Best Selling Books by Stan Sakai

Wandering ronin Usagi Yojimbo is alone once again, having emerged from his travels with young Jotaro. His brief respite from danger was not destined to last long, for adventure in feudal Japan waits for no one! In this volume of the internationally acclaimed series, master storyteller Stan Sakai treats readers to intriguing tales of Usagi on his own and catches up with a bevy of fan-favorite characters - "whodunit" maestro Inspector Ishida has another puzzling mystery to solve, bounty hunters Gen and Stray Dog are each on the tail of the possessed swordswoman Inazuma, bodyguard Tomoe has a new political rival in Lord Noriyuki''s court, and Priest Sanshobo''s temple is plagued by a vile demon! Throughout these stories we follow Usagi as he is roped into a covert smuggling operation, escorts a cantankerous old woman through dangerous territory, assists an inventor with a visionary flying machine, and once again encounters a vengeful young samurai. • Featuring a rare short story starring Katsuichi and young Usagi which has never seen print in the Usagi comics series!

Usagi Yojimbo is one of the longest running and best-loved comic adventures of all time. Running from 1984 to the present day, and showing no sign of diminishing in popularity, the rabbit ronin is now seen as a figurehead of the comic book scene, and crucial to bringing the ideas of feudal Japan to a wider western audience. Roaming an anthropomorphic version of feudal Japan, the rabbit samurai has no master, but takes on tasks from any aggrieved animals he encounters - always ensuring he sticks to the noble way of the samurai.

Usagi Yojimbo is one of the longest running and best-loved comic adventures of all time. Running from 1984 to the present day, and showing no sign of diminishing in popularity, the rabbit ronin is now seen as a figurehead of the comic book scene, and crucial to bringing the ideas of feudal Japan to a wider western audience. Roaming an anthropomorphic version of feudal Japan, the rabbit samurai has no master, but takes on tasks from any aggrieved animals he encounters - always ensuring he sticks to the noble way of the samurai.

Stan Sakai’s samurai masterpiece returns! In this volume, Miyamoto Usagi joins forces with a thief and a samurai to thwart a black-market ginseng trade, meets a ronin who lost his arm in a duel yet still has a trick up his sleeve, and more! Collects Usagi Yojimbo #145–#151. * Also available in a limited edition, signed and numbered hardcover! “In an ideal world, everyone would read Usagi Yojimbo. This is as good a place as any to start making that happen.”—Comic Book Resources

Revisit some of the rabbit ronin''s earliest adventures in this outstanding new edition of classic Usagi tales! In this volume, Usagi teams with his friend Gen, a rhino bounty hunter, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to protect an aging sensei from an evil ninja clan. His travels also take him to a remote village under threat from deadly assassins, where only Usagi stands between their merciless blades and a community''s destruction.

Usagi Yojimbo is considered key in the world of comics, and an important link between the manga comics of Japan and the superhero comics of the U.S. The series'' creator, Stan Sakai, first started drawing Usagi in the early eighties. Roaming an anthropomorphic version of feudal Japan, the rabbit samurai has no master, but takes on tasks from any aggrieved animals he encounters.

Usagi and Yukichi are still in the snowy mountaintops of Northern Japan, following Stan Sakai''s Usagi Yojimbo story arc, "The Green Dragon." They are led to the hut of a strange woman hermit who allows them to spend the night. Meanwhile, the maniacal Jei and his familiar, Keiko, are on Usagi''s trail when they stumble upon a bandit lair and subdue the band of cutthroats and thieves. • A new story starring Usagi Yojimbo and the new character, his cousin, Yukichi! • Follows directly after the story The Green Dragon.

Anotsu Kagehisa, master swordsman and leader of the rogue Itto-ryu dojo, has sheathed his blade for the moment to join in marriage with the daughter of yet another dojo soon to be brought under his dark wing. But for a man of action, the formal traditions of feudal Japan can be just as tense and fraught with hidden agendas as the battlefield. And while Anotsu may indulge in a moment of peace, his enemies are not at rest, among them Rin, who has stalked him for years to take revenge for the murder of her parents. Anotsu had best make sure that if he stops to smell the flowers, he doesn''t end up losing his head!

