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Usagi Yojimbo #17
Usagi Yojimbo, Vol. 17: Duel at Kitanoji
Nothing comes easy for rabbit ronin Usagi, not even being a spectator at the planned duel between his former teacher Katsuichi and Katsuichi's former rival Nakamura Koji. Before the duel even begins, Usagi becomes embroiled in a dispute between Koji and a local fencing school that demands the samurai challenge its master. Along the way, Usagi discovers a devastating secret - a weakness in Koji's style. It's a secret that could save his teacher's life, but at the cost of his own honor.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Stan Sakai
888 books357 followersStan Sakai (Japanese: 坂井 スタンSakai Sutan; born May 25, 1953) is an artist who became known as an Eisner Award-winning comic book originator.
Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and studied fine arts at the University of Hawaii. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He and his wife, Sharon, presently reside and work in Pasadena.
He began his career by lettering comic books (notably Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the production of Usagi Yojimbo, the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly-sole artist (Tom Luth serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black and white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paper-back edition of Usagi Yojimbo). He also made a futuristic spin-off series Space Usagi. His favorite movie is Satomi Hakkenden (1959).
Born in Kyoto, Sakai grew up in Hawaii and studied fine arts at the University of Hawaii. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He and his wife, Sharon, presently reside and work in Pasadena.
He began his career by lettering comic books (notably Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier) and became famous with the production of Usagi Yojimbo, the epic saga of Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. First published in 1984, the comic continues to this day, with Sakai as the lone author and nearly-sole artist (Tom Luth serves as the main colorist on the series, and Sergio Aragonés has made two small contributions to the series: the story "Broken Ritual" is based on an idea by Aragonés, and he served as a guest inker for the black and white version of the story "Return to Adachi Plain" that is featured in the Volume 11 trade paper-back edition of Usagi Yojimbo). He also made a futuristic spin-off series Space Usagi. His favorite movie is Satomi Hakkenden (1959).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 5, 2019
I was soooo hyped about the duel between Katsuichi and Hoji. I think the events leading to it were a bit streched and the duel could last a bit longer, but still. it was a great story with a lot of thrills.
Quality remains top-notch. In Usagi we trust. Off to 18th.
Quality remains top-notch. In Usagi we trust. Off to 18th.
January 7, 2021
(4,6 z 5 za dlouho očekávané vyvrcholení výzvy k souboji v Kitanoi)
To že Stan Sakai vzdává hold dalším autorům (a postavám) a používá paralely s jinými příběhy není nic tajného. Inspirace jsou silné a Lone Wolf & Cub je významné dílo a tím pádem i velká inspirace. To se odráží v rámci celého Usagi Yojimba, samozřejmě nejvíce v Kozlovi Samotáři a jeho synovi Gorogorovi. V této knize ale nejen že máme příběh s tímto duem (ač je Usagi v hlavní roli), ale máme tu i Obrazy zimního dne, příběh, který má silný feeling právě tradičních příběhů s LW&C.
Tato kniha navazuje svým duchem krátkých a tradičnějších příběhů v rámci putování na tu předchozí ale krásně přirozeně se stáčí k dlouho očekávanému souboji. To působí velmi uceleným dojmem a čte se to pravdu skvěle. Ač se snažím Usagiho vychutnávat, dělat si přestávky mezi příběhy a knížku si rozdělit do více čtení, tady to prostě nešlo a dal jsem ji na jedno dlouhé velmi uspokojivé přečtení, které tak trochu jakoby uzavírá kapitolu souboru předchozích příběhových linií a zároveň vytváří natěšení na další četbu. Už se nemohu dočkat!
To že Stan Sakai vzdává hold dalším autorům (a postavám) a používá paralely s jinými příběhy není nic tajného. Inspirace jsou silné a Lone Wolf & Cub je významné dílo a tím pádem i velká inspirace. To se odráží v rámci celého Usagi Yojimba, samozřejmě nejvíce v Kozlovi Samotáři a jeho synovi Gorogorovi. V této knize ale nejen že máme příběh s tímto duem (ač je Usagi v hlavní roli), ale máme tu i Obrazy zimního dne, příběh, který má silný feeling právě tradičních příběhů s LW&C.
