Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 6

Usagi Yojimbo Saga Volume 6 by Stan Sakai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 6 contains issues #95-116 of Usagi Yojimbo. And it's pretty spectacular.

When something is as consistently excellent as Usagi Yojimbo, you start taking it for granted. As with previous volumes, this one blew me away.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Stan Sakai weaves a collection of interesting tales in Book 6. The origin of the demon Jei is revealed and there are side stories featuring Gen and Stray Dog as bounty hunters. Usagi takes on assassins, ninja, spies, and finds himself some female companionship for a time. Usagi stays true to himself and makes some difficult choices as well as kicking numerous asses.

Stan Sakai's art continues to amaze. His minimalist style is equally adept at conveying emotion and action. Usagi goes from friendly to ferocious with just a few brushstrokes. I've read over 5000 pages of Usagi at this point and it still feels very fresh. Sakai doesn't phone anything in, even though no one would blame him at this point.

Even though it's Usagi's book, the side stories featuring Gen and Stray Dog were my favorites in this collection. The comparative harshness of Stray Dog gives Gen a chance to show his true character.

Usagi Yojimbo Saga Book 6 is another great entry in a great series. Five out of five stars.

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