Most Popular Books by Stan Sakai

Spring breezes stirring the memories of lost battles. Summer fields burning with fires of treachery. Chill autumn nights echoing with demonic screams. Winter snows stained red with the blood of honor. Follow Stan Sakai''s Eisner award-winning Usagi Yojimbo through a cycle of short stories continuing the ronin rabbit''s journeys through feudal Japan. Ten tales in all, an essential collection for all seasons!

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!

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.

The rabbit ronin''s wanderings find him caught between competing gang lords fighting for control of A Town Called Hell. With the help of master swordsman Kato, Usagi takes on one gangster, while the other stirs up even more trouble! Now, with Kato is on his trail, Uasgi continues his travels, confronting a nukekubi — a flying, cannibal head — aiding a disgraced samurai seeking redemption, and even crossing paths with the demon Jei! All the while, Kato awaits a rematch and a return to Hell!

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.

**GET KITSUNE!** Everyone seems to want Kitsune dead tonight as the secret of merchant Inouye''s stolen scroll is revealed! And Usagi''s allies and enemies change by the minute when he learns of an old enemy''s role in the intrigue! Sixteenth-century Japan is never so entertaining as in Stan Sakai''s tales of Miyamoto Usagi.�NPR''s Best Books of 2014

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.

A group of the Shogun''s men are found slain in the plum tree forest, and the only survivor is a young village girl reeling in shock from the attack. Usagi, Yukichi, and Gen agree to help protect the plum trees and prevent more tragedy from befalling the locals, but will their swords be enough? The latest Usagi story continues! • An all-new color Usagi story from Stan Sakai! • Features the return of fan-favorite character, Gen! • Five issue 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.

AMBUSH! The TMNT, Usagi, and Lord Noriyuki’s forces have been set upon by the deadly Mogura Ninja clan! With Dr. WhereWhen’s location still unknown and a conflict with Lord Hikiji on the horizon, the Turtles and their new allies will need to work together to reach their next battles. No matter what it may cost them…

The rabbit _ronin_ becomes further entangled in a rivalry between soy-sauce merchants when they declare all-out war on each other! Double-dealings and mayhem escalate to a deadly magnitude as Usagi''s foray into the treacherous worlds of soy sauce and espionage concludes! Concluding a two-part story!

In the wake of their lord''s death, the Shirohoshi clan attempts to put itself back together. Facing down the might of the Kajitori and with the traitorous Lord Matabe hunting them down, Usagi will need to find allies—fast—to keep Prince Kiyoshi, now Lord Shirohoshi, and the clan''s secrets safe. The rabbit ronin''s classic adventure in space—now in color!

Lord Noriyuki’s army recuperates from a fight with the Mogura Ninja clan. Meanwhile, General Usagi, the TMNT, and the Neko Ninja clan encounter dangerous clockwork spiders as they near Dr. WhereWhen’s fortress! But are the mechanical foes the only ones prowling the forest?

Usagis travels take him to a village plagued by rainstorms threatening to destroy it. While the rabbit ronin organizes the men to build a levee, the defenseless town is ransacked by bandits. Now Usagi and his companions must choose: chase after the brigands and risk a flood or finish the dike and face starvation! From a story idea by Sergio Aragoní©s! Reading Usagi Yojimbo is like curling up by a fire in a cozy blanket on a cold day. Its a comfortable, safe place that is fun to fully immerse yourself into and Sakai makes it easy to do that.ðComicosity This is a must read for any comic book fan.ðGraphic Policy

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.

¡Casi mil páginas entre los dos tomos de cómics clásicos presentados en su formato original! Segundo tomo (de dos) donde se recopilan los primeros siete volúmenes de Usagi Yojimbo. Usagi Yojimbo es una serie creada en 1984 por Stan Sakai, ganador del premio Eisner, que narra las aventuras de Miyamoto Usagi, un conejo samurái que, tras la muerte de su señor, decide emprender un viaje de aprendizaje como ronin. Edición cronológica, completa y definitiva de Usagi Yojimbo. Con nueva traducción, rotulación y formato. Editor original: Dark Horse.

