Stan Sakai (Author, Artist) David Petersen (Cover Artist)
Usagi Yojimbo, Lone Goat and Kid Issue # 1 inaugurates the next series of classic Usagi reprints, now in full color, where we get to see our favorite bunny develop and grow as a character in a series of stand-alone stories, full of dramatic force, and I mean that, this bunny has a flair for drama.
In this first installment, Frost and Fire, Usagi is tasked with retrieving a slain samurai’s swords by his wife, lady Koriko. Her husband Nagao, was a retainer to Lord Noriyuki and, since Usagi is now a Ronin, they can hire his services with the outmost discretion.
Because discretion will be needed: the husband had died in mysterious circumstances, and when Usagi arrives to the village, he soon finds out two things: one, that he was assassinated. And two, that he had fell in love with a peasant, a fiery woman by the name of Atsuko.
She refuses to give him the swords, claiming that they are the only thing she has left to remember him by. But she has a no-good brother, who wants the reward to expend it in drink. What ensues is very dark, morally questionable and horrific to see, a masterclass in what it means to prepare a stage and let the events play themselves out, where Usagi has few choices but to defend himself and honor the lovers, and that will finish with a villain in front of the magistrate and the swords back as a family heirloom to their rightful owner.
A sad story, with dramatic twists, some of the best work of Sakai was like this, succinct and full of action!
′Usagi Yojimbo, Lone Goat and Kid Issue # 1′ is on sale since January, 2022
AVAILABLE: January 2022
IMPRINT: IDW
PAGE COUNT: 32
COLOR: FC
Featured image by Stan Sakai, all images belong to IDW Comics
