Jei and his now small band are hot on the trail of Usagi and Yukichi and finally track them down desperately trying to escape across a frozen lake. However, they are further down the snow-covered mountains and the ice is not as thick as they thought.
After surviving an attacking winter demon, Usagi and Yokichi flee a fanatical fiend and his band of thieves who want Usagis head on his spear in Usagi Yojimbo: Ice & Snow #4. Read Full Review
Usagi and Jei are both compellingly expressive in their struggle, Jei's vengeful leering and Usagi's angry grimace both drawing the reader into the conflict. It's the latest in a long line of Usagi Yojimbo issues that never disappoint. Read Full Review
Plot
This is the penultimate chapter, the next installment will be an epilogue when Usagi and Yukichi finally arrive at the village.
This colorful story arc of Usagi has all the ingredients that Stan Sakai has been perfecting: mystery, sword fighting, Japanese mythology, horror and that hypnotizing and dizzying narrative rhythm.
Art
It is a mixture of naive art, with caricatures but with the unique imprint of Stan Sakai, which never disappoints and shows an impressive evolution. The colors are beautiful and highlight all of Stan's unique strokes, it is a visual delight.
Summary
Jei vs Usagi the long-awaited battle that will make your blood run cold
What a fun culmination to the set up of the past three issues. Stan Sakai’s artwork is a dream as always, though the fight sequence on the ice wasn’t quite as intricate and well choreographed as some of his previous ones. Either way, the action was intense, the characters were well-developed, and Sakai’s art is so welcoming and endearing to any reader who picks up his work. The ending wrapped up a bit too fast but that’s just me nitpicking. Even though this is the pentultimate issue, the next one will be an epilogue to the main story which concluded here. With 2024 being the rabbit ronin’s 40th anniversary, I can’t wait to see where Sakai takes us next!
© 2024
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