Inkspot Fancy

Usagi Yojimbo 2

Backstory central! We get to see not only who Usagi's master was, we also learn where he got his swords and what they mean to him. Usagi has just dueled a warthog, and upon meeting Gen immediately after, explains the story - not only how he came to be a great swordsman, but also what happened with his childhood friends and what led to him becoming a ronin.

I love the master and student part of this book especially, but the whole thing is great. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Tezuka's work, with the somewhat simplistic style and cartoonish characters presenting a fairly dark story. And I love it. I love the amount of expressiveness the characters have, I love the setup and the systems of honor that different characters have, I love the weight of legacy and responsibility Usagi carries with him.

This is a fantastic series. If you like comics, it's well worth a read.

Usagi Yojimbo 3

So, in the last volume's review, I mentioned that this reminded me a bit of some of Tezuka's work, and in this one - a series of stories following Usagi as he travels the countryside helping people who need it - I realized it feels a good bit like Dororo. There's not only a wonderful feel of adventure, but also the events start to take a supernatural turn. Not always, but there's definitely a few side stories that aren't entirely... let's say corporeal.

My favorite tale in this one sees Usagi helping a woman whose husband used to loan money out to people in the village, and now that he's dead, her son has taken over and rules with an iron hand by virtue of holding all these debts. Seeing Usagi try to help her reach her son and save her village from him was really emotional, and sweet, and a little unsettling.