NINJA-K ISSUE #4
In this next to last issue of Ninja-K, writer Christos Gage regales readers with the story of Ninja-K, a highly trained ninja in the ranks of British intelligence, trying to find out who is assassinating former agents of a top secret military project dating back to WWI. Backing Gage up in this book is artist Juan Jose Ryp, and colorist Andrew Dalhouse.
Ninja-K is one of few select people that have gone through the Ninja Programme training, given by MI6. Highly trained, with state of the art technology, K is on the hunt for the secrets of the Acclimation Bureau, a division of the Ninja Programme. Having been confronted by a long-thought-dead former student of the Ninja Programme, K begins looking for another agent that has been off of the radar for years. After a quick confrontation with the former agent, K begins explaining himself, and why he’s there. The agent, still wary of K’s arrival, begins to tell him of suspected shenanigans that were going on well before K’s time, and of her training in the programme.
This issue of Ninja-K is very reminiscent of Kill Bill meets James Bond: betrayal and sabotage in MI6, and women with katanas hell-bent on revenge. While the storytelling is solid, it seems to be a bit uninspired. Gage seems to be combining a few well-worn tales, creating his own tapestry out of them. That being said, it is a tapestry that is being created well. Straightforward and to the point, from beginning to end, everything is laid out with little to no deviations to distract from what’s going on in the story.
The real standout stars of this issue are Juan Jose Ryp and Andrew Dalhouse, capturing Christos’ story and putting it on paper flawlessly. Each panel is so well detailed, each character so well drawn, that you can almost count each hair on every characters head. From the backdrops to everything that’s up in your face, you won’t miss a thing. Ryp and Dalhouse translate the fear, confusion, and anger felt by each character damned near perfectly. The action sequences are brilliantly brought to life with each clash of blade on blade. Teeth can be counted as they fly from the sockets from which they previously resided. The expressions of pain on each face tells you exactly what they’re feeling.
Strong storytelling with a somewhat weak storyline, and illustrations that brings it all to life, Ninja-K #4 makes it easy to tell what has happened in previous issues leading up to this point. If you’re looking for something easy to catch up on or start, it may be worth picking up. If you’re looking for an engrossing story to hold your attention, this one may not be for you.
