Ninjak #1: Additional Black & White Previews

Ninjak Promo Advertisement by Javier Pulido

 

Earlier this week, Valiant Entertainment kindly shared the first seven colored and lettered pages from this July's new Ninjak #1 with us. I thought you might appreciate reading the original announcement, and reviewing the Black & White images they teased us with last year. 

NEW NINJAK SERIES BY JEFF PARKER & JAVIER PULIDO

ARRIVES IN 2021

 

 

July 20th, 2020 (New York, NY) –  A spy thriller story that is unlike anything you've seen before starts next year in NINJAK #1!

 

Arriving in 2021, Ringo Award-winning writer JEFF PARKER (Batman '66, James Bond Origin, Thunderbolts) and visionary artist JAVIER PULIDO (The Amazing Spider-Man, Robin: Year One, She-Hulk) have crafted a non-stop thrill ride that is full of shocking twists and turns.Colin King is NINJAK, an ex-MI6 superspy who is second to none in the Valiant Universe. 

 

 

There is no target that Colin cannot strike, no mission that he cannot complete. But what happens to the world's greatest secret agent when all of his secrets are exposed? The entire criminal underworld has Ninjak in their sights… How will the undercover operative survive when there's nowhere left to hide? 

 

"I love how Javier's mind works," said Jeff about the acclaimed artist. "He comes up with the most brilliant panel progressions and layouts, and very striking compositions that look so simple but you have to be a next-level talent to attempt a lot of what he does."

 

 

"Senior Editor Lysa Hawkins' relentless support, along with Jeff’s steely story-sense for adventure, and NINJAK is the action book I’ve wanted to work on for years," stated Javier. "In fact, it’s designed to grab the reader by the throat as soon as the first page is opened."

 

Senior Editor LYSA HAWKINS calls Jeff and Javier an unstoppable creative team and a perfect fit for this globe-trotting spy saga. "Jeff weaves a spy thriller that starts at full throttle and never lets up! Coupled with the eye-popping bold strokes of Javier's art style, you've never seen Ninjak like this before!"

Jeff Parker and Javier Pulido's pulse-pounding adventure kicks off next year in NINJAK #1. More info will be revealed closer to the debut issue's release date. Stay tuned and, as always, Stay Valiant!

 

NINJAK was co-created by Mark Moretti and Joe Quesada.

 

These Black & White preview pages seem to continue directly on from the colored ones. Assuming they're in sequence, Parker and Pulido could be pausing the action to give a brief history of Ninjak's life, before returning to the present. I can't wait until the issue drops to find out!

 

Dragon Dave

Ninjak #1: All The Covers & Why You Need Them

 

Ninjak #1 Cover A by David Nakayama

 

Hot on the heels of yesterday's announcement and preview pages comes the discovery that Valiant Entertainment is pulling out all the stops for Ninjak's July launch. Valiant is producing no fewer than seven covers that I'm aware of. That's in addition to all the specialty covers individual stores will be commissioning. 

Ninjak #1 Cover A is by David Nakayama. He is a Honolulu-based artist who has burst onto the Valiant scene lately. I was especially impressed by his covers for Bloodshot #10 Cover B and the Rai Pre-order Cover. I would have been tempted to pick up his Bloodshot cover, had I ever seen it in a store. That's how hot it was! 

Nonetheless, I was very happy to own his Rai cover. I particularly liked the effect produced while looking at it through 3D glasses.

 

Ninjak #1 Cover B by Caspar Wijngaard

Ninjak #1 Cover B is by Caspar Wijngaard. Caspar has become famous lately for his Star Wars covers, particularly Marvel's Doc Aphra series. He's worked for many of the major publishers, such as Image, IDW, and Titan. He first caught my attention with his covers for the Image series Limbo, which shared some similarities with Shadowman. But my favorite is his covers for Angelic, an Image series in a future involving flying monkeys and intelligent dolphins.

This cover reminds me of a story during writer Matt Kindt's Ninjak series in which Ninjak and the Eternal Warrior fight for their lives aboard a train. I need to read that four-issue story arc again!

