The Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Legends

Usagi Yojimbo Saga #Extras

by Stan Sakai

Dark Horse presents the quintessential companion to The Usagi Yojimbo Saga series-- Usagi Yojimbo Legends ! This volume collects some of the rabbit ronin's most exhilarating and colorful stories, including Senso , Yokai , and the long out of print Space Usagi ! In these breathtaking pages, Usagi takes on a myriad of opponents, including dinosaurs, aliens, and demons, but never loses sight of the warrior's truth, honor, loyalty, and sacrifice.


   • By comics master Stan Sakai!

   • Includes stories not included in The Usagi Yojimbo Saga, including Space Usagi, which has long been out of print!

   • Complete your set--this is the essential companion to The Usagi Yojimbo Saga!

   • 540 beautiful pages, including a breathtaking color section!

"I don't think there's much that I could write about Stan Sakai's masterwork series that hasn't been said . . . you are going to fall in love with this world, with this storyteller who will keep you guessing and enthralled." --Fanbase Press

"This is the definition of a timeless work of art." --Multiversity Comics

"[Stan's] work seems both effortless and worked over; he is a true master of comics." --Multiversity Comics

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Japan

557 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2017

About the author

Stan Sakai (Japanese: 坂井 スタンSakai Sutan; born May 25, 1953) is an artist who became known as an Eisner Award-winning comic book originator.

Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and studied fine arts at the University of Hawaii. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He and his wife, Sharon, presently reside and work in Pasadena.

He began his career by lettering comic books (notably Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the production of Usagi Yojimbo, the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly-sole artist (Tom Luth serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black and white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paper-back edition of Usagi Yojimbo). He also made a futuristic spin-off series Space Usagi. His favorite movie is Satomi Hakkenden (1959).

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Legends contains Space Usagi, Senso, and Yokai.

To be honest, I've been avoiding reading this volume for a while. The stories aren't part of the main saga and it's the last volume in Usagi Yojimbo Saga. While being stricken by the worst case of allergies yet this year, I finally bore down and read it.

Space Usagi started the trade and it was by far my least favorite Usagi Yojimbo story yet. It isn't terrible but doesn't feel a whole lot like the rest of the saga. Stan Sakai's art is as good as ever, though, and he gets to draw a wide variety of creatures. The creatures remind me of all the insectile monsters in Nausicaa, making me wonder if Sakai is a Miyazaki van.

Senso, the second story in the collection, is H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds set in Usagi's feudal Japan and a possible ending to the Usagi Yojimbo saga. The art is great and a lot of serious shit happens. There's also a great fight involving a Martian Tripod and a secret I don't want to reveal. There were some tragic elements to this story. It fit into the Usagi Yojimbo canon a lot better than Space Usagi but I can see why it's not an official part of the Saga.

Yokai was my favorite story in the collection by a wide margin. Usagi and Sasuke fight a bunch of monsters in a tale done in water colors by maestro Sakai. It could easily have fit into one of the other books.

With Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Legends, I'm all caught up on Usagi until Usagi Yojimbo Saga book 8 comes out in May. Not bad for a bunch of odds and ends but not essential. 3 out of 5 stars.

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Space Usagi and a crossover story that mixes Usagi Yojimbo and War of the Worlds are the main content in this volume. I'm not a big fan of the sci-fi versions of this series, so it was just OK for me. If you are looking for samurai period stories without sci-fi trappings, you can skip this volume.

[Michael Emond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have recently fallen in love with the comic Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai and have been happily reading all the collections. This is the first one I would say it would be okay to pass on. Space Usagi takes up most of the book - followed by "War of the Worlds" Usagi and then finally a nice coloured adventure with his demon slayer friend.

The reason I would pass is because this is a Usagi Elseworlds and it didn't work for me. It wasn't a bad story but taking our beloved character and putting him a Star Wars epic lost all the things I love about the series - the ancient Japanese setting - the wandering Ronin - his cast of characters. And while it was a fine story it just didn't grab me. It isn't fair for me to say it is "Star Wars" because the plot is very different BUT you could tell this was written by someone who loved Star Wars.

The War of the Worlds Usagi didn't work for me at all. It was well crafted but this time Stan brought the future to Usagi and he and his friends had to deal with space invaders. My biggest complaint is it was set in the future of the Usagi universe and it acts as an end to the characters (Usagi and his son reveal they knew they were father/son) but because of the sci fi adventure it felt so out of place with everything else I have read about Usagi.

The final tale with the demons was solid but I will admit it was very similar to other Demon slayer stories. good but nothing new.

