DIAMOND COMICS DISTRIBUTORS, DECEMBER 14, 1998

[Steve Hubbell]

USAGI YOJIMBO: SAMURAI DETECTIVE
by THE EDITORS (DIAMOND COMICS DISTRIBUTORS, DECEMBER 14, 1998)

Stan Sakai’s fan-favorite samurai rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo, takes on a new genre in the two-part murder mystery arc, The Hairpin Murders, beginning with issue #26.
Usagi is caught up in a mystery when he befriends a police inspector investigating several murders. The clues lead to a tangled web of betrayal and deceit that spans a decade. Can Usagi and the detective discover the identity of the next victim before it’s too late? Will justice prevail?

"I’m a fan of whodunit murder mysteries, and in the The Hairpin Murders I put Usagi in the role of the detective," Sakai said about the series. "He and Police Inspector Ishida probe the killings of three prominent merchants. Their investigation takes them into the victims’ past where they unravel a story of greed and betrayal."
As for what the future holds, Sakai added, "This is the first time I’m combining traditional murder mystery with Japanese culture and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The game is afoot!"