Ninjak #1 Cover C by Damian Scott

Ninjak #1 Cover C is by Damian Scott. Damian is a graduate of the prestigious Kubert School. He's worked for DC and Lion Forge in the United States, and also produces comics in Japan. No wonder Ninjak likes him! 

His artwork is influenced by Hip-hop culture. He's even written a book on the subject. If you're interested in learning from him, the title is How to Draw Hip-Hop from publisher Watson Guptill.

In addition to all the detail and movement Damian's captured in Ninjak's hair, I especially like the way Colin's sword reflects the other ninja attacking him.

Ninjak #1 Preorder Cover by Ibrahim Moustafa

The Ninjak #1 Pre-order cover is by Ibrahim Moustafa. He's an Eisner Award-nominated writer and artist. While working for publishers like Marvel, DC, IDW, Image, Dark Horse, Dynamite, and Boom!, he also serves as art director of a design and marketing studio in Oregon. In addition to working on Ninjak-similar titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and James Bond, he also produced the beautiful Divinity #0 Cover B for Valiant.

Here's another cover with a train motif, as well as what could be Turkey in the background. I like how the yellow, black, and purple coloring for this cover works with Ninjak's own color scheme. I'm looking forward to including this cover in my collection.

Ninjak #1 Blank Cover by ?

Of all the cover options, I find this one the most intriguing. It certainly represents the most potential: it could end up looking like anything! 

I must learn the artist's name. Could it be you?

My wife asked me to pick up a Savage #1 Blank, but my local stores didn't order one. I guess I should have planned farther ahead. Perhaps I'll have to order a blank so one of us can make our own unique Ninjak cover.

The Previews World website lists a Ninjak #1 Cover F by David Nakayama, and a Ninjak #1 Cover G by interior artist Javier Pulido. You'll need to make sure your retailer orders big to get those, as Cover F is a 25 copy incentive, while Cover G is a 100 copy incentive. 

Having seen David Nakayama's previous work, I'm very much looking forward to seeing his incentive cover. I pulled the next cover from another site. Although unconfirmed by Valiant or Previews World, I'm guessing this is Cover G.

 

Ninjak #1 Cover G by Javier Pulido?

There's no news on a glass cover, or a metal cover, or even a flocked cover for Ninjak #1. But as I'm unlikely to ever own luxuries like the Bloodshot #1 Carbon Fiber Cover or the Shadowman #1 Black Glass Cover, perhaps it's just as well Valiant isn't tempting me with those.

Well, that's it Valiant fans: all the covers for Ninjak #1, and why you need them. Why you must have them. Why you're life would simply be incomplete without them. Need I say more?

Dragon Dave

Ninjak #1 Preview Pages

 

Ninjak Promo Ad by David Nakayama

In case you didn't notice the advertisement on the back of your Shadowman #1, Ninjak fans now have a reason to rejoice! Colin King, our favorite disavowed MI-6 agent, is returning in July. Here's the press release from the good folks at Valiant Entertainment.

 

NINJAK #1: READ THE FIRST PREVIEW FROM
JEFF PARKER AND JAVIER PULIDO

Valiant Entertainment's top superspy is stepping out of the shadows...

From Ringo Award-winning writer JEFF PARKER (Batman ’66, James Bond Origin, Thunderbolts) and visionary artist JAVIER PULIDO (The Amazing Spider-Man, Robin: Year One, She-Hulk), NINJAK #1 follows Colin King, aka NINJAK, as the secret operative is on the run after the identity of every MI6 agent is exposed. Now, Colin must embark on a global adventure to evade the deadly people who have him in their sights...

"Colin King now finds himself in a world without secrets, everything about his former employer MI6 becomes public knowledge, and there's no safe place on Earth," teases Jeff. "He's relying less on tech and more on wits and skill." 

 

The acclaimed writer says Javier Pulido surpassed his expectations with every page. "Javier is a blast to work with because you can try to imagine where he's going to go with the script, but you're wrong and he's going to come up with something even more inventive." Jeff added, "He's giving the series a visual identity that will stand out and you won't forget it. One clever storytelling approach after another, he's brilliant." 

 

"Senior Editor LYSA HAWKINS and Valiant have been encouraging, letting us go on our trippy action-packed journey so this doesn't feel like many other books on the stands," states the writer. "It's going to click with people who aren't expecting it."

