Ninjak #1 Discussion

[BugsySig]

Amazing art. Felt like a quick read, but I like the set up and th stuff with Roku. She seems super bad *SQUEE* and deadly.

The lost files story was good too. We're getting three different time periods (childhood, beginning of his spy career and present) all to flesh out the character. It works well for old readers as its all new info, and serves as a great jumping on point for new readers.

Only gripe: First Unit-Y, now Ninja-K? Not sure how I feel about that one, Kindt. Getting a little too cutesy on us.

[bygranddesign]

Yeah the Ninja-K is a bit cutesy ... But I don't mind. I think it adds another dimension to the name that could lead to some interesting stories - like other ninja agents. Which should be pretty cool.

I thought it was a really strong opening issue. The art was fantastic. The story was good - ninjak/Colin king through the 3 different time periods came off as really interesting ... The new villain characters seemed like they have great potential especially Roku.

All the big splash pages were great on one hand - but I did feel like more panels per page could have added some more story and action moments.

Overall - I would give it an 8.5 out of 10. There was no real misstep. It was an awesome issue. But I just felt like even with all the extra pages I needed more (which is a good thing overall but it wasn't a completely satisfying opening issue like Ivar or Imperium was for me).

[jxm640]

I really liked the issue. It is showing all aspects of Ninjak as a character, which helped make this a compelling read.

My only negative is that Neville, I think, looks too young. But that is neither here nor there.

[Brapbrap]

it was alright, nothing amazing. Annoyed me that the part where we actually get to see Ninjak being resourceful and clever was off panel and just given to us in a caption box

[hunter_peterson]

I thought this was great. I liked everything we've been introduced to so far. And Kindt is really defining him in relation to Batman here. There's the inspiring old movie in the cinema, but no parent murder and an abusive Alfred. Very interesting deviations there.

[jmatt]

Meh.

"Sing, get naked, make it across town and take a beating...you have proved yourself worthy of having your wildest dream fulfilled, I will make you a two hundred million dollar custom stealth fighter jet." Really? This was the best storyline they could come up with?

Ultimate Ninja chick with genetically engineered hair that cuts steel? This is like something out of a 1977 James Bond movie.

I dunno. I was expecting something else. I suppose it could get a groove; I might even not mind if it does end up like a Roger Moore Bond file. It's just not what I was expecting.

Maybe I'm just getting tired of Kindt writing half of the universe.

[jmatt]

Oh, and btw, I win! I win!

[hawkeyeps]

Oh, and btw, I win! I win!

Props for that Jmatt

We did a podcast-

http://onlythevaliant.com/episodes/vcr5/

[jmatt]

Couple of thoughts:

Art was fantastic, awesome pencils and fabulous color. Look at the panel where he's staring out the cab window and we see the color reflections in it. Wow.

I'm guessing ChiChi is a Sonny Chiba reference.

The Roku fight sequence was well staged. I liked the shooting of the clip bit.

The Shadow 7 Weaponeers harken to the original VH1 Ninjak, with Goro Sanada, the Seventh Dragon. That was a great arc, and I think had more of the vibe I was expecting. Gritty Hong Kong Yakuza, not karaoke. Kannon's test was more like a college fraternity initiation with silly pranks ending in a paddling ceremony.

I was kind of expecting that the butler of his youth was going to be his martial arts training master, who was teaching young Colin while his parents were away. But the backup story says "I was barely out of my teens. I'd never been in a fight in my life." So I guess he develops his martial skills sometime thereafter.

[Sven the Returned]

Nobody else laughed when Ninjak showed up in those ill fitting clothes? I friggin loved it and i admit i did not care for a Ninjak ongoing originally.

[jaspersk]

I loved it. Investcomics has ninjak as one of five comics to buy
And says here we go again. This weeks books were pretty good.

[apainter]

The Roku fight sequence was well staged. I liked the shooting of the clip bit.

I thought the fight was a little muddy, myself, particularly the belt clip bit. How did Ninjak defend himself from it? He was taking out his sword, the clip explodes, he puts his sword back. I'm guessing he used his sword somehow, but the art was clear as mud in the panel where it goes off.

If Roku's hair is so dangerous, why didn't the Russians call in a barber or spray her down with Nair when they caught her?

Did that one soldier off himself? When Roku comes into that main room, he trains a gun on her. She stares him down, then walks past him to the computer. In the last panel on that page, it looks like he's holding the gun and his head is jerking backwards like he just shot himself, but there's no blood splatter or sign of a gun discharge. Maybe Roku triggered a narcoleptic fit?

About the 2nd story: Ninjak was behaving like that in North Korea? Not very subtle. Are outsiders allowed to get their brides and plan weddings in NK? I would find it hard to believe he's trying to pass as a native.

Art

[Sven the Returned]

The Roku fight sequence was well staged. I liked the shooting of the clip bit.

About the 2nd story: Ninjak was behaving like that in North Korea? Not very subtle. Are outsiders allowed to get their brides and plan weddings in NK? I would find it hard to believe he's trying to pass as a native.

Art

There is or was an economic cooperation zone shared with South Korea, a town where evil capitalist things happened/happen.

[jmatt]

the art was clear as mud in the panel where it goes off.

I'll agree with ya there. It looked like a gold shield or something (which it obviously couldn't be). Otherwise enjoyable though.

Did that one soldier off himself?

Not just him. She apparently used the intercom to talk every soldier on the base into killing himself. If that's not some kind of psiot power, it's idiotic. But when she confronts the last soldier, her one eye is all black so perhaps there is an explanation.

