shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Feb 10, 2016 21:44:19 GMT -5
 Published: July 1988 Synopsis: Not every fan-favorite character Usagi reunites with is a friend. Notes: Spot goes with Zato Ino Discuss the issue and/or post full reviews below! |
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Post by coke & comics on Feb 21, 2016 14:17:32 GMT -5
Summary: The smell of fertilizer dulling his senses, Zato Ino is nearly ambushed. He is saved only by a warning from the lizard, Spot. Ino asks Spot to be his companion, but Spot runs off. Ino reaffirms his desire for solitude, and belief that friendship is nothing but trouble.
Spot returns to Usagi, but Usagi is realizing that a wanderer's life is not for Spot. The lizard would prefer to settle down.
Ino scents Usagi and tracks him to an abandoned temple. There he snuffs out a candle so they battle in darkness. Ino draws first blood.
Spot intervenes to save Usagi. Seeing that they are friends, Ino spares Usagi. He owes Spot a life, so he gives him Usagi's.
Like Spot, Ino seeks a place he can settle down...
Thoughts: As much as I like this ending for Usagi and Spot's travels, I wish it had come later. The image of Spot as a companion for Usagi seems iconic for the series, and I would have liked them to be longterm companions. Instead, Spot left Usagi after 2 issues. I wish more had been done before this issue.
Here we see the continuity of the series at play. Mostly isolated stories which could be read in any order, except for particular threads and characters which wind through the series. This is a sequel to the Zato Ino story from Critters and resolves the Spot story of the previous two issues.
The previous issue about the mother was Stan's darkest tales yet, and the story of Zato Ino had been a previous contender, with its tragic character arc. This turns that around, bringing the story to a happy ending where one was not expected. For the friendship of a lizard, Zato Ino forgoes his vengeance. And Ino finally learns to trust, ending his solitude.
Toss in a beautifully illustrated swordfight in several small panels, the best since Gunichi, and you have a great issue.
The backup story is Punch, IT, by Todd Kurosawa. Who shares a namesake with the primary influence on these Usagi stories.
Continuity note: I am uncertain where the short story from Critters #23 falls in relation to these issues.
Grade: A/A-
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,865
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Post by shaxper on Feb 21, 2016 15:23:45 GMT -5
As much as I like this ending for Usagi and Spot's travels, I wish it had come later. The image of Spot as a companion for Usagi seems iconic for the series, and I would have liked them to be longterm companions. Instead, Spot left Usagi after 2 issues. I wish more had been done before this issue. Much as I thoroughly agree, it's just the nature of Usagi. We keep wanting him to settle down and anchor himself to others -- Mariko, Tomoe, the Geisha Clan, maybe even Gen -- but he hasn't found himself on this pilgrimage yet and thus had no right to "keep" anyone. In contrast, Ino knows exactly what he wants and simply struggles to attain it. It was reworked into volume 2 #6 ("The Lizard's Tale") |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 15, 2016 19:07:40 GMT -5
I really love how both Zato and Usagi talk to spot like he's a person, it really makes them both seem so human and vulnerable which is a great contrast to both of their strong warrior sides.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,865
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Post by shaxper on Mar 15, 2016 19:11:46 GMT -5
I really love how both Zato and Usagi talk to spot like he's a person, it really makes them both seem so human and vulnerable which is a great contrast to both of their strong warrior sides. It always seems to me like a brilliant twist on the old Silver Age Marvel cross-overs where two heroes would meet and, due to some misunderstanding, throttle each other until arriving at mutual respect. Here instead, they never clarify the misunderstanding and so the great tragedy ends up being the reader bearing witness to how similar the two are, especially in their integrity and honor. We want them to be friends, but karma will not allow for it. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 15, 2016 19:15:48 GMT -5
I really love how both Zato and Usagi talk to spot like he's a person, it really makes them both seem so human and vulnerable which is a great contrast to both of their strong warrior sides. It always seems to me like a brilliant twist on the old Silver Age Marvel cross-overs where two heroes would meet and, due to some misunderstanding, throttle each other until arriving at mutual respect. Here instead, they never clarify the misunderstanding and so the great tragedy ends up being the reader bearing witness to how similar the two are, especially in their integrity and honor. We want them to be friends, but karma will not allow for it. Yeah, along with his relationship with Jotoro and the love triangle with Kenichi and Mariko, the strained relationship Usagi had with Zato is one of my favorite parts of the series. |
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