Tato kniha navazuje svým duchem krátkých a tradičnějších příběhů v rámci putování na tu předchozí ale krásně přirozeně se stáčí k dlouho očekávanému souboji. To působí velmi uceleným dojmem a čte se to pravdu skvěle. Ač se snažím Usagiho vychutnávat, dělat si přestávky mezi příběhy a knížku si rozdělit do více čtení, tady to prostě nešlo a dal jsem ji na jedno dlouhé velmi uspokojivé přečtení, které tak trochu jakoby uzavírá kapitolu souboru předchozích příběhových linií a zároveň vytváří natěšení na další četbu. Už se nemohu dočkat!
November 27, 2021
Sakai has been alternating between small and large scale volumes for the past several books, and this carries that forward, as it finally resolves the long-in-the-works duel between Koji and Katsuichi. It's interesting that the climax of several books isn't even about Usagi himself. And getting to that showdown is so important, with surprising twists and turns that help to build up the intensity of the climax, and give even further depth to both participants. On top of that show card, there's an early story that revisits Lone Goat and Kid, to good effect. And beyond that, other major ramifications arise from the actions, making this another very important, and, as always, very good book in the series. 17 Volumes, and nothing has rated less than 4 stars for me - I don't think any other series can claim that pedigree. I'm looking forward to reading more.
October 4, 2021
This is a cumulative review of the 35 volumes of collected Usagi Yojimbo stories that have been published to date. They span a 37-year history, across the first seven volumes published by Fantagraphics, across the next 24 volumes published by Dark Horse, and finally across the most recent three volumes published by IDW, bringing us to Usagi Yojimbo v35: Homecoming, published in 2021. This review does not include the volumes Space Usagi, Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection, or Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis.
In a land very much like Japan, in a time very much like the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, when legions of samurai suddenly found themselves out of work in a war-torn land trying to get back to normal, a masterless samurai - a ronin - named Usagi Yojimbo walks the path of a student-warrior. He goes wherever fate takes him, living by his honor, his swordsmanship and by the grace of the friends he makes along the way. On his endless adventures, Usagi confronts wicked bandits, cruel tyrants, sinister assassins, and dire supernatural fiends. He often encounters humble folk plying their trade in an often cruel and harsh world (and along the way, learns a bit about their work, like brewing sake or weaving tatami mats).
Along his way, he builds a vast cast of friends, allies and rivals, including the bounty hunger Gen, fellow samurai )and love interest) Tomoe, the ninja Chizu, the third Kitsune, the noble lord Noriyuki, the stalwart Inspector Ishida, and of course, Usagi’s own son (and chip off the old block), Jotaro. And just as well, he builds no small list of enemies, including the dire Lord Hikiji (the power-hungry lord who is the very reason why Usagi no longer has a master), the Neko and Komori ninja clans, the Koroshi league of assassins, and the demonic ronin Jei. Amid all this, Usagi strives to uphold the warrior ideals of bushido and find a sense of enlightenment on his journey.
The stories are often funny, exciting, smart, sharp, tight, and occasionally touched with tragedy. They offer an informed look at medieval Japan, and pay no small number of homages to all kinds of cultural references both ancient and modern, as a reflect of Sakai’s own journey to connect with his personal heritage and honor it with his stories. They are simultaneously suitable for adults and kids alike - despite all of the carnage, Sakai never descends into gruesome detail, and yet, the many scenes of battle never seem so sanitized that they lost their gravity.
