Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #1

IDW Publishing

Writer/Artist: Stan Sakai

Ah, memories. I remember the first time I came across Usagi Yojimbo. I was a kid watching a videotape of the 80’s Teenage mutant ninja turtles cartoon, well, hero turtles since this was Scotland and suddenly this samurai rabbit shows up. That appearance didn’t really make me a fan. I didn’t know that he had his own comic or what his backstory was. To me, Usagi Yojimbo was just a filler episode of the show but I remembered him. This meant as I grew older and heard about Stan Sakai’s work with the character I grew curious about him but not enough to dive into his world yet. Recently IDW released the first issue in their Usagi Yojimbo colour classics line and due to that curiosity, I decided to pick it up. Let’s see how it is.

These books aren’t new material, rather they re-release old black and white stories in colour. It’s a good way to get new readers into the content. In this case, a lot of kids might be interested in Usagi and the colour images will appeal to them more than black and white. While some fans are against recolouring comics it’s done well here. There’s a lot of detail to Sakai’s art and the recolouring process has been kind to it. There are beautiful levels of detail all through the book, especially on things like clothing and faces.

The story itself is fairly simple. This is the first part of an origin story as an adult Usagi tells a fellow samurai of his early adventures. We see him setting off to become a samurai, meeting his master and his early training. It’s a surprisingly mature piece considering the appeal a character like this would have to children. There’s a lot of the Kurosawa-style influence in the sword battles. Despite that, it’s fairly child-friendly so far. This book contains a lot of slapstick comedy and exaggerated facial expressions that give it a light-hearted tone.

The book’s obviously been influenced by Japanese culture. It really gives it a unique feel. This isn’t like a lot of superhero in Japan stories where it’s just an excuse to have them fight ninjas. Sakai’s use of the Japanese culture feels natural, even in a world of anthropomorphic animals. I loved this aspect but it may be off-putting to some younger readers.

I think this was a fun read and it’s gotten me into Usagi as a character so I’ll definitely be continuing with it. It’s that perfect mix of samurai seriousness and comic book craziness that I enjoy. If you’re into that or you have a little one that might be then Usagi Yojimbo Colour(ok, color if you’re American) classics would be worth a read.