Samurai Jack Back From The Past in New Comic Series

In 2004, the beloved Cartoon Network series Samurai Jack was abruptly cancelled. The time traveling hero was never able to return to his own era and square down with nemesis Aku, leaving the series depressingly unresolved. But his saga is finally set to continue in a comic series published by IDW that gives us the fifth season we always wanted.

The comic’s going to be written by Jim Zub of Skullkickers fame and drawn by Andy Suriano, an animator for the original series. Jack‘s creator, legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, is unfortunately not involved with the comic itself. He is, however, drawing the rockin’ covers.

Jack’s quest picks up with him learning that Aku mastered the magic of time travel through an ancient artifact called the Rope of Eons. To prevent others from learning its secrets, the demonic wizard shredded the Rope completely. Unbeknownst to Aku, the fibers left behind retained fragments of the temporal magic. These fibers are known as the Threads of Time, and if Jack is able to gather them all, he may be able to repair the rope and figure out how to return home to Feudal Japan.

In an interview with Newsarama, Zub said that “The quest for the Threads of Time will challenge Jack like few things have before.”

While the comic is obviously in a different medium than the original series and that makes for a number of challenges, it looks to channel the cartoon in as many ways as possible while also being its own unique entity. The cult media references, aesthetic tricks, and tense action the show was praised for will all be back in full force. Sadly, characters besides Jack and Aku are not likely to make a return.

The first issue will be released in October. Hopefully if it does well enough we’ll get a comic conclusion to Tartakovsky’s other prematurely canceled brainchild, Symbionic Titan. Probably not, but hey, a guy can dream!

(via Newsarama)

Meanwhile in related links

• Hopefully this will be a cut above NBC’s nostalgia-based comics
• If you want another blast from Tartakovsky’s past, watch the infamous unaired Dexter’s Lab episode
• In another unexpected cartoon announcement, The Simpsons are crossing over with Family Guy.