The artwork is distinct and excellent. Sakai’s is a master of sharp lifework (as well as lettering), and since he writes, pencils, inks and letters every issue solo, there is a uniformity and consistency to Usagi Yojimbo that you just don’t find in many other comics or cartoons. Until the last few volumes, it is all B&W, but Sakai’s sense of depth as well as his supremely skilled panel composition, pulls you in so deeply that you forget if it’s in color or not. You are under Usagi’s spell from the first page, and along for the ride, however long it goes.
To get an idea of the length, breadth and depth of how beloved an impactful Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo series has been, look no further than the introductions to each of the collected volumes published to date. There you will find a dazzling array of some of the finest talents in modern cartooning, who have a seemingly endless variety of ways to say how much they love Usagi Yojimbo, how impactful it has been on their own careers, and how great Stan Sakai has been himself as a goodwill ambassador for both cartooning as well as of the Japanese culture he so masterfully serves throughout his stories.
For those who have not yet enjoyed these stories for the first time, a wonderful journey awaits you. Usagi Yojimbo was created during those days in the 80s when anthropomorphic martial arts characters were all the rage. And yet, Usagi Yojimbo stood apart almost immediately. He might have been a rabbit ronin in a world of talking, walking animals, but he never seemed to be drafting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or trying to comment on the martial-art zoo comic trend. From the beginning, Usagi Yojimbo, like its titular character, was determined to walk its own path, to be the best it could be, and to celebrate the things in life that are worth celebrating: devotion to one’s craft, honoring one’s family, upholding one’s obligations, serving one’s highest aspirations, accepting one’s limitations, and acknowledging one’s flaws.
The stories are largely episodic varying in length from just a few pages, to an entire collection. They often are self-contained, but just as often reference slowly building meta plots, or serve an entire, novel-length story on their own. Everything is delicately interconnected, and yet, without such a heavy continuity that one can not simply pick up any of these volumes and begin reading without skipping a beat. Such is this series, endlessly accessible and friendly to beginners, and endlessly rewarding to long-time fans for whom earned narrative developments deliver terrific dividends.
As with any series of this length, some moments in it won’t land as well with the reader as others. But there just are not that many lows with this - if you appreciate what Sakai is doing here, you’re likely to enjoy pretty much all of it. There are some volumes that really stand out, largely because they tell the biggest and most epic stories (v04: The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy, v12: Grasscutter, v15: Grasscutter II - Journey to Astuta Shrine, v17: Duel at Kitanoji, v19: Fathers and Sons, v28: Red Scorpion, v32: The Hidden, and v35:Homecoming all come to mind), but really, the entire catalog of worth enjoying on equal terms. It’s saying something indeed that the most recent volume of Usagi Yojimbo tells one of the most compelling and moving stories of the entire series. Some edges dull over time, but as a storyteller, Stan Sakai’s edge never does.
Usagi Yojimbo has been hailed as one of the greatest independent comics ever. And it is. But it is more than that. It is one of the greatest comics, period. Read every volume. You will be glad that you did.
In a land very much like Japan, in a time very much like the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, when legions of samurai suddenly found themselves out of work in a war-torn land trying to get back to normal, a masterless samurai - a ronin - named Usagi Yojimbo walks the path of a student-warrior. He goes wherever fate takes him, living by his honor, his swordsmanship and by the grace of the friends he makes along the way. On his endless adventures, Usagi confronts wicked bandits, cruel tyrants, sinister assassins, and dire supernatural fiends. He often encounters humble folk plying their trade in an often cruel and harsh world (and along the way, learns a bit about their work, like brewing sake or weaving tatami mats).
Along his way, he builds a vast cast of friends, allies and rivals, including the bounty hunger Gen, fellow samurai )and love interest) Tomoe, the ninja Chizu, the third Kitsune, the noble lord Noriyuki, the stalwart Inspector Ishida, and of course, Usagi’s own son (and chip off the old block), Jotaro. And just as well, he builds no small list of enemies, including the dire Lord Hikiji (the power-hungry lord who is the very reason why Usagi no longer has a master), the Neko and Komori ninja clans, the Koroshi league of assassins, and the demonic ronin Jei. Amid all this, Usagi strives to uphold the warrior ideals of bushido and find a sense of enlightenment on his journey.
