- Title: Usagi Yojimbo #4
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Stan Sakai
- Artist: Stan Sakai
Usagi Yojimbo #4 begins a new arc when Miyamoto Usagi encounters Lady Mura on the road. A talented writer whose work captures Usagi’s attention, even causing the ronin to imagine himself as a character in her story, Usagi decides to walk a ways with Mura who is on her way to see her father after a dust-up with her abusive husband the night before.
Hearing of her arranged marriage, and her husband’s anger that her prestige has now outshines his own, inspires Usagi to offer his services as bodyguard to Mura on the road, which turns out to be a fateful decision when her husbands thugs show up to forcibly return her home (and are sent back without Usagi removing the blade from its sheath).
After fighting off demonic puppets in the comic’s opening arc, it’s a nice change to see Stan Sakai take the rabbit ronin back to basics here, and introduce a new character (inspired by a real writer) worthy and in need of Usagi’s help. Worth a look.
[IDW, $3.99]