Reviews»Comic Books»Ninjak #1
NINJAK_001_COVERA_LAROSA
Kareem Ali 5

Ninjak #1

 

  • The good

    Wonderfully crafted story utilizing all of Ninjak's abilities from intense action to infiltration. Artwork is great

  • The bad

    Lost Files is a good story but takes some suspense off flashbacks?

  • The ugly

  • Ninjak #1 is the start of a new series written by Matt Kindt featuring the agent extraordinaire as he seeks to identify the seven leaders of an organization known as Weaponeer. It opens up with Ninjak being sent by MI-6 to free a woman named Roku being held in a Russian containment center. However, she’s not entirely helpless, and is so dangerous that the prison had to be built around her current location since there was no way to transport her. She’s been genetically tailored so her mind and body are weapons, including her hair, which is sharper than any sword and can cut through metal. And she’s a communications and electronics savant so she can manipulate technology as easily as she can hack minds, getting guards to kill themselves with just a sentence. But what she doesn’t know is that the prison has been rigged to kill her if she attempts to hack its systems, and that’s where Ninjak comes in. It may seem counterproductive to want to help such a dangerous individual but the bigger plan is to identify the leaders of Weaponeer, and even after years of work only one has been identified. And reports suggest that Roku is the right-hand of that leader. What is their plan to identify these leaders, and is it worth setting Roku free just for an opportunity to have this plan succeed?

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    I was relatively interested in a Ninjak series when I first heard about it being announced but my excitement for it didn’t increase until Unity 14 and 15. And I’m glad I can say that this first issue is everything I was hyped about it being. The simple start of this issue showing a young Colin being mesmerized by a movie showing a blindfolded swordsman taking on numerous fighters in a badass way was the perfect intro to touch on the fundamental desire to pick up this series. It made me recall the first time I became fascinated when ninjas when I was younger, and all my imagination could conceive about it. However, this wasn’t a story geared towards childlike fantasies of ninjas as both the flashbacks of Colin’s childhood and his current role as Ninjak would take a more mature and at times darker tone. But it’s not that this issue would turn Ninjak into a sullen character, which it didn’t, the writing and the plot setup was just that great while also touching on everything from his past that would eventually lead him down the path to become Ninjak. So Roku’s introduction and all that she could do not only brought a great character into the mix but also made Ninjak’s capabilities that much more impressive. And Clay Mann’s artwork was just phenomenal all around. From the larger spreads to the small details in the panels, every page was oozing with a combination of high-tech stealth, intense action, and/or subtler actions in a very polished manner.

    However, this issue wasn’t just action as all the facets of Ninjak’s personality and role were on display since he couldn’t just fight his way to the hidden identities of the Weaponeer leaders. So the start of his infiltration was also tied into his difficult upbringing, and I could appreciate how the story still progressed drastically, and was very engrossing. Everything about the start of this story highlighted all the entertaining aspects of Ninjak, and I can’t wait to see what unfolds next.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    Ninjak #1 is an excellent start to the series combining intense action and great writing to create a highly engrossing issue. All the characters introduced here are done in an entertaining manner and add to the story being crafted. The way flashbacks from Ninjak’s childhood are used only give clarity to what led him down this path in life and don’t hold the story back at all. All the best aspects of Ninjak’s character are on display and that’s why the story feels so rich. A very promising start and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue.

     

    Release Date:3/11/15

    Writer: Matt Kindt

    Artist: Clay Mann

  • Rating ( 9.75 )
  • Total score 9.8

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