The stories are often funny, exciting, smart, sharp, tight, and occasionally touched with tragedy. They offer an informed look at medieval Japan, and pay no small number of homages to all kinds of cultural references both ancient and modern, as a reflect of Sakai’s own journey to connect with his personal heritage and honor it with his stories. They are simultaneously suitable for adults and kids alike - despite all of the carnage, Sakai never descends into gruesome detail, and yet, the many scenes of battle never seem so sanitized that they lost their gravity.
The artwork is distinct and excellent. Sakai’s is a master of sharp lifework (as well as lettering), and since he writes, pencils, inks and letters every issue solo, there is a uniformity and consistency to Usagi Yojimbo that you just don’t find in many other comics or cartoons. Until the last few volumes, it is all B&W, but Sakai’s sense of depth as well as his supremely skilled panel composition, pulls you in so deeply that you forget if it’s in color or not. You are under Usagi’s spell from the first page, and along for the ride, however long it goes.
To get an idea of the length, breadth and depth of how beloved an impactful Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo series has been, look no further than the introductions to each of the collected volumes published to date. There you will find a dazzling array of some of the finest talents in modern cartooning, who have a seemingly endless variety of ways to say how much they love Usagi Yojimbo, how impactful it has been on their own careers, and how great Stan Sakai has been himself as a goodwill ambassador for both cartooning as well as of the Japanese culture he so masterfully serves throughout his stories.
For those who have not yet enjoyed these stories for the first time, a wonderful journey awaits you. Usagi Yojimbo was created during those days in the 80s when anthropomorphic martial arts characters were all the rage. And yet, Usagi Yojimbo stood apart almost immediately. He might have been a rabbit ronin in a world of talking, walking animals, but he never seemed to be drafting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or trying to comment on the martial-art zoo comic trend. From the beginning, Usagi Yojimbo, like its titular character, was determined to walk its own path, to be the best it could be, and to celebrate the things in life that are worth celebrating: devotion to one’s craft, honoring one’s family, upholding one’s obligations, serving one’s highest aspirations, accepting one’s limitations, and acknowledging one’s flaws.
The stories are largely episodic varying in length from just a few pages, to an entire collection. They often are self-contained, but just as often reference slowly building meta plots, or serve an entire, novel-length story on their own. Everything is delicately interconnected, and yet, without such a heavy continuity that one can not simply pick up any of these volumes and begin reading without skipping a beat. Such is this series, endlessly accessible and friendly to beginners, and endlessly rewarding to long-time fans for whom earned narrative developments deliver terrific dividends.
As with any series of this length, some moments in it won’t land as well with the reader as others. But there just are not that many lows with this - if you appreciate what Sakai is doing here, you’re likely to enjoy pretty much all of it. There are some volumes that really stand out, largely because they tell the biggest and most epic stories (v04: The Dragon Bellows Conspiracy, v12: Grasscutter, v15: Grasscutter II - Journey to Astuta Shrine, v17: Duel at Kitanoji, v19: Fathers and Sons, v28: Red Scorpion, v32: The Hidden, and v35:Homecoming all come to mind), but really, the entire catalog of worth enjoying on equal terms. It’s saying something indeed that the most recent volume of Usagi Yojimbo tells one of the most compelling and moving stories of the entire series. Some edges dull over time, but as a storyteller, Stan Sakai’s edge never does.
Usagi Yojimbo has been hailed as one of the greatest independent comics ever. And it is. But it is more than that. It is one of the greatest comics, period. Read every volume. You will be glad that you did.
August 1, 2020
Usagi Yojimbo is one of my favourite comics to begin with, and then on top of that reaches its high point with the duel this volume is named after. Two utterly sympathetic and friendly characters fight to the death simply because their society has trained them to. It's bittersweet and great.
