Usagi Yojimbo #27

The cover of this 1999 Dark Horse issue tells you everything you need to know about the tone: Stan Sakai's rabbit ronin Usagi, clad in his blue kimono and wielding a short blade, crashes through a shoji screen in a fierce mid-action clash with a larger, green-robed wolf opponent brandishing a longer sword. Sakai's expressive linework and fluid sense of movement make the confrontation crackle with energy, capturing exactly the kind of street-level samurai drama that has made this series so enduring. With "The Case of the Hairpin Murders" continuing into its second part, issue #27 promises the mix of detective intrigue and sharp swordsmanship that fans of this series count on.