Samurai Jack #14 (Comics Review)

With the current arc on Samurai Jack, Jim Zub has been exploring Jack’s past and how he got his fabled sword, a weapon that has been his constant companion on his dark journey to get back to his own time and defeat Aku once and for all. With the blade broken during a ritual to short-cut Jack’s journey, Jim has explored how the character has been reduced, and all the strange trials that await him now, which include him having to prove his worth to the glorious beings who created the blade in the first place and gifted it to his father.

In Samurai Jack #14, Jim shows exactly how Jack is tested by these supreme beings who stand as the grand judges of a cosmic battle between good and evil. And it is as brilliant issue as any of Jim’s other issues have been in this series. It is a beautifully executed issue that focuses exclusively on Jack, taking a look at everything he has learned in his life, and how he can move on from the dark events that surround him. Also, Andy Suriano, Ethen Beavers and Josh Burcham turn out another awesome-looking issue that really makes you feel at peace at times and is all about the details rather than the overall picture.

Scarlet Spiders #1 (Comics Review)

Spider-Verse has been crawling along for a few weeks without much direction so far. It started off well-enough but the utter proliferation of tie-ins has just about killed it for me. I’m hanging on only for a few characters like Gwen Stacy, Jessica Drew, Kaine, Ben Reilly, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir and a few others but other than that, I’ve been feeling rather underwhelmed by the entire event. There are some gems in here for sure, but I think what this event needs is some strong narrative direction rather than focusing on each character on his or her own.

This week’s Scarlet Spiders #1 brings together three clones of Peter Parker for a short-lived adventure set in Spider-Verse. Kaine, Ben Reilly and Ultimate Jessica Drew are sent on a mission to a world identified as the one where the Inheritors are cloning their bodies (Amazing Spider-Man #10 I believe). Writer Mike Costa is at the helm of this series and he makes this first issue an absolute joy, bringing together three of Peter’s more famous clones, even as artist Paco Diaz makes them visually stand-out in a great way.