Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai. The grand finale to our second annual storytime. Tonight finishes off Space Usagi and then delves into Senso, a six issue, noncanon special adapting H.G. Wells War of the Worlds to feudal Japan. Because society needed aliens to somehow get even worse.
>Previously on Space Usagi (see last thread): >Usagi's tracked his lord to a remote, bug infested world. His friend Rhogen seemingly kidnapped Kiyoshi. But when Usagi blasted Rhogen another one of him showed up. Now for the conclusion!
Remember! If you liked it support the official releases! 35 years of comics, and they're all good from this one man. The Saga editions are a fantastic deal for the amount of content they offer, and the fantagraphics are worth getting as well! Thank you for reading, and thank Stan for making this possible.
Dead Horses: 34* Valuable chests of rocks: 4 Cliff Survivors: 6 Houses no longer there the next morning: 5 Chizu kiss count: 6**
*Plus 11 bugs ** One initiated by Usagi
Did I reach my goal of besting my record last year? well, with 32 threads, I did not. However, this year included covers, story notes, and whatever else is found in the backs of the books However, I managed to complete it by May 6, as opposed to last years May 28. Win there
Alright, my plan is to start Moomin on Sunday. Once again, if anyone knows where I can get scans in English I'd very much appreciate it. If you aren't up for that, well, tough. But Usagi will be back next March 16!
See, it is all reversed! In the ongoing, he lost Mariko to his samurai ambitions and has a thing for Tomoe (and/or Chizu), but in Space he tragically lost Tomoe and gets together with Mariko (and this time Jotaro is legitimate).
Ah shush! Usagi dumped her TWICE to be an important samurai somewhere else. She had every right to move on. You can blame her for the Jotaro kerfuffle though, she really should have told him Usagi already knows. On the other hand, how could she have known that each time Usagi and Jotaro are going to try talking about it something will interrupt them.
It was one hell of a ride. Thanks for doing this Dharma. Look forward to next year.
Someone break the tie!
Jaxson Reyes
someone else would just reset it. You need balance with top Usagi waifus. That is karma.
Gavin Nguyen
Make it next vote wins?
Jeremiah White
No, just let it go as a tie. There's no reason to fight.
Anthony Stewart
I suppose we can let Catfight user decide how to proceed. Draw or sudden death.
James Bell
During one of the Kitsune chapters someone wondered how many people Usagi had killed because of her. That should be counted as well.
Julian Powell
>That should be counted as well. I don't want to bring scientific notation into this.
Bentley Garcia
>Don't be so melodramatic! >Also I painstakingly recreated an ancient order of spies and assassins because what they did back then kind of is like what I am doing right now.
Liam Perry
Don't think, just accept.
Justin Smith
Dude. There's never not a good reason for an onsen catfight.
Henry Peterson
I suppose he was going for symetry here but another duel is repetitive.
Easton Wright
>pleaseI'llbringitbackthankyou!
Julian Wood
Did chizu run over a gypsy or something? Even a ninja can be too thin.
Levi Watson
>Chizu, you got your revenge on Kagemaru and now lead the faithful remnants of your clan under honorable Noriyuki, you don't have to eat roots and grass like a fugitive hiding in a forest anymore! >It's ok, I like it now.
Connor Diaz
>When the world gets stupid the only defense is to go even stupider.
Kevin Jackson
>Shank yo ass! Barsoom, bitch!
Nathan Nguyen
Thank you, dharmanon!
Ryder Jenkins
I propose the two be merged into a single waifu. She will be called Tozu or Chimoe and she will embody the worst of both!
Andrew Flores
>Chizu and Tomoe dressed like Dejah Thoris Now here's an idea.
Jason Price
No shit there smarter they’ve got fucking walking death rays and tripods that can vaporize cities
Gabriel Clark
This all hits hard when you consider everything that happened to Stan around this point
Jeremiah Gray
Google claims those new names mean "and that figure" and "earth" in Japanese. So one would be curvy and the second would be plain, I guess.
Connor Lee
Much obliged.
Ayden Nelson
It's been fun.
Christian White
Eagerly awaiting whatever catfight pic we get.
John Davis
I vote for them catching Kitsune and making her dogeza bow.
Nolan Gutierrez
It's the final countdown!
Lucas James
I think a lot of readers here would appreciate some Kitsune comeuppance.
Landon Walker
Someone EVIL, no doubt. Also someone who probably didn't live very long after giving it to her.
Sasuke always looks so tired. So worn. When will his quest end? When will he find peace?
Henry Torres
My first instinct would be to say 'not until the end of Nippon', but he wasn't in Senso....so who knows what kind of horrible shit happened to him. Poor guy.
thanks man, I just wanna say I love your storytimes, some days it's the only thing I look forward to
Justin Barnes
shut up HOrikawa
Dominic Wilson
>get entirely entombed in 20+ meters of sand and heavy gold bricks >BWEH How the hell did he do that? This one kinda beggars belief, honestly.
