5 out of 5

Stunning.  What other series can boast a 200+ issue run under one writer/artist, during which thought-provoking, knockout issues are still regularly churned out?  Usagi, as always, is a masterclass in simple storytelling lain atop complex moral quandaries.  In ‘Kazehime,’ Usagi offers shelter, one rainy evening, to a potential enemy, only to have to deal with the fallout of that debt when the two come to clash some months later.  True, its not an original spin – even between the covers of the series – but it’s the responsible, fluid way Sakai has of presenting such things that makes them continually rewarding to read.  In this specific instance, our rabbit ronin’s experience is flavored even moreso by some events and characters from the past few issues, which is an appreciated bit of continuity for the book.

Sakai’s been experimenting with (to my eye) a slightly more fluid style post-Sense, and the first few pages here really show the awesome spectacle that can occur when Stan steps back to detail a full scene.  The opening storm is magnificent, and the issue’s later battles are tense, visceral, and especially energetic.