Unlike any other Usagi book this was a bit of a chore to get through and I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. I still think many Usagi fans will love it but the fact it was SO different meant it didn't work for me.

[Cameron H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure, "Samurai Bunny in Space" sounds like nothing more than a silly novelty, and in a way, that is exactly what it is. But really, is that such a bad thing? It *is* silly, but Sakai's brilliance - both as writer and artist - never allows it to be simply "fluff." I particularly enjoyed the six part "Senso" that asks, "What if H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds had occurred during feudal Japan?" I mean, come on! That has to pique your interest, right?

My only caveat is that there is quite a bit of dramatic irony going on that relies on the reader being somewhat familiar with Usagi Yojimbo, his universe, and his cast of characters. In other words, if you were thinking of checking Usagi Yojimbo, this would not be the ideal place to jump in. But, once you've been suitably immersed in this World, this is a wonderful way to supplement your newfound love for your favorite long-eared Ronin.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cool that there are stories of the rabbit ronin with him in other settings than Japan. However, he seems to fit best in the medieval time period here the main series takes place.

[Lindsay John Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it hard to connect to the non-canonical stories and settings. That said, I enjoyed Space Usagi much more this time around. The art was fun and a lot happens. I just wish the stories were more linked. And I was surprised to really enjoy his War of the Worlds story. I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy a “what if” kind of story, but it was fun. An enjoyable diversion but these all lacked the typical pathos and depth of the main stories.

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nie do końca siadły mi przygody Usagiego w kosmosie. Mam wrażenie, że ciągła akcja i międzygwiezdne walki pozbawiły czytelnika wielu smaczków, dotyczących kultury japońskiej, które ozdabiały regularną serię. Brak również poetyckich miniatur, które tak zachwycały w pierwszych tomach. To oczywiście nadal świetne czytadło, ale proponowałbym od tego tomu nie zaczynać

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Senso to be far superior to the Space Usagi stories - but really, any Usagi is worth reading.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the stories here are pretty entertaining and fun, they lack the heart and soul of the main series. Usagi seems to work best in his original feudal Japan setting.

[Yoshiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tytułowe „Legendy” nie są kolejnym regularnym tomem serii. W przypadku tego albumu, mamy do czynienia ze zbiorem trzech dodatkowych historii, które dzieją się całkowicie na uboczu głównego cyklu. Dzięki temu Stan Sakai mógł całkowicie popuścić swoją wodzę wyobraźni i dostarczyć fanom Usagiego porcji wielkich niesamowitości. Na ponad 550 stronach komiksu można więc znaleźć historie wydane pierwotnie w tomach „Usagi w kosmosie”, „Senso” i „Yokai”.

Pierwsza z nich (najobszerniejsza) jak sama nazwa wskazuje, zabiera króliczego Ronina (wraz z czytelnikiem) w bezkres kosmosu. Na kolejnych stronach komiksu można znaleźć nowoczesne technologie, kosmitów, futurystyczne bronie, potężne statki czy akcję typową dla gatunku sci-fi. Jest to jednak tylko mały wycinek świetnie prezentującej się treści. Sakai bowiem bawi się tutaj konwencją „sci-fi”, dostosowuje ją do własnych potrzeb i tworzy z niej swoją wizję fantastyki, w której nie brakuje licznych odniesień do kultury Japonii i samurajskich motywów (dobrze znanych fanom cyklu). Mieszanka ta początkowo może wydawać się dość specyficzna, szybko jednak idzie się przekonać o tym, że wszystko jest tu doskonale dopasowane i gotowe do zapewnienia odbiorcy masy przyjemnej rozrywki.

Równie nietuzinkowa i ciekawa jest opowieść zatytułowana „Senso”. Tym razem autor bliżej trzyma się podstawowego cyklu, prezentując akcję dziejącą się dwadzieścia lat po wydarzeniach z sagi. Czytelnik obserwuje wojnę toczącą się pomiędzy panem Noriyuki i Hikiji. Ich konflikt niespodziewanie jednak zostaje przerwany, kiedy podczas bitwy pojawia się nowy przeciwnik. Od tego momentu opowieść znowu mocno wykracza poza „klasyczne” ramy, wprowadzając na karty komiksu między innymi wielkie roboty. Na sam koniec Sakai przygotował dla czytelników w pełni kolorową krótką historię („Yokai”) czerpiącą pełnymi garściami z japońskiego folkloru. Ponadto miłym dodatkiem do całości jest umieszczona w albumie galeria alternatywnych okładek i krótki wywiad z autorem.

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/recen...

