Compilations | 1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues
by snowbi-wan, updated Nov 2019
Usagi Yojimbo from writer/artist/letterer Stan Sakai, first appearing in late 1984, is arguably one of the consistently greatest comic books still being published today. The deceptively simple concept of an anthropomorphic, ronin (masterless samurai) rabbit in the feudal era of Japan, wandering the countryside in adventure, will draw you in completely because Sakai is a master storyteller. The rabbit, Miyamoto Usagi, is based in part on the real life samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, and exists among a cast of other compelling animal-based characters. It would be easy to discount Usagi Yojimbo as just another funny animal book born in the 1980s funny animal fad, but this critically-acclaimed series has outlasted nearly every other peer from its day for good reason. While the storyline is mostly episodic, there are longer plotlines being woven into the overall saga with occasional multi-part arcs that can easily stand alone. The other 'Stan' sums up Usagi Yojimbo concisely. 'I think Usagi Yojimbo is one of the most original, innovative, well-executed comic books anywhere to be found. Stan's style of artwork, his crisp incisive writing, and his thoroughly professional pacing, all done in a relaxed and absorbed manner, have provided comics with something so rarely seen in this field--a new literary and artistic approach to illustrated storytelling.' -- Stan Lee
In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of Usagi Yojimbo comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with Usagi Yojimbo. The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
Since there are so many Usagi Yojimbo volumes still in print, the list below concentrates on the softcover versions only. Hardcover versions of nearly every item in the list do exist.
Dark Horse published all of the Usagi Yojimbo compilations except for the original Fantagraphics material from 1987-1993, a run of 38 individual issues. Fantagraphics still publishes the compilations of that original comic book series. These issues along with some other miscellaneous material make up the first seven volumes of the Usagi Yojimbo trade paperback series, Books 1-7. Dark Horse began their compilations with Book 8, avoiding some confusion in the chronology, and picked up with a compilation of the Mirage material before their own Dark Horse material. However, Dark Horse stopped reprinting the earliest volumes of their trade paperback series and began a new series of trade paperbacks, USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB], which collects three of the old volumes into one hefty tome each of the newer Saga series. It's all the same material, just repackaged in larger chunks. They started the Saga series with Book 1, injecting some confusion back into the process of getting started, as there are now two Book 1's. So, if you are interested in reading all of Usagi's adventures chronologically, you should begin with the first seven volumes of the regular trade paperback series (these are published by Fantagraphics). Then you will need to transition into Dark Horse's USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA series--beginning with Book 1--through its existing volumes. Finally, you would transition back to the regular Dark Horse volumes that have not been collected yet into the Saga series. Additionally, Dark Horse has a few other companion volumes specifically collecting the Space Usagi and TMNT related material outside of the main Usagi Yojimbo comic book series. The following list is arranged conveniently for you in chronological publishing order. As mentioned elsewhere in this guide, however, Usagi Yojimbo is a very reader friendly series--one can begin anywhere without feeling lost. Happy reading!
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Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
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Quick View | Oct 2013 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 01: THE RONIN LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($16.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2013 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 02: SAMURAI LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($16.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2013 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 03: THE WANDERER'S ROAD LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($16.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2013 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 04: THE DRAGON BELLOW CONSPIRACY LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($16.95 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2013 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 05: LONE GOAT AND KID LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($14.95 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2014 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 06: CIRCLES LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($16.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2014 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987-TPB] BOOK 07: GEN'S STORY LATEST EDITION, CURRENT PRINTING ($18.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2014 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 01 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Mar 2015 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 02 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2015 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 03 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Aug 2015 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 04 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Nov 2015 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 05 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2016 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 06 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Sep 2016 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 07 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | May 2019 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA [2014-TPB] BOOK 08 CURRENT PRINTING (contains the non-'SAGA' TPB VOLS 29-30) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2017 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1997-TPB] VOL 31: THE HELL SCREEN CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2018 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1997-TPB] VOL 32: MYSTERIES CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2019 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1997-TPB] VOL 33: THE HIDDEN CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jul 2017 | USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA: LEGENDS [2017-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Sep 2018 | USAGI YOJIMBO/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [2018-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2020 | USAGI YOJIMBO [2019-TPB] VOL 01: BUNRAKU AND OTHER STORIES | UNAVAILABLE | $16.99 |
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in Usagi Yojimbo, if it's within your budget. Usagi Yojimbo was introduced in the anthology series ALBEDO [1983] in issue #2. After a few appearances in this series, he moved to another anthology series, CRITTERS [1984]. From there he launched into his own self-titled series and has been in publication ever since.