Forged in heaven, it is called Kusanagi, the Grasscutter—the lost sword of the Gods. This legendary blade could potentially tip the scales of power for the shadowy Conspiracy of Eight in their quest to overthrow the Shogunate and reinstate the Emperor. With the help of a witch and the souls of dead warriors, they plan to recover the lost sword and bring the Shogun down. But when the fates place the Grasscutter in the hands of masterless samurai Usagi Yojimbo, the ronin rabbit becomes the focus of a deadly struggle for possession of the dread blade. And this crisis pales beside the dark possibilities should the sword come to the demonic warrior, Jei! Grasscutter collects Dark Horse Usagi Yojimbo issues 13-22, Stan Sakai''s longest and most ambitious Usagi tale to date: a sweeping epic showcasing one of comics'' most individual artistic voices at the peak of his creative skills.

For years, as Miyamoto Usagi has wandered the countryside, an unseen, malevolent entity has been tracing his steps. Thought dead since the events of Grasscutter, the demon Jei-the Black Soul-has been inhabiting the body of the swordswoman Inazuma, intent on destroying the evil he claims to see in Usagi! Meanwhile, Boss Bakuchi, shamed by his inability to avenge his son''s death, doubles the bounty on the killer-Inazuma. The money brings out scores of bounty hunters, unaware that they are merely a flock of sparrows intent on bringing down an eagle. The hunt for Inazuma also draws Usagi, hunters Gen and Stray Dog, and a mysterious stranger named Isamu, each with his own motive. As the threat of the Black Soul reemerges, this epic storyline reveals at last the true origin of Jei! * Collecting "Sparrows," the dramatic return of the demon Jei, and "The Darkness and the Soul," Jei''s long-awaited origin, plus the Usagi short from Free Comic Book Day 2009. * Introduction by Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times.

The Heroes in a Half Shell and the Rabbit Ronin join forces once again in this new adventure from beloved Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pursue the evil cyborg genius Dr. WhereWhen through a time portal...and emerge in feudal Japan! There, they encounter Usagi, 20 years into the samurai''s future but decades after the arrival of Dr. WhereWhen...who has already carved himself a fiefdom using mechanized clockwork samurai robots...with the intention of conquering both the past and current timelines! Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird''s TMNT first crossed over with Stan Sakai''s Usagi Yojimbo in 1986, and since then, their encounters have extended to numerous comic adventures and multiple animated series. This newest tale deepens the connection between the anthropomorphic animals as they struggle to save both their worlds from a sinister villain the likes of which none of the heroes have seen before!

Join everyone''s favorite rabbit ronin as he continues his gripping exploits on the warrior''s path! In this volume, Usagi teams up with fan-favorite guest star Inspector Ishida to solve a double murder at a roadside inn, then helps an allied clan protect its honor, and discovers that the soy sauce business can be as deadly as it is tasty! Featured in this collection is the story "Two Hundred Jizo," which celebrates Usagi''s two hundredth consecutive appearance under the masterful pen of creator Stan Sakai! Collects Usagi Yojimbo #139-#144, plus three additional, previously uncollected short stories: "Buntori," "The Artist," and "Sukanku"!

Part 2 of The Secret of the Hell Screenð! While the vicious murder of a samurai at a remote temple is investigated, the assassin returns! Now with two murders to solve in connection with the Hell Screen, Inspector Ishida is no closer to finding the killer. Meanwhile, the son of the ScreenÈs painter surfaces at the temple! Usagi acts as bait to lure the culprit in . . . but has the killer been under their noses the entire time? Stan Sakai is able to spin a web of emotions with few words . . . nothing is lost as each sentence has a meaning and purpose towards the larger narrative. The art is equally gorgeously simple . . . a must read for any comic book fan.ðu0094Graphic Policy

Intrigue abounds in this gripping volume as the rabbit ronin partners with Inspector Ishida to solve a series of murders and mysteries. Between deadly puffer fish, a run-in with a familiar pair of thieves, and a large-scale corruption scheme, Usagi and Ishida have their work cut out for them! Can Usagi and Ishida help an innocent young girl out of trouble''s way, clear their friends'' names of guilt, and take down the Black Goblin Gang, once and for all--or will some justice elude the ronin and his shrewd investigative confidant? Collects Usagi Yojimbo issues #159-165.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pursue the evil cyborg genius Dr. WhereWhen through a time portal…and emerge in feudal Japan! There, they encounter Usagi Yojimbo, 20 years into the samurai’s future but decades after the arrival of Dr. WhereWhen…who has already carved himself a fiefdom using mechanized clockwork samurai robots…with the intention of conquering both the past and current timelines!

