Usagi Yojimbo enters a new era with a new creative team joining Usagi Yojimbo: Phantom Thief ’84, a five-issue series debuting from Dark Horse Comics this March. Written by Zack Rosenberg (TS Hullabaloo) with art and lettering by co-writer Jared Cullum (Cody), the book follows the descendants of samurai rabbits in 1980s Osaka. This is the first Usagi Yojimbo series or spin-off not written by creator Stan Sakai, who debuted the character in 1984.
Usagi Yojimbo: Phantom Thief ’84 #1 Cover by Jared Karam
In 1984 Osaka, Miyamoto Usagi’s bloodline lives on in Kaito, a cunning rabbit thief with a rebellious spirit. He embodies the legacy of his ancestors in a way that the stoic samurai we know and love never could. A daring new heist for the legendary spear leads Kaito down a dangerous path, changing his fate forever and placing the fate of Osaka, and perhaps the world, on his shoulders.
“I had been pitching a series of rabbit stories that spotlighted the descendants of the original rabbits, and ‘Space Rabbit’ was the first of them,” said Sakai. This is a great story by Zach Rosenberg, featuring familiar but new characters and beautiful watercolor illustrations by National Cartoonists Association Award winner Jared Karam.
Rosenberg added, “The world created by Stan Sakai is one of the most beloved in comics. Our goal with Phantom Thief ’84 was to honor that incredible legacy while delivering a high-stakes, action-packed adventure that feels distinctly new. We’re really looking forward to readers meeting Phantom Thief and joining him on his journey.”
Callum says, “As a kid, I spent most of the early 1990s carrying around a beat-up Rabbit Bodyguard action figure in my pocket and filling countless notebooks with poorly written stick-figure cartoons with rabbit ears and bandanas. It’s not true that Phantom Thief ’84 was a childhood dream project, because I never thought it was a possibility.”
He continued, “It’s a truly profound and humbling honor to be able to play in this sandbox. I wake up every day wanting to improve my craft and focus on achieving even a little bit of my story ambitions. Thanks to the grace, generosity, and kindness of Stan, Julie, and their family, and the erudition of Zach and Justin, I can continue to move on with my life while filling my notebook with these little photos.”
The first issue will be released on March 11th, with Callum on the main cover, Jim Rugg and Sakai himself on the cover. Subsequent issues will feature additional articles by Kevin Eastman, David Petersen, Kim Fu, and Daniel Warren Johnson, as well as additional covers by Sakai. Meanwhile, the latest work in the Usagi Yojimbo series, Manbai, will be released in trade paperback and limited edition hardcover on Tuesday, November 25th.
Issue 1 Cover: Jim Rugg Issue 1 Cover: Stan Sakai
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