Published Feb 1, 2026, 12:58 PM EST
CBR senior staff writer Brian Cronin has been writing professionally about comic books for over fifteen years now at CBR (primarily with his “Comics Should Be Good” series of columns, including Comic Book Legends Revealed). He has written two books about comics for Penguin-Random House – Was Superman a Spy? And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed and Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent? And Other Amazing Comic Book Trivia! and one book, 100 Things X-Men Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, from Triumph Books. His writing has been featured at ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Times, About.com, the Huffington Post, Vulture and Gizmodo. He features legends about entertainment and sports at his website, Legends Revealed and other pop culture features at Pop Culture References. Follow him on Twitter at @Brian_Cronin and feel free to e-mail him suggestions for stories about comic books that you'd like to see featured at brianc@cbr.com!
This review contains spoilers for Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84 #1, on sale next month, from Dark Horse Comics
Four years ago, Stan Sakai launched Dogu Publishing, an imprint at Dark Horse Comics featuring new comics in the world of Usagi Yojimbo, including work from Sakai himself, as well as spinoff stories. One of these new spinoff stories, Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84, is set to be released in March, and CBR has an exclusive preview of the new series, which stars Kaitō Usagi, a descendant of the legendary Miyamoto Usagi.
The series will feature a story by Zack Rosenberg and Jared Cullum, a script by Rosenberg and full watercolor art with hand lettering by Cullum. Sakai noted in a press release when Dark Horse announced the project, "“I had pitched a series of Usagi stories spotlighting descendants of the original Usagi. Space Usagi was the first of these. Now to have a limited series with Kaito, a 20th century descendant, in Osaka is exciting. This is a wonderful story by Zack Rosenberg featuring characters new though familiar, and beautiful watercolor art by National Cartoonists Society award winner Jared Cullum. This is something to look forward to!”
Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84 #1
Authors: Zack Rosenberg
Cover Art: Jared Cullum
Colorists: Jared Cullum
Illustrators: Jared Cullum
$4.99 USD | 32 pages | 6-5/8 x 10-13/16 | Comic Book | 76156801508900111
In-Store Date: 2026-03-11
In 1984 Osaka, the bloodline of Miyamoto Usagi lives on through Kaitō Usagi, a cunning rabbit thief with a rebellious spirit. He embodies his ancestor’s legacy in a way the stoic samurai we know and love never could. A daring new heist for a legendary spear sets Kaitō down a perilous path, forever altering his destiny and placing the fate of Osaka, and perhaps the world, on his shoulders.
• A brand-new era of Usagi Yojimbo!
• Features Miyamoto Usagi’s descendent in 1984.
• A heist for a legendary spear possessed by evil.
• Five-issue series.
In the preview pages, we see Kaitō Usagi head out, before he senses that he is being followed by a group of four thugs. He confidently turns to the group, even though he is badly outnumbered.
We then have a fight scene, where Kaitō more than holds his own, but they are not there to play fair, and he is hit by a tranquilizer dart, which causes him to pass out, and be taken prisoner. One the thugs wants to tear his ears off, but their mysterious boss clearly wants Kaitō alive...for now.
Meanwhile, we see Yukichi, Kaitō;s cousin, eating an absolute feast at a restaurant (this is where Kaitō was heading before he was attacked), and Yukichi is a bit worried, since he was planning on Kaitō paying.
These sample pages give you a nice sense of both the vibe the story is using, as well as a glimpse at Cullum's stunning watercolor artwork. If you want to see what happens to Kaitō (and I guess his cousin, too), come pick up a copy of Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84 #1 next month!
Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ’84 #1 is set to be released on March 11th.
Source: Dark Hose Comics and Dogu Publishing
English (US) · 