Usagi Yojimbo

• Title: Usagi Yojimbo #27
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Stan Sakai
• Artist: Stan Sakai

On their travels, Miyamoto Usagi and Yukichi encounter a young woman, Shizuye, at a shrine in the woods. From an old man, the pair learn that the shrine is dedicated to another young woman, Midori, who met tragic end in the haunted woods at the hands of a merchant who eventually also ended the lives of himself and his family. After fending off three men hired to kill Shizuye, the ronin stick around to watch and make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

Although neither Usagi or Yukichi see any ghost discussed in the story (or at least don’t realize that they do), “A Ghost Story” is appropriately tired as the merchant’s jealous wife’s attempts to kill the servant eventually lead her to an unexpected encounter in the woods putting an end to Shizuye’s troubles for good.

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• Title: Usagi Yojimbo #26
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Stan Sakai
• Artist: Stan Sakai

The second-half of the two-part “Crossroads” finds Miyamoto Usagi catch up to the honor-less warriors who have been attacking and robbing those on the road, and decides to take all six of them on by himself. We’ve seen Usgai beat better odds before, but he underestimates the warriors and without the timely arrival of Yukichi things might have turned out differently for our hero.

We do get a longer segment between Yukichi and Jei which teases a confrontation that never arrives. However, Jei does manage to deal with the one samurai who manages to escape Usagi’s wrath. As for a confrontation between Usagi and Jei, we don’t get one here (which I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed), although the rabbit ronin is shocked to learn what held up his cousin from arriving earlier with his aid.

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• Title: Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #1
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Stan Sakai
• Artist: Stan Sakai

Recollecting the classic Usagi Yojimbo stories from the character’s first series, Miyamoto Usagi is hired by Lady Koriko in Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid #1 to return her recently deceased husband’s swords home from the village in which he died. Things get more complicated when Usagi discovers the samurai was murdered and his mistress, who loved him far more than his wife, has no interest in parting with the swords.

The reprinted comic is a tragic tale for the heartbroken young woman who meets the same fate as her love when she’s killed by her greedy brother who can’t ignore the reward Usagi is offering for the swords. However, he’ll face the greed of his “friends” who want a little of that reward for themselves, eventually beating him to death for it in the woods.

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• Title: Usagi Yojimbo #25
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Stan Sakai
• Artist: Stan Sakai

Attempting to avoid crowds heading to local festivals, Usagi and Yukichi split off and take a less-traveled path in the first issue of the two-part “Crossroads.” First they pass a group of unsavory characters, but without conflict. Later, they find a group of slaughtered pilgrims and, realizing what has happened, the pair go after the killers. However, when the trail runs cold and the road splits the two warriors must split up as well.

Usagi finds more destruction in the warrior’s wake in their latest victims, but Yukichi finds something quite different, but no less dangerous, in a young girl whos draws him in with her flute playing, luring the young warrior into a trap for her uncle. On the trail of six remorseless killers, has Usagi actually taken the safer path?

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