shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Nov 28, 2016 8:17:43 GMT -5
Came home Friday morning from Black Friday DVD shopping to find a nice large Amazon box (requiring a fork lift or crane to move it) of the Usagi Special Edition set and Usagi Saga 1 and 2. Once opened then i dove headlong hungrily over Friday,Satruday and Sunday in devouring the entire 1st book from the Special Edition. Been quite a while since i so thoroughly immersed myself into another world so devoutly. Now the great hunger calls (step aside world devour Galactus, I hunger!) and it shall not be satisfied until i have managed to purchase all the Saga TPB's (slowly young grasshopper, you must not break the bank and be one of the homeless masses) so my collecting fever subsides and my reading pleasures continue. Further insights and thoughts coming. P.S> Thanks Shax, like i am not addicted to enough comic book things now you helped restore me to one of my old favorites which had fallen to the side. But damn don't these Usagi collections look so beautiful beside my Elfquest's on the shelf. Two of my most favorite series ever by author's/artists of uniquely stirring and spiritual stories and gorgeous black and white art to be ever be crafted. Just think of me as your cyber-crack dealer  So glad you're enjoying rediscovering the series! And yes, those Saga volumes are gorgeous. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Dec 10, 2016 16:14:29 GMT -5
Thanks for this thread, although I am now a lot less rich than I was before seeing it. I am however much more fortunate, having finally discovered Usagi.
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Post by randomjc on Mar 11, 2017 12:41:16 GMT -5
Speaking from my own experience, the first Saga book is a pretty good place to start. Even with obvious call backs to earlier, it was very compelling and finished the book within a few days. A quarter of the way through I had ordered the Fantagraphics collection, and Saga's 2 and 3. I found the Fantagraphics a bit harder to get through, it just didn't pick up for me till the second half of the collection, and I may have never gotten there if I wasn't aware of where things were going.
This was only about a few weeks ago, I'm now just starting Saga 3, and it's a blast of a series. I've even gone about collecting individual issues, concentrating mostly on the mirage run, for the color versions of those stories. But picking up any issue if it's in my price range at the moment, I'd love a complete run of singles. I really wish I have finally say down to read this years ago.
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Mar 11, 2017 13:22:12 GMT -5
Speaking from my own experience, the first Saga book is a pretty good place to start. Even with obvious call backs to earlier, it was very compelling and finished the book within a few days. A quarter of the way through I had ordered the Fantagraphics collection, and Saga's 2 and 3. I found the Fantagraphics a bit harder to get through, it just didn't pick up for me till the second half of the collection, and I may have never gotten there if I wasn't aware of where things were going. This was only about a few weeks ago, I'm now just starting Saga 3, and it's a blast of a series. I've even gone about collecting individual issues, concentrating mostly on the mirage run, for the color versions of those stories. But picking up any issue if it's in my price range at the moment, I'd love a complete run of singles. I really wish I have finally say down to read this years ago. Welcome to the board, my friend, and congratulations on discovering Usagi! It truly only gets better from where you currently are in your reading. And you absolutely must read Space Usagi as well, which is my favorite version of the character! |
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Post by randomjc on Mar 12, 2017 11:00:20 GMT -5
Speaking from my own experience, the first Saga book is a pretty good place to start. Even with obvious call backs to earlier, it was very compelling and finished the book within a few days. A quarter of the way through I had ordered the Fantagraphics collection, and Saga's 2 and 3. I found the Fantagraphics a bit harder to get through, it just didn't pick up for me till the second half of the collection, and I may have never gotten there if I wasn't aware of where things were going. This was only about a few weeks ago, I'm now just starting Saga 3, and it's a blast of a series. I've even gone about collecting individual issues, concentrating mostly on the mirage run, for the color versions of those stories. But picking up any issue if it's in my price range at the moment, I'd love a complete run of singles. I really wish I have finally say down to read this years ago. Welcome to the board, my friend, and congratulations on discovering Usagi! It truly only gets better from where you currently are in your reading. And you absolutely must read Space Usagi as well, which is my favorite version of the character! Thank you. And Space Usagi is on my list, I've pre-ordered the hardback for later this year, as all I've found in my comic store is issue 1. I'm looking forward to it, and Senso, but trying not to jump the gun and will get to that in time. |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Mar 12, 2017 11:07:15 GMT -5
Welcome to the board, my friend, and congratulations on discovering Usagi! It truly only gets better from where you currently are in your reading. And you absolutely must read Space Usagi as well, which is my favorite version of the character! Thank you. And Space Usagi is on my list, I've pre-ordered the hardback for later this year, as all I've found in my comic store is issue 1. I'm looking forward to it, and Senso, but trying not to jump the gun and will get to that in time. You can read Space Usagi at any point in regular Usagi continuity. Senso may contain some spoilers though. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Aug 24, 2017 19:35:35 GMT -5
I loved the pin up by David Petersen of Mouseguard fame at the end of Saga Vol.5, I'd love to see him do a full Usagi story.
