Samurai Jack #6 came out this week and it included the triumphant return of the Scotsman, one of the series’ most infamous characters. What did reviewers think of it? Read on and find out…

• Shadowhawk’s Shade: 10/10 “Overall, this was a far better issue than I was expecting. The story was definitely a big surprise, and I honestly have zero complaints about it. Zero. None.”

• Rock! Shock! Pop!: “It’s another fine entry in the run, and if you’ve enjoyed what the creative team has done with the series so far you’ll enjoy this too.”

• The Outhouse: “I feel this is Jim Zub’s strongest issue to date, as it shows his writing strength, with all its twists and turns. Samurai Jack takes everything enjoyable about the television show and expands on it, never once feeling rehashed.”

• Geeked Out Nation: “Samurai Jack #6 is a great start for the new story arc. It is all setup for the story going forward and is very new reader friendly. With the welcome return of a fan favorite character, it is not one to be missed.”

• Unleash the Fanboy: “The art by Brittney Williams effortlessly captures the style of the original cartoon. Add in the colors by Josh Burcham and you have a rock-solid display that does not disappoint.”

• Comic Book Therapy: 4/5 “This puts Jack and the Scotsman in a brand-new predicament, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. This is a strong story in its own right, but the humor really sets it over the top.”

• Nerds on the Rocks: 6/7 “Jim Zub amazes me with his ability to take a storyline that seems relatively thin on the surface and turns it into a rich, thick, personality and character driven tale that never drags its feet.”

• Razorfine: 4/5 “The return of The Scotsman (whatever his current form) and the unique nature of the story set-up what should be one of Jack’s more memorable adventures (with some nice art by Brittney Williams).”

• Comic Booked: 5/5 “This zany plotline for the next couple of issues is exactly the kind of thing to expect from Samurai Jack in his time travelling escapades.”

I spoke to Sohaib at Fictional Frontiers about working on Samurai Jack, what made the show so great, and other projects on my plate and thoughts about the industry. Click on through and give it a listen.

Samurai Jack #5 came out this week, wrapping up our first story arc ‘The Threads of Time”. What did critics think of it? Read on and find out…

• Eat Your Comics: “Issue #5 gets four stars, the new series gets five stars. Welcome back Jack!”

• Stash My Comics: “Fans of the show should already know how good this comic is and, if not, they’re missing out.”

• The Outhousers: “Jim Zub’s terse narration, injected with sparse dialogue, allows Andy Suriano’s art to take center stage. “

• Comic Book Therapy: “Samurai Jack brings things full circle and tells a really fitting story for the fan-favorite character.”

• Nerds on the Rocks: “This is one of those rare issues where you could remove every word from it and the art would tell the story with clarity.”

• Rock! Shock! Pop!: “Zub and Suriano have done a great job bringing Cartoon Network’s coolest sword swinger back to the printed page with the give issues that make up The Threads Of Time.”

• Geeked Out Nation: “Even against the insurmountable odds, Jack is able to portray the hero that every story involving samurai needs.”

• Shadowhawk’s Shade: 9/10 “All the things that I wanted from this issue, I got, because Jim understands the setting and the characters, and because the artists are just so damn good in every possible way.”

Arriving in May, the new issue and our 1st Samurai Jack collected edition. Pre-order now!

Samurai Jack #8
Jim Zub & Andy Suriano (w) • Suriano (a & c)
Jack reflects on his odyssey to return to the past, but he won’t like what he finds staring back at him. A special silent issue illustrated by Samurai Jack character designer Andy Suriano!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
• Andy Suriano returns for this fantastic tale!
• “A comic book any Samurai Jack fan — and Genndy Tartakovsky himself — would be proud of.” – IGN

Samurai Jack, Vol. 1: The Threads of Time
Jim Zub (w) • Andy Suriano (a & c)
The legendary samurai known only as “Jack” is stranded in a strange future ruled by the demonic wizard, Aku. His quest to return back 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? Collects issues #1–5.
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 120 pages • ISBN: 978-1-61377-894-4
• “By combining their reverence for the source material with a strong desire to move it forward, they’ve created a new beginning for a character with a considerable history and made it an excellent jumping on point for new and old fans alike.” –Newsarama

Samurai Jack #4 arrived in comic shops last Wednesday, so let’s see what critics thought of it…

• IGN:8.5/10 “We may not have the cartoon series, but we have a pretty awesome comic series to warm our hearts.”