I don't really get how a couple other reviewers have complained that the duel isn't long enough. Don't they know that any samurai duel worth its salt is over in a single stroke? Would it be better if the many great pages of tense standoff beforehand, or anticipation and delay afterwards - both of which I'd kind of count to the length of the duel anyway - were replaced with a bunch of flynning and Jedi acrobatics? (I mean, if anyone could pull it off it'd be Stan Sakai, but still...)
I don't really get how a couple other reviewers have complained that the duel isn't long enough. Don't they know that any samurai duel worth its salt is over in a single stroke? Would it be better if the many great pages of tense standoff beforehand, or anticipation and delay afterwards - both of which I'd kind of count to the length of the duel anyway - were replaced with a bunch of flynning and Jedi acrobatics? (I mean, if anyone could pull it off it'd be Stan Sakai, but still...)
October 3, 2023
Collecting issues #53-60 and the serialized strips entitled "A Lesson in Courtesy" from Dark Horse Extra #45-48, "Duel at Kitanoji" continues the epic, sprawling saga of the wandering ronin, Miyamoto Usagi. The various stories here mostly revolve around Usagi's journey to Kitanoji Temple, where renowned swordsman Nakamura Koji (introduced back in Vol. 11 - "Seasons") is set to duel against Usagi's sensei, Katsuichi.
"Vendetta" is the opening story where Usagi comes upon Koyama Matabei, the a formidable warrior who seeks vengeance on his father's four killers. Carrying a note from his lord granting him permission to carry out his justice, Matabei works with Usagi to take down a local group of bandits who may include some of the wanted killers. A rather straightforward story, this issue does set up a bit of an ominous cliffhanger which gets a satisfying conclusion quite a way down the line. Sakai continues to demonstrate his ability to weave multiple subplots and gives them time to marinate into something much more impressive.
"The Return of the Lone Goat and Kid" sees a return of Yagi and Gorogoro (Sakai's pastiche of Ogami Ittō and Daigorō from Lone Wolf and Cub). Not much to be said about this story aside from a charming adventure where Usagi must help return Gorogoro to his father once more.
"Images from a Winter's Day" is a story from early into Usagi's journey down the warrior's path, where he is recruited by a lord to retrieve his long banished son. If it wasn't for the most impressive final issue of this volume, this would easily take the prize as the best story in the bunch. Fantastic story with elite execution on the twist.
"Koji" is a reintroduction of Nakamura Koji, who has long trained for a rematch against Katsuichi, one of the few warriors to have ever bested him. Koji meets Usagi on the road, and during both the "Koji" and the three-issue arc, "Crows", the pair continue to build a sense of mutual respect for one another. "Crows" also sees the reunion of Usagi and Jotoro, and the pair work alongside Koji and Katsuichi to take down a group of bandits raiding a nearby town.
The final issue is the legendary "Duel at Kitanoji". Rarely do stakes feel signficant in Usagi Yojimbo, but it really does feel like a tense showdown. Sakai captures the palpable suspense with ease here.
The "Duel at Kitanoji" is yet another masterclass of storytelling that makes up the vibrant tapestry that is Sakai's long-running Usagi Yojimbo series.
"Vendetta" is the opening story where Usagi comes upon Koyama Matabei, the a formidable warrior who seeks vengeance on his father's four killers. Carrying a note from his lord granting him permission to carry out his justice, Matabei works with Usagi to take down a local group of bandits who may include some of the wanted killers. A rather straightforward story, this issue does set up a bit of an ominous cliffhanger which gets a satisfying conclusion quite a way down the line. Sakai continues to demonstrate his ability to weave multiple subplots and gives them time to marinate into something much more impressive.
"The Return of the Lone Goat and Kid" sees a return of Yagi and Gorogoro (Sakai's pastiche of Ogami Ittō and Daigorō from Lone Wolf and Cub). Not much to be said about this story aside from a charming adventure where Usagi must help return Gorogoro to his father once more.