Jackson Thomas
>lel it was the morph I spoke too soon I guess but this is still dumb
Henry Bell
>he didn't use his wakizashi Bit disappointed here tb h, although I guess it makes sense that Space Usagi wouldn't be using the sword art of Katsuichi.
>Why Keiko have scar? WHO HURT KEIKO!? I'm pretty sure Keiko's scar is the only legit piece of foreshadowing (aftshadowing?) in Senso.
This whole scene is exceptional, a really great bit of character development for Hebi that I hope carries over into the main comic somehow even though I have no idea how it could. Even if the main continuity is left untouched I'm probably going to read Hebi with this in mind from now on. It's fuckin' great. Not least that Hebi identifies a human being as an intrinsic abomination.
Easton Nelson
Isn't he the same guy who scouted out Tomoe for old Lord Ito in I want to say book 22?
Luke Mitchell
Oops the scars were forgotten.
Ethan Adams
This, he's probably out in the woods beating a gnome with a nupperibo or something.
Camden Moore
The story notes for Spusagi state that both swords were augmented to surge, actually. Don't think it's shown in the comic itself though, no.
Connor Peterson
A loyal snake if ever there was one.
Noah Ramirez
Don't deny my OTP like this, Usagi.
Jackson Robinson
Oh Hebi. ;_;
Lincoln Wood
a bump to keep this alive. thanks for doing this op!
Noah Parker
>Rhino skull Special RIP
Josiah White
Actually, Usagi mentions he's doing a task for Mifune, which means it's before he got his. Space Usagi must be before his as well
Cooper Fisher
ACTUALLY rip best snake, for reals this time.
Asher Carter
That guy's name was Masamune Saburo.
Honestly, he's my Dark Horse candidate to be betrothed to Tomoe.
Brayden Cooper
Welp, time to buy the entire series, again.
Adam Perez
>Dead horses 35 Pour one out for dark horse, lads
Juan Miller
Ouch, too soon.
Carson Scott
Oh, huh. I thought they looked pretty similar, but maybe that's just the Noble Cat Samurai look, or my bad memory.
Death to Advisor Horikawa
Logan Butler
Zing!
Man, I hope Catfight user isn't dead.
Hudson Rivera
I see there wasn't any discussion of it in the relevant thread (which I missed due to Reasons), so: what do you guys figure the wound was that the Lord of Owls talked about Usagi suffering back in book 28?
i was wondering how mounted combat might work and found this, courtesy of jason kingsley, the ceo of rebellion. granted, it's not glorious nippon style but still it opened my eyes! youtube.com/watch?v=HpiBoYjg_5Q
Liam James
>It's staring to rain. Good. We need the rain Beautiful
>Beautiful Yeah, Stan outdid himself with that scene.
Jaxon Scott
He did mention the shapeshifters we're pretty much indestructible.
Wyatt Robinson
My favorite thing about it is how Stan shows the difference between Hebi's idea of Hikiji and the reality, when Hebi chews out the retainers for abandoning the burning castle, saying Hikiji would curse them, only to find out that Hikiji is responsible for burning it himself.
You know when you think about it, Sensobis really weird. Who would have figured they’d be a War of the Worlds crossover with Usagi Yojimbo? It’s Archie meets the Punisher levels crazy.
Michael Thompson
When was the new regular one supposed to come out btw?
Benjamin Taylor
what is dead may never die...
Cooper Murphy
Next month
>Reading Usagi Yojimbo >Not expecting Yojimbo
Jei's spear, perhaps?
Nicholas Johnson
Jei's stab. He can cause pain to those he wounded, as we've seen on Gen's example.
Robert Morales
Wait, if there are going to be monthly comics now, that means there is going to be monthly storytimes right?
Gabriel Cruz
i count 9. number 10 eludes me.
on a helmet on a bracer on a blade hilt 2 on pauldrons on an enemy's back on a chest / armpit protector thing in the wall in the trees
Benjamin Bennett
Yes.
Oliver Powell
Thank God
Sebastian Mitchell
Left elbow of the guy in the front, in the grey area.
Robert Harris
Do you know if the IDW Usagi will contiue from where the Dark Horse series left
Thanks for the storytime
Jonathan Kelly
Abayo!*
*So long
Noah Perez
I've never seen anything to make me think otherwise.
Lincoln Watson
No reaaon not to. Stan has all the rights. IDW is only publishing his work for mutual benefit.
Jaxon Lopez
Realization just hit me: in The Hidden when Ishida calls for Nezumi with the lantern, he gained a clue that nezumi is literate, so probably from a decent background
Thomas Watson
God damn it Jei, You just had to fuck with Keiko didn't you.
Lucas Morales
Her original purpsoe in the comic was to become a Jei vessel, but Stan decided against it because it would be creepy or something, and instead decided to make her extremely mega super creepy!
