Usagi Yojimbo: Book One

SonicSamurai · Post by **SonicSamurai** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 16:35 -0700

So i finally got UY book one in the mail, and i liked it preety good. My favorite thing about reading this, was seeing all these characters that i had already known before in later comics, like Tomoe and Gen, and seeing how they were like when they first were introduced, and how they met Usagi for the first time. It was really interest on that part, also the blind swords pig also being a recurring character, was very cool from the start, and just reading his biography really cought my interest on him, and i can't wait to read about him in the next few stories that he's in. I was also a little shocked by this comic for other reasons. For instance, it was alittle more violent and gory than later Usagi issues. I mean, dang Stan! Usagi's cutting peoples heads off and bloods litterly spraying out of their bodie's(a nice effect, by the way). Its just that, i thought that Usagi only beheaded montures, huhh.... well i know Usagi kills when he thinks he needs to, and thats cool, because its an action comic, but cutting off the persons head? Dang! Anyways, i dont want this to sound like a complant, its just interest how different the art was in the old comics then how it is now, that though it can still be viloent, its seems like the newer comics have tonned down the viloence a bit, or maybe i'm just over exagerating just a little bit. One more thing i was shocked on in this comic, was seeing Hikigi for the first time. This might be spoilers, i guess, because i was preety surprised at the way he looked, so i think it was ment to be a surprise. So i'm observing him, and im thinking, so thats what he looks like! Then i start observing him even more, trying to figure out what kind've animal he is, and then it just hit me. This dued's a human!!!

I couldn't believe it at first, because i thought that Usagi's world was about how animals are the dominant species, but now knowing what kind've species Hikigi is, i seem to be alittle confused.

Post by **Mayhem** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:16 -0700

Stan's style has changed over the 20 or more years. Less visible blood, Usagi has gotten a bit more proportioned, and that's the only real shot of Hikigi you're gonna get (until Stan decided to show him again in the future).

(and yes, Stan has stated he regrets making Hikigi a human, but then again, why not, he's a complete badass!)

tayocham · Post by **tayocham** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:20 -0700

Ah, book one is still one of my favorites! It's very exciting to see how far he's come.

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:16 -0700

Mayhem wrote:
(and yes, Stan has stated he regrets making Hikigi a human, but then again, why not, he's a complete badass!)

I don't regret making him human. I regret showing him at all.

Feadraug · Post by **Feadraug** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:23 -0700

Well, sometimes you regret something you did, but even though Hikiji was shown - even if he's human, but that doesn't matter -, the fact that he has been shown only once makes it even more interesting. Some times, you want to see the villain at once; other times, you want to see him back since you haven't seen his face since the begin.

Dunno if I've explained myself properly. ^^U

Cosmo · Post by **Cosmo** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 13:24 -0700

In my opinion, it wasn't so stupid to show Hikiji's face, even once. "Know your foe", they say.

Then of the movie Alien : you clearly see the creature once, with that gory scene everyone remembers, but it's largely enough to understand its nature.

From then, its presence is only suggested. A lethal, dreadfully intelligent, nearly invincible monster hides in the dark, decimating the Nostromo crew. It's only more frightening ! Same thing for Hikiji.

Post by **Mayhem** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 13:45 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote:I don't regret making him human. I regret showing him at all.

Consider me corrected there then

roel · Post by **roel** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 14:20 -0700

Maybe he isn't human at all and that could be a "demon" mask that he was wearing.

Cosmo · Post by **Cosmo** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 14:51 -0700

Um, maybe it's pushing the conspiracy theory a little bit too far... ?

SonicSamurai · Post by **SonicSamurai** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 17:52 -0700

roel wrote:Maybe he isn't human at all and that could be a "demon" mask that he was wearing.

Thats a good theory, it could be wrong, but there also was another character in book one that looked like a human, but (SPOILERS: turned out to be this demon like creature in descise.)

MikeM · Post by **MikeM** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:13 -0700

roel wrote:Maybe he isn't human at all and that could be a "demon" mask that he was wearing.

I was just thinking the exact same thing. You beat me to it.

MikeM

chickrockguitar · Post by **chickrockguitar** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 13:45 -0700

Is there a date yet of book ones's re-print?

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 19:53 -0700

chickrockguitar wrote:Is there a date yet of book ones's re-print?

That should be in the next few months. I don't think Fantagraphics is completely sold out, but very close to it.

The new edition will have the newly designed cover like the current reprints.

chickrockguitar · Post by **chickrockguitar** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 18:16 -0700

Thanks Stan!