Usagi at Wells’s Tea Party! – review of the comic book “Usagi Yojimbo: Saga. Legends “

Legend Stan Sakai break away from the main plot line and take us into the future and into space. Could Usagi’s adventures in outer space be as exciting as those set in feudal Japan?

 

Usagi in space

On Usagi Yojimbo. The legends consist of three distinct stories. Usagi in space focuses on the descendant of the long-eared Ronin. Although the action takes place in outer space, and the heroes use laser guns, honor is still important, and thus samurai swords. Most importantly, there are well-thought-out cosmic counterparts of individual characters, for example, instead of Gen, there is Rhogen – a smuggler and a mercenary. Senso, on the other hand, is an unusual game with convention. The author came up with the idea to throw into feudal Japan aliens alive taken from HG Wells’ novel, Wars of the Worldsso samurai clash with deadly tripods! Also, in this comic you can see Usagi’s adult son! The last shortest story, Yokai, is also an unusual project. Namely, Stan Sakai not only came up with the script, not only drew all the scenes, but also colored them! The plot focuses on the title demons, which means that there will also be the greatest slayer of hellspawn, Sasuke!

Samurai versus tripods

After reading this collection, I can only shout: “Wow!” The state of Sakai went crazy all the way. I really didn’t think this could work, and in the meantime I got some brilliant amazing stories! But one by one … Let’s start with Usagi in space . I like the fact that, despite the progress, you can feel a tradition here taken alive from feudal Japan. The fact that ships fly in outer space does not exclude clan fights, honorable suicide or attachment to a seemingly ordinary katana (as it turns out later, it is slightly tweaked!). The adventures of the cosmic long-eared samurai reminded me of, for example, Star Wars .

There is a lot going on here, there are some interesting twists and you can also see alien organisms inhabiting the planets (including dinosaur-like creatures!) And even giant turtles swimming in space! I have devoured almost three hundred pages in one fell swoop, it’s just impossible to tear myself away from this story. There is everything to fall in love with the entire series! Now let’s talk about a story that deserves a nozzle! Sensoit surprises with the very idea! Stan presents us with a great battle between the forces of Mr. Hikijia and the Geishu clan. This clash is truly epic and you take it in in one breath, until suddenly all this intricate atmosphere disappears when a flying object falls! Suddenly, aliens turn out to be the biggest threat. The clash of primitive people with higher technology is a great theme, though difficult to represent, and Stan Sakai has dealt with it skillfully. I like the heroic moments and humorous inserts. I am also captivated by the attitudes and behavior of the heroes; I liked the approach of Mr. Hikijia the most. Senso is simply a mine of great ideas!

Miracles from Stan’s Brush

The last story, titled Yokai, was designed from the beginning as a comic in color, so we have larger frames here, and even scenes unfolding on two pages. Importantly, there is actually a lot to look at, because Stan introduced to the scene unusual creatures modeled on Japanese demonology, like the ones that are completely made up. I was delighted with the beauty of acrylic colors! At the end of the volume, there is also a short interview with the author, and from him we can find out, for example, how long Stan took to apply the colors. In addition, there are cover galleries and even a few extras, including two scenes where you look for hidden objects.

Is it worth discovering the legends of the rabbit family?

I could talk about Legends for a long time. It was not without reason that I finally decided to put the nozzle out! This collective volume captivated me with amazing and original stories. The cosmic adventure of a descendant of Usagi is an amazing adventure full of emotions. In Senso, however, not only did I meet most of the characters from the entire series in unusual situations, but I also saw a well-thought-out image of the Martian invasion. It was heroic, at times funny, but most importantly, simply epic! It is worth noting that, before this comic book, the author inserted a short scene where he presents the idea for the plot to Senso Usagi. Long-eared Ronin’s reaction shouldn’t surprise anyone! Yokai however, it is a well-thought-out story in color, larger frames allow you to enjoy the colorful illustrations!

Well, what can I say, for me it’s the best comic I’ve read this year. I think that I will remember these stories for a long time and I will gladly come back to them.