After 15 years of endlessly postponing it, I finally gave the long-eared ronin a chance and read one of his stories.
Fuck. Me. This comic is incredible. The composure, structure, inks, panelling, lettering, characters... Everything. The story can be predictable from time to time, but that's the worst I can say about it. I feel like shit for not supporting Stan Sakai's work earlier. The only good thing that came from waiting for so long is the possibility to buy all those neat 500 pages thick Fantagraphics and Dark Horse trades collecting all printed issues. Needles to say, I got all to date. And Senso. And Yokai. But since a new one comes out only every few months, the wait is killing me. May we have a discussion about Usagi and other comic gems?
>>78499156
Welcome, brother.
I'm waiting to get a tablet to read it anywhere.
Being able to read on the shitter helps me follow any long series.
>>78499173
Thanks. Now I know why you guys love it so much. It's just a gold mine of wonderful things.
For example, there are many great character moments, but if I was to pick my favorite character trait, it'd be Usagi being a total sucker when it comes to kids. He, a samurai by birth, literally allows children of peasants to climb on his head and takes it with a smile. It's a nice contrast to his amazing (though not by his choice) body count.
>>78499287
Guess what I did before starting my buying spree. Do it whenever you get a chance. Those thousands of pages will go by way too fast.
>>78499479
The storytimes some anon did a while back were fun times. I recently got some of the early stuff for my nephew. God knows whether he'll even flip through any of it or if it'll just sit on his shelf. Might be time to actually interact with the kid more.
>>78499592
Yeah, I rember those storytimes. Never had time to actually read them, but I got some glimpses and that pushed me to stop being a faggot and read the thing.
>>78499156
The Jei issues are always my favorite. This might be because I love characters who have no conventional morality. Jei doesn't believe evil is good, he just thinks anyone who separates good and evil is evil.
>>78499888
Holy crap, why didn't I figure this out on my own. It's so obvious now.
>>78499888
I really like Stray Dog, the bounty hunter that seems like a complete scumbag, but of course the big revel is that all his cheating and betrayal is because he gives all his money to an orphanage
Is the special edition set worth getting if I'm going in completely blind? I got a bookstore gift card in my christmas haul and considering putting it towards this.
>>78500968
Is that the one that collects all the early Fantagraphics stuff? Go for it.
>>78500922
Have Stray Dog and Kitsune ever been in a story together?
>>78501027
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/usagi-yojimbo-the-special-edition/9781606998878-item.html?ikwid=usagi+yojimbo&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0
whatever this one is. As far as content-per-dollar goes it seems like one of the better things to get among things I'm interested in but I don't know how it stands up compared to the individual volumes
>>78500968
OP here. The first few hundred pages look a bit off compared to the rest and most promo images (Sakai's drawing style was still evolving) but the stories are still very worth it (especially those with Gen and Jei in them). But once you hit the mid way through the Fantagraphic collection it's the fantastic Dragon Bellow Conspiracy plotline and the overall quality sky rockets. Worth every cent.
>>78501153
Yea, that's that one I was thinking of.It might be cheaper on amazon and instocktrades, though.
I keep hearing about this series, but I've never read it either. What's the best way to buy the collections? Do they have Omnibii or something?
>>78500681
It took me a while too, since nobody actually says that. I don't even think Stan came up with it intentionally as its such a strange idea.
>>78501920
They do now. About time considering that it's been over 30 years since Usagi was first published.
It is split between two publishers, with >>78501153 collecting the first 7 tomes (in two giant books) and Dark Horse having all the rest (5 books out, each compiling 3 tomes in just about 500 pages, and 3 or 4 more books to go before we hit present day). Check the link then Google 'Usagi Yojimbo Saga' to find out more.
You won't be disappointed. Every single dude in the comic industry, from Stan Lee to Wagner to Eastman to Eisner would tell you the same (and they do, in their introductions to each tome) - read motherfucking Usagi Yojimbo. It's a work of art.
>>78502143
It's kinda like with Jei-san being a pun/somewhat inspired by another unkillable murder machine dude with a trademark blade called Jason. At some point it just hits you.
Someone storytimed to like volume 15/16 and I'm totally waiting for a sale to get the rest. It's amazing comics
>>78501680
I have a gift card for that particular store though. Amazon has it for the same price but in softcover.
>>78502269
And I'm still not quite sure how it works in Jei's mind.
But then again, who are we to judge the will of the gods?
>>78502343
Get it all if you can. One, you'll support Stan. Two, you'll want to reread it, multiple times.
This said, I think I will write Stan a letter. That guy deserves some nice words.
>>78500922
The visual transformation Stray Dog goes through in that sequence before the orphanage and while he's there is amazing. He doesn't even look like the same character but it's all because of posture and facial expressions.
