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Usagi Yojimbo Volume 24: Return of the Black Soul (Usagi Yojimbo 24) Review

For two decades now, fans have been enamored by Jei, the Black Soul, Usagi's mysterious and unspeakably evil chief antagonist. In Return of the Black Soul, creator Stan Sakai finally delivers a volume devoted entirely to Jei, exploring his mysterious past as well as laying essential groundwork for his future. It's an important story in many respects, but it doesn't really live up to its full potential.

Before going further, I should make it clear that this is not a good introductory volume for a reader who is new to Usagi. Jei has some important history going back to Grasscutter (Usagi Yojimbo, Book 12), as well as two other worthwhile appearances in Usagi Yojimbo Book 6: Circles and Usagi Yojimbo, Book 3: The Wanderer's Road (all volumes that would provide excellent introductions to Usagi's world). In short, if you don't know who Jei is, you're not likely to fully understand or appreciate what happens in this volume.

However, for those of you who do know Jei, you may still find this volume disappointing. It's a good story (all Usagi stories are good!), but it may not be the classic that you're expecting.

One of the more noticeable problems at the start of this volume is the amount of confusion it creates. The first few chapters jumps between dreams and reality a lot, as well as the past and the present, and all the priests who play the major roles in this story look incredibly similar. As a result, it's difficult to tell whether what's happening is real or not, whether it occurred in the past or is happening in the present, and who it's actually happening to. I had to read this story twice to fully make sense of it, and even then it took some concentration and thought to keep the identities of the various priests straight in my head.

A second and more subtle problem with this volume is that very little happens in it. Yes, there's an origin story, a change for Jei by the end, and a lot of action, but there isn't much actual plot. Gen, Stray Dog, Sanshobo, Usagi, and Isamu (a mysterious stranger) are wandering around, looking for Jei/Inazuma, a bunch of other bounty hunters are also looking for her and abusing villagers, and a priest is having nightmares about Jei and wondering if he's turning into him while the priests around him worry about what's happening to him. Most of that is occurring throughout all five issues of "Sparrows," without too many twists or turns. The storyline feels relatively directionless, and so, even while the action keeps us interested in the present moment, the long-term storyline isn't all that compelling.

A final problem in "Return of the Black Soul" is that even the big moments aren't all that big. For one thing, Jei's origin story doesn't actually reveal anything about the character's nature, motivations, or abilities. We still have no idea what Jei is or who his gods are. We just learn the tragic but predictable story of his previous (first?) host. The turn of events at the end (which I won't spoil) really doesn't change the nature of who Jei is or what he does either. It's a neat privilege to be able to glimpse who Jei once was, and Inazuma gets an important and somewhat touching moment at the story's conclusion, but all in all, this story had the capacity to drop a few more hints, provide a few more significant turning points, and flood us with a lot more emotional impact by the close.

Stan Sakai is a legend in comics, Usagi is still one of the greatest comic book titles ever published, and this is still an important "event" that is certainly a must-read, but if you're as devoted a fan of Jei and/or Inazuma as I am, wouldn't set your expectations too high for this volume. The good news is that there are far better stories coming down the road. Push through this enjoyable volume -- Sakai's usual level of excellence returns in the volumes that follow.

Usagi Yojimbo Volume 24: Return of the Black Soul (Usagi Yojimbo 24) Overview

For years, as Miyamoto Usagi has wandered the countryside, an unseen, malevolent entity has been tracing his steps. Thought dead since the events of Grasscutter, the demon Jei - the Black Soul - has been-inhabiting the body of the swordswoman Inazuma, intent on destroying the evil he claims to see in Usagi! Meanwhile, Boss Bakuchi, shamed by his inability to avenge his son's death, doubles the bounty on the killer - Inazuma. The money brings out scores of bounty hunters, unaware that they are merely a flock of sparrows intent on bringing down an eagle. The hunt for Inazuma also draws Usagi, hunters Gen and Stray Dog, and a mysterious stranger named Isamu, each with his own motive. As the threat of the Black Soul re-emerges, this epic storyline reveals at last the true origin of Jei!

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Customer Reviews

Has Jei Trapped Sakai? - W. A. Carpenter - Portland, OR USA
The cover art is superb on volume #24 in the on-going series of Usagi Yojimbo stories and may well tempt new readers to start the series. However this would not be a good starting point for new readers as the action in this book wouldn't make much sense without the extensive back story.

For long-time Usagi fans expecting some resolution to the Jei character, this volume will prove disappointing. Frankly I wonder if Stan Sakai has written himself into a box with no exit.

(Potential Spoiler Alert) In this book Jei's host body is killed and the evil spirit exorcised (by Priest Sanshobo) only to reoccupy another host body and continue its evil ways. It would seem to be impossible for Jei to ever be defeated and eliminated.

One of the things I like about the Jei stories is that a young girl (Keiko), often referred to as "my innocent", accompanies the current incarnation of Jei in its travels. There is a deep mystery here, some sort of Jungian archetype of good and evil or light and dark, that gives these stories an extra depth and gravitas that complements Sakai's well-researched and expertly drawn stories.

The origins of Jei... - Michael Nomad - Boston
Another fine Usagi book. I think that Jei was originally origin-less (Jei-san is a pun of Jason from Friday the 13th), but since he's so popular it looks like he's finally given some back-story. There's not a whole lot of Usagi action, but at this point in the series it's okay to read about Usagi's world without him in it. For now.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 08, 2010 07:39:06

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010