Hello and welcome to what will probably be an irregular (but definitely recurring) feature here at Fourth Rail, Backtracking. With any luck, it will be monthly, but that all depends on what kind of time I have to write them. I'll be using these columns to spotlight a particular series or creator and examine it in a larger chunk than our usual weekly reviews. A series of trades, a complete run of a series, highlights from a creator's body of work, that kind of thing. First up, what I like to call "The Rabbit Ronin Report," or a focus on Usagi Yojimbo.
Usagi Yojimbo has been around for 20 years, but I've only been reading for about one and a half, so I resolved at some point to go back and pick up the early trades. No small task, given that the series is currently up to 18 volumes, plus the spinoff Space Usagi, which I reviewed HERE just a little while back. At any rate, with the Art of Usagi Yojimbo and the 20th anniversary of the character coming up, now seemed like a good time to throw a little spotlight on the character. Thanks to Michael Ring at Dark Horse hooking me up with the collection of Dark Horse's trades, I am now only six volumes short of having the whole collection, and I'll be using this column to review roughly half of Dark Horse's Usagi offerings, and the next column to review the other half. I hope to review the Fantagraphics volumes at some point in the future, but I currently only have volume one, so that will have to wait.
For those completely new to Usagi Yojimbo, I'll start with an overview of the book. Basically, Usagi Yojimbo is the story of a wandering samurai who has lost his master, a ronin who has immense, perhaps legendary, skills and a heart that is as pure as any superhero. Sakai based his character, whose name is Miyamoto Usagi, on Miyamoto Musashi, legendary swordsman and swordmaker and subject of many films and comics in Japan. It is clear in the pages of Usagi that Sakai has a fondness for and extensive knowledge of Japanese culture in the feudal era, and his stories often revolve around the strange but compelling Bushido (code of honor) that samurai tried to live by and the social structure of that tumultuous era of Japan's history. His stories are saturated with the feeling of Eastern philosophy, mixing an appreciation for art and culture with a harsh, perhaps even brutal, approach to warfare, both on the battlefield and within the social classes.
Oh, and Usagi is a rabbit. This seems a curious choice, to introduce anthropomorphism into the book which is otherwise a very serious and realistic look at a historical culture, but it works. This is in no small part thanks to Sakai's beautiful draftsmanship, and because he uses the animal forms to indicate a certain basic personality archetype, which serves as a pretty nifty (although unobtrusive) visual shortcut. It's interesting, in this context, to note that Usagi is a rabbit, usually thought of as gentle or even timid, but despite Usagi's ferocity in battle, that characterization does fit his personality most of the time, as he is a gentle soul, and it is clear that his appearance often causes his opponents to underestimate him, sometimes even when his legend has preceded him. In addition, though the story is clearly based around Japanese culture, making the characters anthropomorphic gives immediate notice that this isn't a strict historical interpretation, and allows Sakai more flexibility in the way he creates his world.
The structure of Usagi Yojimbo is also flexible, sometimes focusing on multi-issue arcs but more often being told in self-contained single issue stories. And though Sakai has built up a fairly extensive cast of characters that rotate in and out of Usagi's life, and has plenty of recurring elements (like the Neko Ninja clan, or the Tokage lizards), the book remains remarkably accessible. At this point, I'm still missing most of the first third of Usagi stories, but I had no trouble jumping into the book late in the game. Jumping in at chapter one is certainly a valid choice, but so is looking through the description of graphic novels and choosing whatever sounds best and jumping on there. Either way, I would definitely recommend giving Usagi a chance, as it's a fantastic comic, and clearly it has been for a very long time. Now, without further ado, on to the examination of the graphic novels individually:
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 8: Shades of Death - This collects issues one through six and some stories from seven and eight of the Mirage Publishing series of Usagi Yojimbo, which was (I believe) the second home for the character. William Stout, in his interesting introduction, mentions that the book was originally in color at that point, and I found that concept hard to wrap my head around, since I have only seen Usagi in black and white. Certainly the work here does not suffer at all from the black and white printing.
