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Samurai Jack Volume Four

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    Ian Jane
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  • Samurai Jack Volume Four



    Samurai Jack Volume Four
    Released by: IDW Publishing
    Released on: August 19th, 2015.
    Written by: Jim Zubkavich
    Illustrated by: Andy Suriano
    Purchase From Amazon

    This genuinely epic tale continues as Jack, disguised in a red robe matching that of every other townsperson, heads up the mountainside to the massive castle on the outskirts of town. A booming voice alerts all who arrive that 'today you will find the answers that you seek' and that 'all are welcome.' Who is everyone there to see? It turns out that it's The Master Of Time and he's here to tell everyone about his Talisman, an object that will allow those who use it to 'ensure their proper place in the time steam.'

    Later that night, as a grumpy janitor cleans up a mess of confetti, Jack sneaks his way into the castle past the armed guards and the booby traps aplenty but is then apprehended after making a wrong turn. The guards attack but he makes his way out and then meets up with a small man brushing his teeth - Jack tells him his story but it falls on deaf ears and he is quite literally thrown out with the trash. But in hindsight, maybe that's not such a bad thing? That is, if it allows him to team up with someone who might be able to help… even if that someone is an obnoxious person from Jack's own past!

    This storyline just keeps going and going but that's a good thing. Zub's able to introduce some interesting twists and turns and so long as he keeps the 'fun' level maxed out, which he's been able to do so far, then why rush it? This is far and away the longest storyline since the series launched and it's actually refreshing to have a longer, more intricate tale to enjoy. The introduction of the Master Of Time is interesting - we'll see how the importance of his talisman plays out (is it like a TARDIS? Is Jack going to steal it and travel through time to fix all of this?), while the character from his past who appears in the last few pages of the issue is a nice twist too. Add to that plenty of the series' trademark humor and this is a really enjoyable read.

    Now, as far as the art goes, let's not beat around the bush - Andy Suriano's work is missed. But having said that, Sergio Quijada's a great replacement. He doesn't try to copy Suriano's style but brings his own approach to every panel. Switching artists in the middle of a storyline isn't always an easy choice or something that readers are necessarily going to want to see, but if Quijada sticks around for a bit, that's not a bad thing at all. There's a lot of great coloring here and some genuinely impressive panel lay out too. All in all, another great chapter - bring on the next installment!

    The story that began in issue #16 continues, with Sergio Quijada back on art duties (he and Andy Suriano appear to be switching it up a bit on this series, which is fine with me!) as Jack and his new ally, The Thief, work together to sneak into the castle fortress of the one calling himself 'The Master Of Time.'

    Getting in proves easier than they thought but once they're inside, there's an array of traps to deal with. Jack uses his 'kung fu' to make it through, The Thief his technologically advanced gadgets. From there? Lasers. The melty-type. They'll figure out a way past those too, but then get foiled by… a smoke detector? The alert brings in an army of guards and the duo battle their way down the stairs and eventually meet the Master himself. Of course, he's not what he seems…

    This is a quick read, the pages fly by as the story is light on plot and dialogue and heavy on action. The series' trademark humor is a big part of this one, not just in the back and forth between Jack and The Thief were we expect some snappy banter and playful teasing, but in the sound effects and gadgets that are employed as well. Jim Zubkavich's story moves quickly but it's fun, while Quijada's art is clean and crisp and laid out in interesting and often times unconventional panel designs that keep your eyes glued to the page.

    This issue ends the two part Samurai Jack And The Master Of Time storyline - and supposedly the series is coming to an end in the coming months, which is a shame as it's been a fantastic continuation of the Cartoon Network series. Hopefully Zub and company will end things on a high note. There's no reason they shouldn't as the series has kept the level of quality consistently high from day one, but with nothing left to lose, maybe we'll see some more experimental tales told? Time will tell. Either way, this is yet again a nice entry in what has been a genuinely enjoyable and well made series from the first page of the first issue.