The original presentation of an origin story or a retelling/recounting of it can be a good place to get started with a character or subject. Usagi Yojimbo's origin story is not essential to getting started with him or to enjoying his ongoing adventures, but it can be found in the first four issues of Volume I from Fantagraphics, USAGI YOJIMBO [1987] #1-4 as an eight-part story called THE SAMURAI. Dark Horse does not have the rights to reprint Volume I, so you'll have to find a compilation published by Fantagraphics if you don't want to splurge for the individual issues. They can be purchased digitally from Dark Horse. The 1996 volume from Dark Horse started with a 4-page synopsis of Usagi's backstory.
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for Usagi Yojimbo comic books. Having been born in the great black and white era of the 1980's, Usagi Yojimbo proved his popularity in anthology titles before getting his own ongoing series. He first appeared in a handful of early issues of ALBEDO [1983] from Thoughts and Images but moved into the early issues of Fantagraphics' CRITTERS [1986] where he had regular appearances before getting his own one-shot. His continued popularity lead to his first ongoing series, USAGI YOJIMBO [1986], but he had a few more appearances in CRITTERS [1986] afterwards as well. Usagi stayed with Fantagraphics until 1992, when he jumped over to Mirage Publishing for a few years, published alongside their premiere creator-owned property, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In 1996, Usagi switched publishers to Dark Horse and has been in nearly continuous publication with them since. In 2019, Usagi Yojimbo switched publishers from Dark Horse to IDW with a relaunch. The following list contains Usagi Yojimbo's anthology appearances before he earned his own self-titles series, then the list concentrates on appearances where he was a headline character. See the Secondary Publication History for other minor appearances.
If you've already enjoyed some of the series listed in the Main Publication History above, series from this secondary publication list are very good places to further your exploration. In this section we list smaller appearances of Usagi Yojimbo (UY) in publications where he is not the headline character. Excepting, of course, for ALBEDO and CRITTERS--you can find his earliest appearances in these anthology titles in the Main Publication History. Many of the brief appearance in the list below are reprinted throughout Usagi's compilations.
This section contains a curated list of some of the best storylines for Usagi Yojimbo, any one of which can be a good place to get started. In fact, any of Usagi Yojimbo's strong story arcs can be enjoyed by itself...as well as within the grand saga chronologically. While it may seem counter-intuitive, there really is no wrong place to get started with Usagi Yojimbo.
1987 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987] #1-4 (THE SAMURAI, origin of Usagi Yojimbo) |
1988 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987] #13-18 (THE DRAGON BELLOW CONSPIRACY, big fan-favorite, partially inspired by Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai) |
1991 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1987] #28-31 (CIRCLES, this one has it all: sword battles, humor, suspense, mythology and folklore, slapstick, and emotional impact) |
1993 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1993] #1-3 (SHADES OF GREEN, excellent crossover with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kicked off ongoing Volume II) |
1997 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1996] #13-22 (GRASSCUTTER, if you only read one...this is the most popular Usagi Yojimbo story) |
2000 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1996] #39-45 (GRASSCUTTER II, strong follow-up arc to critically-acclaimed original arc) |
2002 | USAGI YOJIMBO [1996] #60 (DUEL AT KITANOJI, fan-favorite stand-alone issue) |
If you've enjoyed non-comic media for Usagi Yojimbo, this section describes the comic book source material for some of the most popular non-comic media. Although he has yet to get his own show, Usagi has appeared in several episodes of several different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' animated television series. These appearances--sometimes in the turtles universe and sometimes in Usagi's universe--are all original material, however, and not based off of any comic book source material. Over time, Usagi and the turtles have become close inter-dimensional allies on television as well as in comics. Usagi Yojimbo has been optioned for an animated television series, so we'll see if it materializes and which source material--if any--it is based upon.
A key issue can be an acceptable place to get started with Usagi Yojimbo, but they are more of a collector's checklist, as they can carry high price tags. The following list includes all of Usagi's early appearances in the anthology series ALBEDO and CRITTERS, as they are all of interest to collectors.
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