A Samurai Journey Of Self-Discovery: Dark Horse Comics Announces ‘Oni Roni’

Welcome to the table,

I had a friend who was fascinated with The Legends of the Five Rings TTRPG when we were kids. He would spend endless hours studying fox demons and oni, samurai weapons, and clans. It took me years to learn that about  50% of the stuff he taught us about he had pronounced wrong. I still laugh whenever I see saké on a menu and think about the fact we called it “sake, rhymes with lake” for most of our early teens. Stuff like that from those early years where you are discovering the world around you and trying to make sense of things just sticks with you.

Speaking of journeys of self-discovery, Oni Roni is the first collaboration between Dark Horse Books and Stan Sakai’s Dogu Publishing and seems to be an epic journey of self-discovery set in the afterlife of Japanese folklore. This thrilling tale is written by Mack Flavelle and Kohei Naganime, with art by Tatsubi, and creative assistance from Maldoror, Manabu Seko, and Keojimal.

Set in Japan during the Sengoku or “Warring States” period, Oni Ronin is a sprawling tale of cowardice, sacrifice, and redemption. This story is going to do one of the things I adore the most, combine historically accurate characters and locations with mythical figures and creatures of folklore. At its heart, Oni Ronin is the redemption story of the cowardly Sarobei, a samurai messenger who meets feudal lords, brave warriors, and heroic ghosts on his journey of self-discovery.

You can find the trade paperback of Oni Ronin in bookstores on November 28, 2023, and in comic shops on November 29, 2023. It’s currently available for pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local comic books shops and bookstores.

Until next time, fax spirits get wiser as they get older… I always thought that was neat.