Samurai Jack (comics)

Samurai Jack (comics)
238x450px Samurai Jack and the Threads of Time #1
Publication information
Publisher	IDW Publishing
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Post-apocalyptic
Publication date	October 2013 – May 2015
Number of issues	20 (Plus one Special)
Creative team
Writer(s)	Jim Zub
Artist(s)	Andy Suriano
Creator(s)	Genndy Tartakovsky Jim Zub

The Samurai Jack comics was a monthly American comic book series chronicling the travels of Samurai Jack. The comic book series follows up Season 4 of Samurai Jack of a time-displaced samurai warrior Jack in his singular quest to find a method of travelling back in time and defeating the tyrannical demonic wizard Aku.

In February 2013, IDW Publishing announced a partnership with Cartoon Network to produce comics based on its properties. Samurai Jack was one of the titles announced to be published. It was further announced at WonderCon 2013 that the first issue of Samurai Jack will debut in October 2013. The first comic in the series was released October 23, 2013.

Nine years after the cancellation of Genndy Tartakovsky's show, IDW Publishing had announced a new comic book featuring the continuing adventures of Jack, the temporally displaced warrior and his epic quest to destroy Aku. Beginning with a five-issue storyline called Rope of Eons. Suriano, who designed characters for the show, reflected on returning to the popular character via press release: "Returning to Samurai Jack is such a personal experience and labor of love for me. It's like stepping through a time portal back to characters I know as friends and a world that really launched my animation career".

The first volume, which contained Issues 1-5, was released in May 2014. It was made available as both a hard copy and an eBook with a total of 120 pages. Volume 2, "The Scotsman's Curse", contains issues 6-10 and was released 28 October 2014. Volume 3, which highlighted the "Quest for the Broken Blade" (Issues 11-15), was officially released on March 31, 2015. Volume 4; "The Warrior King", concluding issues 16-20, was released on September 1, 2015.

In January 2015, Jim Zub, creator of the Samurai Jack comic series, confirmed that the issues would be concluded with issue #20, in May 2015. He went on to state that "Working on Jack has been a project that felt just as creative and expansive as any creator-owned work I've done. Almost every single idea we pitched was enthusiastically approved by IDW and Cartoon Network. We told the stories we wanted to tell the way we wanted to tell them and, from everything I’ve seen and the people I’ve met, the fans thoroughly enjoyed them too. That’s a rare and wonderful thing and I won’t take it for granted." Zub wanted fans to feel that with the comics, there is a sense of closure to the series. In the third season of Samurai Jack there’s an episode called “Jack and Travelling Creatures” where, after trials and tribulations aplenty, we catch a glimpse of a possible future for our wandering hero; we see Jack as an older Warrior-King, a veteran of an untold number of conflicts. Zub stated that the team is "embracing that awesome vision of Jack in a very heartfelt done-in-one story called 'Mako the Scribe'."

Plot

After the follow-up of episode 52, we find Jack crossing the desert to find a wise old hermit living in a cave. He seeks help on his unending quest to go back in time. The sage tells him that Aku learned his mastery of time travel through an ancient relic known as the Rope of Eons. He studied it, and absorbed its power before destroying it, so others couldn't learn its secrets. However, if the strands are gathered, they can be reassembled to form a rope once again. With that Jack set off and crossed the desert to find a remote underground Colosseum where the first strand lies.

Classic Volumes

The Classic Volumes are series of comics based on the events that happened before and during the TV series for Samurai Jack. The 136-page collection focuses on Jack's origin story and was released November 12, 2013. Simply put, Aku the demon wizard has enslaved Jack's people. Jack inherits a mystical katana and beats Aku in battle only to be sent far into the future where Aku's grip is all-reaching and all-powerful. Thus starts Jack's quest to journey back to his original time so he may finish what he and Aku started. The rest consists of short tales of Jack liberating others from Aku's hold, before passing along to the next town in true drifter style. The artwork for the Classic Volumes is done by Ricardo Garcia Fuentes (commonly known as Micro), who also illustrated Jack in the Cartoon Network: Action Packs comic. Volume 2 of the Classic Volumes was officially released on April 22, 2014.

