This seminal book collects the classic original Usagi stories chronicling a time of settling unrest and political intrigue, told through the story of a wandering and masterless samurai named Miyamoto Usagi, AKA Usagi Yojimbo!
With over fifty graphic novels in print, the samurai rabbit is more popular than ever! This is the seminal Usagi book collecting all the classic original Usagi stories from Albedo, Critters, Doomsday Squad, and the Usagi Yojimbo Summer Special. This is one of Fantagraphics' very best sellers, and is also where Usagi started—don't miss out! The setting is 17th century Japan, when the age of civil wars has barely ended and the Shogun has established power. The samurai is the ruling class throughout the land, following a warrior's code of honor known as Bushido. Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 1 chronicles this time of settling unrest and political intrigue, told through the story of a wandering and masterless samurai named Miyamoto Usagi, aka Usagi Yojimbo! One of the great classics of the last 20 years, perfect for all ages. Black-and-white comics throughout
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Miyamoto Usagi is no Bugs Bunny. He's a rabbit bodyguard, a samurai who wanders the mountains, plains, and villages of a 17th-century Japan populated almost exclusively by anthropomorphic animals. Cats, snakes, rhinos, and ninja moles plot and fight their way across a land ravaged by civil war. The 10 stories in this first collection introduce Usagi, the evil Lord Hikiji, and a host of other characters. The stories themselves can stand alone, but taken together they begin to form an ongoing saga of treachery and revenge. Sometimes violent, sometimes funny, Usagi's adventures are filled with fascinating historical detail. The costumes, landscapes, and buildings are beautifully drawn, creating such a sense of realism it's easy to forget the hero is a rabbit. If you buy the first book in this series, you'll want the rest.
Review
“One of the most original, innovative, well-executed comic books anywhere to be found.” (Stan Lee)
“Fans of comics set in historical Japan should definitely check this out. You'll be glad you did. I think it would also be a good fit for manga fans looking to try a non-Japanese comic. I enjoyed this book a lot, and look forward to reading more. –” (Panel Patter)
“While I enjoyed Sakai's artwork in the first volume, this second trade collection is even stronger. ... Usagi Yojimbo is a great addition to the canon of samurai stories, and is definitely highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of wandering ronin or just good storytelling.” (Rob McMonigal - Panel Patter)
“As a fan of samurai fiction (to the point of having a Seven Samurai tattoo) and comics, I can’t recommend Stan Sakai’s beautifully drawn, note-perfect reinvention of the genre highly enough.” (Kevin Church - BeaucoupKevin.com)
“These bittersweet adventure stories offer entertaining reading, especially for young Asian-Americans who feel excluded from mainstream juvenile literature.” (Los Angeles Times)
“Fans of comics set in historical Japan should definitely check this out. You'll be glad you did. I think it would also be a good fit for manga fans looking to try a non-Japanese comic. I enjoyed this book a lot, and look forward to reading more. –” (Panel Patter)
“While I enjoyed Sakai's artwork in the first volume, this second trade collection is even stronger. ... Usagi Yojimbo is a great addition to the canon of samurai stories, and is definitely highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of wandering ronin or just good storytelling.” (Rob McMonigal - Panel Patter)
“As a fan of samurai fiction (to the point of having a Seven Samurai tattoo) and comics, I can’t recommend Stan Sakai’s beautifully drawn, note-perfect reinvention of the genre highly enough.” (Kevin Church - BeaucoupKevin.com)
“These bittersweet adventure stories offer entertaining reading, especially for young Asian-Americans who feel excluded from mainstream juvenile literature.” (Los Angeles Times)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Jon Hancock
Format:Hardcover
The boom (and inevitable bust) in the black and white comics market led to an explosion of creative talent, and opportunities for less able souls to foist their doodles on the public. At a time when sifting the good from the bad became an increasingly lengthy task comics had to work hard to be noticed; and Usagi Yojimbo won through on sheer quality.
Quite what made this tale of a wandering rabbit such a success (with well over a dozen collected volumes available) is not easy to say. On the face of it, the premise is bizarre: In a version of late feudal Japan populated by anthropomorphic animals the stories centre around a masterless Samurai, who happens to be a rabbit. For some people that very strangeness is attractive, while others will cite the excellent artwork (which improves in confidence and style throughout the early books) or sensitivity of the writing. There is ample silliness here, but it is deliberate and deftly handled, and the stories frequently have far more depth and feeling than readers are used to in popular literature, let alone comics.
