Comic Review: Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1

Samurai Jack is making a comeback, but he’s going to have to face himself to get there.  Literally.

Overview:

In a society that is striving to live by the morals of the legendary Samurai Jack, the hero makes a surprising return.  When word comes in about an imposter living in the mountains, Jack goes to face him down.  Surprisingly, the warrior arrives to be facing a version of himself.  One of these Jack’s is going to win the battle to the death.  But, not without learning how much of himself he has actually lost.  And, in starting a new journey discovers how much he is going to have to face along the way.

Our Take:

Samurai Jack is back, baby!  The legend himself has starred in five seasons of an award-winning adult animated series on Adult Swim and has previously appeared in his own comic title.  The show’s creator has previously mentioned that he does not consider the comic run as part of Samurai Jack cannon.  However, this month the hero makes his return to the funny books in a new series titled, Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds.  The new miniseries is being released by Cartoon Network’s publishing partner IDW as part of a long line of comics the company has adapted from the screen.

The celebrated author of many of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, Paul Allor brings us this original tale in Jack’s quest.  Yet, it is artist Adam Bryce Thomas who has captured the attention of fans with a style that is worthy of following the TV series.  His adaptation is flawless in its skill at designing the world of Samurai Jack the way that we want to see it.  Both creators have managed to incorporate the quirkiness of the series while keeping it grounded.

The flow of the story moves at a quick pace.  There is not a panel that goes wasted.  If you move to quick you might miss something integral to the plot.  Usually, this would be a deterrent from a comic series.  However, with this book, it feels like a natural progression and anything less fast-paced would seem too slow.  So, it is a natural balance.  Actually, they manage to squeeze a surprising amount into the issue which offers more than a couple of twists and turns.  There is also a profound philosophical tone to the book- which keeps in tune with the character- that should be exciting to unlock through the series.

Out of all the titles that IDW snagged from Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, none of them are better designed to be transferred to the comic media- to be fair, the Mutant Turtles were a comic first, so they are a given.  But, it makes complete sense for Jack’s story to be filled in by the pages.  If IDW wants to release any new books with the character, you can be damn sure that these loyal fans are going to eat it up.  Especially when offering unique story ideas and art of this caliber.  There is nothing bad to say about this comic.  It may not be the perfect comic book by any means, but it’s hard to find any fault in what has been accomplished.  Even new fans should be able to sink into this book without context and find entertainment in its style and philosophy.