A lone ronin faces the secrets of a haunted forest in "The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill," a delightful entry from Stan Sakai's beloved Usagi Yojimbo series.
(Originally posted on The Comics Bolt) A lone ronin faces the secrets of a haunted forest in "The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill," a delightful entry from Stan Sakai's beloved Usagi Yojimbo series. Our story opens with Miyamoto Usagi on the road, continuing his warrior's pilgrimage. His travels bring him to The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill, a reputed haven from the obakémono that inhabit the surrounding forest. The inn has become quite the tourist attraction, bringing in guests from all over the country hoping to see the obakémono. One of Usagi's fellow guests, an obnoxious rich merchant, dares him to bring back a white stone from a nearby graveyard, a local test of courage. Although weary from his travels, Usagi reluctantly sets forth to bring back the white stone when his courage and honor are challenged. His nighttime adventure naturally leads to him discovering the truth about the obakémono and the inn. But will he live long enough to reveal it? Whether you snag it as a single issue or a reprint in a trade paperback (in the 14th volume of the Dark Horse reprints, Demon Mask), you won't regret tracking this one down. There's so much to enjoy here, from the clever premise and the story itself to Sakai's beautiful artwork and cinematic panel breakdowns that represent sequential art at its best. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do. Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is one of my all-time favorite non-DC/Marvel comic books, and I've yet to come across a story I haven't liked. That being said, "The Inn on Moon Shadow Hill" is a particular favorite of mine. It's not as epic or as classic as some of Usagi's other adventures, but its simplicity is part of its charm. As is typical of the series, the story serves as a vehicle for teaching readers about certain aspects of Japanese culture - in the case of this comic, the various obakémono of Japanese lore. Given that Usagi has battled numerous obakémono and supernatural entities in his travels - including in his very first story ever published - the source of the obakémono haunting Moon Shadow Hill is not at all obvious. Plus, the normally-taciturn Usagi hamming it up to protect the secret of the obakémono is hilarious, and says a lot about the kind of guy he is. Also, as a standalone story, you don't need any backstory to appreciate this little tale, once you buy into the "anthropomorphized animals in Tokugawa-era Japan" schtick.
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