Usagi Yojimbo vol. 33: The Hidden

(What, no podcast?  John and my schedules didn’t line up over the weekend, or during the week.  But don’t worry, my thoughts on Bendis’ start at DC will be here this time next week.  In the meantime…)

It’s the end of an era as this is the last volume of “Usagi Yojimbo” which will be published by Dark Horse.  The publisher has been the comic’s home for close to 25 years and I thought that would be the case until creator Stan Sakai finally decided to call it quits.  That didn’t happen and now IDW is “Usagi’s” new home and I’ll look forward to reading the Rabbit Ronin’s new adventures (In color!) when they’re collected.

While it’s probably a bit unfair to regard “The Hidden” as a series that represents an end of an era, that’s the position it finds itself in.  It also has the distinction of being the rare volume-length “Usagi” story which puts it in the company of classics like “The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy” and “Grasscutter.”  “The Hidden,” quite simply, isn’t in their league. Yet it still manages to tell an engaging story featuring one of the most memorable players in “Usagi’s” supporting cast.

That would be Inspector Ishida.  He’s a slightly old inspector whose deductive skills are second to none.  He’ll solve any case in front of him the right way, even if those above him would rather see it closed with all due haste.  This time the case involves a samurai who rode into Ishida’s town being chased by men who bore the shogun’s crest. These men were after a box the samurai carried, and while they were able to take him down with an arrow a thief managed to make off with the box in the confusion.  As Ishida and his friend Usagi come upon the body, they make a startling discovery: This samurai was a Kirishitan!

In case you’re having trouble sounding it out, that’s the Japanese pronunciation for “Christian.”  “Usagi” takes place during the time that Japan outlawed Christianity. Why did they do this? Sakai lays it out very well in the end-of-volume notes, but there are a couple reasons:  Partly because of how its beliefs contradict the beliefs of Japan’s own religions. Partly because of how the Christian missionaries conducted themselves in country. Partly because Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu really didn’t like what represented.  If you were found out to be a Christian then maybe you’d be lucky enough to be given the chance to repent and disavow your belief in that faith. Otherwise, you’d be sent to join your savior on a cross.

So it’s clear that Usagi and Ishida have found themselves in a case that’s far more dangerous than the murder mysteries that they usually wind up having to deal with.  If you think that urgency’s going to translate to an exciting story, then you’re a little mistaken. “The Hidden” isn’t really a race to find the missing box, but more like a leisurely stroll down a part of town that you really don’t visit that often.  It’s a good time, so long as you can appreciate the pacing.

Sakai, being the master storyteller he is, does a good job of filling the seven issues of this with enough interesting new characters to make sure the trip is never dull.  You’ve got Kin, the shifty merchant who deals in foreign goods. There’s also the master thief Nezumi who gets involved partly out of obligation to Ishida, and also because they’re clearly enjoying themselves.  We’ve also got hapless bumbler Hama who is clearly out of his depth here, but has a very personal reason for getting involved.

They all help liven up the story even as the focus here is squarely on Ishida.  Usagi really does play second fiddle to him here and that’s not really a problem.  This is a story that prizes the Inspector’s deductive skills and Usagi is mainly here to make sure he doesn’t fall to the many, many assassins they come across over the course of this volume.  We also get to see a different side to Ishida as the story goes on. It’s something that will no doubt color his subsequent appearances in “Usagi” going forward from here.

Yet for all of the quirks and charm of its cast, this story basically boils down to being a MacGuffin hunt in the end.  Admittedly, it’s a rather intriguing MacGuffin once we find out what it is. It’s just not enough to make me think that this is more than just another quality volume of the series.

That’s because one of the things that characterize these longer “Usagi” stories is that they tend to either represent a major change in the status quo or a chance for members of the supporting cast who don’t usually associate with each other to do so.  Neither of those things happen in “The Hidden” — unless you’ve REALLY been waiting to see what happens when Ishida encounters the Shady Informant. (Spoilers: You’ll be disappointed.) I know it’s not fair for me to compare this story to something like “Grasscutter.”  It’s just that history has led me to expect more from these longer stories.

Then again, “The Hidden” is still pretty enjoyable on its own terms.  It tells an interesting story, brings the always-welcome Ishida back into the mix, and allows us to appreciate Sakai’s effectively timeless art.  I guess what I’m really disappointed about here is that this volume of “Usagi” didn’t represent a bigger, more dynamic farewell for the series’ tenure at Dark Horse.  It’s not something that could’ve been planned for, but them’s the breaks. The story is still a good example of how Sakai still has it after all these years. So be sure to check out the new “Usagi” series at IDW.  I’m sure it’ll read just as good as it did at Dark Horse.