Ninja-K #2 Discussion

[grendeljd]

If anyone would like to hear our OTV:VCR podcast discussing/reviewing this issue [& Quantum + Woody (2017) #1], please follow the link;

http://onlythevaliant.com/episodes/vcr146/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks to any who listen in

[Summydad1]

Excellent issue. Great story and has me hooked on the mystery. Also can't wait to get the story on the old ninja who appeared at the end. I did not read any earlier Ninjak series'. Does he always have that inner monologue like a 1940's P.I.? 4.5/5!

[Brother Darque]

Ninjak is still my favorite Valiant title!

[agent_graves]

So far so good. I like the concept, but in story, it seems weird. Idk, sometimes I forget who’s who, with the different lettering. Pre-order editions are life savers...

[otomo]

Sorry was travelling a lot last week and forgot. Was gonna write a full review and everything. Art is stellar, as before. The cover (I think it's b, with the woman in the red dress) is maybe one of my favorite pieces of art I've ever seen. I love Tomas Giorello so much.

This issue picked up the pace a lot better. Still a liiiitttle backstory heavy, but not like the first. It's cranking along and I'm much happier with how the story's unfolding. Probably Valiant's best issue in a couple of months.

9/10

[grendeljd]

Just finally read #1 & #2 in one sitting. I've got a mixed bag of feelings about this book so far.

The art is spectacular, and I'm a fan of Christos Gage's writing in general. Really good at creating a noir atmosphere with all the past MI6 ninja agents from the 20's through the 50's. Some of our UK board members may have a differing opinion on this, but I think Gage is giving it a good James Bond-ish British vibe, and I really like his dialogue choices in particular - he might be the best yet for that to date. The scenes with Livewire in issue one were also very well written, handled with a sophisticated maturity - again, I thought the dialogue & characterization was excellent there.

Madame Charade is a particularly interesting new character from a previous era - after the first issue I was wondering if she was perhaps a psiot who could really manipulate a projection shell better than anyone we've seen in the Valiant U to date. That would have been cool. I'm a little disappointed that this doesn't seem to be the case as of issue 2's revelations, but even still - she therefore has a unique ability & I would love to know the actual origin of it. It's a shame she's an old lady about to die in the present, but here's hoping she makes more appearances in any stories set in the past of the Valiant 20th century.

It's a very entertaining action/espionage/mystery story so far... but I still can't entirely get past the cheese factor of retro-fitting a long time MI6 "lettered-ninja program" into Colin's past, making him ninja-k all this time. I'm glad they've taken the time to mention that he is a freelancer & is the first one to have that distinction at MI6 which helps him stand out from the pack, but still...

Within the concept of the ninja program, I do like the idea of the various agents having multiple 'back-up' agents to take their place should anything happen to them. It's kind of a variation on the Bond idea of agents taking on a code number (isn't it established that they will give new agents vacant numbers?) It has me wondering how many Ninjak might have, if any.

But all this stuff seems like a lot of additional backstory for a character that already has a ton of it. I think we often think of Ninjak as Valiant's version of a batman archetype - if his past gets any more convoluted, he's going to become more like the Valiant version of Wolverine. Cool to a point, but way too complicated with all the intricate backstory.

[jmatt]

But all this stuff seems like a lot of additional backstory for a character that already has a ton of it. I think we often think of Ninjak as Valiant's version of a batman archetype - if his past gets any more convoluted, he's going to become more like the Valiant version of Wolverine. Cool to a point, but way too complicated with all the intricate backstory.

That's a good point. There's his primary character layer as a a billionaire playboy / technology expert that doubles as a spy / assassin for MI6. Then the stuff with his parents as Russian agents and his formative years relationship with his caretaker Alan (?). Then there's the layer with the dead monk / Shadow Seven and his trials with them. Then his deadside ventures with Punk Mambo and Magpie, with suggestions that he is in some way 'magic'. Swirl in the future stuff with keeping himself alive through meditation....

This guy's got a lot going on. I don't mind too much because all of that was entertaining, but step back and there's a lot to digest.

[Dallow Spicer1]

Just finally read #1 & #2 in one sitting. I've got a mixed bag of feelings about this book so far.

The art is spectacular, and I'm a fan of Christos Gage's writing in general. Really good at creating a noir atmosphere with all the past MI6 ninja agents from the 20's through the 50's. Some of our UK board members may have a differing opinion on this, but I think Gage is giving it a good James Bond-ish British vibe, and I really like his dialogue choices in particular - he might be the best yet for that to date. The scenes with Livewire in issue one were also very well written, handled with a sophisticated maturity - again, I thought the dialogue & characterization was excellent there.

I think Gage is doing a decent job with the Ninjak-British thing, bit cliched but no different than films. He’s doing a better job with the language than Lemire writing Punk Mambo over in Bloodshot Salvation (‘cell phone’! Urgh)

I enjoyed issue 2, I did need to go back to issue 1 to keep track of the different Ninja’s but I did’nt min£ that, the story is worth it. If I was going to nit pick I’d say his technology for every situation is bit much, especially the expanding armour to protect him from the bomb blast. Even though the armour is retracted it still must weigh the same?

I enjoyed the back up story and the art was good too, I think it’s the same artist who is doing XO #14? I did notice something odd though, it was set in WWI and in the German camp there was a water tower which appeared to have modern day sprayed graffiti on it!?! Can anyone explain that?

Good issue, substantial read 4/5