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Writer / Artist: Stan Sakai
Colorist: Emi Fujii
PUBLISHER: DARK HORSE COMICS
One of the more intriguing aspects of Space Usagi has been seeing all these influences converge into one story. It has long been known how much directors like Akira Kurosawa had on George Lucas’s Star Wars, and many of those same influences have impacted Stan Sakai’s work. Now with Space Usagi, we see all those worlds come together to create something unique.
This marks the end of this tale and in a chapter from the book of Star Wars, we get an epic conclusion including concurrent action scenes with an intense sword fight and explosive space battle. Before we got there though we needed to see the pieces be put into place.
Usagi is attempting to keep his clan alive by protecting Prince Kiyoshi and Princess Masaya to ensure their marriage can happen. Before the day is done though a figure from the past will return to try and claim what he feels he deserves.
There are not many creators who could combine classic Japanese fables, dinosaurs, spaceships, and superpowers into one story as seamlessly as Stan Sakai. It works because at the center of this is the character he has been writing so well for forty years.
This exists outside of the normal Usagi universe but the character is very much what he has always been. Stoic, loyal, and an impressive fighter Usagi will do whatever it takes to win the day. Even if that means allowing his love to marry someone else.
With three issues if there is a problem with this series it is has quickly certain events happen.
Usagi falling for Masaya transpires rather quickly, but I also appreciate it not wasting time in getting to a direction we know it is going. It does minimize the conflict Usagi is under for the sake of pacing. However, it all comes together with a nice twist at the end.
Where this series lives and dies though is with Stan Sakai’s cartooning. The man is a master of the form and
this just furthers that point. During this issue’s climax, we get this massive space battle while at the same time personal and intimate samurai duel.
Two very different types of sequences and everything is drawn to perfection. The three-panel finale of the duel is just storytelling at its best.
Emi Fujii’s is on coloring duties and does the work to enhance those moments. Her color palette is effective and comes alive in the finale, especially when it comes to the samurai armor. So much attention to detail to make these characters feel like pristine warriors destined for hellish combat.
Overall this gives a satisfying conclusion to one of Usagi Yojimbo’s most unusual adventures. Sometimes a change of location can breathe new life into a person and you get that sense with this series.
What is great about this book is despite it being a reprint it is as relevant as ever with its connections to properties like Star Wars. It is this ultimate celebration of genre storytelling.
