by Stan Sakai
Dark Horse Comics, $9.95, 190 pages
Comics for children don’t get much better than Stan Sakai’s labor of love, Usagi Yojimbo. In the many years it’s been around, it’s developed a well-deserved adult fan base as well. For those who may not have heard of it, the series follows the adventures of Usagi Yojimbo whose name derives from the Kurosawa film Yojimbo and Usagi meaning rabbit. He is a wandering ronin in feudal Japan who reports to no master but does as his conscience dictates. Each issue incorporates moral lessons with insight into Japan’s history and remains entertaining.
Usagi Yojimbo: Fox Hunt is a story of the hero teaming up with a boisterous bounty hunter to save the life of a young girl taken into slavery. There’s a lot of sword fights, but they remain bloodless so most kids are fine reading it. This volume is published beautifully by Portland’s own Dark Horse Comics. It comes with a color slipcase and the cover is embossed with the image of the bounty hunter.
Corey Pung