"Images from a Winter's Day" is a story from early into Usagi's journey down the warrior's path, where he is recruited by a lord to retrieve his long banished son. If it wasn't for the most impressive final issue of this volume, this would easily take the prize as the best story in the bunch. Fantastic story with elite execution on the twist.
"Koji" is a reintroduction of Nakamura Koji, who has long trained for a rematch against Katsuichi, one of the few warriors to have ever bested him. Koji meets Usagi on the road, and during both the "Koji" and the three-issue arc, "Crows", the pair continue to build a sense of mutual respect for one another. "Crows" also sees the reunion of Usagi and Jotoro, and the pair work alongside Koji and Katsuichi to take down a group of bandits raiding a nearby town.
The final issue is the legendary "Duel at Kitanoji". Rarely do stakes feel signficant in Usagi Yojimbo, but it really does feel like a tense showdown. Sakai captures the palpable suspense with ease here.
The "Duel at Kitanoji" is yet another masterclass of storytelling that makes up the vibrant tapestry that is Sakai's long-running Usagi Yojimbo series.
August 9, 2022
I have a BookTube channel where I review books, give reading suggestions, and more! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/dragonarmybooks
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I feel like, by now, my reviews of the Usagi Yojimbo volumes are simply rinse and repeat. The stories themselves, however, are far from it. While I would consider this entry to be a small scale volume when it comes to the stories being told, it does not mean that the stories themselves are any less impactful.
We (finally) get a new story with the return of the Lone Goat and Kid that showed up way early in Usagi's journeys. We get a short arc in three parts where Usagi, Koji, and little Jotaro help save a village from a vicious band of bandits. And we (finally finally) get the duel between Usagi's sensei, Katsuichi, and his rival Nakamura Koji. The showdown has a lot of build up but is over in a flash. And the denouement is bitter sweet.
Guess what? The artwork is fantastic. The line work and shading, phenomenal. The dialogue in this set of stories was consistently strong. My only knock is that I didn't love the Crows arc, but it certainly wasn't bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sakai is a master craftsman. I only wish that I could personally own, in print, this entire collection. Maybe one day!
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I feel like, by now, my reviews of the Usagi Yojimbo volumes are simply rinse and repeat. The stories themselves, however, are far from it. While I would consider this entry to be a small scale volume when it comes to the stories being told, it does not mean that the stories themselves are any less impactful.
We (finally) get a new story with the return of the Lone Goat and Kid that showed up way early in Usagi's journeys. We get a short arc in three parts where Usagi, Koji, and little Jotaro help save a village from a vicious band of bandits. And we (finally finally) get the duel between Usagi's sensei, Katsuichi, and his rival Nakamura Koji. The showdown has a lot of build up but is over in a flash. And the denouement is bitter sweet.
Guess what? The artwork is fantastic. The line work and shading, phenomenal. The dialogue in this set of stories was consistently strong. My only knock is that I didn't love the Crows arc, but it certainly wasn't bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sakai is a master craftsman. I only wish that I could personally own, in print, this entire collection. Maybe one day!
February 10, 2021
17 volumes in and Stan Sakai still finds a way to tell brilliant inventive stories. The focal of this is Usagi's old Sensei having to battle one of Usagi's friends because the friend has challenged himself to fight the best warriors in Japan. As usual we get a wonderful mix of humour, adventure and emotional depth.
As a quick summary of the stories:
- Usagi helps a man track down his father's killers
- We get the return of Goat Goat and Kid (a take off on Lone Wolf and Cub) with Usagi helping the Kid Gorogoro reunite with his dad
- in Winter's day we get an interesting tale of Usagi being asked to find a son so his father (?) can see him before he dies
- In Koji Usagi meets up with the person set to duel his old Sensei and finally we get the duel
All excellent - all testaments to Sakai's skill as a storyteller and artist and the world and characters he has brought to life.