If I had to bet I'd actually guess that he did it because he didn't want to have to draw Usagi bisecting a little girl.
James Rogers
Now she is with uncle forever...
John Robinson
I never heard it was going monthly, but PRAISE ALLAH if it is (as long as Stan can actually take it and doesn't fry out).
Carson Nguyen
Thanks Dharma.
Juan King
Sorry, I don't know where you can get scans. I'm 100% in for Moomintime, though!
Asher Hill
thats actually really clever. what did the lantern say ?
Lucas Ward
Duh.
Colton White
Just Nezumi's name Forgot >19 confirmed kirishitans >10 potential
Kayden Bailey
I-is Dick Butt the kanji for "rat"
Zachary Cruz
Thanks for everything, Dharma!
Jaxson Nguyen
Forgive the lack of activity from me. Hope there's time for just this one more pic.
I would like to know exactly what makes someone a jei vessel. Is it just people he's stabbed? Can it be resisted? Do they need high esper scores or whatever? If Jei is keeping keiko around then does that mean Jei doesn't have any other proper vessels?
James Harris
Hijiki probably should have remembered Heibi is a 40foot long killing machine. Heibi should have realized someone called the Shadow Lord isn't trustworthy.
Michael Howard
I like kitsune and this still brings me joy.
Samuel Howard
Hebi knew hikiji was an asshole, but he thought he was an asshole for the good of the clan even if it was to the detriment of all others and it required using the dirtiest tactics possible. When he realized he was just an asshole, no strings attached, and he never really cared for the clan, then he raged out and killed him.
Matthew Bell
That gave me chills.
Probably an innate something he senses in them - maybe indeed esper scores or something like it. He seems to have chosen Hama very specifically, out of all the priests in the temple, at least.
Jaxon Ortiz
Great job!
Dylan Kelly
I'm conflicted. On one hand I wished we would have gotten a definitive winner and a tongue bath humiliation this year. But on the other hand this pic is pure justice.
Chase Stewart
Usagi wins
Chase Johnson
Great poses. Tomoe trying to look impassive and stoic while Chizu is just loving it.
Do you take commissions/requests user?
James Adams
>Having soundly beat the stuffing out of the thief Chizu and Tomoe take a moment to sit and actually talk. While speaking they begin to realize that though their circumstances are different they are both woman who are lead by a fate that they cannot fully control themselves and are constantly put into a situation where they may meet their end at any given moment. Rather than battle for the affections of the lone ronin who likewise may meet his end the two realize that while they both desire comfort in Usagi they may find it in each other as well and can, in turn, bring that same comfort to the one they care for.
And then they had a threesome.
Lucas Nguyen
That's the most character driven justification for a threesome I've ever read.
Evan White
I tried to make something even that awesome also kind of depressing. It's what Stan would want.
Jaxson Murphy
Nice.
Joseph Torres
Yeah, this. Hebi's view seems to be one that wasn't at all uncommon in the historical Japan: that dishonoring yourself to strengthen your clan's power and prestige is in some sense a noble sacrifice.
Fortunate that neither takenoko nor his space self ever got sucked out into the vacuum >The takenoko circuit will make the usagi Gundam unstoppable! >This is a hunk of wood
William Torres
I don’t suppose you could just pick a winner and draw them winning? Just to give it some conclusion after two years?
Charles Hall
I really like this chamberlain character guy. He brings good contrast to the rest of the cast.
Tyler Hernandez
>I really like the repellent and despicable Horikawa Are you... the guy who voted Mariko in the poll?
Luke Davis
I hope it ties every year
Liam Cook
He's an asshole, but also a loyal vassal and a very practical man. He prevents the good guy camp from being pure pragons of virtue without staining their image.
Matthew Lewis
That'd be cheating.
Same, since I am in the threesome camp.
Wyatt Fisher
Honestly I think Senso is canon as it explains why the Space Usagi future resembles old Japan. I mean it is obvious the Nips got their hands on martian technology and colonized the shit out of rest of the Earth and all the other cultures ended up like native north americans did IRL.
Jordan Morgan
>He's an asshole, but also a loyal vassal Can he really be called a loyal vassal when he's such a schemer? Him trying to get rid of Tomoe is CLEARLY not for the good of the clan.
Kevin Adams
...
Adam Cook
The way i am seeing it, getting her to marry into another clan is just all win for Geishu clan and that asshat. The clan becomes more powerfull through an alliance with another clan and an obstacle in the way of his ambitions will be gone.
Caleb Moore
This. Marrying Tomoe off is reducing the influence of his pesky rival AND strenghtening the clan. Remember that it was Noriyuki who made the final call.
Eli Nguyen
So, does it end on a fucking Jojoke? Also, I was gonna post "you sucky your jimbo" but the image limit can go fuck itself.