 

Here's a look at seven preview pages from Ninjak #1. Enjoy!

Ninjak #1 Page 1

 

Ninjak #1: Pages 2-3

 Here's a split of this two-page spread for easier reading.

Ninjak #1 Page 2

 

Ninjak #1 Page 3

 

Ninjak #1 Page 4

 

Ninjak #1 Page 5

Ninjak #1 Page 6 & 7

Here's another split of this two-page spread for easier reading.

Ninjak #1 Page 6

Ninjak #1 Page 7

Many thanks for this exciting Ninjak news, Valiant Entertainment!

Dragon Dave

 

P.S. Ninjak's looking forward to his big brother's return. He can't wait!

Bloodshot Book One: FCBD 2019 Extras

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Cover by Dan Brereton

 

While packed with great story and art, it's easy to forget that the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special was only twelve pages long. Nonetheless, the good folks at Valiant Comics have included some cool extras. You'll find the interview with Syfy Wire originally printed in the issue. Even if you've previously read it, it's worth another read. 

The interview forecasts what Seeley's Bloodshot series will be about. It compares Bloodshot to a character (or characters) from another popular franchise. Seeley also says something that makes me wonder about the way he told his final story (for now) in Bloodshot #12.

 

A panel from Bloodshot #12

What? That not enough for you? Take heart! The good folks at Valiant Comics have also included three penciled pages from artist Tomas Giorello. 

I'll share a portion from each one so you can compare it to the finished scene, after Tomas has inked the panels, Diego Rodriguez has colored them, and Dave Sharpe has added the lettering and sound effects. First up is a portion of that glorious one-page panel of Bloodshot fighting the three bad guys at the beginning of the issue.

Next up is the page containing this panel of the Sons of the Last Flesh motorcade rolling out, in defiance to the dangerous snowy conditions in New York City.

Last up is a portion of the page in which Wotan Dawn orders Dr. Alison Apte to upgrade him and his followers so they can be more like Bloodshot. One thing that really surprised me was how Tomas Giorello penciled in the dark background, rather than just inking it, or leaving Diego Rodriguez to color it in black. Wow!

Well, there's your peek at the extras from the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special included in Bloodshot Book One. To see the rest, you'll want to check out the trade. Although I'm usually a print guy when it comes to comics, I enjoyed reading this collection digitally. I could zoom into Tomas Giorello's penciling, and appreciate all the work he (as well as the entire creative team) put into this introductory story.

 

 

Well done writer Tim Seeley, penciler and inker Tomas Giorello, colorist Diego Rodriguez, and letterer Dave Sharpe, as well as cover artist Dan Brereton and editor Karl Bollers. And well done Valiant Comics for including these cool extras in Bloodshot Book One. Great job, everyone!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Story

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Cover by Dan Brereton

 

It always matters how you introduce a story. Begin it right, and you'll hook the reader's interest. In the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special, writer Tim Seeley immediately dives into the heart of what Bloodshot is all about, and the themes that will drive his series.

 

 

 

On this snowy day in New York City, these three talk of their leader Wotan Dawn, and suggest that he is leading them toward an acceleration of the natural course of Human evolution. While "Wotan" is the name of an essay by the noted psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung, his title refers to one of the most ancient Germanic names for the god we have come to know as Odin.

In taking on the name Wotan Dawn, their leader evidently sees himself as the would-be king of a pantheon, and intends to usher in a new era for Humanity.

As an experienced storyteller, Tim Seeley knows the value of lightening such heavy moments and themes with humor. Thus, just as the villains agree that their moment of victory has come, Seeley delivers one of the first types of jokes every child learns.

"Knock knock?"

"Who's there?"

"Bloodshot!"

Yes, yes, I know. Now you're asking, "Bloodshot who", right? For the answer to that...

While Bloodshot is listening into various radio transmissions via his nanites, Tim Seeley shares two transmissions with us. The first concerns health and healing. The second introduces the holiday of Christmas, which celebrates the birth of the savior of Humanity. 

In this subtle way, we know that Bloodshot will defend our current world order--and its belief systems--against those who would steer it back toward paganism.

