Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai #[nn]

Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai is an original graphic novel that plunges the rabbit rōnin Usagi into a moonlit world of Japanese supernatural dread. The cover — fully rendered by Sakai — depicts Usagi in a defensive stance, blue robes flowing, as he faces a looming skeletal warrior and a swirling host of ghostly creatures: a fanged demon beast, leering yokai faces, and scattered skulls emerging from the eerie green-tinged darkness. It's a beautifully atmospheric piece that signals something richer and stranger than a typical swordfight, and having Sakai handle every aspect of the storytelling and art makes this 2009 volume a remarkably unified creative vision.