This fifth volume collects the epic-length "Blood Wings," in whichUsagi battles a fearsome clan of ninja bats, while "Lone Goat and Kid"offers a cunning and affectionate parody of the famous "Lone Wolf andCub" manga while doubling as one of Usagi's most dramatic and heartfeltadventures. "Frost and Fire" and "The Way of the Samurai" provide thepsychological drama of this volume, which is rounded out by one of themost unique Usagi tales ever, "A Kite Story," which doubles as afascinating look at the daily life and work of a 17th century Japanesekite maker, dramatically showcasing the thoroughness of Sakai'sresearch and his skills as a storyteller. Featuring a foreword by thelegendary Stan Lee!

One of the great epics in the comic book field stars a rabbit? That's right, Stan Sakai's enormous dramatic saga of death and treachery, of ambition and honor, is the comics equivalent of Akira Kurosawa's classics such as The Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress. This volume of the Usagi series features the novel-length "The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy," which originally ran in six consecutive issues of the Usagi comics series. Jam-packed with lethal sword battles alternating with humor, horror, suspense, and slapstick, this beautifully crafted and exciting volume features all of the most popular supporting characters from the series, including Tomoe Ame, Gen the rhino, and Zato-Ino the blind swordspig. Both an excellent starting point for new readers, and an absolute necessity for Usagi completists!