Stout's introduction is the start of an interesting trend in the Dark Horse volumes, which is to feature introductions from a variety of industry luminaries. In addition to providing some context about the original publishing of these issues, Stout provides some interesting insight into Usagi and into the artistic process of Stan Sakai, all the while providing glowing (but not over-the-top) praise for the work within, and a few amusing bon mots of his own. His high concept line to sell the book to a studio, in particular, is a hoot.
The stories in this volume surprised me, because they are very much the same kind of thing I've come to expect from modern-day Usagi in tone and approach, and yet they feature elements that mark them as part of their original time. Foremost among those elements is the inclusion of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the first story, the 60-page "Shades of Green." Usagi and bounty hunter Gen (think of him as the Han Solo of the Usagi series) encounter the Neko ninja clan on a mountain pass and after a beautiful action sequence and a "Butch and Sundance" style escape, find themselves in a village helping a mysterious old rat protect the village from the incursion of the ninjas. To help them, he uses magic to summon the aforementioned turtles, saying that "to fight ninja, you must get ninja!" At first, I was groaning a bit at this development, but I had forgotten that despite their assimilation into kiddie-toon culture, the Turtles started out as cool, even violent, indie characters, and Sakai reminds me of that. In his hands, these guys aren't pizza-eating, wisecrack-spouting teenagers, but skilled and stealthy warriors, and they make an interesting set of allies for Usagi.
There is one other large story in this volume, the 56-page tale "Shi" which pits Usagi against a band of deadly assassins. In this story, as in "Shades of Green," Usagi finds himself defending a village from villains, but in this case the village is under attack by their own corrupt government officials, highlighting another recurring element of Usagi, the corruption of the higher social strata. Usagi proves to be more than a match for the thugs that the villains can muster, and so they hire a band of professional assassins calling themselves "Shi" to defeat him. The resulting battle, where Usagi faces off with four villains each using different weapons during a rainstorm, is an energetic and brutal fight sequence that seems to pay homage to Frank Miller's Sin City, published around the same time, on some pages. In amidst this battle, which is the action highlight of Shades of Death for me, we have an adoring and beautiful young woman and her jealous fiance, in a story that ultimately highlights how Usagi, for all his kindness, remains an outsider and wanderer for most of this polite society.
There are two 20-page stories which represent single issues and two 8-page stories (most likely backup stories, originally) that make up the rest of the trade. "Jizo" is an experiment in point-of-view, told entirely from the same perspective, that of a motionless object, and it serves to highlight an aspect of the culture as well as to show how Usagi can affect the lives of others without ever directly crossing their paths. "The Lizard's Tale" is a comedy story that finds Usagi "adopted" by a band of the ubiquitous Tokage lizards, and it's funny not just because we get to see Usagi's usual calm facade pushed to its limits by frustration but because the lizards themselves, and their "eep" sound effect, are just so endearing. In the end, of course, Sakai shows that the lizards are perhaps useful as well as being an annoyance, and shows them to be something good, which fits nicely in with the notion of co-existence with the natural world that is a big part of many Eastern philosophies.
The 8-page tales are both stories of young Usagi, before he was the warrior-philosopher that we see today. Though brief, each of them makes an important point, and each of them is highly enjoyable. Both of them focus on young Usagi as he overcomes the temptations of youth to show through the principles and moral fortitude that will help define him in the future, and both also feature the appearance of important characters to Usagi's future, that of his sensei and that of his eventual lord.
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 9: Daisho - This collects issues seven through fourteen of the Mirage Publishing series of Usagi Yojimbo, presumably also originally in color, although introduction writer James Robinson doesn't mention it as William Stout did previously. Instead, Robinson provides a bit of a history lesson, revealing that Usagi started in the Critters anthology, and acknowledging that yes, it's all too easy to mistake this for just another funny animal book, only to realize later that it is anything but. It's another introduction in the tradition of insightful and entertaining introductions to the trades.
