only Usagi story I've read. I recall liking it, but I generally haven't read comics about anthropomorphic animals since my days of reading Super Goof.

I gave Captain Carrot a try way back whenever it first appeared, but I didn't care for it.

I really like Destroyer Duck and Stewart the Rat, but that has more to do with Steve Gerber (and Jack Kirby and Gene Colan, respectively) than it has to do with anthropomorphic animals.

I'm sure I would have liked Howard the Duck if I had ever read the original comics back in the 1970s.

As far as bunnies go, there are only two that I care for:

Eh, what's up, doc?

[vark]

There's always Flaming Carrot

Destroyer Duck never did it for me, but I gobbled up Stewart the Rat, for Colan as much as Gerber, if not more.

I had a few original Howard comics and enjoyed them immensely; at the time I got 100% of my books from either the local pharmacy or variety store and neither of them received everything published - I even missed the odd issue of Avengers or Iron Man that way, among others. You know I missed the Starlin issues of the Avengers? They just never arrived. Feh!

One Howard story I vividly recall featured Le Castor! A crazed Quebecois with a beaver-themed exo-skeleten. I have no idea what exactly he planned to do with it, hundreds of miles from nowhere in the Quebec wilderness, or how Howard wound up in the middle of La Belle Province, but I do recall the climax having something to do with hanging on a rope bridge or something over a gorge. Bad news for Le Castor! and as good as news ever got for Howard. Beverly really turned my crank for some reason, and that was twenty years before I had my redhead epiphany.

Speaking of our friend Groo, I jumped that bandwagon when he first appeared, as a lifelong Aragones fan, but didn't stick with it. Too much of a good thing, really. And I was never a Conan fan; the closest I came to that were the reprints of early Cerebus (the four Swords books), which were, of course, utterly brilliant. "I think they'd heal if you stopped wearing that chainmail bikini." And so on.

[Thom Young]

Originally Posted by vark

the closest I came to that were the reprints of early Cerebus (the four Swords books), which were, of course, utterly brilliant. "I think they'd heal if you stopped wearing that chainmail bikini." And so on.

Oh wow! I forgot all about that aardvark. I thoroughly enjoyed Cerebus!

Though I still need to get about the last half to one-third of the canon.

[usagigoya]

Originally Posted by vark

Quite the little cheerleader, eh, usagigoya?

Actually, I do try to be an active promoter of Stan Sakai's series. Considering it is the only on-going comic series I read, why shouldn't I want to promote it?

Originally Posted by vark

The most important aspect of Lone Rabbit and Child for me was to make me seek out Lone Wolf and Cub, and for that I'll be eternally grateful to Mr. Sakai. And still tell people to try the bunny. Try the bunny!

Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami) was great, unfortunately it was written around 30 years ago now. The Dark Horse translation of Samurai Executioner (Kubikiri Asa) was also enjoyable, but it is also from the same publishing period. I have fallen behind on reading the Path of the Assassin (Hanzo no Mon) books which Dark Horse is currently translating.

Kazuo Koike and Hideki Mori have been producing a sequel to Lone Wolf and Cub titled Shin Kozure Okami with approximately 10 volumes out so far. Dark Horse is supposed to release a translated versions of it eventually.

[Thom Young]

Originally Posted by usagigoya

Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami) was great, unfortunately it was written around 30 years ago now.

That is unfortunate.

[Kelvin Green]

Originally Posted by Thom Young

Yep, six of his seven posts are about Usagi Yojimbo. The seventh is about Groo, the Wanderer. I guess it's a sword thing.

I think Stan Sakai letters Groo, so there's the connection.

Sakai is one of the best comics storytellers working today, but I've never been able to maintain interest in the Usagi characters for any extended length of time.

[Thom Young]

Originally Posted by Kelvin Green

I think Stan Sakai letters Groo, so there's the connection.

Ah!

Originally Posted by Kelvin Green

I've never been able to maintain interest in the Usagi characters for any extended length of time.

That is unfortunate.

[vark]

Originally Posted by Kelvin Green

Sakai is one of the best comics storytellers working today, but I've never been able to maintain interest in the Usagi characters for any extended length of time.

It's the bunnies. So many bunnies. Now if it were a nice hedgehog, or some form of marsupial (possibly a wombat, but I'm not married to the concept) those two-score and four years would've just whizzed by! As it is, every day seems to crawl into the next like time will never stop. When 1992 gets here I might feel different.