The close of 16th century Japan was a violent age, as rival feudal lords fought for land and power. Miyamoto Usagi braved many a battle only to lose his lord and find himself a masterless samurai, or ronin. While many ronin became bandits or mercenaries, Usagi chose the warrior pilgrimage: wandering the land, fighting injustice, seeking enlightenment. Eisner Award winner Stan Sakai has crafted a truly original and delightful work, an all-ages adventure epic that creates a world of excitement, mystery, and imagination, while building each story on painstaking research of Japan''s history, culture, and mythology. Demon Mask is a collection of diverse Usagi stories, featuring a graveyard encounter with creatures from Japanese folktales, a whodunit clash with a mysterious masked assassin, a young adventure-lover insistent on receiving Usagi''s sword training, a peasant village terrorized by a ravaging Spider Woman, and more. Few works of graphic fiction offer -- or deliver -- as much action, depth, and sheer fun as Stan Sakai''s Usagi Yojimbo.

The wandering life of a ronin is often a lonely one, and Usagi has been on that path a long time. A temporary peace, staying with the merchant Endo and his daughter Hanaka, is interrupted by the deadly League of Assassins, setting Usagi back on the road, but with the uncomfortable sensation that he is being followed. * Collects issues #94-#102. This volume also includes the landmark Usagi Yojimbo #100, a celebratory roast issue featuring contributions from several of the best writers and artists in comics including Frank Miller, Matt Wagner, Jeff Smith, Sergio Aragonés, and more! Introduction by Brian K. Vaughan! “Matching the writing, Stan Sakai''s cartooning remains a lesson to anyone wanting to learn the craft. Well-researched details ground each scene in reality, while the carefully chosen angles and zooms maximize the humor or drama of each story beat . . . Long story short, Usagi Yojimbo continues to be the best adventure comic in the world today, and Bridge of Tears is simply more evidence.” -Newsarma

The discovery of gold ignites a struggle of striking proportions as a power-mad tyrant''s lust for wealth threatens to destroy not only Usagi Yojimbo and his companion Tomoe but an entire innocent village! When plague strikes a border town in the mountains of the Geishu Province, Lord Noriyuki sends his loyal bodyguard Tomoe to investigate. Once there, she and her retinue discover a truth far more terrible. Meanwhile, back at the castle, the sycophantic Lord Horikawa sets in motion a plot to eliminate Tomoe his own way. Only the rabbit ronin Usagi could extricate a friend from a predicament this perilous-if he hadn''t ended up landing in the same one himself! Usagi and Tomoe must use every ounce of skill and wit if they are to survive "The Mother of Mountains," an adventure in the spirit of the award-winning epic "Grasscutter" by internationally celebrated storyteller Stan Sakai! * Introduction by film director John Landis!

The rabbit ronin''s classic adventure in space—now in color and with a bonus issue-long story! As the general of Lord Shirohoshi''s space fleet, it''s Usagi''s responsibility to keep the lord and his heir safe. Now tasked with the education and protection of the lord''s heir, Usagi must remain vigilant at all times to protect the heir from a murderous plot and an unexpected betrayal. Featuring Stan Sakai''s emotive artwork and expert lettering, with colors by Emi Fujii. With a new introduction from Stan Sakai and collecting the Space Usagi: Yokai Hunter one-shot comic. This limited edition hardcover sports a dust jacket and exclusive tip-in sheet signed by Stan Sakai! Collects Space Usagi: Death and Honor #1–#3 and Space Usagi: Yokai Hunter.

Taking place directly after the Space Usagi: Death and Honor arc, Stan Sakai’s second Space Usagi series sees Miyamoto Usagi continuing to defend the Shirohoshi clan in the far future from scheming rivals, the Kajitori. New friends, like space pirate Rhogen, and new enemies, led by Empress Amateh, are introduced, and this miniseries will be newly colored by longtime collaborator Emi Fujii! • Each issue will also include a new eight-page short story by Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai, featuring Space Usagi’s Akemi character! • The rabbit ronin''s classic adventures in space continue—now in color! • Three issue series.

The stunning conclusion to Stan Sakai''s ''''Hidden'''' arc! Usagi and Inspector Ishida uncover the truth just as the Shogunate agents attack. Trapped by flames and assassins, not only are the pair''s lives in danger, but the secret they''ve just discovered may vanish with them as a raging fire threatens to annihilate the city--destroying everything and everyone within it.

