Ninjak #2 Review: Knowledge is Power

 

Ninjak #2 Pre-Order Cover by David Lopez

In Ninjak #2, writer Jeff Parker and artist Javier Pulido introduce Ninjak and Myna to three superpowered bounty hunters. The first is a woman who flies and uses weather as a weapon, the second is a steel-skinned giant, and the third is a gargoyle-like creature. This trio wishes to cash in on a reward they've been offered for Ninjak's head.

Between you and me, I'm not sure the bounty hunters understand the enormity of the task they've taken on. They've read the classified information that the organization known as Daylight made public. Don't they know how many others have tried--and failed--to capture or kill the incredible Colin King?

 

Before the bounty hunters derailed the train, Ninjak had intended to return Myna to safety in England. After all, Colin is used to working alone, and the young agent is only on her first field assignment. She certainly looks to be in shock, when she gazes down at the wrecked train car she and Colin traveled in.

Yet when Colin urges her to flee, she offers to stay and help.

Colin doesn't know who these bounty hunters are, or the full extent of their powers. So his first strategy is to turn each one against the other.

 

Initially, he achieves some success with this, as the bounty hunters are naturally competitive.

Then he notices Myna is still there. Even though the bounty hunters are only after him, she lingers because she believes she can help him. As skilled and experienced as he is, Ninjak finds it difficult to see how.

Still, he seems touched by her concern.

 

In addition to emphasizing the mood or feel of a scene through his use of color, artist Javier Pulido has a way of flipping your perspective. Consider this panel, which consumes the upper half of a two-page spread. 

You have to think for a moment to realize that Ninjak's flying upside down through an overturned train car. Javier's colored the scene blue because of the stream of cold wind and hail the bounty hunter blasted Ninjak with. Oh, and then there's the sound effect, which gives you the crack of thunder to accompany the lightning.

Incidentally, the train car Myna and Colin traveled in had crashed on its side. So Myna's followed Colin's orders, and opted to wait out the battle in another one. She's obviously surprised by his explosive appearance. But despite whatever happened in the first train car that shook her, she's not traumatized.

 

It's not only the bounty hunters who are consumed with the power of three in this issue. After the flying bounty hunter hurtles Colin through the upside-down train car in the above panel, Myna offers to help a third time. This time, Colin proves more amenable. To his surprise, she renders him vital assistance.

Rest assured, when Myna and Colin leave the vicinity of the train wreck, he no longer plans on taking her to safety, and continuing the fight against Daylight alone.

 

 

Speaking of Daylight, in the second section of Ninjak #2 you'll learn more about this brother and sister team that made the closely guarded secrets of MI-6 public knowledge. Intriguingly, all these scenes are colored red. Also, you'll find a two-page layout that requires some work to follow. But if you think that's the most that artist Javier Pulido will demand of you, think again.

The third and final section of Ninjak #2 will bring you to a locale first hinted at on the inside front cover. This two-page layout will keep you guessing, even after several readings, if you've charted the correct path. 

 

 

The way Javier Pulido challenges the reader in this issue, by breaking the natural progression of panel arrangement, reminds me of those Make Your Own Adventure novels that were popular a few years (or decades?) ago now. 

If you want Ninjak and Myna to flee the Dragon, turn to page 43. If you want Ninjak and Myna to fight the Dragon, turn to page 48. 

Remember those? Perhaps that's part of the charm of Pulido's retro-style art. It evokes earlier eras that we remember fondly.

Ultimately, this issue reminds us of the importance of working with and relying on other. The story emphasizes the need to fully understand the world around us, and the obstacles that beset us, before we can overcome them. At its heart, you could say that Ninjak #2 is about teamwork, friendship, and the power of knowledge.

Yes, Jeff Parker: you've made me obsess about the power of three!

In closing, I'll leave you with this panel from Ninjak #2. Myna shares her thoughts with us as she watches Colin use her help to formulate a new strategy to combat the bounty hunters. Despite the wide array of weapons he has mastered, she realizes that Colin King doesn't rely on weapons to achieve his objectives. 