Issues

Samurai Jack comics overview

Issue No.	Issue Title	Overview	Release Date
1	Samurai Jack and the Threads of Time	Jack is stranded in a strange future ruled by the demonic wizard, Aku. His quest to return to the past has tested him many times, but now the stakes are higher than ever. Can an ancient relic known as the Rope of Eons finally take him home?	October, 2013
2	The Threads of Time	Jack can defeat almost any foe in single combat, but how will he fare against a pair of perfectly synchronized warriors who can exploit his every weakness?	November, 2013
3	The Threads of Time	Jack's travels bring him to a village filled with tension and mystery. Can he discover the town's strange secret before Aku's robotic army invades? Our samurai hero's quest to gather the Threads of Time continues.	December, 2013
4	The Threads of Time	A mystic queen of great power and beauty accepts no criticism, especially from a lowly wandering samurai. Can Jack find another one of the Threads of Time before he’s imprisoned for royal heresy?	January, 2014
5	Solicitation	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 to the past?	February, 2014
Special	Samurai Jack: Special Director’s Cut	Back to the Past! As the evil demon Aku takes over the ancient world, the fate of the world rests in the hands of a noble samurai warrior. But when Aku blasts him into the future, Samurai Jack must find a way to return and right the wrongs of the past! The special Director’s Cut reprints the classic adaptation of the first three episodes of Samurai Jack, along with bonus pages and commentary from creator Genndy Tartakovsky and artist Bill Wray.	February, 2014
6	Samurai Jack and the Scotsman's Curse	The return of the Scotsman! The humungous highland hooligan and the stoically stalwart samurai team up once again! This time they battle against a bizarre mystic curse that—okay, that part’s a secret but trust us, it’s a doozy!	March, 2014
7	Samurai Jacqueline and the Scotswoman	Samurai Jack and the Scotsman fight giants and wee folk alike as they struggle to free themselves from the gender-bending curse of the leprechauns.	April, 2014
8	Samurai Jack and the Caves of Crystal Calamity	Jack reflects on his odyssey to return to the past, but he won’t like what he finds staring back at him.	May, 2014
9	Villainous Vortex	How can our time-traveling samurai defeat a foe that controls the forces of gravity?	June, 2014
10	Samurai Jack and the Brain Battali	The war without has been a failure for Aku, so now it’s time to wage the war within! Can Jack overcome an opponent who unravels the thoughts and memories that make him a samurai?	July, 2014
11	Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade: Part One	After the Threads of Time failed to return Jack back to the past, he searches for a new way to return to his rightful era. But will Jack be willing to risk his magical blade in order to open a new portal to the past?	August, 2014
12	Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade: Part Two	Aku senses Jack's unexpected new flaw and calls forth a manhunt like no other. Soldiers, monsters, and bounty hunters scour the land for the weakened samurai warrior. Is anywhere safe?	September, 2014
13	Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade: Part Three	Weak and exhausted, the fugitive samurai known only as 'Jack' is running out of hope. Will anyone come to his aid or is this the end of his lifelong mission?	October, 2014
14	Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade: Part Four	Jack is tested by power greater than any he has ever faced before. Can he prove himself worthy and regain his strength?	November, 2014
15	Samurai Jack and the Quest of the Broken Blade: Part Five	Jack faces Aku in one-on-one combat and both are determined to make it their final battle. Past and present collide in this epic conclusion to the 'Quest of the Broken Blade' storyline.	December, 2014
16	Samurai Jack and the Master of Time: Part One	A prophet calling himself the "Master of Time" hides within a compound crawling with untold monsters and deadly traps. Jack the Samurai will need to become Jack the Infiltrator if he hopes to gain an audience with the mysterious master.	January, 2015
17	Samurai Jack and the Master of Time: Part Two	Jack and the Thief team-up to discover the mysteries of the secretive man known only as the “Master of Time.” Is this finally the way home for our solemn samurai?	February, 2015
18	Samurai Jack and the Fallen Four	Jack stumbles upon the site of great battle, grave-robbing witches brings back the spirits of the dead to defeat the samurai warrior!	March, 2015
19	Samurai Jack and the Mad Mutts of Mistery	Jack reunites with the team of dapper archaeological dogs as they search for their canine ancestry, but the secrets they fetch will leave them howling!	April, 2015
20	Mako the Scribe	Final Issue. A scribe named Mako has heard many strange stories of the great hero known only as 'Jack.' Mako's journey to record the truth of the samurai reveals a fascinating look at his legacy and possible future: Jack the King. Jack the General. Jack the Legend.	May, 2015

Appearance in other comics

Title	Issue(s)	Release Date(s)
Cartoon Network: Action Packs	1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20	July, 2006 - February 2008
Cartoon Network: Super Sampler	1	October, 2013

External links

• Samurai Jack on IDW Publishing