Fans of legendary swordsman and wanderer Usagi Yojimbo have enjoyed countless tales told of his exciting adventures—tales told over hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Someone in the far future enjoys another classic adventure featuring the rabbit ronin, and Stan Sakai''s Space Usagi universe returns with a unique, new story. The fan-favorite Space Usagi series returns in this special, full-color one-shot issue!

In this volume, Usagi teams up with fan favorite Inspector Ishida, helps an allied clan protect its honor, discovers how deadly the soy sauce business can be, and more! Features “Two Hundred Jizo,” Usagi’s two hundredth consecutive issue drawn by Stan Sakai! Collects Usagi Yojimbo #139–#144, plus three additional, previously uncollected stories: “Buntori,” “The Artist,” and “Sukanku”! * Introduction by Guy Davis (The Marquis, concept artist on Pacific Rim and The Strain)!

A collection of fan-favorite short stories from the world of Usagi Yojimbo—a perfect introduction and celebration of the rabbit hero! Celebrating Usagi Yojimbo’s 40th anniversary, this value-priced collection includes eight fan-favorite and Stan Sakai-picked short stories in color starring the beloved rabbit ronin! Perfect for longtime fans and newcomers to the series, the Usagi Yojimbo: 40th Anniversary Reader collection includes the popular short story “Chanoyu” in color for the first time! Featuring Stan Sakai’s award-winning art and storytelling and expert hand lettering, with colors by Emi Fujii, Tom Luth, and Ronda Pattison. Collects “A Mother’s Love,” “Blade of the Gods,” “The Way of the Samurai,” “Chanoyu,” “Cut the Plum,” “The Artist,” “Buntori,” and “Adachi”.

Dark Horse presents the quintessential companion to The Usagi Yojimbo Saga series--Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Legends! This volume collects some of the rabbit ronin''s most exhilarating and colorful stories, including Senso, Yokai, and the long out of print Space Usagi! In these breathtaking pages, Usagi takes on a myriad of opponents, including dinosaurs, aliens, and demons, but never loses sight of the warrior''s code: truth, honor, loyalty, and sacrifice. Complete your set--this is the essential companion to The Usagi Yojimbo Saga! 540 beautiful pages, including a breathtaking color section! Signed and numbered hardcover edition, limited to 1,500 copies! Collects: Space Usagi, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai

Usagi Yojimbo is one of the longest running and best-loved comic adventures of all time. Running from 1984 to the present day, and showing no sign of diminishing in popularity, the rabbit ronin is now seen as a figurehead of the comic book scene, and crucial to bringing the ideas of feudal Japan to a wider western audience. Roaming an anthropomorphic version of feudal Japan, the rabbit samurai has no master, but takes on tasks from any aggrieved animals he encounters - always ensuring he sticks to the noble way of the samurai.

With the bounty hunter Rhogen on their side, Usagi and his team plan to infiltrate Shirohoshi Castle and collect the clan’s secret information before the Kajitori can steal it. This miniseries will be newly colored by longtime collaborator Emi Fujii! Each issue will also include a new eight-page short story by Julie Sakai and Stan Sakai, featuring Usagi’s daughter, Akemi. • Three issue series.

Since first appearing in November of 1984, Stan Sakai''s Usagi Yojimbo has become a favourite of librarians and educators and won a Parents'' Choice Award, an Inkpot award, multiple Eisner Awards, two Spanish Haxturs, a YALSA GGNFT award and a National Cartoonists Society Division award. The first Usagi Yojimbo Gallery Edition includes a selection of art from the earliest stories of the rabbit ronin, including the very first Usagi story, the complete origin tale Samurai and more from his Fantagraphics and Mirage years!

Master storyteller Stan Sakai opens this brand-new collection with a deadly ambush on the fugitive Lone Goat Assassin and his child, Gorogoro. Lone Goat is victorious, but wounded-and his son is too young to help. Unable to seek proper medical attention, Lone Goat collapses in an abandoned house. What he needs is a knowledgeable ronin, and soon! Elsewhere, Usagi is in a desperate search for his young companion, Jotaro, who has eluded murderous kidnappers. His is a panic that only rises out of fatherly love, though he has kept the secret of Jotaro''s parentage from the boy throughout their travels together. If they are able to continue on to Kitanoji Temple, will the rabbit samurai confess before they part ways? Featuring appearances by readers'' favorite characters-including the deadly Neko Ninja. Collecting issues #69-#75 of the ongoing series.