• Comic Vine: “If you’ve been enjoying the book, there’s pretty much no reason why you won’t enjoy this one as well.”

• The Outhousers: “Andy Suriano’s character design work for secondary characters is exceptionally strong; the lithe, graceful bodies of the musket-knights counteracts their brutish nature, while the queen’s beauty contrasts the villagers’ homeliness.”

• Comic Book Therapy: “Samurai Jack is a thoroughly enjoyable series that pays a lot of respect to everything that came before it.”

• Rock! Shock! Pop!: “This is all very much in keeping with the spirit of the show, finding that interesting balance of honor, mysticism, action and humor.”

• Shadowhawk’s Shade:9.5/10 “Another stellar issue from Jim, Andy, Josh and Shawn. I really hope that these guys all stick together on this series for a good long while.”

• Multiversity: “Those of you that are or were fans of the character – this should be on your pull list already. Rectify that, if it’s not.”

Arriving in April…

Samurai Jack #7
Jim Zub (w) • Brittney Williams (a) • Andy Suriano (c)
Samurai Jacqueline and the Scotswoman fight giants and wee folk alike as they struggle to free themselves from the gender-bending curse of the leprechauns. Cartoon Network’s hit animated series continues at IDW!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

“If you miss Jack and his samurai ways, go pick this up. If you never watched the show, buy the book anyway because it’s just plain fun.” –Reading Pictures

Samurai Jack #7—Subscription Variant
Jim Zub (w) • Brittney Williams (a) • Agnes Garbowska (c)
For subscription customers only… enlist at your local comic shop! A variant cover by Agnes Garbowska!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

The Toonami Faithful podcast crew interviewed me at length all about continuing the Samurai Jack story and working in the comic business. It’s a pretty involved interview that covers a lot of different aspects of freelance work and telling comic stories.

Give it a listen!

Samurai Jack #3 arrived in comic shops last Wednesday. It was an issue all of us on the creative team have been extra excited about, so let’s see what critics thought of it…

• Comic Bastards:5/5 “It isn’t the beautiful artwork of Andy Suriano, it isn’t how spot on Jim Zub writes Jack himself, it’s the ability of them both, in tandem to tell a truly great, totally authentic, Samurai Jack story.”

• Fanboy Nation: “Samurai Jack #3 manages to keep the original feel of the show while also telling an entirely new story. The comic was thoroughly enjoyable and beautiful to look at.”

• Geeked Out Nation: “It’s nice to not only see that Zub knows this character well but he knows how to write his story. He writes stories that could have easily been episodes of the series.”

• Nerds on the Rocks:7/7 “When people talk about great comics they need to start mentioning Samurai Jack. This is a comic that bleeds heart, fun and creativity as if it were sliced with a katana.”

• Off The Panel: “I can’t wait to see how the series continues, and am looking forward to getting the next issue.”

• Rock! Shock! Pop!: “All in all, a great issue with a surprisingly touching ending and another fine addition to the series.”

• Second Printing: “Seriously this issue of Samurai Jack measures up with some of the best episodes of the show”

• Shadowhawk’s Shade:10/10 “…And the ending, well, that’s just pure Samurai Jack ending right there, and is one where Jim really does nail Jack’s character. Loved the ending, which made me cry I should point given how much of an emotional punch it packs”

• The Outhousers: “The last few pages are wordless, saying everything they need to with just the art, which is a true trait of Samurai Jack.”

• What’cha Reading:4/5 “This comic is tight. Well paced, intelligent, and witty.”

• Word of the Nerd: “The issues thus far have been worthy successors to Genndy Tartakovsky’s cartoon. Jim Zub has crafted an arc that stays true to the character and his motivations while also giving Jack ample reason to show off his impressive fighting techniques.”

On Wednesday December 18th Samurai Jack #3 will arrive in comic shops everywhere and Comics Alliance has an exclusive 8 page preview.

All of us on the creative team are especially proud of this story and I can’t wait until it’s released.