 

While Wotan Dawn would usher in a pagan religion, he nonetheless uses Christian concepts like sin and penance while ordering Dr. Alison Apte to upgrade their weak flesh with technology. In other words, to give them the abilities that Bloodshot possesses.

In case you're wondering, the good doctor's name derives from apt, which means quick to learn. Dr. Apte has used her intelligence to benefit those less fortunate than herself. Conversely, Wotan Dawn, in classic villain style, wants her to use her gifts and abilities solely to benefit him and his followers.

 

So here he is: Bloodshot. The man who The Sons of the Last Flesh would emulate. The godlike being whose abilities they crave. The term Ubermench was first coined by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and refers to the ultimate man, or a superhuman. Thus, Bloodshot is the ultimate superman, the perfect fusion of man and machine.

The thing Wotan Dawn doesn't understand--that doesn't somehow factor into his worldview--is that machines can be controlled. They can be used not only by their owners, but also by others. It goes without saying that in the wrong hands, machines can be used to hurt people.

Get the feeling that Wotan Dawn and Bloodshot are about to have a philosophical discussion? Well, they are. Of a sort. But as to that, and whether they discuss the merits of celebrating Christmas or Ragnarok, I'll let you discover when you read the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special.

Well done, Tim Seeley. Thanks for such a thought-provoking and insightful story.

Dragon Dave

The Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special is available in Bloodshot Book One

 

Look To The Hills

 

Up into the hills we go 

To visit a friend

Now that it's safe.

Talk about close quarters!

We may be fully vaccinated

But let's still social distance, okay?

Whoa. Getting lightheaded here.

Aren't we there yet?

Need sustenance!

Chips, rice and beans, and a steak chimichanga.

This will refuel my nanites!

Yes, you heard this superhero right:

Chimichanga!

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Penciling & Inking

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Cover by Dan Brereton

 

While story ultimately matters most, the first thing we notice when we pick up a comic is the penciling and inking. Do we find the shapes appealing? Do scenes look realistic or fanciful? Are characters portrayed consistently from panel to panel? And of course, does the inking bring out the penciler's intent, or muddy all those lines and cross-hatchings?  

Penciler and inker Tomas Giorello was the first artist to bring writer Tim Seeley's story onto the page. Let's dig into the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special and see how he did.

 

Tomas Giorello's characters look muscular and powerful. They seem to embrace the No Pain No Gain motto, not only through their physical training, but also in how many piercings they sport. Also, the cultist on the right reminds me of the alien bounty hunters from the Predator movies. 

Giorello composes scenes well. His buildings have a solidity to them. The vehicles in this shot look big and sturdy, a reflection of the men driving them. There's great sense of movement here. 

Am I staring at a drawing, or a photograph?

Here we've got two panels that look like photographs tossed onto a dark surface. Both communicate that these are very bad dudes. The threat they pose to the woman is clear. 

I love the woman's expression in the second panel, as well as how she mutely holds out her hand. Before the man whose muscles are pumped up and ready to dole out serious hurt, she can't even muster a fist. Is she imploring the reader for help?

It'd be easy to leave it at those two snapshots. Yet at the bottom of the same page, we see boots running in the snow. Aided by a shift in coloring from Diego Rodriguez, the bottom panel lightens the tone of the page. We get the feeling that the situation that dominates the page is about to change.

 

Big, powerful villains demand an equally big hero. Here we see a big, muscular Bloodshot leaping into harm's way. The hero leaping down from a great height is an iconic hero move, going back to Hollywood swashbucklers such as Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn. It says "I don't care if I land wrong and hurt myself. It's more important to surprise my enemy and save those in danger."

 

There's so much going on in the top panel, with the two guys on motorcycles speeding through the snow, shouting orders and shooting. Yet Giorello makes the second panel bigger, with Bloodshot just standing there, and taking all the punishment they can dole out with a few grunts.

The characters in this issue may look big and brutal, but Bloodshot is clearly the most indomitable of all.

Congratulations on making the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special* look powerful and realistic, Tomas Giorello. Well done.

Dragon Dave

* The Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special is available in Bloodshot Book One.