He is the weapon.

He is Ninjak.

Dragon Dave

Some Old & New Reader Favorites

As I've had trouble keeping my dedicated Pages up-to-date, I've decided to gradually take them down and rethink the Pages feature of this blog. Here's my former Top Ten Posts page, updated to reflect current statistics. To review any of these former posts, simply click on the link to that particular post.

I tend to regard my little Knitted Dialogues as fillers. Yet even after five years of posting to this blog, three of my most popular posts of all time contain my wife's fun little knitted Valiant heroes. They've even claimed the top spot!

Oh, and one more hint before you scroll through the list. Ninjak fans: you are in for a surprise! (Hope that's not too much of a spoiler).

Enjoy!

1.   The Magic of Wondercon 

 

2.   X-O Manowar #2 Review: Robots & the New Media

 

3.   The Search 

 

 4.   Ninjak #1 Review: The Prisoner in Istanbul

 

 5.   Ninjak #1 Preview Pages 

 

 6.   Happy Easter 

 

 7.   X-O Manowar Volume 5 Issue #1

 

 8.   Rai #7 Review: The Oncoming Storm

 

 9.   Shadowman #1 Review: Story

 

 10.   Alternate Scene from Quantum & Woody

 

If you followed any of the links to reread old favorites, I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Thanks to all those who liked or retweeted my posts on Twitter, or otherwise shared these posts with your friends. 

I'll repost an updated Top Ten List periodically, to make sure you don't miss out on something other readers are really enjoying.

Dragon Dave

Ninjak At Wupatki

 NINJAK WAS HERE!

 

Ninjak at Wupatki National Monument

 

Man, this place is a wreck!

No way can I flip this fast.

Still, as a fixer-upper...?

Valiant Site-Wide Sale

 

Attention: Today & Tomorrow Only

VALIANT REVEALS SITE-WIDE SALE FEATURING

25% OFF  EVERYTHING 

AT THE VALIANT STORE!

 

Valiant Entertainment is excited to celebrate this week's release of Jeff Parker and Javier Pulido's NINJAK #2 with a sale on everything at the Valiant Store.

 

 

 

 

Fans everywhere can take advantage of this special weekend sale by picking up a premium t-shirt, mug, poster and so much more featuring their favorite Valiant characters or even the iconic Valiant logo. 

 

 

 

Just enter the code NINJAK21 when purchasing to receive 25% off! 

 

 

 

 

Get your cart ready now and be sure to use the code NINJAK21 when purchasing to receive 25% everything at the Valiant Store. 

 

 

 

 

This sale is live through this weekend only so don't miss out on the chance to add some great Valiant merchandise to your collection and show off how you #StayValiant! 

 

 

 

NINJAK #2 by Jeff Parker and Javier Pulido is on sale now featuring covers by David Nakayama, Michael Walsh and David Lopez.

 

Okay peeps: you've heard the news. Get out there, stay Valiant, and enjoy your shopping!

Ninjak #2 Spotlight: Penciling & Inking

 

Ninjak #2 Cover B by Michael Walsh

Ninjak #2 begins with a train wreck. Perhaps this occurs in England. It might also take place somewhere in Europe, after Ninjak and Myna leave Amsterdam. 

All we know is what we see. Electrical lines stretch across the sky. Lampposts light the rails' path. Trees grow nearby, but the ground looks dry, barren.

In the background, people are not just leaving the wreck, but fleeing it. The train cars snake diagonally atop and alongside the rails. Smoke still rises from the car Myna and Ninjak have climbed from.

Myna seems fixated on the interior of the wrecked train car.

Overhead, the flying bounty hunter gazes down. Penciler and Inker Javier Pulido shows her hovering. We know she's not flying fast, as her hair hangs down.

Ninjak doesn't know Myna well. But for a second time, he puts his hand on her shoulder.

Myna looks at it, wondering what it means.

You often see gargoyles in England. They cling to buildings, and ward off evil from churches. Having grown up in England, this bounty hunter might well be the stuff of nightmares for Colin King, aka Ninjak.

