Summary: Zato Ino comes to a village, hoping at last for quiet. But the villagers recognize him as an outlaw and talk about the reward and the authorities. He responds violently.

Usagi comes across the scene of carnage later and is shocked so much death is the work of one man, Ino the outlaw. He decides to avenge the fallen townspeople.

Along the road, he encounters a blind pig stuck in a hole. He helps the pig out. The pig introduces himself as Zato. Zato wishes to live in peace and harmony. He also explains how he "sees" with his nose and deduces Usagi is a ronin. Usagi does not realize this is Zato Ino.

They camp for the night. Usagi catches a turtle and Zato some fish. Usagi explains he is traveling north to the village he was born in.

During the night, Ino smells bounty hunters and leaves to confront them. Usagi comes upon the battle and the victorious Ino, learning his identity.

Usagi does not wish to fight Ino but must bring him to justice. In his fury, Ino will not listen to reason and insists they must battle to the death. Instead, the victorious Usagi cuts off Ino's nose, crippling him. Usagi offers to get Ino to a doctor and then to bring him to his village, where he can settle down in peace.

But Ino knows only vengeance now and vows to kill Usagi when they next meet.

Two months later, he has a carver make him an artificial nose. Now his quest for Usagi and revenge can begin.

Thoughts: Zatoichi is a blind masseur who is also a skilled swordsman, appearing in a longrunning series of Japanese films. I have only seen a couple of them.

Zato Ino is a blind swords-pig. Zato means "blind masseur" according to Stan's parenthetical note. However, the term actually seems a bit more general. Apparently it is a title, the lowest rank within the traditional blind guild. And massage was a common profession for the blind. Ino is Japanese for swine. (well, inosishi is at least. Ino may mean "boar")

Both characters seem to always encounter violence.

This is the first story that truly seems like a parable. There is a tragic lesson to the story. Ino is a flawed character, and his flaws destroy him. He was dealt a bad hand, blind and mistreated. And in return he developed a temper, and an inability to trust. A circle was begun, a path of violence and fear begetting violence and fear, which will not end.

He claims to seek only peace, but cannot find it. He sees the flaws in others which prevent his peace, but cannot see the flaw in himself. When the villagers recognize and talk about killing or arresting him, he responds by massacring them. When Usagi insists he must be brought to justice, he responds by attempting to kill Usagi.

He almost had a friend in Usagi, and Usagi points this out, pleading with him. But the blind swordspig is deaf to such pleas.

Usagi himself is faced with a moral conundrum. He does not wish to kill Ino, but cannot let him free. His solution is to cripple Ino. A difficult solution to his quandary. And not one Ino appreciates, insisting death would have been kinder.

Would it have been? Usagi made the right choice. He was then willing to forego vengeance for Ino's victims, satisfied the threat of Ino had been neutralized. Usagi offered Ino his out, his life of peace he had sought. All Ino needed to do was trust. And forgive. And accept his lost nose as just punishment for his own sins.

But he could not. He could not trust. And he could not see his own flaws. A tragic character, and an important lesson.

Upon seeing the massacre, Usagi decides they must be avenged. This is the first time we see him go out of his way to see justice done. But this is also a unique situation, as there was a massacre.

Even within the fairly powerful story, there is plenty of room for humor. The villagers wish to attack Ino, but would prefer the guy next to him go first. Ino's nose is fooled by his failure to bathe. And Ino's new nose works great, except that everything is pine-scented.

Again, I have none of these Critters issues, so commentary regarding the comic itself is appreciated. I see this issue has a Sam Keith story. That's cool. He's about to be big if he isn't already.

At the risk of starting something again, I will point out a stray comment of Usagi's about the irrational attack reminding him of a mindless barbarian he had heard about...

Grade: A-