Science Fiction

Samurai Jack #20

/ / Comics

Samurai Jack #20Although it has far less of our title character than any other issue of the series, Samurai Jack #20 is a fitting end to IDW’s comic adventures of the time-displaced samurai. Set years in the future, the issue centers not on Jack but a scribe named Mako (in deference to the actor who so brilliantly voiced the Jack’s nemesis in the cartoon) who has spent his life gathering stories of Samurai Jack.

On the eve of Jack’s latest, and largest, assault against Aku, Mako luckily runs into someone that not only has firsthand knowledge of Jack but who can lead him straight to the legendary warrior’s camp not only allowing Mako to hear countless new stories of Jack but also meet the man himself.

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Samurai Jack – Episode III: The First Fight

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode III: The First Fight
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack- Episode III: The First Fight

Wrapping up the show’s introductory arc, “Episode III” gives fans their first real taste of what will become the show’s trademark action style as more than two-thirds of the episode are devoted to a single battle between Jack (Phil LaMarr) and the beetle robots of Aku (Mako). “The First Fight” also offers another montage featuring Jack and his new canine archeologist friends laying a trap for Aku’s drones that helps weed out their numbers while still leaving a near-unending number of them for the samurai to deal with personally.

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Star Wars #6

/ / Comics

Star Wars #6The latest issue of Marvel’s main Star Wars offers some surprises along with the first big “Fuck You” to the previously existing Expanded Universe continuity.

In the main storyline a blinded Luke, searching for Obi-Wan‘s journal on Tatooine, faces off against Boba Fett whose been sent by Darth Vader to bring back the pilot responsible for the destruction of the Death Star (whose name the Dark Lord of the Sith finally learns at least bringing an end to that “mystery”). Offering plenty of action while foreshadowing the Jedi that Luke will become, Skywalker survives mainly through dumb luck and trust in the Force.

The issue’s B-story has wide consequences as Han and Leia run into Han Solo’s ex-wife while running from an Imperial patrol in the Outer Rim. Just what exactly Sana Solo‘s role will be going forward is unclear but her introduction begins a likely wide divergence between the decades of Star Wars comics and novels of the past 25 years. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Jurassic World

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Jurassic World
  • IMDb: link

Jurassic WorldFor the first time in 14 years we get a new entry into the Jurassic Park franchise with Jurassic World. Far from a reboot, Jurassic World takes place in the same world as the previous films (and even has a few homages to the original), although no human characters return. Jurassic World doesn’t stray far from the template of the previous three films (and not nearly as much as I’d like recycling the same themes already well-mined by the franchise), but it does offer a new twist or two to give the latest sequel a fresh feel.

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Samurai Jack – Episode II: The Samurai Called Jack

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode II: The Samurai Called Jack
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode II: The Samurai Called Jack

“Episode II” introduces both the hero and audience to a bizarre dystopian future filled with talking canine archaeologists, aliens and robots of every type, and a worldwide kingdom ruled over by Aku (Mako). Although centuries of Aku’s rule has morphed the world into a technological dictatorship, for our hero no time has passed. Earning the name Jack from some alien teens, and learning the sad history of the world by a trio of talking dogs hoping to hire the swordsman, Samurai Jack‘s (Phil LaMarr) long journey to find his way home begins.

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