    Samurai Jack And The Mad Mutts Of Mistery, begins with Jack wandering through a dense crowd populated with all manner of creature, man and beast alike. A small furry like creature dressed in a dark cloak brings him a message and Jack, smiling, agrees to the letter's terms. He's led to a tavern where various dogs are hanging out and here he is introduced to the Canine Archeologists - Sir Drifus Alexander, Sir Angus McDuffy and Sir Colin Bartholomew Montgomery Rothchild III, Rothy for short. It seems they have a lead on an exciting new 'dog discovery' but they've been told the site where they need to dig is haunted. They want Jack to accompany and protect them.

    He and the three dogs head into the desert, catching up on their respective quests and sharing some dog treats along the way, and eventually they arrive at the burial site of the first talking dog. Immediately after their arrival the diggers hired for the project quit - they've been hearing unearthly howls coming from below and don't want to go any further. Jack, never one to back away from danger, leads the archeologists into the tomb past various howl-o-glyphs and into the burial site. It is then that they come face to face with a ghost…

    Underneath another classic cover by Andy Suriano are pages and pages of… bad dog puns. Zubkavich seems to be seeing how far he can take it here and he takes it to ridiculous extremes, but it makes for a fun read. The story builds to an interesting conclusion that is as humorous as you'd expect, but if you start to think about it as you read it and imagine it in either animated or live action form, you can see how it might actually be creepy in that regard. Either way, it's quirky, creative and fun to read story, the kind readers of this series have come to expect from Zub.

    Art chores are handled this issue by Christine Larson who lends a cleaner, slightly more traditional style to the book than we've seen from some of the other artists. The tiki style is toned down a bit and the blacks aren't as heavy and splashy but it works and it works well. Her style fits the Samurai Jack universe nicely and she manages to give both Jack and his canine companions plenty of personality and peculiar style. The next issues wraps things up, seemingly for good, but for now this single issue standalone story should make existing fans of the series plenty happy.

    The last issue of IDW's Samurai Jack series is entitled Mako The Scribe. Maybe not so surprisingly, it features Make, the man who inscribes the 'words and deeds of important historical figures.' Why? Because he seeks knowledge and enlightenment. His current project is to find and write about Jack. To do this he inquires with a bartender (named Suriano!) and in doing so is given quite a story.

    Month back a meteor landed. When the local farmers went to investigate they found a 'bear-beast from beyond the stars.' There was a fight but it didn't go well and the bear's name? Jack. Mako soon realizes this is all hearsay and his inquiries with other townspeople yield similar results until he meets a man in a bar who has actually met Jack in person. Years back this man drove a wagon from port to port and on one run he and his daughter came face to face with Aku's robots only to be saved by the infamous samurai himself. After he tells his story, the man asks him why he's so interested in the subject and after Mako explains, the man offers to take him to Jack. Together they voyage to a camp high up in the mountains populated by those who would stand up to Aku - each one with their own story about Jack.

    Later that night when Mako asks to meet Jack, his request is obliged and he comes face to face with the legend himself, on the very eve that he and his crew plan to launch an assault on Aku…

    And with that, we come to the end. It's a fitting, even beautiful, finish to what has been a genuinely great continuation of the fan favorite animated series that served as the springboard for this book. Zub's wordsmithing in this last issue is top notch and, without spoiling the end, he really does bring a nice sense of closure to the series while still leaving the door open for more adventures should the opportunity present itself down the road. It is, in a word, the perfect way to send off what he and the art crew have been obviously working so hard at these past few years. It is, for lack of a better word, touching but not at the expense of the humor that has always been key to making this such a fun read.

    Illustrator Andy Suriano returns to finish off the series with Zub. His art is as good here as it has been in the issues that he's illustrated prior. While this issue doesn't allow him the opportunity to draw a lot of big action set pieces as he has in the past he still does some really interesting and creative things with panel layout and design. Josh Burcham's colors stand out here as well, and he and Suriano really do a perfect job of bringing the animated series to the printed page.

    Here's to a job well done. The series was hitting high notes from the start and it consistently did that for the duration. This last issue sends things out on a high note for sure - take a bow, guys - here's to a job well done.






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