Ninjak #6

[Brapbrap]

I would go as far as to say that this is the best art VEI has ever published. Every page in the main story looked incredible. By far the best Ninjak issue to date.

[BugsySig]

I do love Raul Allen, but I thought this was a little rough compared to The Valiant. Still an excellent book, and I'm glad it didn't take 4 issues to take down Le Barbe. We are also seeing the stories start to intertwine even more.

Oh, and someone on here seems to be right, Alcott is a fake name for MI6 Agents. Angelina and Neville do not appear to be related (and if they are, then ew gross).

[Brapbrap]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

[BugsySig]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

I got the sense he was cheating on his wife with her. He says he's married, then says he and Angelina had been in a relationship for a year. Just the way he phrased it didn't strike me as meaning she was the wife.

I also get the sense Angalina may have been working everyone...

[Blood of Heroes]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

That's what I thought when I read it.

I got the sense he was cheating on his wife with her. He says he's married, then says he and Angelina had been in a relationship for a year. Just the way he phrased it didn't strike me as meaning she was the wife.

I also get the sense Angalina may have been working everyone...

I could see it going either way. Bugsy's idea seems like a more compelling story though.

[Aomalle27]

I hated the Allen art; looked cheap and doesn't hold a candle to the Segovia art in the backstory. Hoping Allen isn't permanent on this title.

[BugsySig]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

That's what I thought when I read it.

I got the sense he was cheating on his wife with her. He says he's married, then says he and Angelina had been in a relationship for a year. Just the way he phrased it didn't strike me as meaning she was the wife.

I also get the sense Angalina may have been working everyone...

I could see it going either way. Bugsy's idea seems like a more compelling story though.

Plus, if they were married, I don't think he'd have to explain it in that way considering they had the same last name. He'd just say, "Neville Alcott. Angelina was my wife."

[Blood of Heroes]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

That's what I thought when I read it.

I got the sense he was cheating on his wife with her. He says he's married, then says he and Angelina had been in a relationship for a year. Just the way he phrased it didn't strike me as meaning she was the wife.

I also get the sense Angalina may have been working everyone...

I could see it going either way. Bugsy's idea seems like a more compelling story though.

Plus, if they were married, I don't think he'd have to explain it in that way considering they had the same last name. He'd just say, "Neville Alcott. Angelina was my wife."

Agreed

[KXXX]

I would go as far as to say that this is the best art VEI has ever published. Every page in the main story looked incredible. By far the best Ninjak issue to date.

I know art is subjective, but I'm having a REALLY hard time taking a single word of this seriously.

[KXXX]

Oh, and someone on here seems to be right, Alcott is a fake name for MI6 Agents.

I'm calling dibs since I mentioned in on OTV

[KXXX]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

Editorial mistake. Her real name is Ann Angeline Alcott Alafair. Seriously.

[BugsySig]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

Editorial mistake. Her real name is Ann Angeline Alcott Alafair. Seriously.

And I would like to take credit for that as the person to point that out to Justin Jordan right here on ValiantFans.com

[KXXX]

Yeah so... 2/5

Starting from the end, the cliche higher-up says "he just earned himself another month." Like for real, he may as well have looked at the camera and said "same Nin-time, same Nin-channel."

This issue would've been great in the 70's. Can't interestingly script a fight? Use 72 panels on a page! Can't draw interesting interiors? Create a story device whereby the antagonist lives in the most sterile and completely empty building possible!

We went from simply stunning Clay Mann art complimenting an intriguing (albeit awkwardly named) group of bad guys to an uninteresting fight between Ninjak and a ball-obsessed hobo in space-jammies in the part of the Matrix where you go to ask for guns. Blech.

[KXXX]

or maybe angelina was the wife he was talking about?

Editorial mistake. Her real name is Ann Angeline Alcott Alafair. Seriously.

And I would like to take credit for that as the person to point that out to Justin Jordan right here on ValiantFans.com

No wonder he hasn't come back....

Seriously, though... we should hang out more.

[BugsySig]

an uninteresting fight between Ninjak and a ball-obsessed hobo in space-jammies in the part of the Matrix where you go to ask for guns. Blech.

Bwahahahaha

[jmatt]

I thought it was a great issue with a lot of story. Art was great too.

[agent_graves]

This was aight, I liked Raul Allen's art much better in B.R #5, it could be because of the inker used in this issue, I'm not sure. I did however, like the panel layout on pg 16, it was sort of like a tale of the tape, before the fight. La Barbe seemed interesting, and menacing at first, but wound up being a cornball villain, that got took out with a punch to the face, then sent back to MI-6 in a box. I liked the flashback scenes of Colin talking to the young lady in the park, he was a horrible lier, lol

I wasn't really feeling The Lost Files in this issue, it was kind of soap opera ish, with the whole Neville/Angelina/Colin thing. I know Butch is doing B.R's second arc, but it would have been nice to have all twelve Lost Files done by Butch.

