This is one of my favorite books of 2023. If you are a fan of Usagi Yojimbo, samurai, action, or Saturday Morning Cartoons, do yourself a favor and read this one! I cannot wait to see where this story goes next and I can say that I will be picking up every Usagi Yojimbo title going forward. This issue created a fan! Read Full Review

USAGI YOJIMBO: ICE AND SNOW #1 is a great introduction to the world created by Stan Sakai, and I would recommend this issue for first time readers. Read Full Review

Regardless of who houses Usagi Yojimbo, the story remains the same. Simplicity in its greatest form, and Stan Sakai is the best at it. Read Full Review

The setting may be cold and icy, but things are quickly heating up. Read Full Review

Stan Sakai notes in the issue’s concluding remarks that the titular rabbit rōnin is nearing his 40th anniversary and yet, somehow, Ice and Snow #1 is the first one I’ve ever read in the series’ 270-issue library. With such a vast world already established, I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t intimated to jump in at this point. Sakai, however, crafts such an approachable story that I immediately felt like I was returning to spend time with old friends. There’s still plenty included leaving me wanting to keep up with this next saga while also digging into the vaults to catch up on and learn more about Miyamoto Usagi’s past adventures.

It blows my mind that in today’s comic book world, there is a “mainstream” comic still written, illustrated, and lettered by the same person. It lends a personal touch that can sometimes be lacking in books where there are too many cooks in the kitchen. You get to experience the story in every way Sakai’s genius intended you to. His designs leap off the page like an elevated Saturday morning newspaper cartoon, giving the book a welcoming nostalgic feel. It all blends to become a near perfect issue that will capture your heart from the first snowflake. more