Usagi Yojimbo Storytime

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>>88318249

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>>88318263

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>>88318295

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>>88318319

Whelp.

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>>88318346

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>>88318380

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>>88318404

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>>88318433

It ain't easy being a grunt.

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>>88318455

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>>88318486

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>>88318531

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>>88318559

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>>88318583

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>>88318615

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>>88318647

These fools have a death wish.

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>>88318676

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>>88318695

Nii is so darn cute with his eye-spot.

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>>88318731

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>>88318762

srsguyslookingsrs.tiff

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>>88318792

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>>88318819

Usagi, you gotta ask him that stuff -before- you stab him.

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>>88318848

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>>88318874

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>>88318902

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>>88318928

Good riddance.

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>>88318958

The end!

>>88318249

>>88318346
Brutal.
The cover had me expecting the story to be Usagi putting up with a spoiled brat. Then, BAM super sympathetic character.

>>88318958
I say it's the local lord squirrelling funds away.

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>>88320865

I dunno man, could be Hikiji or Hebi again in a huge conspiracy. Or those nasty filthy foreigners.

Ending it on that question makes me think Stan is cooking something up.

>>88320857

I'm glad we got a relatively happy story, after last month's.

bump for reading

>>88318676
Honestly, by this stage of the writing, you'd think that ANY male rabbit carrying a katana would be looked upon with abject terror.
Usagi has a body count that's second only to Groo.

thanks for the read anon. This is still one of the best comics in publication today imo

also does anyone else see a change to Stan's style? Reading thru this issue it struck me that his lines are becoming much looser and more expressive. It's really nice actually.

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>>88325685
Early Usagi is best Usagi IMO
I'd say his art peaked with the Dragon's Bellow Conspiracy.

>>88325779
that was a great arc, but Stan's early stuff is the least pleasing to look at. His faces were way too rigid and the bodies were off a b it, too doll like.

I'm fascinated personally with the shift in style from Gen's Story toward Daisho, when all characters design's began changing. It just happens so gradually that you barely notice it

>>88318249
noon cares button lee noon

>>88321854
Ishida bouncing off Hikiji's keikaku? I can dig it.

>>88319017
Wow, this is my first time reading Usagi since the closest comicbook shop is a country away. Thanks for the read OP

Was the writing style always this... weak and simplified? I don't seem to remember it being so, but that was well over ten years ago.

wasnt this guy in TMNT for an episode?

>>88324522
Now that you mention it there has never been an imposter Usagi story before had there?

>>88332106
Not at all. Though I don't think this was a particularly weak issue. Part of the nature of series with a bunch of one shot stories of that not all of them resonate as strongly as others. The previous issue with the bat ninja hit a lot of people fairly solidly. Also it is important to note that this small story will probably weave itself into a larger narrative in the future. Something Sakai is very good at doing.

>>88332751
The quality of the plot was fine, it's the quality of the prose that bothered me.

>>88332773
What did you not like about it? It seemed pretty standard to me.

>>88332751
>>88332773
I think Stan may still be trying get past double dose of death and getting back up to speed away from the pen for so long.

>>88318346
Not even three pages into the story and there is already one tragedy.

>>88318676
Usagi must have depopulated every province he's been in by ten percent every time he passes through.

>>88318455
Honestly, these guys have it coming, they didn't even try to find the sniveling little girl not a foot away.

What is this, amateur hour?

>>88318928, >>88318958
I smell Lord Hikiji behind this.
Been awhile since he tried anything.

>>88332981
>double dose of death
I know his wife passed away, but what's the second dose? Poor Stan is having a hard, hard time. It makes me sad to see someone who has given so many wonderful stories have to deal with tragedy.

>Ishida has appeared in a whole lot of the most recent issues
>he's onto a conspiracy
>no one is safe is Usagi Yojimbo
Am I the only one getting nervous for our favorite inspector? It feels like we're leading up to something big

>>88325685
>best comics in publication
Agreed.

Oh yeah, his style has changed a lot since the beginning.

>>88325779
I'm inclined to agree with >>88326340, his early stuff could use improving. I dislike Usagi's giant forehead in the early ones.

>>88333405
His son died, IIRC

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>>88326340
>>88333409
I have no clue how you two could think something like >>88318249 is better than pic related. Even the coloring has taken a dive.

>>88318902
Man, Usagi is just ganking motherfuckers front left and center.

Did somebody tell Sakai somebody's starting to catch up to his record or something?

>>88333469
I can't even express how depressing that is.

>>88333580
>those gradients
>very little ground contour
>not much background at all

I mean, if he's going for a more classic Japanese art thing, yeah, the early ones are better, but I feel he's only gotten better.

I'm looking at some old and newer issues. In the newer ones, the faces are definitely more expressive, and one of the flashback scenes is even sketched in such a way to stand out from the present.

Also, I don't care for the color issues. IMO, they distract from the story and dialogue, and it feels just like the line art has had the bucket tool taken to it.

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>>88333916
>those gradients
Much better than the gradients in >>88318249 where they confuse gradients as an acceptable alternative to actual highlights.
>very little ground contour
That's completely arbitrary. The ground doesn't need to have contour.
>not much background at all
That's just a specific choice for the cover.

The most important thing is the line art, which I feel has degraded significantly.

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>>88334130
Ok, in the interest of fairness, here's an earlier page from 1989, The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy (with one of my favorite characters talking to Usagi in the bottom right)...

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>>88334456
...and here's one from 2012, Shoyu.

It is hard to judge from just two pages, but I feel Stan has learned to make his characters stand out from the background more, and do some neat perspective stuff. I could see how someone who really likes art could prefer the first one though.

I still stand by my statement that he's gotten better with expressions.

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>>88334649
>>Mitsui-San said Hata never put enough of himself into his work.

Is there a collection of Usagi books I can pirate somewhere? I'm interested in seeing more of this stuff, but I can't find anything online.

>>88318647
>we'll kill him and anyone inside
>too bad, I like the food here
Now there's a mook with a sense of humor.

>>88336109
TPB has one up right now, 6 seeders

>>88336607
Thank you. I have no idea how I missed that.

>>88318346

When will the pain train end.

>>88336109
Please buy some books if you enjoy it. The creator deserves your support. Stan Sakai is just a really good guy and I've never heard anyone have anything bad to say about the man.

>>88318792

Inspector Ishida gives zero fucks and that's why he's my favorite character

>>88337064
I will buy some if I enjoy them, no worries. My personal rule when it comes to comics is" "No blind buys. Ever." because quality is inconsistent across the medium and I'm done getting burned. I tried looking in town, but my local libraries don't have any Usagi on the shelves, so piracy is my only resort to dip my toes into the water.

>>88318819
>that guy in the back of the last panel
>"Man, I should've stayed in bed today."