Many of the characters are based on historical and mythical figures, and those with a love of such things will find additional amusement in spotting the prototypes for the likes of the rough and shabby Gen, based on characters played by Toshiro Mifune. Stan Sakai is justly praised for his attention to detail, and that shines through the books both in terms of the art and the writing. There are in-jokes and visual gags, but at its heart this is not a "funny animals" tale. Rather it is an interpretation, a reinvention, of the classic myth cycle. Sublime touches, such as having our hero tie his ears up as a top-knot, fill every page, and these are comics you will want to return to repeatedly.
This first volume introduces the rabbit ronin, although much of his background has to wait for volume two, and places a number of important recurring characters in the scene. It is possible to read Usagi Yojimbo from almost any point, but if you can track down a copy of this shamefully out-of-print book then you will find that later tales reveal more than if you approach them cold. Despite initial appearances ... Mr Sakai has managed to keep his creation above the level of a Saturday morning throwaway cartoon, and he has done so for almost twenty years. A truly remarkable achievement, and a remarkable series.
Quite what made this tale of a wandering rabbit such a success (with well over a dozen collected volumes available) is not easy to say. On the face of it, the premise is bizarre: In a version of late feudal Japan populated by anthropomorphic animals the stories centre around a masterless Samurai, who happens to be a rabbit. For some people that very strangeness is attractive, while others will cite the excellent artwork (which improves in confidence and style throughout the early books) or sensitivity of the writing. There is ample silliness here, but it is deliberate and deftly handled, and the stories frequently have far more depth and feeling than readers are used to in popular literature, let alone comics.
Many of the characters are based on historical and mythical figures, and those with a love of such things will find additional amusement in spotting the prototypes for the likes of the rough and shabby Gen, based on characters played by Toshiro Mifune. Stan Sakai is justly praised for his attention to detail, and that shines through the books both in terms of the art and the writing. There are in-jokes and visual gags, but at its heart this is not a "funny animals" tale. Rather it is an interpretation, a reinvention, of the classic myth cycle. Sublime touches, such as having our hero tie his ears up as a top-knot, fill every page, and these are comics you will want to return to repeatedly.
This first volume introduces the rabbit ronin, although much of his background has to wait for volume two, and places a number of important recurring characters in the scene. It is possible to read Usagi Yojimbo from almost any point, but if you can track down a copy of this shamefully out-of-print book then you will find that later tales reveal more than if you approach them cold. Despite initial appearances ... Mr Sakai has managed to keep his creation above the level of a Saturday morning throwaway cartoon, and he has done so for almost twenty years. A truly remarkable achievement, and a remarkable series.
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By shaxper
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Usagi Yojimbo is the kind of quality work that transcends time, genres, demographics, and even age groups. It crafts a delicate and beautiful balance between honor and savagery, cute innocence and dark brutality, simple heart-warming stories and multi-part epics that shape a dense continuity. Whether or not you've ever been a fan of feudal Japanese culture, furry anthro characters, or independent, non-superhero comics, Usagi Yojimbo is a comic that can't help but impress even the harshest critic.
That being said, it took some time for a simple tale of an honor bound master-less samurai to mature into the complex and infinitely rich series that's benefited from more than twenty years of continuous publication. These early stories are extremely simple, both in art and in writing. The plots and character are relatively two dimensional here. It's not until the emergence of Gen towards the end of this volume that Usagi really begins to show any signs of a personality.
This volume reprints Usagi's earliest scattered appearances, before he had an ongoing series and (perhaps) before creator Stan Sakai had any idea that this character would amount to anything more than a minor project. The next volume begins reprinting Usagi's first ongoing series. Written to be understood by someone who had never encountered Usagi prior to that point, the volume begins with Usagi's poignant four part origin story. This is a far better introduction to the series, even if it is still many steps away from what the series would ultimately become.
This volume is a great read if you are already familiar with Usagi and want to see how it all began (including the introductions of characters like Lord Noriyuki, Tomoe, Gen, and Zato Ino), but I would not recommend it as an entrypoint for a new reader.
That being said, it took some time for a simple tale of an honor bound master-less samurai to mature into the complex and infinitely rich series that's benefited from more than twenty years of continuous publication. These early stories are extremely simple, both in art and in writing. The plots and character are relatively two dimensional here. It's not until the emergence of Gen towards the end of this volume that Usagi really begins to show any signs of a personality.
