Usagi Yojimbo #136

In "Those Who Tread on the Scorpion's Tail, Part One," Usagi Yojimbo finds himself mistaken for a member of the feared Red Scorpion Gang after encountering students at a sword school. Invited by the school's master, Suzuki—a longtime friend of Usagi's late teacher—he proves his skill in practice bouts, though he lets Suzuki defeat him to preserve honor. When the magistrate's son is kidnapped, Usagi joins the students in a search that quickly reveals deeper tensions, as Suzuki and his loyal aide, Ishii, begin to act with unsettling secrecy. Written and illustrated by Stan Sakai, this issue blends quiet tension with martial precision, all rendered in the distinctive, expressive style that defines the series. The cover by Stan Sakai captures the moment’s quiet dread with striking clarity.