As Colin looks up at him, and the gargoyle-like creature attacks, the foreground sees to distort before his eyes.

Ninjak seems to have gone back to basics in this series. In Ninjak #2, his attire reflects the years he spent immersed in Japanese history and culture.

Remember the silhouette of the gargoyle-like bounty hunter in an earlier post? Remember the silhouette of Ninjak and Myna leaping from the train earlier in this one? Javier Pulido certainly seems to enjoy inking in characters in moments of crisis.

When we get a close-up of the immensely-strong bounty hunter, we can see more of his metal face. The way the shadows fall reveals the carved appearance of his features.

Sensing nearby movement, the gargoyle's head whips round. Spittle arcs from his mouth, splashes against his cheek.

Does he even notice the shadow of the train car that darkens the ground around him?

In Ninjak #2, penciler and inker Javier Pulido reveals Ninjak's training and heritage, shows how Colin may be warming to Myna, and utilizes different techniques to build the intensity of a particularly deathly battle. 

Dragon Dave

Ninjak #2 Spotlight: Inside Cover Design

Ninjak #2 Cover A by David Nakayama

 

On reflection, I think Javier Pulido's art style in Ninjak #1 was so different that I largely spent my review coming to terms with it. If I'm honest, I'm still not sure how I feel about his remake of my favorite MI-6 Ninja/Spy series. But one thing that Ninjak #2 made apparent to me was how well the inside covers set us up for the story in each issue. So before I move on to talking about Javier's penciling and inking, I thought I'd take a moment to focus on the inside cover for Ninjak #2.

 

First off, on the top left corner of the inside cover, you'll find what looks like a miniaturized spy camera. This is a tool used by secret agents in all the classic spy movies and TV shows. I can definitely see MI-6 issuing Myna with one of these.

Below the spy camera is a post card from the Outer Hebrides. If you remember from Ninjak #1, after the chaos Daylight unleashed by releasing the identities of MI-6 agents, Ninjak and Myna flew from Turkey to Amsterdam. Then they traveled by train to England. I'm not sure what countries they traveled through, or for that matter where the train crash and the fight in Ninjak #2 occurs. But I will tell you that Ninjak and Myna do travel to Scotland later in this issue.

Hope that's not too much of a spoiler.

 

Here's another one of Myna's postcards. Like the Outer Hebrides, Stirling Castle is one of the great tourist locales of Scotland. Neither locale is close to each other. Still, I can imaging Myna buying both postcards, and thinking, "I'd like to visit that place someday."

Here we glimpse a file on Colin King, aka Ninjak. As he's been working for MI-6 for a long time, as well as acting as an independent agent, I imagine MI-6 holds quite extensive records on him. 

We see here that this is file Colin King No. 2. As this is issue #2, that's a nice touch.

Here's one of Ninjak's throwing stars. It's not only a classic ninja weapon, but one of Ninjak's favorites.

I'm not sure what this carving or etching represents, but it's clear that a lot of time and craftsmanship went into forging this weapon. No wonder Colin uses these throwing stars so often.

A map of Edinburgh seems like something that Myna would pick up when she and Colin travel to Scotland. While she could purchase a burner phone and use the internet to find her way around, who knows who might find a way to track her searches? Daylight's resources seem pretty unlimited at this point.

This is definitely the safer way to navigate right now.

Myna has a nice, clear printing style. I'd say that's an essential skill in spycraft, if you need to send messages the old fashioned way. 

 

From Ninjak #1

While I'm sure she'd love to send these postcards to her parents, I'm guessing Myna is using them for field reports, and leaving them in previously arranged dropboxes and hiding places. Cab drivers in London must pass a rigorous test about the ins and outs of the city before receiving a license. I'm guessing Myna, and all MI-6 recruits, would need to memorize those locations before being assigned to field missions.

What a beautifully thought-out inside front cover! I don't know if artist Javier Pulido, editor Lysa Hawkins, or someone else created this stunning page, but it's a wonderful way to prepare readers for the exciting events in Ninjak #2. 

Well done, inside front cover artist extraordinaire!

Dragon Dave