Grasscutter (Usagi Yojimbo, Book 12) [Paperback]

Stan Sakai (Author), Will Eisner (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1999 | Series: Usagi Yojimbo (Book 12)

Forged in heaven, it is called Kusanagi, the Grasscutter--the lost sword of the Gods. This legendary blade could potentially tip the scales of power for the shadowy Conspiracy of Eight in their quest to overthrow the Shogunate and reinstate the Emperor. With the help of a witch and the souls of dead warriors, they plan to recover the lost sword and bring the Shogun down. But when the fates place the Grasscutter in the hands of masterless samurai Usagi Yojimbo, the ronin rabbit becomes the focus of a deadly struggle for possession of the dread blade. And this crisis pales beside the dark possibilities should the sword come to the demonic warrior, Jei! Grasscutter collects Dark Horse Usagi Yojimbo issues 13-22, Stan Sakai's longest and most ambitious Usagi tale to date: a sweeping epic showcasing one of comics' most individual artistic voices at the peak of his creative skills.

Product Details

• Paperback: 246 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse; 1st Fantagraphics Books Ed edition (August 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569714134
• ISBN-13: 978-1569714133
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Usagi Yojimbo at his best, February 7, 2005

By 

Kara Ortiez (Hamilton, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grasscutter (Usagi Yojimbo, Book 12) (Paperback)

I only just recently discovered the adventures of Usagi Yojimbo, and being a swashbuckler/samurai fan I started thumbing through issue number one at my local library. It looked interesting enough to pick up. The first couple of books were fun, you can see where artist Stan Sakai borrowed from Japanese mythology and other sources, and look a few homages to some of Kurosawa's greatest films. Light entertainment. And then I picked up Grasscutter. What a story!!! Starting of with the legend of the sacred sword Grasscutter, Sakai spins an amazing quest saga. All the elements are there, love, betrayal, friendship, loyalty, honor, magic, monsters, plots, ninjas .... A fast moving tale with surprises on almost every other page. To add even more depth to the story, Sakai cleverly weaves in characters and plot points from past adventures. You don't need to read previous Usagi Yojimbo novels to enjoy this tale, but trust me, it's well worth it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stan Sakai best work by far, January 1, 2003

By 

"jrpirman" (AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grasscutter (Usagi Yojimbo, Book 12) (Paperback)

Stan Sakai's long running series hits an all time high with this ambitious story mixing history, mythology, and his own unique universe of anthropomorphic characters.

The book begins delving in Japan's mythological past to tell story of the origin of "Grasscutter," one of the three sacred treasures given to the Emperor of Japan, and how it was lost in a battle that decided the fate of who should rule the nation. This trade paperback contains copious notes on Japanese history and mythology so it is much more than just reading a comic book.

This story includes other storylines that have appeared as loose threads in previous books and they all tie neatly together in a well thought out epic confrontation, including a climatic showdown between Usagi and long time nemisis, the demonic Jei.

I would recommend this series to more than just fans of comic books and graphic novels. It's just an excellent story. Period.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grasscutter Usagi volume 12, August 25, 2001

By 

[e-mail] (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grasscutter (Usagi Yojimbo, Book 12) (Paperback)

Stan Sakai gives us a glimpse of the mythos of the creation of Japan. A sword - Murakumo-nu-tsurugi - from this legend resurfaces in the age of Usagi Yojimbo. The sword was once in the possession of the Emperor but vanished beneath the ocean. Desperate samurai seek to reclaim the sword as Usagi stumbles upon it. Usagi slowly realizes the potential danger of this sword and wishes that he had never found it. When the sword is taken away from him he charges after it realizing that the sword could cause civil war in his beloved Japan. In this book Usagi again meets the bountyhunter Gen, the mad samurai Jei, priest Shobo and the lightning fast samurai-ko - Inazuma. Outstanding artistry from Sakai and awesome swordplay from Miyamoto Usagi. In the end of this book Stan Sakai writes about the myths that inspire him to write these stories and explain these myths. Really interesting if you want to know more about japanese mythology.