Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics - Jan 2020

[maichan]

But then there are these versions to also consider...

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[jabba359]

Perhaps he's a snowshoe hare, as they change from brown in the summer to white in the winter to better blend in with their surroundings.

[maichan]

Perhaps he's a snowshoe hare, as they change from brown in the summer to white in the winter to better blend in with their surroundings.

good answer! My theory was perhaps Kenichi's fur lightened as he aged. A change in hair (fur) color is common among some animals, as well as people.

[Maka]

After reading the first issue, I have to say, Ronda Pattison did an excellent job coloring it.

I wonder if her coloring Chibi Usagi is setting a precedent for maybe having her color Julie's upcoming Chibi Usagi book as well?

I completely agree with Ronda Pattison's coloring! As I was reading it, I was enjoying the addition of color much more than I thought I would (after knowing Usagi in B&W all these years). Especially on glossy paper. I might, don't hate on me, even prefer it to the original B&W. The colors are so bright and I love the shading. The splash pages in color are amazing (almost like getting another cover). The panels seem to individualize (is that a word) more than in B&W. And I think once these are collected, they would be even more appealing to younger age readers because of the color. The color made re-reading this story a new experience for me. One that I LOVED! (I should turn this comment into a letter to the editor and mail it in ).

Question: Was the blood wiping cloth Usagi used to clean his sword black because red would be too graphic for certain age readers? Or was just Ronda's choice and you went with it?

I love Emi's coloring in the few things that we have seen so far. What a wonderful thing to be able to include your talented family in the creation of these stories. I can't wait for the Chibi Usagi graphic novel. I imagine that is a huge amount of work for all. May you all work well together. Good luck!

Peace, maka

[hayesbass]

According to Diamond #7 will be the last issue of Color Classsics

[Gaffey]

Where did you see that? I still haven't seen a a solicitation for issue #6.

[hayesbass]

https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAR200817

[jabba359]

According to Diamond #7 will be the last issue of Color Classsics

That's interesting. The January sales charts show 4,724 copies sold for the first month, so not great, but not terrible either. That's right in the ballpark of TMNT Urban Legends which will be on issue #25 in April and quite a bit better than Uncle Scrooge (2,945 copies in Jan), which will be on issue #57 that month. So that's a least one similar performing title and one underperforming title that both apparently have warranted continued publication.

Just spitballing some potential explanations for this, but I wonder if Feb. preorder numbers for UY Color Classics have way underperformed from that first issue, leading to an early decision to pull the plug? Or perhaps Previews is mistaken about it only being a 7-issue run? It's also possible that IDW is doing them in batches of 7 issues for each trade-sized collection, so this is just the first batch of 7 issues, then the next batch of 7 will be for tpb 2?

I also noticed that the description for UY CC #5 says it contains the "exciting conclusion to the essential 'Samurai' storyline." Since Samurai was an 8-part story and parts 1-8 are being published in UY CC #1-4, I'm not sure what Samurai storyline is left for issue #5. Anybody have any ideas what it might be referring to?

[Steve Hubbell]

When I first saw the listing for the Usagi Color Classic #5 (of 7), the first thing I thought was that the first reprint book in color from IDW was going to contain the first seven issues of the reprint series.....

I also noticed that the description for UY CC #5 says it contains the "exciting conclusion to the essential 'Samurai' storyline." Since Samurai was an 8-part story and parts 1-8 are being published in UY CC #1-4, I'm not sure what Samurai storyline is left for issue #5. Anybody have any ideas what it might be referring to?

Feb/1988 - issue #6 - The Test (featuring “Young” Usagi - title changed to "Samurai - part 3" in Book 2: Samurai)

[jabba359]

When I first saw the listing for the Usagi Color Classic #5 (of 7), the first thing I thought was that the first reprint book in color from IDW was going to contain the first seven issues of the reprint series.....

I also noticed that the description for UY CC #5 says it contains the "exciting conclusion to the essential 'Samurai' storyline." Since Samurai was an 8-part story and parts 1-8 are being published in UY CC #1-4, I'm not sure what Samurai storyline is left for issue #5. Anybody have any ideas what it might be referring to?

