Writer: Jim Zub
Art: Andy Suriano
Lettering: Shawn Lee
Editor: Carlos Guzman
Publisher: IDW
This is a great time to be alive! Not only are we in a new golden age of comic books, also known as the ‘creator-age’ but television shows long thought lost are springing to life right before our eyes. While some television shows are dragged out, all but ruining any good will—ahem Dexter, some burn so bright for such a short time that they never really leave the collective conscience. The tale of Samurai Jack is one of those television shows.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the awesomeness that is Samurai Jack, the story is a simple one. Actually let’s do this verbatim (note– please read this in your best Mako voice):
“Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, The shape-shifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow… I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past and undo the future that is Aku!”
That of course, is the opening introduction to the television show as well as the new comic from IDW that picks up right where season 3 left off. Jack is still looking for a way home and countless villains still need a butt-whoopin’. Except this time, Jack learns of the magic Rope of Eons Aku used to open the time portal and the The Threads of Time, remnants of the rope, he must collect to send him back to the past!
Hiring Jim Zub as the writer is the perfect choice for this series. The guy gets fantasy and there is no way he doesn’t own the whole series and then some on home video. This issue IS an episode of Samurai Jack, from the set-up, to the battles, every panel knows its origins and doesn’t shy from its roots. A wonderfully fun read that’s perfect for the whole family.
The art is so incredibly fitting it’ll leave you wondering if Andy Suriano ever worked on the show. Oh, look, he was the character designer for the television show! This is another genius move that adds to the passion that is held within these pages. The art is gorgeous, even stepping away from the tropes of television and using comic techniques, such as meticulously designed sand storms, that will leave a Joker sized smile on your face.
With the creative team wearing their hearts on their sleeves, you may find yourself wishing that Samurai Jack #1 could go on forever as 22 pages will never be enough. In the meantime, thank goodness for DVD’s and Netflix. WATCH OUT!
-Sean