About the 2nd story: Ninjak was behaving like that in North Korea? Not very subtle. Are outsiders allowed to get their brides and plan weddings in NK?

Yeah, that made me scratch my head, too. I had no idea Westerners could just walk around North Korea circa 2000 without a minder.

[BugsySig]

I think Roku could be a psiot but she's definitely tricked out with weaponeer tech. Perhaps they have some mind control tech implanted in her?

[jmatt]

This thread is remarkably quieter than I expected. People have been screaming for a Ninjak book since 2012.

[Sven the Returned]

This thread is remarkably quieter than I expected. People have been screaming for a Ninjak book since 2012.

They are still screaming. From the intellectual orgasm they recieved.

[RogueJedi74]

Incredible book. Just can't get enough of Kindt's writing. Hopefully this can be an ongoing that will last.

[KXXX]

Maybe I'm just getting tired of Kindt writing half of the universe.

Yup. Fingers crossed he doesn't get anymore. Comic clichés, wacky lineages and vague story elements are not what I want from Valiant. For everything I enjoy there's twice as much I don't.

[KXXX]

Maybe I'm just getting tired of Kindt writing half of the universe.

Yup. Fingers crossed he doesn't get anymore. Comic clichés, wacky lineages and vague story elements are not what I want from Valiant. For everything I enjoy there's twice as much I don't.

[jmatt]

Yup. Fingers crossed he doesn't get anymore. Comic clichés, wacky lineages and vague story elements are not what I want from Valiant. For everything I enjoy there's twice as much I don't.

I wouldn't go that far, I like his stuff for the most part. When I wrote that I was feeling a little sour, I guess.

I think part of the problem I had with the book was that they shoehorned in three separate timelines and narratives: Ninjak at 27(?), 20 and 10 years of age. I would have preferred if they dedicated all 30 pages to one of those for a new title launch. It would have felt more cohesive and things could have been fleshed out in more depth.

And the implication is that now we've opened three can of worms. So when the book goes back to 22 pages, that has to be divvied up, too, until they're all sewn up.

But I'll keep an open mind.

[hunter_peterson]

Yup. Fingers crossed he doesn't get anymore. Comic clichés, wacky lineages and vague story elements are not what I want from Valiant. For everything I enjoy there's twice as much I don't.

I wouldn't go that far, I like his stuff for the most part. When I wrote that I was feeling a little sour, I guess.

I think part of the problem I had with the book was that they shoehorned in three separate timelines and narratives: Ninjak at 27(?), 20 and 10 years of age. I would have preferred if they dedicated all 30 pages to one of those for a new title launch. It would have felt more cohesive and things could have been fleshed out in more depth.

And the implication is that now we've opened three can of worms. So when the book goes back to 22 pages, that has to be divvied up, too, until they're all sewn up.

But I'll keep an open mind.

I think Ninjak is meant to be 30 pages basically forever. They've said nothing of the count going down, unless it happens after the first year, which is when the story lines all converge.

And I disagree- I think the three periods of his life approach is brilliant. The book is structured specifically to make Ninjak literally a three-dimensional character. It shows you how he thinks and develops over time, giving you a lot of insight you wouldn't have had with only one time period depicted.

[Phoenix8008]

Yup. Fingers crossed he doesn't get anymore. Comic clichés, wacky lineages and vague story elements are not what I want from Valiant. For everything I enjoy there's twice as much I don't.

I wouldn't go that far, I like his stuff for the most part. When I wrote that I was feeling a little sour, I guess.

I think part of the problem I had with the book was that they shoehorned in three separate timelines and narratives: Ninjak at 27(?), 20 and 10 years of age. I would have preferred if they dedicated all 30 pages to one of those for a new title launch. It would have felt more cohesive and things could have been fleshed out in more depth.

And the implication is that now we've opened three can of worms. So when the book goes back to 22 pages, that has to be divvied up, too, until they're all sewn up.

But I'll keep an open mind.

I think Ninjak is meant to be 30 pages basically forever. They've said nothing of the count going down, unless it happens after the first year, which is when the story lines all converge.

And I disagree- I think the three periods of his life approach is brilliant. The book is structured specifically to make Ninjak literally a three-dimensional character. It shows you how he thinks and develops over time, giving you a lot of insight you wouldn't have had with only one time period depicted.

Agreed. I also thought I remembered hearing that these 3 storyline will be continuing for the first year. It's like the present/past split on Arrow, watching the now and seeing how it was affected by the past. Splitting it 3 ways give less space to each story, yes, but a triple view of the character and his development over this first year instead of just one arc. I think it's going to be a great Deluxe Edition a couple years from now. With the issues being 30 pages instead of 22, they should just about be able to fit those first 12 issues instead of the regular 15 or so, right?

[jmatt]

I think Ninjak is meant to be 30 pages basically forever. They've said nothing of the count going down, unless it happens after the first year, which is when the story lines all converge.

Well, that is good news. I stand corrected.

And I disagree- I think the three periods of his life approach is brilliant.

I don't have a problem with exploring his past. I just like things in bigger contiguous chunks; it makes it easier to follow.

I would have preferred if the launch was 30 pages of one timeline for issue #1, then start working in flashback storylines as the series progresses, ie in issue #3, Ninjak sees or hears something that reminds him of a past remembrance on page 3 and the next 27 pages are dedicated to that storyline.

But 30 pages will certainly make it easier for them to continually swirl this cocktail of timelines than if it was a standard length book.

[agent_graves]

Amazing first issue, Clay Mann's art is on another level, and I like how Matt's script, bounces between timeline's, this was probably my favorite first issue from Valiant, I just hope they keep Clay in rotation, whenever they start bringing in new artists.