Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1 (Family Comic Friday)

That futuristic nobleman from feudal Japan is back! I’m talking about Cartoon Network and Adult Swim’s Samurai Jack. The fan favorite returns in an all-new miniseries from IDW Publishing in this week’s Family Comic Friday.

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1Written by Paul Allor
Art by Adam Bryce Thomas
Published by IDW Publishing
Retail: $3.99

Samurai Jack is one of those modern cartoons that has become an instant classic. It’s the story of an aristocratic warrior from ancient Japan who is transported into a far off future full of anthropomorphic animals, robots and demons.

Lost Worlds takes place presumably sometime after the events of season 5. If that is the case, Jack had just lost the love of his life and seemed ready to die when at the last second a beautiful insect landed on his shoulder and inspired the warrior to seek the beauty in life. It’s been 2 years since that finale. So things should be just peachy for Samurai Jack, right?

Instead of living in peace and tranquility, Jack has exiled himself atop a mountain overlooking the village he’s sworn to protect. In the village below, the people live their lives in reflection of the standards set by their missing leader. All seems in perfect harmony in the village when suddenly Jack returns. But his message of peace and honor doesn’t quite sit well with one of the villagers- Samurai Jack!

Which is the real Jack? When all is finished, the true swordsman will find that his people have lost their way in his absence. In order to save the souls of the villagers, Jack will need to find himself. Thus, for the rest of this 4-issue miniseries, our hero will traverse the distant neighboring lands in search of the answers and inner peace and possibly redemption.

The artwork of Adam Bryce Thomas alone is worth the $3.99 price tag. Samurai Jack was known for its innovative art style which paid homage to the kung-fu movies of the 1970s. The Sonic The Hedgehog artist does a stupendous job capturing the intensity of the wide-screen action scenes that were a Samurai Jack animation staple.

I thought that Paul Allor (Clue) did a great job on just about every aspect of this opening chapter. I only wish that Allor (or IDW editors) would have confirmed in some way that this series does indeed takes place after season 5. I really think it does. But, I would hate to say that this is the case and find out that this is a fill-in between the events of season 4 and 5. Maybe future issues will address this.

Samurai Jack is an evolving property. It seems to age along with the fans. When the TV series first debuted, the show was considered age appropriate for those 10 and up. When Samurai Jack returned in 2017, it’s rating jumped up to TV-14. That’s mostly because the show then started airing on Adult Swim.

Marvel and DC are guilty of doing the same sort of thing. For example, both will release reprints from the 60s-90s; a time when comics weren’t rated but otherwise approved by the Comics Code Authority. However, now in 2019, the publishers will rate the decades old material as being for ages 12 and up.

This sort of thing makes it hard for parents to know if something if truly age appropriate for their child. One might think that if Marvel rates reprints of 1980s all-ages Star Wars comics as for readers aged 14 and up, then maybe the publisher is wrong about Cosmic Ghost Rider being for only mature readers too. Then when the parent buys CGR for their kid, the adult is shocked to see numerous killings and accounts of adult language and mature themes.
So where does this comic book rank?

Based on my viewing of Samurai Jack back when it first aired, as well as that slightly more mature fifth season, I would say that those 10 and up should have no problems reading Lost Worlds. There is a very intense battle scene between Samurai Jack’s both real and impostor. But in terms of language and adult themes, this book is clean.

There are a few musings between Jack and other characters which get philosophical. Those concepts might go over the head of a reader younger than 10. But if the young reader in your life can understand what the sensei in Kung-Fu Panda or Splinter from TMNT both teach their pupils, they’ll be okay with this book.

It’s great to Samurai Jack back. I just hope that this might inspire Adult Swim to do a season 6. But in order for this to happen, fans both young and old are going to have to purchase this book!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars. 

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1 debuted in print and digital platforms on May 8th, 2019.