Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North You can really tell that IDW’s creative team really cares about its comic book and the source material that inspired it. The evidence is everywhere—from color to backgrounds to dialogue; this is a group of people clearly in love with the project they’re working on.

Samurai Jack #2 is a classic Jack story: Jack, looking for some mystical artifact, comes across a quaint little village. There he encounters its “protectors” DIS and DAT who demand he pay a tax to the village. Meanwhile, the townspeople scatter and Jack realizes they’re really a population that lives under the tyranny of those who would say they watch over the people. From there Jack sets out to make things right the only way he knows how—ass-kickery.

The plot here is simple enough (it fits a Samurai Jack story) outside of a few clever twists and turns but really there are a few things that help this book stand out so much, like Jim Zubs commitment to having his Samurai Jack feel like the Samurai Jack. Adversaries are silly yet threatening, the jokes are weird and on-point and when Jack monologues in the name of justice—you’ll swear you could hear Phil Lamar`s voice coming out of the pages.

Andy Suriano doesn’t falter this second issue, continuing to make Jack his own while retaining the visceral fights and fantastic landscapes and imagination that made the original so great. Panels like the ones where Jack is shown the true source of his twin opponents power are cool and clever and make me excited to see more new, comic book specific tilts on the way the material is presented that`ll really spice things up and make the comic feel fresh and different; Mr. Suriano is off to a good start.

Colors by Josh Burcham keep popping with bold contrast, bright colors and a water-colory style accentuating good art beautifully— I like how much Jack and his white Gi stand out on these pages, it’s especially helpful and cinematic during fight scenes, where its used beautifully.

Despite a big name to live up to IDW’s Samurai Jack team does great work again, establishing all the things that made this series such a good time in the first place and adding their own, welcome spin on everything. This is the cartoon book to pick up.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Jim Zub Artist: Andy Suriano Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/20/13