Structurally, Daisho is quite different from Shades of Death in a couple of ways. For one thing, the stories are technically broken into more parts, and a reading of the contents page would give the impression that the tales are mostly 20-pagers this time around. However, while there are three mostly self-contained tales in this volume, the heart of the book is one big story that once again sees Usagi coming to the rescue of a village, only to lose something precious to him and have to go on a warrior's rampage to get it back. In the pages of this trade paperback, we see Usagi at his most human and vulnerable in the early days of a doomed romance or the quiet moment shared with a talented musician, as well as at his most fierce, as he unleashes all of his warrior's rage against someone who would steal from him.
Even the self-contained tales in this book make reference to what has gone before. "The Music of Heaven" features the element that drove "The Lizard's Tale" from the previous trade paperback, as well as a familiar face in the role of villain, even though the central story is about a musical instrument and the brief but important bond shared by two travelers on the road. "The Gambler, The Widow and The Ronin" is a tale of petty bullying and comeuppance, another common theme of Usagi Yojimbo, but it also makes reference to an encounter that Usagi had in Volume 6 and serves as a happy ending for a character related to that tale. And "Nature of the Viper" is about the nature of villainy, but it is also the ominous return of a villain who also made his appearance in Volume 6. None of these stories, save perhaps the last, suffer from this connection to past tales, and indeed it only helps to reinforce the feeling that we're watching Usagi's life in progress, and not just a series of disconnected tales.
The heart and soul of Daisho, however, lies in the story that pits Usagi against a slaver in a couple of different settings. Usagi's infiltration of the slaver gang running the slave town shows that he has guile as well as physical skill, and though he is once again put into the familiar role of traveling protector, Sakai always mixes the way he gets involved and the way he acts just enough to keep it interesting. In addition, the real hook here is not what happens as Usagi tries to save the village, but what happens afterward, when the villain escapes with his sword.
The resulting tale, also named "Daisho," shows Usagi at his most angry and dangerous. It also serves as a good way for Sakai to introduce another aspect of Japanese culture, the information on the ritual of swordmaking, that I found absolutely entrancing. Sakai is skilled at the visuals of this kind of thing, showing elements of the culture using the visual strengths of the comics medium, and though it would be a waste of his prodigious talents, Sakai would certainly be a master of a "how to" comic on any subject he was familiar with. This story also brings in Gen, who as I mentioned above is the "Han Solo" of this saga and one of my favorite characters, and the goofily-named (but certainly easy to take serious) character Stray Dog, another bounty hunter. The story then features conflicting loyalties, questions of betrayal, an amazing swordfight between Usagi and the villain and a nice, clever twist ending that reveals much more to Stray Dog than we had previously suspected.
There is one other tale in Daisho, and I left it for last because it is one of my favorite Usagi tales ever. Though Usagi is always portrayed as kind and heroic, his nature as an outsider often has the reader just outside of his true heart, and so I treasure the stories that let us see more about Usagi as a man (okay, a man-sized rabbit) instead of just as a warrior. "Runaways" is a tale of star-crossed romance, a classic theme that Sakai puts a uniquely feudal cultural twist on, and seeing the youthful exuberance of Usagi and the true joy in his relationship with a young woman is very enjoyable, as much as the ending is bittersweet and heart-breaking.
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 10: The Brink of Life and Death - This collects the last few issues of the Mirage Publishing series (#13, 15 and 16) and starts the Dark Horse run of Usagi Yojimbo with issues one through six. Introduction this time out is by Kurt Busiek, who modestly downplays his own credits to pay homage to Stan Sakai, writing one of those "I'm not worthy!" introductions that is quite a bit of fun, ranging from a reminiscence of hot air ballooning with Sakai and other creators to an analysis of what makes Sakai's work so special. It keeps up the tradition of excellent introductions for the Dark Horse trades that whet the appetite for the comics within.
While any volume of Usagi can serve as an introduction to the character without much problem, Volume 10 is a particularly good jumping-on point. It starts with a four-page tale done for the first Dark Horse issue to bring new readers up to speed, and in those four pages Sakai tells readers all they need to know and shows them why it would be worth their time to follow the book. The splash pages at the center of the tale feature Usagi and his allies facing off with a number of the opponents, and it's kind of like one of those Alex Ross "Easter Egg" pages in Kingdom Come or Marvels, but for Usagi fans. Great for older readers, and gives newer readers a look at almost everyone who has been important to the series so far.
