Space Usagi [Paperback]

Stan Sakai (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 1998 | Series: Usagi Yojimbo

Unimaginable future technology alongside an ancient samurai code. A universe populated with bizarre lifeforms divided into warring clans. Space Usagi is the descendent of the 17th-century samurai, Miyamoto Usagi, and is the hero of his clan. Space Usagi collects all three miniseries previously published by Dark Horse and Mirage. Death and Honor tells of the fall of the Shiroshi star sytem, White Star Rising chronicles a band of samurai as they attempt to retake their system, and Warrior has Usagi on the trail of the abductor of his lord. Also featured are two short stories, including an encounter with the original Usagi Yojimbo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse; 1 edition (December 2, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569712905
• ISBN-13: 978-1569712900
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #488,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent collection of Stan Sakai's work, December 20, 1999

By 

Emil Petrinic (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Space Usagi (Paperback)

Even if you're not a fan of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yoyimbo, you can't go wrong with this excellent collection of his "Space Usagi" issues. Stan hasn't won the Eisner award for nothing, and once again he displays his talent for story and characters. If you are already familiar with his work, you will enjoy it even more. In today's comic book (or graphic novel, if you really insist) market, where there are so many new issues with nothing beyond some occasional good color illustrations, it's very refreshing to see how entertaining a story illustrated in black-and-white can still be when proper respect is given to the characters and the audience. Enjoy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for fans and those new to the rabbit bodyguard., May 19, 2010

By 

romevi (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Space Usagi (Paperback)

I read this after reading through all of Usagi thus far (as of May 2010, with the exception of Yokai). Seeing as Space Usagi spans years of Sakai's work (he was, after all, busy with the main series), it was interesting to see his earlier work mixed with the later, current depictions of Usagi. Nevertheless, the whole plot seems drawn out from the very beginning because it flows naturally without trepidation, despite the differences in art style.

At first, I wasn't very much impressed with this, sub-series, mostly because it felt like Stan's imagination of space didn't break the confines of '80s sci-fi cliches. I could see allusions to Star Wars, and the occasional space, anatomically-incorrect-by-Earth's-standards dinosaur was thrown in for fun. Don't get me wrong; I'm a huge Star Wars junkie, but I wish Sakai could've been more original. Also, since he worked closely with Eastman and Laird at the time for promotional issues, I saw similarities in the ideas of futuristic technology from Dimension X and Fugitoid comics.

The naming was unimaginatively taken from Usagi Yojimbo, as Space Usagi's protagonist is also named Miyamoto Usagi--even though he's an ancestor of the original one.

These are all trifles, mind you, but still things I felt I should bring to light.

Anyway. The entirety of it nonetheless proved to be very entertaining, and it was duly interesting to see Usagi taken into space. Although a lot of the ideas of space were not original, there was a lot that WAS original. The idea of how they build spaceships: nice; the whole plot: well-executed; the twist: unforeseeable.

Stan Sakai proves, in the end, that he has a great idea in mind, and, though there are few hiccups along the way, he proves his creativity in the end.

4.0 out of 5 stars Usagi in Space!, June 21, 2011

By 

wschmidt.attorney - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Space Usagi (Paperback)

Stan Sakai takes the rabbit samurai, Usagi Yojimbo, and tells stories of his descendant in a science fiction setting. The tales of samurai honor are told in a way where the violence does not focus on bloodshed, but could be enjoyed by grade schoolers through adults. Usagi tales are well-told and often provide insight into Japanese traditions. Always recommended.