Since 1984 Stan Sakai has been Usagi Yojimbo tales of all kinds, from crossovers to multi-year epics, but now he’s going to space. It’s a concept that seemed crazy to me initially, but given the nature of Yojimbo’s stories and the fact that Star Wars is a samurai tale, I say, why not? After reading the first issue, it’s clear Sakai hasn’t lost a bit of the childlike charm of the series while delivering some good sci-fi.
The very start of Space Usagi: White Star Rising #1 may be my favorite part. The issue opens with a four-page backstory on space turtles. The concept is pretty cool, following the pattern of how sea turtles migrate and even breathe air. Instead of swimming through an ocean and rising for oxygen, they simply go to an oxygen-rich planet to gulp up some air. Told like a fable, the opening expands your imagination.
It also acts as a good transition from organic space turtles to a spaceship made from one. Like Star Wars: A New Hope, we open on a ship under attack as the enemy demands codes. The attack ends in tragedy, and the story naturally shifts to another character with strong ties to one of the people on the now-destroyed ship. Generally speaking, this story flows nicely from scene to scene.
Love this opening.
Credit: Dark Horse
Somewhat surprisingly, space Usagi doesn’t show up till halfway through the book. His introduction is strong, though his first scene is set on a desert planet with all sorts of creatures dissimilar to Tatooine. He’s soon roped into a gladiator pit fighting off a giant alien. Although Usagi uses a blaster in a bold first strike on a threatening alien, he whips out the sword soon enough.
The story goes into exposition mode when things come down, particularly once Usagi gets off the desert planet. It’s a little heavy-handed, although it gives a backstory to a rhino character. There’s a decent motley crew introduced in this scene that should be fun to follow on their big heist mission.
Also contained here is a backup “Akemi and the Secret Invasion.” If it wasn’t obvious, this series is geared toward kids, and this story makes it quite clear. Akemi explores an oxygen-rich planet with cute little creatures that eat beans and pass gas. While the gag is cute and will make kids laugh, it’s a multi-part story, and I’m quite interested to see how the farting leads to space-aiding technology.
The story in Space Usagi: White Star Rising is fairly standard, but Sakai’s great art and charming characters will win you over. The gorgeous art and sci-fi ideas work well in the Usagi Yojimbo universe.
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