Ninja-K #3
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Tomas Giorello with Roberto De La Torre and Ariel Olivetti
Cover by Kenneth Rocafort
Published by Valiant Comics
A review by Stacy Dooks
Three issues in and Ninja-K is shaping up to be the comic I’m most enthused to get a hold of and devour in one sitting. As I mentioned in my review for Issue #2 I’m a sucker for spy fiction and its archetypes and fascinated by just how well they work in comics. Another element of both spy fiction and superheroes that works so beautifully is the concept of the evil doppelganger, the counterpart of the hero who’s so close to the original save for their ambition or insanity. Barry Allen has Eobard Thawne, Superman has General Zod, Batman has the Wrath… and Ninjak has his predecessor, the very driven (and quite likely insane) Ninja-C.
The best villains are often a reflection of the hero, and within the story of Ninja-K #3 we learn the story behind C and just why he hates MI-6 and the Ninja program so very, very much. We see how being chosen to be the badass of badasses and being trained up to be the finest killing machine in the world might seem romantic, but while we’re comfortable on the outside looking in to actually live something like C’s life would be something else entirely. C also casts K’s relationship with MI-6 in a whole new light as well. Is Colin King really as independent an operator as he believes he is, or is it an illusion MI-6 has put forth to keep him nice and pliable as their elite go-to enforcer/assassin? For every secret revealed by the series thus far, two more are left in it’s place and I can’t stop flipping pages, eager to find out more. The backup story continuing Ninja-A’s efforts to halt the spread of a monstrous German bio-weapon at the height of the First World War is also entertaining, though I’m curious as to whether the backup stories are merely a fun diversion or a hint of something to come in the main storyline.
What can I say at this point? Gage, Giorello, De La Torre and Olivetti have put together a top-notch comic that’s entertaining as hell and leaves me wanting more every time. The writing is sharp, the art is drop-dead gorgeous in both stories, and the overall production is great. The interlocking covers by Kenneth Rocafort detailing the various Ninja operatives in their prime have been great. It’s a book I can’t wait to own in trade and it just keeps building up the tension and action in a steady crescendo. Issue #4 will have us meeting the first female Ninja operative–Ninja-G–and I can. Not. Wait.
Verdict:
Buy It! This is fun comics the way they were meant to be made. Action, intrigue, shades of gray and derring-do aplenty. Steranko would be proud. Highly Recommended.
