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Usagi Yojimbo Reading Order, the comics that inspired Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles

Now adapted on Netflix under the title “Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles,” Usagi Yojimbo is certainly not a new series. In fact, this creator-owned comic book series was created by Stan Sakai in 1984 – Usagi Yojimbo first appeared in Albedo Anthropomorphics #2, published by Thoughts and Images in November 1984. 

Openly inspired by Japanese cinema and real-life samurai Miyamoto Musashi, Usagi Yojimbo explores Japanese history, folklore, arts, and more. The story tells the adventures of the Miyamoto Usagi, a rōnin samurai rabbit, in Japan at the beginning of the Edo period (early 17th century) – it is an anthropomorphic comic where humans are replaced by animals – as he travels the country on shogyusha, sometimes monetizing his services as a bodyguard. 

The concept of the series, with Usagi meeting new people which each new adventure during his travels, makes reading Usagi Yojimbo easy as you don’t have to track down every book in order of publication. You can just pick a story at random. Of course, if you like what you read, you can also start from the beginning.

The publication history of Usagi Yojimbo is not clear and simple, as the series has been published by multiple publishers: Fantagraphics Books (Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 1), Mirage Studios (Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 2), Dark Horse Comics (Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 3), and lately IDW Publishing (Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 4). The samurai also appeared in occasional short stories published by other companies.

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Harrow County Reading Guide to Cullen Bunn’s Horror series

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Published by Dark Horse Comics, Harrow County is an Eisner-nominated horror comic book series created by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Tyler Crook that blends elements of folk horror, dark fantasy, and Southern Gothic traditions. It’s also part of our list of Horror Comic Books to read and the Best Dark Horse Comics Series.

The concept originated as a serialized prose story titled Countless Haints, written by Bunn and released online. When adapted into a comic form in collaboration with Crook, the story underwent substantial reworking, evolving into a visually rich, serialized narrative that debuted in May 2015. The story follows Emmy Crawford, a young woman in rural Harrow County, who discovers on the eve of her eighteenth birthday that she is mystically connected to the land around her and the supernatural beings—ghosts, haints, and monsters—that inhabit it.

The original Harrow County series ran for 32 issues from 2015 to 2018. It has since been collected in multiple formats, including trade paperbacks, library editions,  deluxe hardcover omnibuses, and a compendium.

Following its conclusion, the franchise continued with the spin-off series Tales from Harrow County (2019–2021), not to be confused with the Tales of Harrow County short stories, written by Bunn with art by Naomi Franquiz and later Emily Schnall. These stories expand the mythology and explore events set after the main series, focusing on Emmy’s friend Bernice and the lingering supernatural forces in Harrow County.

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Hellboy Universe Reading Order (Hellboy, BPRD, Abe Sapien), from the mind of Mike Mignola

The Hellboy Universe is vast and full of monsters. It’s also composed of multiple series and miniseries, stories published in a non-chronological order. The following article is not the ultimate reading order, it’s a reading guide, an attempt to offer a good view of one of the best comic book universes.

Created by writer-artist Mike Mignola (you can read about the origin of the creation of the character here), Hellboy is a half-demon who was summoned from Hell to Earth as a baby by the “Mad Monk” Grigori Rasputin for the Nazis. Adopted by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, the man behind the United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (also called the B.P.R.D.), Hellboy grew up with humans and learned to hunt monsters. As an adult, he is easily identifiable. After all, he is red-skinned, huge with a tail, horns, and cloven hooves for feet, and his right hand is made of stone.

Working with the B.P.R.D., he hunts Nazis, witches, and other types of Lovecraftian monsters, teaming up with the amphibian humanoid Abe Sapien, and pyrokinetic Liz Sherman. As the years pass, Hellboy must confront who he really is and fulfill his destiny as the B.P.R.D. becomes the first line of defense against cosmic menaces.

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The Legend of Korra Comics Reading Order, the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender

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The Legend of Korra Comic book Reading Order

A sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra is an animated American television series with four seasons. The story picks up seventy years after the end of the Avatar: The Last Airbender and follows Korra as she faces the difficult challenges, duties, and responsibilities that come with being the Avatar.

Now, the adventure continues in comic book form, with most stories taking place after the conclusion of the show’s official run. Here is the official synopsis:

“Relishing their newfound feelings for each other, Korra and Asami leave the Spirit World . . . but find nothing in Republic City but political hijinks and human vs. spirit conflict! A pompous developer plans to turn the new spirit portal into an amusement park, potentially severing an already tumultuous connection with the spirits. What’s more, the triads have realigned and are in a brutal all-out brawl at the city’s borders–where hundreds of evacuees have relocated! In order to get through it all, Korra and Asami vow to look out for each other–but first, they’ve got to get better at being a team and a couple!”

What to read before The Legend of Korra?

Before going into The Legend of Korra, you can watch and read about Avatar: The Last Airbender, then (re)discover The Legend of Korra animated series.

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