¡LA PRIMERA DÉCADA FANTAGRAPHICS AL COMPLETO DE LA OBRA MAESTRA DE STAN SAKAI EN DOS VOLÚMENES! Primer tomo (de 2) donde se recopilan los primeros siete volúmenes de Usagi Yojimbo. ¡Casi mil páginas entre los dos tomos de cómics clásicos presentados en su formato original! Usagi Yojimbo es una serie creada en 1984 por Stan Sakai, ganador del premio Eisner, que narra las aventuras de Miyamoto Usagi, un conejo samurái que, tras la muerte de su señor, decide emprender un viaje de aprendizaje como ronin. La obra nos sitúa en un medievo japonés (siglo XVII) poblado de animales antropomórficos. Los dos tomos incluyen: "Orígenes de Usagi" Los bocetos originales del personaje ¡nunca usados en sus historias! Una galería de cubiertas originales de Usagi a color. Dos delirantes historias protagonizadas por Usagi y las Tortugas Ninja. Una extensa y profunda entrevista con Stan Sakai de 1995. Stan Sakai te enseña "Cómo dibujé a Usagi Yojimbo". Introducciones de Stan Lee y Stan Sakai. Editor original: Dark Horse.

Jei and his now small band are hot on the trail of Usagi and Yukichi and finally track them down desperately trying to escape across a frozen lake. However, they are further down the snow-covered mountains and the ice is not as thick as they thought. Usagi Yojimbo returns to Dark Horse comics!

A one-armed samurai tells Usagi of his losing duel with an invincible warrior who severs the sword arm of his victims and wears their finger bones on a necklace. When the skilled, sadistic samurai comes to town, can the rabbit _ronin_ defeat an unbeatable swordsman? * Self-contained story! Sakai puts on a master class in storytelling with each issue.�Comic Book Resources

A new story begins here! On his way to see Inspector Ishida, Usagi is confronted by Shogunate guards . . . a sign of the times. While unraveling a pair of murders in town later, Usagi and Ishida become wary as they find the corpses stripped of all identificationÑexcept for a talisman that leads to a startling discovery! Part one of sevenÑthe perfect place to start! ''''Long story short, Usagi Yojimbo continues to be the best adventure comic in the world today.''''ÑNewsarama

Usagi and his cousin Yukichi must face their honorable host—a mysterious woman, pale as fresh snow—when she reveals herself to be a monster! Meanwhile, Jei and Keiko now have a group of bandits at their disposal. Usagi Yojimbo returns to Dark Horse comics with this new series!

SERIES FINALE! Our heroes fight a battle on two fronts! With Lord Noriyuki’s forces facing an endless onslaught of samuroids, General Usagi and the TMNT storm Dr. WhereWhen’s castle for a final showdown. It’s a race against the clock to save the past and future!

One of the great epics in the comic book field stars a rabbit? That''s right, Stan Sakai''s enormous dramatic saga of death and treachery, of ambition and honor, is the comics equivalent of Akira Kurosawa''s classics such as Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress. This volume of the Usagi series features the novel-length "The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy," which originally ran in six consecutive issues of the Usagi comics series. Jam-packed with lethal sword battles alternating with humor, horror, suspense, and slapstick, this beautifully crafted and exciting volume features all of the most popular supporting characters from the series, including Tomoe Ame, Gen the rhino, and Zato-Ino the blind swordspig. Both an excellent starting point for new readers, and an absolute necessity for Usagi completists!

Investigating the deaths of two samurai, Usagi and Ishida stumble upon shogunate officials, smuggled contraband, foreign acquisition merchants, and insolent thieves! On the heels of unraveling exactly what everyone is after, however, the duo is stopped in their tracks—as assassins are afoot!

During his travels, the rabbit ronin comes across a little girl cowering behind a tree. At first thinking she is alone, Usagi swiftly takes her under his protection after finding her father lying dead nearby. Unbeknownst to him, there are killers after her that will stop at nothing to obtain the information her father bestowed upon her prior to his death. New self-contained issue! Beautiful and exciting in every possible way. Highest possible recommendation.u009dSciFiPulse