"Stan Sakai''s tales of the rabbit ronin are collected in an omnibus format featuring over six hundred pages of samurai adventure, including the complete Mirage Publishing series and the beginning of the Dark Horse Comics series"--

The rabbit ronin faces a horde of the undead when a harmless-looking but powerful charm brings a betrayed army back to life. With hundreds of zombies and an evil wizard to contend with, Usagi finds himself far out of his depth! Fortunately, he has the aid of fan-favorite character Sasuké the Demon Queller, most recently seen in the Yokai graphic novel. This volume also features several action-packed short stories, including the Eisner-nominated “Death of Lord Hikiji”! Collects Usagi Yojimbo #117–#123 and stories from Dark Horse Maverick 2001 and MySpace Dark Horse Presents #35.

The rich world of Usagi Yojimbo, now more accessible to readers of all ages in this chibi-style original graphic novel. Stan Sakai''s beloved rabbit samurai has won countless fans over his 35-year history, thanks to a clever blend of thrilling action, heartwarming characters, and a realistic portrayal of Japanese culture. Chibi Usagi brings these fun and thoughtful stories to middle-grade readers as an original graphic novel packed with adorable art and captivating energy. While fishing for freshwater eels, Chibi Usagi, Chibi Tomoe, and Chibi Gen rescue a Dogu, a clay creature from Japan''s prehistory. The Dogu''s village has been enslaved by the Salamander King and his Heebie Chibi minions and are forced to work in their mines. Chibi Usagi and his friends must rescue the Dogu people and eliminate the threat of the Salamander King forever in this feature-length story of adventure, humor, and slippery eels.

Throughout his journeys across feudal Japan, rabbit ronin Usagi has faced many dangers, crossed paths with some who have become his sworn enemies, and forged bonds of friendship stronger than any threat that might cross his path. Collected here are six tales featuring those companions Usagi holds dear. "Showdown" finds Usagi traveling with master swordsman Gen, as the two disrupt the dueling influences of a pair of corrupt families. Neko ninja clan leader Chizu finds herself betrayed and on the run in "Escape!" In "Three Seasons," Usagi is forced to defend himself with the most unlikely of weapons. The beautiful thief Kitsune''s tragic history is revealed in "The Shrouded Moon" and "Kitsune''s Tale." And in "Lesson in Courtesy," a hot-headed young Usagi incurs a debt that takes nearly a lifetime to repay! Once again, Stan Sakai masterfully weaves together the many threads of intrigue, adventure, humor, and heart in another endearing Usagi Yojimbo collection.

After more than two decades, the TMNT encounter the noble rabbit samurai Miyamoto Usagi in the pages of a comic once again. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are teleported to a world of talking animals--the world of Usagi Yojimbo! When the samurai rabbit embarks on a quest to save Japan and the deadly Jei blocks his path, a Turtle team-up may be the only chance for survival! These heroes have met before, but the samurai thinks something about the Turtles is different now, and that''s bound to lead to some misunderstandings.

The warrior’s path is fraught with peril as Miyamoto Usagi takes to the road with his bounty-hunter friend Gen. Traveling the countryside, the samurai odd couple must put bickering over money and shortcuts aside as they encounter a series of dangers, including trickster foxes, a gambler who is master of the bullwhip, and several factions of treacherous ninja. The stakes are raised even higher when the pair go their separate ways, as Usagi falls in with a clan on a suicide mission and Gen pursues a killer who isn’t what he appears, in adventures that will test each friend’s honor-and bravery! * Introduction by award-winning animator and official “Disney Legend” Floyd Norman! * The tales in this volume were nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series!

Learn why Tomoe is the most valuable retainer of Lord Noriuki of the Geishu Province, then plunge into a terrifying ghost story where a string of mysterious murders points to a woman dead for ten years. Finally, experience the mesmerizing beauty of a formal tea ceremony, as Usagi and Tomoe share this spiritual event to mark the rabbit ronin''s departure from the province to resume his travels. * Collects Usagi Yojimbo Color Special #1-3 (originally published by Fantagraphics) and Usagi Yojimbo #90-93. * Introduction by Heidi MacDonald of Publishers Weekly and features the newly redrawn "Tomoe''s Story" introductory tale! * Listed as one of the Young Adult Library Services Association''s (YALSA) Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

Originally published by Mirage, Stan Sakai''s rabbit ronin continues his journey through a lawless land. Usagi meets a mysterious assassin disguised as a priest, encounters dishonest gamblers, and comes to the aid of the unfortunate. Introduction by James Robinson (Starman, Leave It to Chance).