That's not the only reason why I heartily recommend Volume 10 as a good jumping-on point, though. The stories in this volume cover a pretty wide variety of what Usagi Yojimbo is all about, from Japanese culture in "Kaiso" to tragedy in "Noodles" to politics and moral ambiguity in "Bats, The Cat and the Rabbit" and "The Chrysanthemum Pass" to elements of the supernatural in "The Wrath of the Tangled Skein." There are also origins for two of the supporting cast members in "The Bonze's Story" and "Lightning Strikes Twice," as well as the development of characters who will play a big part in the epic story Grasscutter, coming up in volume 12.
The stories in this volume commonly feature Usagi using his wits a great deal, perhaps even more than his sword. The way he picks up on the situation and tricks the villains in "Kaiso" shows him as a thinker as well as a warrior, even as his thinking often gets him into situations where his sword must get him out. He is also shown to be a very caring individual, especially by his connection with Kitsune and Noodles, in the "Noodles" story, which turns out to be one of the more tragic stories in the Usagi canon, and a reminder that Sakai doesn't always play to the western convention of happy endings, instead indulging a taste for tragedy from time to time that helps keep Usagi unpredictable.
While this is still Usagi's book, however, many of the tales in The Brink of Life and Death are actually focused on other characters. We learn a lot more about Sanshobo, the samurai-turned-priest, Inazuma, the deadly wandering samurai and Jei, the demonic entity with a mad on for Usagi and anyone else he deems "evil." In addition, while many of the stories that Sakai had done in the previous two volumes focused on Usagi helping defend a village, his role in these stories is more varied, and involves him helping out with poaching farmers, an exorcism, a corrupt law enforcement official and several bands of ninja.
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 11: Seasons - This collects issues seven through twelve of the Dark Horse run, plus the Usagi Yojimbo Color Special #4 (minus the color, of course). Introduction to this volume is by Lynn Johnston, the creator of the long-running For Better or For Worse comic strip. Johnston's introduction is a little light compared to those that have come before, but it does provide an interesting point-of-view from a comics outsider and accomplished comics strip artist that shows that Sakai has achieved respect beyond just those who commonly partake of the comics medium.
Seasons is a collection that features several self-contained tales, but which ultimately focuses on a tale of conspiracy that pits Usagi once more against ninja clans and the "dark lord" Hikiji, who was responsible for the death of Usagi's master. Sakai shows off his expertise in weaving one story into several different stories, so that the tales reinforce one another but they are never inaccessible as single-issue reads. "The Green Persimmon," the conclusion of this conspiracy tale, benefits from being read after "The Conspiracy of Eight," "The First Tenet" and "The Obakeneko of the Geishu Clan," but it makes perfect sense as a standalone as well. Indeed, some of those stories, particularly "Obakeneko," use the structure of the conspiracy story as only part of the tale, telling stories that take advantage of Usagi once again reuniting with some of his friends to put them into danger together.
Gen the bounty hunter returns in this issue, and I love what he brings out in Usagi. Gen is more laid back and less honor-bound than Usagi, and the friendship between the two tends to loosen Usagi up as well. Usagi's musings to himself on how to punish Gen for his "shortcuts" in the beginning of "A Promise in the Snow" is hilarious, and pays off with a great gag at the end of "Snakes and Blossoms" as well. This collection also reinforces the special relationship that Usagi tends to have with children, as his protective tendencies and more tender side tend to come to the fore when he's dealing with children, as we see in "A Promise in the Snow." That story, showing Usagi's heroic determination as well as serving up a nifty little twist ending, is one of my favorites in the Usagi run that I've read.
