As 2023 winds down, the Beat hopes everyone reading this is safe and warm…but there’s still some snow and ice out there, and here’s a look at a frosty Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai adventure to go with the mood of the season.
In the fourth issue of this five issue mini series, Usagi and Yukichi are in the snowy mountaintops of Northern Japan, fleeing the villainous Jei. There’s a frozen lake involved and much more danger and suspense.
Sakai has been creating the adventures of Usagi Yojimbo since 1984 – that’s right, 2024 will be the 40th anniversary of this samurai rabbit, and Dark Horse has a few celebrations planned.
For all those years, and a plethora of publishers, Usagi has remained the definition of a comic book…long range storytelling providing the foundation for individual stories, all captured by Sakai’s evocative art. He’s also been a multi media star over the years, from the wild days of co-starring with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to a recent CGI animated adaptation on Netflix.
Usagi Yojimbo: Ice and Snow #4
CREATORS
Writer: Stan Sakai
Artist: Stan Sakai
Colorist: HiFi Colour Design
Cover Artist: Stan Sakai (line art) with Emi Fujii (colors)
Variant CVR B – Jared Cullum
Variant CVR C – David Petersen
Publication Date: January 10, 2024
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $4.99
UPC: 7 61568 01096 1 00411