[ChiptheRipper]

I loved the contrasting art styles between the action scenes and the spy scenes. I will admit that La Barbe was pretty cheesy, and the fight ended in a goofy way. They're hitting a couple spy cliches, but honestly I'm okay with it if that's the cost of a good spy comic haha. I liked how Ninjak flirted with/ seduced the man in France, that's the kind of spy stuff you never see James Bond doing. You don't always get to honeypot beautiful women, and I like that Ninjak is professional enough to "take one for the team" and is able to separate his sexuality (although I guess it's never been explicitly stated he isn't bisexual) from his work, it actually gives a pretty interesting look into his mind-set. The mission comes before anything. Overall a great issue, I liked the use of dead drops and seduction, and actual spy stuff. The villain was pretty cringey (a space hobo in the Matrix is a pretty spot on description ), but I'm glad it's not going to take an entire story arc to take down each baddie. Also taking into account how cool the art was, I'd give it an 8/10.

[KXXX]

I liked how Ninjak flirted with/ seduced the man in France, that's the kind of spy stuff you never see James Bond doing. You don't always get to honeypot beautiful women, and I like that Ninjak is professional enough to "take one for the team" and is able to separate his sexuality (although I guess it's never been explicitly stated he isn't bisexual) from his work, it actually gives a pretty interesting look into his mind-set. The mission comes before anything.

You know, I forgot about that. A tad silly in execution, but very interesting nonetheless. Good point.

[CongoBill]

Yeah, I wasn't crazy about the main story. The art change was jarring and, as others have said, the villain was silly. Still, there were some good moments. I enjoyed the back-up story as well. The art change there wasn't as jarring but I agree it would have been nice to have Guice do that entire arc. I really wish Valiant could keep their artists for longer on their on-going series, although I guess that is how they maintain their spot-on shipping record. But I definitely missed Clayton Mann's art on the main story. I thought his style was perfect for the series. And I don't think Raul Allen's art was bad, but it's just so different from Mann's work so it will take some getting used to.

[agent_graves]

And I don't think Raul Allen's art was bad, but it's just so different from Mann's work so it will take some getting used to.

No worries there, this arc has rotating artist, Mann will be back to finished the arc in November's issue #9.

[Brapbrap]

I would go as far as to say that this is the best art VEI has ever published. Every page in the main story looked incredible. By far the best Ninjak issue to date.

I know art is subjective, but I'm having a REALLY hard time taking a single word of this seriously.

Clay Mann's art is boring and sterile. Look at the opening page of Ninjak 5, it's just the characters floating in voids of gradient. Mann's faces are often a bit wonky and his fight scenes are confusing. I don't see how anything as lazy as this:

can be called 'stunning'.

Raul Allen is a master of panel composition and page composition whereas Mann's panelling never gets more interesting than being a bit slanted in fast paced action scenes. Just look at the page before he punches La Barre. look at how it is laid out with the red panels at the top and bottom showing little close ups to convey the tension of the fight and the big open panels in the middle that show Ninjak's silhoutte and give you a sense of how he's moving through the trees. Mann has never drawn anything as clear and dynamic as that, even in the issue where everything took place in 'real time'.

[KXXX]

I would go as far as to say that this is the best art VEI has ever published. Every page in the main story looked incredible. By far the best Ninjak issue to date.

I know art is subjective, but I'm having a REALLY hard time taking a single word of this seriously.

Clay Mann's art is boring and sterile. Look at the opening page of Ninjak 5, it's just the characters floating in voids of gradient. Mann's faces are often a bit wonky and his fight scenes are confusing. I don't see how anything as lazy as this:

can be called 'stunning'.

Raul Allen is a master of panel composition and page composition whereas Mann's panelling never gets more interesting than being a bit slanted in fast paced action scenes. Just look at the page before he punches La Barre. look at how it is laid out with the red panels at the top and bottom showing little close ups to convey the tension of the fight and the big open panels in the middle that show Ninjak's silhoutte and give you a sense of how he's moving through the trees. Mann has never drawn anything as clear and dynamic as that, even in the issue where everything took place in 'real time'.

Thank you for the opinions! I'm glad we can discuss this like civilized gentlemen *puts pistol away*

In the interest of possibly continuing this conversation in this manner, I will re-read both of these soon with your perspective in mind. I find art much to be like tasting beer, especially in the sense that in discussing the subtle differences of taste with an open mind generally leads to a greater appreciations of style and substance.

[erwinrafael]

Because of the Mann vs. Allen discussion in this thread, I checked out Ninjak.

Clay Mann looks like he learned to draw by copying Wildstorm and Top Cow artists. Layouts are like swipes from the Bryan Hitch school of widescreen panel layouts, but without the storytelling chops of Hitch. For interesting perspectives, he appears to copy some manga influences for angles.

Raul Allen, on the other hand, has a lot of storytelling chops. Some rough spots here and there. Some panels looked like swipes from David Aja's Iron Fist, like Colin's meeting in the office.

The former knows how to draw pretty lookikg pin ups. The latter knows how to draw a comic book.

[Tony_H]

I thought it was a great issue with a lot of story. Art was great too.

Much agreed. I've no complaints about Mann's or Allen's work. I'm very glad that VEI picked two solid artists back-to-back to work with one of my favorite current comic writers on a title that features an interesting and complicated lead character.