New Releases by Stan Sakai

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

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!

**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

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!

While journeying over mountains, into valleys, through towns and farmlands, and along rugged coasts, searching for harmony, Usagi faces a unique cast of characters: a village of seaweed farmers, an innocent noodle peddler, a demon-possessed woman, a relentless clan of bat ninja, an assassins'' guild, a mysterious medicine peddler, and Inazuma, a secretive female samurai. More than once Usagi finds himself in great danger — but it''s all in a day''s work when you walk the thin line on the brink of life and death. * Usagi Yojimbo: The Brink of Life and Death 2nd edition features completely remastered art and a look inside Stan Sakai''s research and influences with new story notes! Includes an introduction by writer Kurt Busiek.

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!

Yokai are the monsters, demons, and spirits of Japanese folklore, such as the shape-changing kitsune, the obakeneko demon cats, and the evil oni ogres. Usagi faces all these and more when a desperate woman begs for his help in finding her kidnapped daughter. Tracing the abducted girl deep into the forest, Usagi finds it haunted by creatures of Japanese legend and discovers that they are amassing for a great raid on the countryside! Fortunately, Usagi is joined by Sasuke the Demon Queller, who is also fighting to prevent the invasion, but things aren''t always as they seem — especially when dealing with the supernatural! * The rabbit ronin turned twenty-five, and Dark Horse celebrated with the first-ever Usagi Yojimbo original graphic novel, fully hand-painted, written, and lettered by creator Stan Sakai! * Completely self-contained story. * Usagi Yojimbo is a 2009 Eisner Award nominee for Best Continuing Series. First ever, full color, original story!

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 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.

Fresh from winning the Best Serialized Story 1999 Eisner Award for Grasscutter, Stan Sakai returns with a new Usagi Yojimbo collection featuring six tales of the ronin rabbit''s journeys and adventures in feudal Japan. "My Father''s Swords" retells an encounter with a young samurai who follows in-and is followed by-the footsteps of his father''s warrior heritage. In "The Demon Flute," a village is plagued by a music-playing supernatural killer. Usagi recounts a classic Japanese folk tale in "Momo-Usagi-Taro." Two Tokugawa-era whodunits play out in "The Hair Pin Murders" and Taméshigiri," a pair of Inspector Ishida mysteries. Usagi becomes entangled in a conspiracy to overthrow a lord''s throne in "The Courtesan." Memory, mystery, and treachery intermingle to form Grey Shadows.

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.

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!

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).

Usagi continues his journey in serach of harmony.

Circles features the graphic-novel-length epic title story, in which Usagi returns to his native village only to find everything very different indeed. (The discovery that his mentor, whom he thought dead, is actually alive and kicking is only the first of the shocks that await him.) "Circles" is an epic adventure, a love story, and one of the most affecting Usagi stories ever. In addition to the 80-page "Circles," this volume includes "The Bridge," "The Duel," and the hard-to-find "The Tangled Skein" from Critters #38. Jam-packed with lethal sword battles alternating with humor, horror, suspense and slapstick, this beautifully crafted and exciting volume (with an introduction by Jeff Smith) is both an excellent starting point for new readers, and an absolute necessity for Usagi completists.

This fifth volume collects the epic-length "Blood Wings," in which Usagi battles a fearsome clan of ninja bats, while "Lone Goat and Kid" offers a cunning and affectionate parody of the famous "Lone Wolf and Cub" manga while doubling as one of Usagi''s most dramatic and heartfelt adventures. "Frost and Fire" and "The Way of the Samurai" provide the psychological drama of this volume, which is rounded out by one of the most unique Usagi tales ever, "A Kite Story," which doubles as a fascinating look at the daily life and work of a 17th century Japanese kite maker, dramatically showcasing the thoroughness of Sakai''s research and his skills as a storyteller.

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