Ninja-K #10
Publisher: Valiant
Story: Christos Gage
Pencils: Larry Stroman
Inks: Ryan Winn
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: A Larger World Studios
Cover: Giuseppe Cammuncoli & Brian Reber
Ninjak hasn’t had much downtime since this series began and it’s not happening anytime soon as more of the Ninja Programme’s dark secrets begin to surface. This time in the way of Ninjak’s predecessor, Ninja-H. An agent who Gage reveals has been in suspended animation but is now active and racking up a huge body count of MI-6 staff. So it’s up to Colin King aka Ninjak to bring him in though H isn’t your average ninja or MI-6 agent.
Gage thrusts you into the story pretty quickly as he introduces Ninja-H and begins to peel back the layers of this character. It’s an origin story that doesn’t spend too much time in the past but just enough to expand on the present day fight between H and K and give it deeper meaning. Gage has also given us a much different Ninjak compared to how he was portrayed in his previous series. Solid character growth and even a bit of maturity here has made Colin King’s adventures more enjoyable to read than they already were. Since Gage revealed the Ninja Programme’s subterfuge and manipulation of it’s agents in the first arc you might even find yourself sympathizing with H’s situation. Don’t worry if you missed out on that part because there’s a nice recap and Gage’s story here is easily accessible to any new reader.
The art is handled by the legendary Larry Stroman who along with Ryan Winn and Andrew Dalhouse deliver some great visuals in this fast paced story. Stroman’s style is always dynamic and keeps your eyes moving which makes it perfect for this type of adventure. The fight sequences are fluid and visceral while at the same time consistently moving the story along. Dalhouse’s use of H’s camouflage pattern adds a level of detail his design that helps to make the character stand out aside from the giant blade and cybernetic abilities. Hopefully we see Stroman’s visual story telling again in this series or another from Valiant.
You really can’t go wrong with a story full of ninja and cyborgs and the creative team here delivers on all fronts. Ninja-K is a series that takes the spy game to a level that only Valiant could and is worth checking out.
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