Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Vol. 2

Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Vol. 2 by Stan Sakai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 2 continues the saga of Myamoto Usagi, rabbit ronin.

This volume collects numerous Usagi Yojimbo tales, from single issue ghost stories to the multi-issue epic, Grasscutter. As I've said before, it's hard to quantify why I like these stories so much. There's no sex, no gore, no foul language, and the characters are all anthropomorphic animals. However, it's still some of the best stuff going today.

Stan Sakai's minimalist style is very versatile, capable of depicting horror, war, and comedy with equal effectiveness. He achieves great levels of expressiveness with just a few strokes of the pen. His tales blend Japanese history and folklore with his own characters, making for some great stories. This volume introduces Inspector Ishida, a new character that I hope makes a lot of appearances in stories to come. Old favorites like Gen, Tomoe, Lord Noryuki, and Jei make appearances. Hell, all of them appear in Grasscutter, along with many others.

Grasscutter, the epic tale of a sword handed down by gods, is quite a tale, blending history, mythology, and action. It isn't, however, my favorite. That honor belongs to the Hairpin Murders, the tale that introduces Inspector Ishida. The ghost stories are also quite good. Hell, I'm convinced Stan Sakai could make hay with anything at this point.

Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 2 is a great book in a series of great books. Four out of five stars.


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