As a quick summary of the stories:
- Usagi helps a man track down his father's killers
- We get the return of Goat Goat and Kid (a take off on Lone Wolf and Cub) with Usagi helping the Kid Gorogoro reunite with his dad
- in Winter's day we get an interesting tale of Usagi being asked to find a son so his father (?) can see him before he dies
- In Koji Usagi meets up with the person set to duel his old Sensei and finally we get the duel
All excellent - all testaments to Sakai's skill as a storyteller and artist and the world and characters he has brought to life.
March 22, 2023
Usagi continues his wandering, helping a son get revenge for the death of his father; running into the Lone Goat and Kid; helping a father find a missing son; then the rest of the book is about duel between Usagi's former master and Nakamura Koji.
January 22, 2021
This was perfect
July 25, 2021
A falta de futures relectures de les aventures d'Usagi "Duel a Kitanoji" esta en el meu top 3.
July 16, 2022
Great one. My only gripe is the ending, lots of potential not used There. Other than that a solid Usagi experience with one major plot líne now closed.
March 30, 2022
An ongoing storyline about the swordmasters' duel gets concluded.
I had a lot of expectations for this one, and was kinda disappointed that the duel itself is super rushed at the end of the book. The volume fills more like filler, as the first couple issues are unrelated one-shots and the second half's main focus is a pretty generic "save the town from bandits" story. But mediocre Usagi is still great reading and the characters are all so fun.
I had a lot of expectations for this one, and was kinda disappointed that the duel itself is super rushed at the end of the book. The volume fills more like filler, as the first couple issues are unrelated one-shots and the second half's main focus is a pretty generic "save the town from bandits" story. But mediocre Usagi is still great reading and the characters are all so fun.
January 27, 2015
Usagi Yojimbo (Book 17) Duel at Kitanoji is the collected issues #53-60 of Usagi Yojimbo Volume Three. Published in 2003, over 10 years after Stan Sakai began this fabled series, it’s safe to assume that Sakai has hit his stride in his writing and illustration style.
Compared to other contemporary comics I’m familiar with, Sakai uses a traditional style of panels. In this book, I never observed any bleeds or open panels; only simple, rectangular and square-shaped closed panels bound by gutters. Though using only a single color (black) in his illustrations (minus the color cover), Sakai is a master with pen and ink. He judiciously incorporates linework, hatching, and other techniques to create a variety of patterning that helps to identify different characters and figures (e.g. the group of mountain bandits in “Vendetta” all sport unique designs on their happi coats and tunics). He is also able to get a variety of tones and shades by varying the weight and spacing of his lines. On page 62, to illustrate a montage type of sequence in “Images from a Winter’s Day,” Sakai uses thin, sketch-like linework to depict Usaji speaking with various people as he searches for a Patriarch’s son. A normally-inked Usagi walks in the center of this panel, illustrating his travels and the time passing as his journey continues. Sakai also incorporates some manga iconography or symbols, but my favorite is one I think he made up himself! In “Vendetta” on page 27, he uses a huge black question mark superimposed on a white exclamation point to describe the surprise the mountain bandits have at being surrounded by law enforcement officers, which I thought was very clever.
I also enjoyed the episodic nature of the series. Even though I came into Usagi Yojimbo “mid-series,” I didn’t have any problems following along with the story. Each issue seems to contain one story arc, occasionally branching into more than one issue (e.g. “Crows” has 3 parts), but the narrative reminded me of Abarembo Shogun, a Japanese television show my dad and grandparents love to watch. Sakai’s work also reminds me of Brian Jacques’ Redwall novels. They both use anthropomorphic animal characters, don’t shy away from showing the consequences of combat (including death), and incorporate elements from historical worlds and codes of honor: Jacques’ drawing from medieval Europe and their knights, while Sakai draws from Feudal Japan and their samurai. Having loved Redwall since middle school, I think I’ve found a new series to fill the void left by Jacques’ death several years ago. I can’t wait to read Usagi Yojimbo from the beginning.