The next chapter in an exciting tale of the Red Scorpion Gang! When the bunny bodyguard Usagi discovers the body of a magistrate''s kidnapped son, a bloody showdown with the Red Scorpions ensues. How will the lone samuraia noble follower of _bushido_fare against this gang of unscrupulous crooks? Stan Sakai''s tales of Usagi''s feudal adventures are both enduring and endearingconsistently in the cream of today''s comics! "Sakai handles comedy, action, and even the expository scenes with energy and charm."Steven M. Bari, Comics Bulletin

Sent back in time to feudal Japan, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles immediately face a fight for their lives against…Yukichi and Jotaro! Mistaking the Turtles for the violent kappa terrorizing a nearby village, the long-eared samurai descend upon the Turtles with swords brandished. Can the TMNT convince Usagi’s allies to aid in their mission to stop Dr. WhereWhen from changing the future? Or will the larger threat prevail while Lord Noriyuki’s forces march into the final battle with the Dark Lord Hikiji?

Living legends Mike Mignola, Stan Sakai, and Jaime Hernandez all contribute to this final issue of _Dark Horse Presents_! Mignola and Ben Stenbeck deliver a new _Witchfinder_ story, while Hernandez introduces Merlon the magician! This issue also features new stories _Sunstroke_ from Luciano Saracino and Juan Manuel Tumbur̼s, a new _Clark Collins_ tale from Kel McDonald, two hilarious new strips from Patrick Alexander, and a surprise-ending sci-fi story from Martin Conaghan and Jimmy Broxton! * Plus, the exciting conclusions of _Cruel Biology_, _S.H.O.O.T. First_, _Usagi Yojimbo_, and _Davey Jones_! * Two-time Eisner and Harvey Award winner! Dark Horse''s prestigious anthology series . . . showcases emerging talent alongside some of the greatest writers, artists and cartoonists comics has to offer.�Comics Alliance

One of the Shogun''s samurai strongmen becomes immediately suspicious when Usagi, Yukichi, and Gen are found wandering in a huge field of the Shogun’s prized plum trees... With a series of strange events gripping the local village with fear, can their appearance be a mere coincidence? • An all-new color Usagi story from Stan Sakai! • Features the return of fan-favorite character, Gen! • Five issue series.

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.

A story of murder, double-crosses, unexpected allies, and the mystery of the one known as ''''The Master'''' . . . it all ends here! Usagi and Ishida are hot on the trail of the stolen silver when they run into the Black Goblin Gang. Will justice ultimately be servedÑor is all hope lost for the daring duo? The latest installment of a new Ishida mystery!

One leading an army to war for the fate of a nation. Four chasing a villain through time. When Usagi and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet, things are never simple! Revisit the first issue of another instant classic written, drawn, and lettered by comics legend Stan Sakai. This time, follow Stan’s rarely-seen creative process yourself with layouts and preliminary illustrations!

Usagi escorts a merchants daughter to the town where she is betrothed to a merchants son. While the parents are thrilled that the union will unite the two businesses, Usagi has his work cut out for him when Koroshi, the league of assassins, is hired to see she never arrives at her destination! Sakai puts on a Master Class in storytelling with each issue.� -Comic Book Resources

The shadow lord Hikiji''s latest conspiracy pits the rabbit _ronin_''s friends against one another, as The Thief and the _Kunoichi_� concludes! One of them may die tonight, unless Usagi, Chizu, and Kitsune can stop a secret treaty! *_The Usagi Yojimbo Saga_ and _Usagi Yojimbo: Senso_ both made best-of-2014 lists!

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"!

The bandit Jimmu and his band attack a merchant caravan, as observed by some bounty hunters who are unprepared for the size of Jimmu''s army. The bounty hunters'' leader has captured Yukichi and is holding him hostage until Usagi, Gen, and Stray Dog leave the area. Usagi is shocked when he learns the identity of the leader.

Usagi and Yukichi find themselves among a band of pilgrims in search of the miraculous goddess known as "The Mother." The skeptical ronin’s doubts recede as the desperate plight of their new friends unfolds, revealing the obstacles that stand between them and salvation. Can the goddess Kannon come to Tabo’s rescue? Discover the answers in this captivating and highly-personal two-part tale! • Five issue series.

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. Includes fold-out center spread and behind-the-scenes extras comprising an afterword by Stan Lee, layouts, character designs, a pin-up, and a reprint of the very first crossover between Usagi Yojimbo and the TMNT.