Sunday Story Ratings #74: Usagi Yojimbo Book 5.3: Blood Wings

[aesmael]

Usagi Yojimbo Book 5: Lone Goat and Kid: 3. Blood Wings by Stan Sakai

Originally published April 1990 in Usagi Yojimbo Volume 1, Issue 21 and June 1990 in Usagi Yojimbo Volume 1, Issue 22; this edition August 1992, July, 2008 printing

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books

 

M

Not recommended for persons under 15 years of age, but no legal restrictions

(V, L)

Violence {M}

Minor Coarse Language {G}

 

Representations

Gender:

Significant characters male, women in the village in background or to-be-protected roles.

Sex:

Only implicit in the existence of children.

Race & Ethnicity:

Characters are all anthropomorphic animals in a culturally Japanese (Edo period) setting.

Disability, Physical Diversity and Health:

None noticed.

Awards

None found

Notes

At some point prior to this story I realised the signifier of character death is a thought bubble showing the skull and crossbones, but I hadn't remarked on the convention until seeing it here reminded me.

Continuity story, referencing events from the extended plot-line in the collection prior to this, which I could not get hold of.

Since the menace of the story is bat ninjas, there must be Batman references. "Man, what a dark night!" and a few panels later "Holy flying furball! It's bats, man!" (the latter of which is why I marked for G-rated coarse language).