[Martin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odds and sods collection of sorts for Usagi and, for me, most of it doesn’t really work.

Space Usagi is basically the broad concept and characters of Usagi but in space, which is far from a terrible idea. Samurai and western stories usually translate well into science fiction, but for some ineffable reason, it just does nothing for me and I can’t get into it. Maybe it’s the heavy translation of samurai iconography, whereas usually its just themes that are translated over. The full samurai armour and samurai swords mixed in with laser pistols and space ships is just a mix that doesn’t appeal to me. It’d be like if Star Trek had had everyone in tricorns.

Following that is Senzo, which is “what if War the Worlds happened to Usagi’s Japan”. Reuse of Wells’ Martians and iconography is one of my pet peeves, so the mini-series already had that hurdle to clear, but it has a bigger problem for me. Set 15 years of so in the future and having an apocalyptic tone, the story offers a lot of pay-offs for ongoing story arcs and character dynamics from the main series. While it’s supposedly out of continuity (one assumes) seeing those things happen - things that would likely never happen in the main series because it would completely up-end the status quo - sort of undermines the continuing series, in a way. It feels like a bit of a cheat, emotionally.

The final element is Yokai, a full colour 25th anniversary special. The story’s a bit light, but it’s a fun adventure and is a novelty visually, with Sakai providing watercolours. It feels completely disconnected from Space Usagi and Senzo though and I don’t really understand why it wasn’t placed in the main Saga collections. It doesn’t seem out of continuity like the rest of this collection.

[Nicholas Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this volume ages ago, but had a really hard time getting through the Space Usagi part. I should have loved it--I enjoyed Bucky O'Hare back in the day, and I really liked the Star Wars green rabbit, and I had a Space Usagi toy as a kid that I adored. However, I just found Sakai's space samurai stories a bit uninspired. For me at least, they tended to feel like rewarmed chanbara with a gloss of space opera, and the two halves didn't work together so well (maybe a bit like Battle Beyond the Stars, the Seven Samurai remake?)

I liked the Usagi/War of the Worlds crossover a LOT, though. It was genuinely creepy and very exciting, though the eventual invention towards the end was a bit much and undercut a lot of the serious tone. I had read the full-color yokai story before, and it was still charming here, though I often felt that Usagi wasn't really wandering around at night given the bright coloring.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventurous story for Miyamoto Usagi, and it has some twists. The first half of the book is about a future Usagi that takes place in space! It was a fun, action packed story that took similarities to the usual Usagi but was its own. Senso was a fun take on the War of the Worlds story of H.G. Wells. *SPOILER* The only thing I might not be to big on with Senso and this collection was the end and what happens to Usagi. I really hope that is not how his story ends. I like happy endings so that's my thing about it but it was still fun and good. :D *END SPOILER* The colored stories were fun too (also a little freaky, Gagged was the freakiest. I'm still trying to figure out my feelings towards it). So, this was a great collection of all the usual wonderfulness of Usagi in some unusual tales.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing. I wasn't sure how I would react to a futuristic version of the franchise, but it was fantastic. High tech science fiction blended seamlessly with all the historical and cultural elements. The setting, characters and adventures were epic and a creative combination of fantasy and sci-fi. I loved the story and the alternate versions of the characters. It was wonderful.

Senso was a fabulous War of the Worlds homage in the Usagi-verse. I particularly enjoyed seeing the 15 years later versions of the main cast and where they ended up. And the story itself was intense.

Capping off the book with two full color Sasuke stories was also pretty amazing. I finally got to learn a bit more about the enimagtic demon-slayer, so that was fun. Overall this book was great, though I am still eagerly awaiting volume 8 of the saga.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of these stories are little offshoots that are not part of Usagi's official canon. The first half of the book is all of the Space Usagi issues. I don't really get it. It's clearly influenced by Star Wars. At the same time, it feels like the regular Usagi comic with laser blasters and goofy stuff like a castle floating in space on an asteroid and everyone is still wearing kimonos. It's weird.

Then we get Senso which is set in Usagi's future when the creatures from H.G. Wells War of the Worlds land and attack everyone. It's better than the space one but it's a strange mashup of the two properties.

Yokai though is terrific. It's the rare full color Usagi Yojimbo. It's also a Halloween tale with Usagi tackling all of the creatures of Japanese lore. It's a blast.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Space Usagi half would give the book a three. Just generally uninspired with awkward “space” dialogue. But Senso is great. An “Imaginary Tale” it skips ahead 15 years in Usagi”s timeline, giving us a glimpse at where the characters could possibly end up (although I doubt we’ll ever actually get those stories). And then it throws War of the Worlds into it. Feudal Japan be Martians is highly entertaining and more enjoyable sf than Space Usagi. almost so ruined by the giant (ha) anachronism used to finish the war with the martians but overall a very satisfying, non-standard UY story. The Yokai story that finishes the volume off is nicely painted but I’ve never been a fan of the more supernatural stories.