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Post by hondobrode on Jul 18, 2018 12:40:01 GMT -5
Bought everything Dark Horse had on sale digitally a few months back and now with their Not @ SDCC sale have bought they rest of what they have available in collections.
I've always meant to get more Usagi but Shaxper's praise for the series nudged me to get it sooner than later and I'm just finishing volume 7 now of the Saga.
For some weird reason DH doesn't have volume 8 available digitally nor the individual issues. Does anyone know why ? I'd prefer to keep everything digital. Call me crazy, but jumping from paper to digital or vice versa breaks the continuity flow for me and just doesn't mesh.
Why this hasn't become an animated series is beyond me.
Highest praise.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 18, 2018 15:06:12 GMT -5
Why this hasn't become an animated series is beyond me. It nearly was... And the amount of attention Usagi got in the TMNT series last year has made me wonder if someone is seriously considering Usagi's multimedia potential once again. |
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Post by rberman on Jul 19, 2018 11:30:44 GMT -5
If you're interested in reading Usagi, but don't know where to begin, here's a handy reference to address just that question! While Usagi has a meticulous continuity spanning over thirty years, it's generally written so that a new reader can pick up almost any given issue (including current issues on the comic store shelves right now) and immediately understand what is going on. As Stan Sakai writes later in this very thread: I try to make each book stand on its own, without having to read the other volumes. The only exceptions might be the two Grasscutter books, which are built up on foundations laid by the preceding volumes. However, even those can be read on their own. The first Grasscutter (UY Vol 12) was used as a textbook in Japanese History classes at the college level, and I would bet most of those students had no idea who Usagi is. I tend to do a few books of self-contained or short story arc which are good jumping on points for new readers. These also lay some groundwork for the long epic-type stories that the older readers seem to like, because I can get more into character development and relationships. However, Usagi also rewards longtime readers who know its characters and recall past events. if you want to venture back to the beginning, the easiest way is to begin with:  The Usagi Yojimbo Special Edition (reprinting the early appearances and Usagi Yojimbo vol. 1 #1-38), and then move on to  The Usagi Yojimbo Saga Editions (reprinting Usagi Yojimbo vol. 2 #1-16, as well as Usagi Yojimbo vol. 3 #1 to present). Since hearing so much about Usagi Yojimbo on this forum, I got the Saga Edition Vol 1 shown above as my first read. It began with a confusing story, namely the Ninja Turtle crossover. The problem with that story is that it has a large number of characters and thus can't really focus on the protagonist. Also, fitting them all into the frame made for some really crowded B&W art, and with four turtles who look identical, understanding the action was not easy. I liked it much better when that story was done and the action moved to the sword stolen from the battlefield, Usagi infiltrating the war band which took over the town, Usagi and the princess having their "The Bodyguard"/"Crouching Tiger" adventure, etc. So, why does Vol 1 of the Saga Edition actually not collect the first volume of Usagi Yojimbo? Is it a rights thing? I noticed that even the earliest stories in the Saga Edition had footnotes referring to previous stories. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 19, 2018 15:23:41 GMT -5
So, why does Vol 1 of the Saga Edition actually not collect the first volume of Usagi Yojimbo? Is it a rights thing? I noticed that even the earliest stories in the Saga Edition had footnotes referring to previous stories. Different publisher. As the op indicates, you need The Special Edition to read the original stories published by Fantagraph. Would have been nice if Fantagraph and Dark Horse could have coordinated on the Saga Editions, but it didn't work out that way. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Nov 29, 2020 12:25:23 GMT -5
The original post has been updated.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2023 9:15:20 GMT -5
Does anyone know what are the best UY stories from each decade? I want to the enjoy the series without reading every issue/arc.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 11, 2023 14:28:10 GMT -5
Does anyone know what are the best UY stories from each decade? I want to the enjoy the series without reading every issue/arc. Sure thing. I'd recommend starting with "Samurai", then "Circles," and "The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy". I'm of the honest belief that every Usagi story is great and worth reading until the the tail end of volume 1, where there are some stories that are just pretty good, but Stan writes these stories so that you don't need to know all that happened. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2023 19:36:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the rec! In issue form, what issues would these be?
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