This volume reprints Usagi's earliest scattered appearances, before he had an ongoing series and (perhaps) before creator Stan Sakai had any idea that this character would amount to anything more than a minor project. The next volume begins reprinting Usagi's first ongoing series. Written to be understood by someone who had never encountered Usagi prior to that point, the volume begins with Usagi's poignant four part origin story. This is a far better introduction to the series, even if it is still many steps away from what the series would ultimately become.
This volume is a great read if you are already familiar with Usagi and want to see how it all began (including the introductions of characters like Lord Noriyuki, Tomoe, Gen, and Zato Ino), but I would not recommend it as an entrypoint for a new reader.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I know, I know: the title of this review sounds pretty harsh. But before you start yelling at me, please don't get me wrong: I thought this first book of Usagi is good, but I just don't think it's great. I haven't read the other comics, and so I obviously wanted to get started with the first one.
I was slightly disappointed.
After hearing so much about the wonderful creation of Stan Sakai (and being mildly familiar with Usagi through his cameos in the Ninja Turtles) I was so eager to begin reading his work.
But the stories are extremely simple and short. They deal with a masterless samurai (hence, "ronin") and his life in finding short jobs to get through everyday life after his last war.
The animation is done pretty well, though it doesn't go into too much detail as many other graphic novels. It stays simple and basic, as are the stories in this collection.
I'm giving it three-and-a-half stars, and I know it might be a little harsh, but I'm sticking with it in hopes that the later books will prove me wrong.
I was slightly disappointed.
After hearing so much about the wonderful creation of Stan Sakai (and being mildly familiar with Usagi through his cameos in the Ninja Turtles) I was so eager to begin reading his work.
But the stories are extremely simple and short. They deal with a masterless samurai (hence, "ronin") and his life in finding short jobs to get through everyday life after his last war.
The animation is done pretty well, though it doesn't go into too much detail as many other graphic novels. It stays simple and basic, as are the stories in this collection.
I'm giving it three-and-a-half stars, and I know it might be a little harsh, but I'm sticking with it in hopes that the later books will prove me wrong.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining
I saw some friends reading this when I was a kid and I never read it. Finally got one and I think it's a great story.
Published 1 month ago by Kyle
4.0 out of 5 stars
Samurai's played by cute animals
I enjoy samurai tales and these play some of the common tropes but well. The Disneyesque conceit people as cute animals in is seems unnecessary or inconsequential in my opinion. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Thor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down
Fantastic artwork, action, lighthearted scenes mixed with good dramatic elements kept me reading and unfortunately surged right through the book, but that is in noway a negative. Read more
Published 3 months ago by HANK
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just as much fun as I remember!
I read some Usagi Yojimbo in the late 80's and always liked the stories. Now that the books have all been collected, I have decided to make sure thay all get added to my... Read more
Published 9 months ago by K.A.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slightly slow start to a phenomenal comic.
Usagi Yojimbo as a whole is a masterpiece. Stan Sakai painstakingly creates his tale with great care and reverence, retelling Japanese fables and folklore while building a... Read more
Published 12 months ago by para
4.0 out of 5 stars
Usagi Year One
I know this may sound pretentious, but I'll say it anyway: Usagi Yojimbo is a triumph of the comic book form. Read more
Published on March 20, 2011
5.0 out of 5 stars
For cartoon and samurai movie fans!
I just finished reading this book last night. What a great fun comic. If you like cartoons and have ever enjoyed watching old samurai movies, you'll enjoy this book. Read more
Published on March 24, 2010 by Greg J
1.0 out of 5 stars
I read this for my college comics as lit class, even did a project, so...
This book is just slap stick with no plot bad dialogue, 0 intrigue and completely flat characters. I wish i could still return this book. Read more
Published on November 21, 2009 by meowzers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Reissue
Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo ("Rabbit Bodyguard") is the story of Miyamoto Usagi, a masterless rabbit-samurai in 1600s Japan who wanders through life, getting by on his good heart... Read more
Published on September 17, 2008 by Lothe
5.0 out of 5 stars
YooooooooooooooooooooooJIMBO!
In this collection we are introduced to our hero Miyamoto Usagi as well as other notable figures in the Usagi Yojimbo universe. Read more
Published on September 17, 2006 by Alexander Heaukulani
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