Samurai Jack #5 Review


Is this a title that really deserves to exist? Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

Martial artists, warriors, nobles, monsters and more… Samurai Jack has defeated them all in his quest to gather the Threads of Time. Now, one last strand remains in the lair of Aku the demon wizard. Can Jack defeat his greatest foe and return back to the past?

Samurai Jack 5_Preview Page 1I have to say the latest issue born from one of my favorite TV shows left me completely underwhelmed. I’ll be honest when the idea of this property making a come back via the comic book page came about I was more than jazzed. But after this latest attempt, I can’t help but have mixed feelings about the whole thing. To the creative team’s credit we still get worthwhile moments but not enough to justify a purchase.

Jim Zub pens the script and for the most part he wraps up the arc in the way that continues the inherent legacy without solving the core problem. That may have been what was coming all along, and something that lingers from the animated franchise, but I was honestly crossing my fingers and hoping for the scribe to really shake things up. Sadly he goes the safe route and does a soft reset to ensure that if you’ve never read the book but seen the original series you can still hop on this joyride. Just don’t expect it to lead anywhere anytime soon.

The art by Andy Suriano, depending on the page, is a wonderful rendition of what we know and love about this saga. That said his interpretation of Aku left a lot to be desired as I couldn’t help but scratch my head at quite a few of his expressions. It just didn’t seem to fit the menacing force that banished our hero to a future ruled by his might and magic. Even so when called upon the illustrations had the ability to keep up with the text.

Samurai Jack #5 is a rather disappointing outing with minor redeemable qualities. Sadly it does not come recommended.

OUR RATING
4.5
  • + Samurai Jack looks awesome in this!
  • - Aku is poorly realized.
  • - The end of the arc is lackluster.
  • - Narrative potential clearly missed.

S#!T Talking Central