Compared to other contemporary comics I’m familiar with, Sakai uses a traditional style of panels. In this book, I never observed any bleeds or open panels; only simple, rectangular and square-shaped closed panels bound by gutters. Though using only a single color (black) in his illustrations (minus the color cover), Sakai is a master with pen and ink. He judiciously incorporates linework, hatching, and other techniques to create a variety of patterning that helps to identify different characters and figures (e.g. the group of mountain bandits in “Vendetta” all sport unique designs on their happi coats and tunics). He is also able to get a variety of tones and shades by varying the weight and spacing of his lines. On page 62, to illustrate a montage type of sequence in “Images from a Winter’s Day,” Sakai uses thin, sketch-like linework to depict Usaji speaking with various people as he searches for a Patriarch’s son. A normally-inked Usagi walks in the center of this panel, illustrating his travels and the time passing as his journey continues. Sakai also incorporates some manga iconography or symbols, but my favorite is one I think he made up himself! In “Vendetta” on page 27, he uses a huge black question mark superimposed on a white exclamation point to describe the surprise the mountain bandits have at being surrounded by law enforcement officers, which I thought was very clever.
I also enjoyed the episodic nature of the series. Even though I came into Usagi Yojimbo “mid-series,” I didn’t have any problems following along with the story. Each issue seems to contain one story arc, occasionally branching into more than one issue (e.g. “Crows” has 3 parts), but the narrative reminded me of Abarembo Shogun, a Japanese television show my dad and grandparents love to watch. Sakai’s work also reminds me of Brian Jacques’ Redwall novels. They both use anthropomorphic animal characters, don’t shy away from showing the consequences of combat (including death), and incorporate elements from historical worlds and codes of honor: Jacques’ drawing from medieval Europe and their knights, while Sakai draws from Feudal Japan and their samurai. Having loved Redwall since middle school, I think I’ve found a new series to fill the void left by Jacques’ death several years ago. I can’t wait to read Usagi Yojimbo from the beginning.
June 22, 2015
The genre of "deeply personal serialized adventure comics", those animals that are neither fish nor fowl in the endless ideological war between Marvel and Fantagraphics is a rich one and I can't believe a mere
17 volumes in and it feels like the adventure has just begun. How many months have passed in the story in the 65 odd issues I've read? About four or five? What a ridiculously addictive pool. Neither post modern nor purely commercial they give you that high without the vibe of an overly involved editor dipping his fingers in the filth pool. The only tragic thing is these series which are 27 (27!) volumes in are nigh impossible to read in order. OH WELL HERE I GO HOORAY
17 volumes in and it feels like the adventure has just begun. How many months have passed in the story in the 65 odd issues I've read? About four or five? What a ridiculously addictive pool. Neither post modern nor purely commercial they give you that high without the vibe of an overly involved editor dipping his fingers in the filth pool. The only tragic thing is these series which are 27 (27!) volumes in are nigh impossible to read in order. OH WELL HERE I GO HOORAY
March 1, 2017
I bought this volume back in July with a few others that I read immediately, but I wanted to prolong the enjoyment and give myself something to look forward to, so I held off on this one. I'm surprised I was able to hold out for almost three months, although now I'm bummed again that I don't have the next one yet. As always, this volume is phenomenal, a stunning example of impeccable storytelling.
August 20, 2013
I wish the duel was a bit longer, but the book was very interesting in terms of the themes of masterhood and fatherhood with usagi, his sensei and his son dwelling on the nature/nurture debate from the rabbit samurai angle!
March 26, 2008
This whole series is awesome.
September 12, 2021
Retroactive Review (12 Sep 2021): Please see my review of the series
here
under the first volume.
April 5, 2013
The whole volume was good but the Duel at Kitanoji was great. I also read it while my iPod was playing well-matched music so I got a pretty great experience out of the whole thing.
January 12, 2015
The overarching, titular duel brought all the shorts together, like some sort of nice, meandering travelogue. A+.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews