A Haunting Journey Through The Woods Awaits In Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #3

Samurai Jack is used to walking alone through the woods. He’s not that used to stepping in bear traps. That’s just the beginning of his troubles as he’s picked up by a strange group of bounty hunters and hauled away in a truck. Are these mercenaries working for Aku? What led them to capture Jack in the first place?

I will never get tired of the stoic nature and calm demeanor of Samurai Jack. There’s something beautifully cinematic about his appearance and the tone of every story featuring the character. Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #3 is no different. Artist Adam Bryce Thomas does a phenomenal job of setting the mood for each scene, speaking volumes with every image. I’m glad to see that there’s little to no dialogue in these scenes as that would take away from the ambiance.

This extends to the lettering as well. Christa Miesner places the word balloons in such a way as to allow them to carry the most weight. What is most interesting is the speech of one of the mercenaries, who is silent up until this point. His single word of dialogue breaks the word balloon, like his voice is more the absence of sound than a deep tone that you might expect from someone so large.

There is an air of mystery with a sinister feel in Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #3. Thomas turns in some excellent shadow work here, coupled with the fiery red of the sky. It’s a very twilight mood that plays into writer Paul Allor’s story very well. I won’t spoil some of the later elements of the plot, but suffice it to say, the colors complement it perfectly.

Allor continues to strike the right balance between action, drama, and humor in this series. This chapter adds a bit of subtle horror which is a nice touch. It speaks to the wide variety of obstacles and foes that Samurai Jack can encounter along his never-ending journey. He needs to be ready for anything that could come his way.

This makes for an unpredictable and consistently satisfying read. Every issue has been surprising as we immerse ourselves in the mystery and intrigue. This setup also lends itself to multiple readings as you’ll want to go through this again once the truth has been revealed.

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds is a reminder that there are still many stories left to tell with this character and this wide world. I would love to see this as an ongoing where creators could really build upon the overall mythos. For now, these stand-alone stories are more than enough to whet my appetite. More Samurai Jack is always a good thing.

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #3 from IDW Publishing is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.