Feb/1988 - issue #6 - The Test (featuring “Young” Usagi - title changed to "Samurai - part 3" in Book 2: Samurai)

Ah, so there are actually 9 parts to the (revised) Samurai storyline.

[maichan]

According to Diamond #7 will be the last issue of Color Classsics

That's interesting. The January sales charts show 4,724 copies sold for the first month, so not great, but not terrible either. That's right in the ballpark of TMNT Urban Legends which will be on issue #25 in April and quite a bit better than Uncle Scrooge (2,945 copies in Jan), which will be on issue #57 that month. So that's a least one similar performing title and one underperforming title that both apparently have warranted continued publication.

Just spitballing some potential explanations for this, but I wonder if Feb. preorder numbers for UY Color Classics have way underperformed from that first issue, leading to an early decision to pull the plug? Or perhaps Previews is mistaken about it only being a 7-issue run? It's also possible that IDW is doing them in batches of 7 issues for each trade-sized collection, so this is just the first batch of 7 issues, then the next batch of 7 will be for tpb 2?

I also noticed that the description for UY CC #5 says it contains the "exciting conclusion to the essential 'Samurai' storyline." Since Samurai was an 8-part story and parts 1-8 are being published in UY CC #1-4, I'm not sure what Samurai storyline is left for issue #5. Anybody have any ideas what it might be referring to?

This was my first theory, that maybe they are doing them in batches. Not necessarily 7 issues each, but thereabouts, or whatever number of stories would fit together nicely. I guess we won't know for certain what's going on until either Stan lets us know, or we get word from IDW directly, or via Diamond/Previews World.

[TheBroox]

When I first saw the listing for the Usagi Color Classic #5 (of 7), the first thing I thought was that the first reprint book in color from IDW was going to contain the first seven issues of the reprint series.....

I also noticed that the description for UY CC #5 says it contains the "exciting conclusion to the essential 'Samurai' storyline." Since Samurai was an 8-part story and parts 1-8 are being published in UY CC #1-4, I'm not sure what Samurai storyline is left for issue #5. Anybody have any ideas what it might be referring to?

Feb/1988 - issue #6 - The Test (featuring “Young” Usagi - title changed to "Samurai - part 3" in Book 2: Samurai)

Ah, so there are actually 9 parts to the (revised) Samurai storyline.

Correct. Curious what will be bundled with part 9 in Issue #5. Wonder if they would run Zylla again so soon after the Halloween issue.

Issue #6 seems to have Blind Swordpig and A Quiet Meal in it: https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/APR200802

[lookatyouhacker]

Question: Will the reprinted in color comics have new covers, a mixture of old and new, or just old covers?

Peace, maka

Right now we are doing new covers. The first issue will have a one page Chibi gag. We would like to continue Chibi Usagi shorts but don’t know if we can because Julie has a couple big projects, one of which comes out at the beginning of May (hint).

I'd love to know how much progress is being made on that project.

[Casey Burns]

A couple of questions for those of you that are way more in the know than me ...
Did Color Classics 4 come out this week, or are all new releases delayed right now?
Any word on if the Color Classics series will continue past issue 7?
I'm having a great time revisiting these old stories again through a new color lens, and would love to see the series continue.

[TheBroox]

Did Color Classics 4 come out this week, or are all new releases delayed right now?

Dimond has not shipped any comics for a few weeks so no new comics have been released for a number of week.

Any word on if the Color Classics series will continue past issue 7?
I'm having a great time revisiting these old stories again through a new color lens, and would love to see the series continue.

Stan has indicated that the plan is to re-release everything in color. They will continue to release them as singles (and later collections) as long as it is profitable and then when the sales number drop switch to releasing them in trades only. So it would seem that the appearance of "(of 7)" would indicate that the series may already stop releasing singles. That said Stan seemed surprised when it suddenly started showing up in advanced solicitations.