Killers #5

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Dallow Spicer1
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Killers #5

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

Well as no one else is kicking off the review of this book then I guess I will.

This 5 issue mini was overall decent, not blown away but worth reading. Having 5 new characters with names that are letters of the alphabet with various powers can be tricky to follow at times so you need to pay extra attention or re-read panels to follow what’s happening.

Couple of nice twist and turns to the story which ends in them agreeing to become a team working for the monk who trained them. The motivation for them agreeing this did not seem plausible and the monk didn’t explain what’s in it for them eg money? So that seemed a stretch to all of a sudden make this a new team (called Ki-5) and it was also unclear if they are on the side of good or bad...bad presumably? Hopefully they are bad guys as that would be far more interesting. Also, the monk said this new team would be his ‘fist’...hmmm seems pretty derivative of ‘the hand’ from Daredevil...perhaps not the most original part of the story.

The art was very good and the panel where the zombie monk gets punched through the back of the head into his face was good. Hope to see this artist doing more work for Valiant.

My biggest gripe was giving the these ninjas super powers, I think I it would have been more interesting without them.

3.75/5 for the issue and the series, worth picking up
Last edited by Dallow Spicer1 on Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:44:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Killers #5

Post by SwiftMann »

Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. Interested to see where this "team" goes, so I guess it did its job.
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Re: Killers #5

Post by hawkeyeps »

I agree they need another villain group, but whether we get anymore within a reasonable amount of time that we still care is another thing.

Case in point The United, great set up then just gone.

They need to follow up on stuff which maybe they are doing here by building this alphabet ninja corner of the universe.

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Re: Killers #5

Post by DirtbagSailor »

I did not hate this story; however, there is one (I would say, rather significant) issue that bugs me...

Ninja-G was one of the breakout characters from the Ninja-K series. She was not just another forced diverse character; Ninja-G was compelling, interesting, and human. She fought her enemy (Devotchka) so hard and so long that the two women grow to not only understand one another, but in time, also respect and love one another.

In the 1985 novel “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card:

  • “In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him...”


This connection feels organic and genuine. It is believable(ish), and is the foundation for Ninja-G’s story in Killers.

Yet, at the end, in an instant, she tosses it all (meaning her entire character development) in the trash and to become a general for the Jonin.

What a complete wasted opportunity.

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Dallow Spicer1
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Re: Killers #5

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

DirtbagSailor wrote:I did not hate this story; however, there is one (I would say, rather significant) issue that bugs me...

Ninja-G was one of the breakout characters from the Ninja-K series. She was not just another forced diverse character; Ninja-G was compelling, interesting, and human. She fought her enemy (Devotchka) so hard and so long that the two women grow to not only understand one another, but in time, also respect and love one another.

In the 1985 novel “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card:

  • “In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him...”


This connection feels organic and genuine. It is believable(ish), and is the foundation for Ninja-G’s story in Killers.

Yet, at the end, in an instant, she tosses it all (meaning her entire character development) in the trash and to become a general for the Jonin.

What a complete wasted opportunity.
Yeah it was a weird flex. I’m not particularly big on that character so it didn’t bother me too much but I can see how it would if you invested in her back story.

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Re: Killers #5

Post by TheFerg714 »

DirtbagSailor wrote: Yet, at the end, in an instant, she tosses it all (meaning her entire character development) in the trash and to become a general for the Jonin.

What a complete wasted opportunity.
She didn't "toss it all in the trash." It wasn't up to her that Devotchka was killed, and that was her whole meaning in life, so what's she supposed to do now? I totally buy her just saying *SQUEE* the world and go back to what she was doing beforehand.

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Re: Killers #5

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

TheFerg714 wrote:
DirtbagSailor wrote: Yet, at the end, in an instant, she tosses it all (meaning her entire character development) in the trash and to become a general for the Jonin.

What a complete wasted opportunity.
She didn't "toss it all in the trash." It wasn't up to her that Devotchka was killed, and that was her whole meaning in life, so what's she supposed to do now? I totally buy her just saying *SQUEE* the world and go back to what she was doing beforehand.
Wasn’t it the realisation that what she had with Devotchka ‘wasnt real’ which changed her mind? :? And what is her motivation for doing what she was doing before, is it cash?

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Re: Killers #5

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

DirtbagSailor wrote:Yet, at the end, in an instant, she tosses it all (meaning her entire character development) in the trash and to become a general for the Jonin.

What a complete wasted opportunity.
The best opportunity for her to find out who's responsible for her girl's death is being a member of that team.

Getting back her Ki--invisibility--increases that opportunity a lot.

It's going to be very interesting to see the Ki-6 as villains in the next Ninjak series, and K will certainly help G because it was Devotchka who told G to let K go.

Or maybe she just doesn't want a zombie girl friend. Dead is dead, right? (No need for a 2nd Deathmate anyway.)

Move on. Use that anger.

And then K will tell G who killed Devotchka.

It's gonna be fun!

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Re: Killers #5

Post by agent_graves »

My only gripe was no Ninjak, early promo had him in this. Other than that, I thought this was a solid mini-series. Ninja-G stands out the most, so I’ll continue to follow her adventures with this new team.
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Re: Killers #5

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

agent_graves wrote:My only gripe was no Ninjak, early promo had him in this. Other than that, I thought this was a solid mini-series. Ninja-G stands out the most, so I’ll continue to follow her adventures with this new team.
Haha, good catch!

Only 1 of the 3 ninja agents played a role in Killers--Ninja-E.

He also happens to be the only one who's identity hasn't been revealed yet.

What if E isn't only responsible for Devotchka's death but Angelina's, too?

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Re: Killers #5

Post by kjjohanson »

Sunlight on Snow wrote:
DirtbagSailor wrote:Yet, at the end, in an instant, she tosses it all (meaning her entire character development) in the trash and to become a general for the Jonin.

What a complete wasted opportunity.
The best opportunity for her to find out who's responsible for her girl's death is being a member of that team.

Getting back her Ki--invisibility--increases that opportunity a lot.

It's going to be very interesting to see the Ki-6 as villains in the next Ninjak series, and K will certainly help G because it was Devotchka who told G to let K go.

Or maybe she just doesn't want a zombie girl friend. Dead is dead, right? (No need for a 2nd Deathmate anyway.)

Move on. Use that anger.

And then K will tell G who killed Devotchka.

It's gonna be fun!
This occurred to me too. I'd like this to turn out to be the case, because it's more believable than having G just decide the last few decades of her life didn't matter.

I'd also like some explanation for the proliferation of monks. Hopefully it will be revealed (whether the backstory has already been crafted or not) there is some connection between them all that explains the origin of powers in the Valiant Universe.
If you're not a *SQUEE*, you're okay with me.


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