Official order to read Usagi collections?

[RDirks]

Hi, I'm pretty new to Usagi, and I think the stories and artwork are wonderful. I am in school now to become an eighth grade English teacher, and it's my hope to someday use these excellent stories in my classroom. I started out with 'The Brink of Life and Death' and I've been getting the regular issues for some months now. I can tell there is continuity between the stories, so I would like to know where I should start to read the collections, and in what order? Thanks for any help!

[ziritrion]

Try this link.

You may also want to check the book list at Dark Horse's website.

You can also find the books at online stores like Amazon.com, tfaw.com, and others (try the links at the bottom of the main page of the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo).

[Stan Sakai]

It's my hope to someday use these excellent stories in my classroom. I started out with 'The Brink of Life and Death' and I've been getting the regular issues for some months now. I can tell there is continuity between the stories, so I would like to know where I should start to read the collections, and in what order? Thanks for any help!

We've had many requests to number the Dark Horse books as we did the Fantagraphics series. As we go back to press on these, a number will be printed on the spine indicating the volume. The books are pretty self-contained so you can read one volume without having read any others but, as you said, there is a continuity throughout the series. This step should make it even more reader-friendly.

The books have been used in classrooms quite a bit. Grasscutter (volume 12) was even used as a textbook for Japanese history classes at Univ of Portland, Oregon. That particular volume also received an American Library Association Award last year. Usagi comics were even used in classes in Alaska to help Inuits with their reading.

[RDirks]

We've had many requests to number the Dark Horse books as we did the Fantagraphics series. As we go back to press on these, a number will be printed on the spine indicating the volume. The books are pretty self-contained so you can read one volume without having read any others but, as you said, there is a continuity throughout the series. This step should make it even more reader-friendly.

Thanks! (and Ziritrion for the list). I understand that the Mirage comics were printed in color, are the collections as well?

The books have been used in classrooms quite a bit. Grasscutter (volume 12) was even used as a textbook for Japanese history classes at Univ of Portland, Oregon. That particular volume also received an American Library Association Award last year. Usagi comics were even used in classes in Alaska to help Inuits with their reading.

That's great. I think they have great potential to teach young people the language in a fun way, as well as teach more advanced students story structure. They could also be tied into a unit exploring other cultures, but the bottom line is that these books are fun to read which makes my job easy! Thanks for taking the time to answer me and thanks for the excellent books!

Ryan

[digulla]

I understand that the Mirage comics were printed in color, are the collections as well?

Unfortunately, they're not. A few weeks ago, someone sold the whole series on eBay but each issue was auctioned alone and I hadn't had the nerve to bid at all of them (no, that I also missed the end of the auction and therefore couldn't bid at all had nothing at all to do with it... hrm)

[Mayhem]

Getting the Mirage issues was the hardest part for me... as they didn't turn up as often or as plentiful as the Fantagraphics or DH ones. Thankfully I managed it through a couple of (almost) complete sets of them... sadly none spare, sold most of them off a while back.

I think the only things I'm missing Usagi wise now are issue or collection specific stories (mainly hardback stuff etc)...