Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai
Release Date: 6th August 2014

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Sam de Smith Says…

For the 30th anniversary of his ronin rabbit, Sakai takes us 20 years into Usagi’s future. It’s a visual treat in sharp black and white, with Sakai’s individualistic take on the genre still delivering compelling action and a good narrative. It’s a little bit hesitant in places, for some slightly forced exposition, but in the main it drives forward well, with panels that clearly draw on Kurosawa’s cinematography.

As an entry point for the new reader, this is pretty good stuff. It’s deceptively simplistic, and the black/white, good/bad, fuzzy/scaly binaries could be off-putting to a mature reader or someone coming to this from, say, Koike’s Lone Wolf and Cub. I don’t doubt that we will see some politics and duplicity in the course of the 6-issue span, but for now it’s about a clear-cut fight. Do I miss the gore? Possibly. It’s very kid-friendly, and in keeping with the feel of Sakai’s work generally, but violence should still have (some) consequences.

The introduction of an almost steampunk level of technology is what jars here; the way it’s presented just doesn’t feel quite right. I know it seems odd to be a purist about the setting, but once you’ve overcome the anthropomorphism everything else is a “logical” quasi-Edo Japan – and advancing the tech seems at odds with this.

Regardless, it’s good way into the setting and Sakai, and a fitting reboot in this era of reimaginings. Certainly looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Rating: 3/5.

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Chris Bennett Says…

After 30 Years of Usagi being published, you would assume everyone would of heard of the samurai rabbit but for some reason it remains very much a cult hit. Throwing us straight into the action in this first issue, we find ourselves thrust into a battlefield witnessing an epic conflict between Lord Noriyuki and Lord Hikiji.

Oh, and all the characters are animals.

As someone who has always been aware of Usagi but never read it, I figured a #1 is the perfect point to jump on and I have to say, I definitely wasn’t disappointed! The first thing that hits you when you open the book is the art. It managed to be simplistic enough that it looked nostalgic, but not to the point where it looked dated, which can often be a problem with ‘older’ styles. Characters all have their own designs and feel, and I found it remarkably easy to get caught up to speed about just who was who and identify the good/bad divide (the baddies are the reptiles, right?). With clean lines in black and white, there’s no denying the prettiness of it all.

Story wise, I was pleasantly surprised as well. It sits somewhere between an all-ages book and an old Ronin story, which I guess at its core, is exactly what it is. Its the kind of book I could imagine giving to anyone that didn’t have a clue about the book or the culture surrounding it, confident that they would instantly understand. It’s set 20 years after the original series finished, with Usagi now a general for Lord Noriyuki, and serves as a fine celebration of 30 years of the character. With a new direction that has already been spoiled in the media (won’t mention it here, but safe to say I definitely didn’t see it coming) its an interesting change to say the least!

That being said though, the book as a whole feels a little bit too slow, with the cliffhanger ending coming almost out of nowhere. I think once properly caught up I would enjoy it considerably more, and for a first go, its at least got me very curious to go back and read more. But at the moment, this definitely feels like fan service, although that’s not always a bad thing.

Rating: 3/5.

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