Ninjak #3 Spotlight: Penciling & Inking

 

Ninjak #3 Pre-Order Cover by Fernando Dagnino

In Ninjak #3, penciler & inker Javier Pulido throws us into a whirlwind of movement. At times, these disparate images are confusing.

First we see a boot, with a dialogue balloon of Ninjak talking to Myna. The way the yellow is curved on the top right suggests the Colin's boot is resting against the airplane's window. But that can't be right.

Of course, Ninjak's spiky dialogue balloon suggests he's talking via radio, as in the panel below, where we also see him sliding down a rope. The way Javier illustrates the friction from his glove tells us Ninjak is sliding down the rope quickly.

We realize Ninjak's gripping the rope hard by the way it's taut above his hand.

But wait, the rope appears wavy from his view, when we look up and see the plane above him. Is Myna turning the plane, or flying in a circle?

Whoa! Notice how the clouds are slanted? I wonder how controlled Colin's fall really is?

Now here's a view from ground-level. We look up, and see the expression on a member of the assault team's face. The way he's positioned, we know he's ready for a fight.

Wow! Finally we see how out-of-control Ninjak's descent is. Or at least it seems that way.

The way Javier inks in the figures as silhouettes focuses us on the people's relative positions in this panel, and captures their movement.

Ah, now we can see how Ninjak's working the rope. He's hanging onto it with one hand, while playing it out to control the angle and level of his fall. It would seem he's gauged it perfectly. He's knocked down at least two of the soldiers, plus hit the one just right so he can grab the soldier's rifle.

Say, there are those boots from the first panel. They belong to the assault team!

Wow, look at the way Ninjak works that rope in the panel below. Indiana Jones may be the master of the bullwhip, but Ninjak must have trained hard to steer the rope so expertly.

The way Javier portrays this scene from above gives us Myna's perspective on the battle, as she circles the airplane overhead.

Of course, Javier also gives us Ninjak's point-of-view, so we can appreciate that as well.

In Ninjak #3, penciler and inker Javier Pulido opens the issue with a flurry of panels. In so doing, he immerses us in the frantic energy of the moment, while also allowing us to experience the battle from Myna, Ninjak, and the assault team's perspectives. Great job, Javier Pulido!

Dragon Dave