[Eric Railine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of some of the outlier Usage Yojimbo stories, such as the Space Usagi limited series. I haven't read many of these since their original publication decades ago, while in other cases they were stories I had managed to never read at all, so all of the stories were effectively new to me - and all were a delight to read. I particularly enjoyed the too-few painted stories and covers, which had me longing for more such full-color Usagi tales despite having such a long time appreciation of Sakai's mastery of the black & white comics artform.

Highly recommended for Usagi fans, and a great entry point for new readers as well.

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, it's Stan Sakai, so it's impeccably drawn and well-written. I'm knocking off a star just because this is really a jumble of "alternate" Usagi tales: It's got both SPACE USAGI mini-series in it, along with SENSO, which is a mix of Usagi and H.G. Wells's WAR OF THE WORLDS. It also contains YOKAI, a full-color graphic novel starring Usagi. All the component pieces are wonderful, but it doesn't really hold together cohesively, since the parts are so different from each other.

Still, a great bargain and some fun reading.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the least interesting and consequential volume of USAGI, the SAGA LEGENDS book is still entertaining. SPACE USAGI is fun if predictable. SENSO is explosive and thrilling, although not really the ending any of us want for Usagi. YOKAI is thin, but so amazingly beautiful. Stan's put so much work into USAGI and given us so many years of brilliant comics that I can't begrudge him an occasional diversion and bit of fun. If he spends his time on another "LEGENDS"-type story, I'll enjoy it for what it is, while looking forward to the main series.

[John Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten how much fun Space Usagi was

I read the first half of this collection when it came out so many years ago. The rest was new to me, but both had the life and energy I remembered. The line art is detailed, the world rich with history and folklore even if both are fictional and set in the future.
As a standalone book I feel you can read this one without being a fan of the series. But for fans of the series there is so much here to enjoy.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this wasn't great, but it was fun to read. The futuristic space element was fun and the parallels and similarities between that story arc and the traditional Usagi story arc are pretty cool. Definitely worth checking out if you're reading the rest of the series.

I really thought this was the end and that was very depressing to me. But, lo and behold, there are more volumes not published in the big Saga editions! Can't wait to delve back into the new arc!

[James Devore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how Stan just had tons of fun with these stories and this volume. It was cool to see generational Usagis. It was awesome to see different creatures, yokai, and how Stan did his version of space/the future. Still incredible storytelling. The flow of these stories and panels definitely feels different from the original storyline of Usagi Yojimbo.

[Valerie Crump · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space Usagi. I'm going to be honest. I didn't dig it at first. I quickly changed my mind about it, though. I'm so glad I discovered these comics by accident. They truly are a treasure. Stan Sakai is a genius.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazon listed this as first in the series so I started off feeling pretty disappointed, but now that I have finished it I'm looking forward to starting from the beginning!

Entertaining but the first section dragged on too much for my liking, but ended strong. Everything else was pretty enjoyable.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The three story arcs in the Legends volume can be enjoyed as standalone stories without having read the bulk of the Usagi Yojimbo Saga; but there are a lot of moments that have added meaning and impact if the reader is familiar with the span of Usagi’s history. The arcs also have the unique place of being so far into the distant future that the don’t reveal anything about where the future issues of the Usagi Yojimbo comic will go. What that offers the uninitiated reader is a fun set of stories infused with a love of science fiction cinema. It is a testament to Stan Sakai’s storytelling that these genres seemingly at odds with each other meld into a great adventure.

[Brian Spath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it for Space Usagi Work alone, the additional work is a welcome bonus. Possesses a great tenderness that is expertly juxtaposed against fantastic action. Sakai is an unparalleled master.

[Dan Forster · Rating 5 out of 5]

There has never been a bad issue of Usagi Yojimbo, including these side stories. Space Usagi is incredible.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space Usagi is nuts... but a lot of fun. And pretty much vital if you're going to read Senso (also included in this volume.)

[Carl Grider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prefer the straight usagi Yojimbo stories but still a very good read.

[Orwellka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amerykańskie wyrobnictwo. Piękne ilustracje ale scenariusz przewidywalny i toporny jak w amerykańskim filmie. Do pięt nie sięga komiksowi francuskiemu.