For those who missed it when it was on TV, “Samurai Jack” was the groundbreaking animated brainchild of Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius behind such Cartoon Network classics as “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Star Wars: Clone Wars.”

The show took the artwork style from shows like “Dexter’s” and “The Powerpuff Girls” to the next level, mixing in elements of Asian painting and futuristic tech to beautifully illustrate the journey of a lone samurai in his quest to return to his own time from a nightmarish future where his enemy – the evil Aku – rules all with fear and oppression.

It also took the novel approach of shying away from the sophomoric humor and heavy-handed moralizing that so much American animation has fallen into in favor of silent, intense battles across strange, alien landscapes.

This, the final season, takes Jack through some of his most memorable conflicts. The season opens with a gorgeous battle with a ninja where the use of light and shadow becomes a central, artistic focus of the fight and ends with an updated retelling of the Japanese legend of Momotaro that plays out like the classic comic, “Lone Wolf and Cub.”

The season also takes risks, especially in one episode where a robotic assassin who is forced into hunting Jack is portrayed as a good guy while Jack comes off as a savage, silent killer.

Extras: round table discussion of the birth and development of “Samurai Jack” and a tour through Tartakovsky’s new house-turned-studio, Orphanage Studios, where Genndy discusses his future plans.

Grade: A

Samurai Jack: Season Four is currently available.