Seasons also shows off some of Sakai's long-term plotting skills. "The Patience of the Spider," "The Lord of the Owls" and "The Withered Field" all introduce characters whose stories won't pay off until later. "The Patience of the Spider" pays off in the very next volume, but "The Lord of the Owls" doesn't show up again until later, and the story set up in "The Withered Field" actually sees its final resolution in Volume 17, Duel at Kitanoji. Each of these tales is entertaining on its own, especially "The Patience of the Spider," but they are also setup for future stories, just like "The Crossing," which reminds us that Jei is still out there, building up that character for his big role in Volume 12, Grasscutter.
Usagi Volume 12: Grasscutter - This collects issues thirteen through twenty-two of the Dark Horse run, and includes an introduction by comics legend Will Eisner. Eisner's introduction is an interesting examination of Eisner's view of Japanese comics and manga, which is something of a tangent given that Usagi really can't be considered manga despite its focus on feudal Japan and Japanese-American creator, but Eisner brings it around to how his prejudices about manga colored his first exposure to Usagi Yojimbo, but the book eventually won him over.
It's appropriate that Dark Horse brought out the big gun for an introduction to this volume, because even before I had read any Usagi Yojimbo, I had heard of Grasscutter, Sakai's epic storyline involving a search for the blade of the gods. Grasscutter, in many ways, is everything great about Usagi Yojimbo: Political intrigue, Japanese culture, mysticism, action, great guest stars and moral dilemmas. It is also the first Dark Horse trade to contain extensive story notes by Stan Sakai, essentially annotations exploring the research that he did for this story.
However, while Grasscutter is impressive, it is actually one of my least favorite of the Usagi stories that I have read. It's still exceptional reading, but the focus on one long story seems to deprive the book of one of its greatest strengths, its approachability, and the extensive Japanese mythology which opens the book is dizzying in its detail. Sakai has accurately captured the nature of Japanese gods and mythology, which is intertwined with their history and their rulers, but that means that the focus in the early stories in on a thorough genealogy of gods and mortals, and it's borderline impenetrable, even with all the names and concepts translated as we go. At the same time, it is fascinating, and Sakai's art really shines on this exploration of the supernatural.
Once we get past the prologues, we're into the story proper, which finds a number of forces seeking Grasscutter, a legendary sword that could tilt the balance of political power in the country. Usagi once again teams with Gen the bounty hunter and Tomoe the samurai, finding allies in the young Lord Noriyuki, but at the same time, he can't fully trust any of them, as they would use the sword for their own benefit as well. In the meantime, the sword is pursued by the powerful, otherworldly evil Jei (who has been making his way through the last three trades), as well as the Conspiracy of Eight, established in the previous trade.
There are also turning points for the story of a couple of important supporting characters. Inazuma, the mysterious, deadly and morally ambiguous swordswoman, has a surprising change of status quo that will play out in future tales, but one of the most interesting characters in the story is Ikeda, the former samurai general turned farmer. His role in the story is uncertain... is he there as a complication, a hidden danger to Lord Noriyuki and by extension Usagi, or is this a tale of his redemption? I was quite pleased with the twists and turns and resolution of this story. I was also pleased by the other supporting characters who played such major roles in this story, from Gen to Tomoe to Sanshobo, showing off the rich cast that Sakai had developed for the book by this point.
Grasscutter is more serious and intense than most of the Usagi trades, which tend to have a few lighter tales and shorter stories to break up the more serious moments, and it feels like a deliberate change of style from Sakai. It's a tribute to his storytelling skills that he can do this longform story so well, even if I was anxious by the end to get back to his usual style of short tales interspersed with longer ones by the end.
It's also worth noting that Grasscutter is the first trade paperback to include extensive notes from Stan Sakai in the back, explaining the cultural significance or origins of much of the material. I greatly appreciate these notes in the letter columns of the current issue, and was pleased to see them show up in this trade. They continue to show up in the trades following as well.
That's it for this installment of Backtracking. I'll be back soon with the remaining six volumes of Dark Horse's Usagi Yojimbo, and hopefully I'll move on from there to some other series. I have several series in mind that I hope to cover, including Nocturnals, Queen & Country, Sin City and Suicide Squad, but I'm certainly open to suggestions for future installments of this column as well. Drop me a line and tell me what you think!
