Newcomers to Usagi Yojimbo

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

So I've known about the rabbit ronin for years, meeting him in the Fred Wolf series as a wide-eyed idealistic kid, then again as a slightly more knowledgeable teenager watching the 4Kids series. I'd already outgrown Fred Wolf TMNT and devoured all of the Mirage/Image comics I could find, but I'd never had any interest in seeking out the TMNT/Usagi crossovers.

I finally checked out the first two TPBs from my library ("Ronin" and "Samurai")... I think I'm hooked. The first few issues were okay, I liked Usagi, but I like linear plot progression and development even more. And it just seemed like one-off anthology-style stories. It was okay. But the second volume focused on a backstory (his training and servitude to his first master) and then a few more short stories...

I liked it, a lot. Maybe not enough to purchase, but definitely enough to request the next four volumes from my library. I really love the banter between Gen and Usagi.

Anyone else want to chime in? When did you first read Usagi, what finally convinced you to give it a try, what do I have to look forward to?