Samurai Jack is insanely cute. Like I am pretty sure we are soul mates. He has everything I am looking for. Good hair, well balanced, not too formal, knows how to protect me, and doesn’t talk much. Yeah sounds freaking awesome. Now if only he could make it back to his present time and stop Aku. Last issue, I could feel Aku but I couldn’t see his presence. I was happy that the villain became more real in this month’s issue. Jack has his work cut out for him. He is in another time period and doesn’t know how to get back, all while under Aku’s rule. Clever villain he is by sending Jack to the future where he rules over all. The comic is a quick read, but offers some good images that tell a complete story. Jack finds himself amongst ruins where he feels some suspicious vibes coming from the area. A strong wind comes along and suddenly turns into a vacuum. It sucks in all the surroundings. As Jack tries to hold on, he quickly realize that the more he tries the more things are falling apart. The vacuum isn’t just sucking the surroundings but its ultimate goal is for him. His next fight takes him to a robot.
I really just love the colors used in this week’s issue. Josh Burcham does a great job of setting each mood for the comic. We start off in a very deery area that gives the feeling everything isn’t right, and then we move onto the battle. The cracks of purple and pink builds up the scene and really adds some explosion to the set. And of course Aku is black and red showing anger. It all comes together nicely for the reader, and I think a lot of us don’t even realize the impact it is having on our view of the narrative.
Ethen Beavers obviously creates the world where Burcham lays his colors, and it is fun to see how each month the action plays out. There are always katana skills, but it is used in so many different ways. I don’t know if these skills will run out, but for now I am enjoying the images the weapon creates. My favorite is the big smack down each opponent receives at the end.
Samurai Jack offers some great visual narratives for the reader, but I still am hoping some more dialogue can come along with it. The past two months’ stories have had the same conclusion, so offering some different goals or some insight into Jack’s plan would help elevate the comic. It could reach a wider audience and keep the readers for longer times.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Jim Zub Artist: Ethen Beavers Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 6/18/14