Posted in: Comics, Dark Horse Comics | Tagged: stan sakai, usagi yojimbo

Exclusive: Days Of Future Past as Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84 #1 Hits FOC

Days Of Future Past with an exclusive look inside Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito ‘84 #1 by Zack Rosenberg and Jared Cullum as it hits FOC today

Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84 is the upcoming 5-issue series from DOGU and Dark Horse, set in 1984 – the date that anthropomorphic Japanese samurai rabbit Usagi Yojimbo was created by Stan Sakai, but also set in the far, far future of the samurai time in which Usagi Yojimbo is traditionally set, looking at Kaitō, the descendant of the original Miyamoto Usagi. "In 1984 Osaka, the bloodline of Miyamoto Usagi lives on through Kaito, 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 Kaito down a perilous path, forever altering his destiny and placing the fate of Osaka, and perhaps the world, on his shoulders." The comic book goes to FOC today, here's a look inside its pages, in which Kaitō and Yukichi are in a car chase but manage to stop a young girl (Keiko) from getting hit by their pursuers.

Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84 is a five-issue series, story by Zack Rosenberg and Jared Cullum, script by Rosenberg and featuring full watercolour art with hand lettering by Cullum, winner of the National Cartoonist Society award. Wach issue features a cover by Cullum and two variants, including one from Sakai, as well as a Jim Rugg, Kevin Eastman, David Petersen, Kim Hu and Daniel Warren Johnson.

"I had pitched a series of Usagi stories spotlighting descendants of the original Usagi," confirms Sakai. "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 watercolour art by National Cartoonists Society award winner Jared Cullum. This is something to look forward to!"

"The world Stan Sakai created is one of the most beloved in comics," said Rosenberg. "Our goal with Kaito '84 was to honour that incredible legacy while delivering a high-stakes, action-packed adventure that feels distinctly new. We are truly excited for readers to meet Kaito and join him on his journey."

Cullum adds, "I spent much of the early 1990s, as a kid, carrying around a tattered Usagi Yojimbo action figure in my pocket and filling countless notebooks with poorly drawn bunny-eared and bandana-clad stick-figure comics. To say Kaito '84 was a childhood dream project wouldn't be correct because I never even fathomed this as a possibility. It's such a deep, humbling honor to play in this sandbox. I wake every day hoping to improve my craft and focus enough to rise to a modicum of our ambition for the stories. It's only by the grace, generosity and kindness of Stan, Julie, and his family, and the erudition of Zack and Justin, I'm able to continue going about my life, filling notebooks with these little pictures."

Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84 #1 (of 5) is published on the 11th of March 2026, for $4.99.

• Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84 #1 by Zack Rosenberg, Jared Cullum
  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.
• Usagi Yojimbo: Kaito '84 #2 by Zack Rosenberg, Jared Cullum
  The crew is reunited; the target is in sight. A high-stakes heist promises a new beginning, but when the job goes sideways, a relentless chase erupts across Osaka. Now, with the cops closing in and an even more dangerous foe on their tail, Kaitō must outwit his enemies—and confront a chilling vision from his past that could unravel everything he's fighting for.

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