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Ninjak (2015)
Ninjak, Vol. 3: Operation: Deadside
In December 2015, a covert military intelligence unit sent a team of 20 agents and one special operative into a parallel dimension. Only one came back. The purpose of their mission was classified. Now, out of options, MI-6 has recruited their most elite operative – codename: Ninjak – to follow the doomed mission's sole witness back into the dimension called Deadside...and bring her missing teammates home. What will they find there? And who will be waiting for them? Jump on board here as New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (DIVINITY) and superstar artists Doug Braithwaite (ARMOR HUNTERS) and Juan José Ryp (Clone) reunite for a terrifying journey into an unknown plane of existence...and bring Ninjak head-to-head with Shadowman. Collecting NINJAK #10–13
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2016
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47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 6, 2019
You can't go wrong with a comic headlined by characters called Ninjak & Punk Mambo.
It's science.
The gist is that these two go to the Deadside and fight supernatural shit.
It's awesome. Really.
There's also a whole thing about Shadowman, who I previously didn't know existed and now can't wait to read more about.
If you aren't into Ninjak, you need to be.
It's science.
The gist is that these two go to the Deadside and fight supernatural shit.
It's awesome. Really.
There's also a whole thing about Shadowman, who I previously didn't know existed and now can't wait to read more about.
If you aren't into Ninjak, you need to be.
June 19, 2017
The adventures of Ninjak continue. In this volume they take a definite twist towards the supernatural.
Ninjak has been told to go on a joint operation with Punk Mambo, a talented field agent who is also a gifted alchemist. They are to infiltrate a dimension known as the Deadside. They not only have to retrieve a prior unsuccessful mission but also deal with a former operative known as the Shadow Man.
I will not spoil any more of this plot. It's actually well done. I was surprised to see the supernatural shift in this volume-but it works. The characters are well done and Ninjak remains a strong and well done character. The artwork is top notch as usual.
This volume also has the Lost Files which fill in bits of information by providing backstories on different characters. The story of the Shadow Man is a very very good one. So while the supernatural shift surprised me, I found it to be very well done. This has it all- action, great art and a good story.
Ninjak has been told to go on a joint operation with Punk Mambo, a talented field agent who is also a gifted alchemist. They are to infiltrate a dimension known as the Deadside. They not only have to retrieve a prior unsuccessful mission but also deal with a former operative known as the Shadow Man.
I will not spoil any more of this plot. It's actually well done. I was surprised to see the supernatural shift in this volume-but it works. The characters are well done and Ninjak remains a strong and well done character. The artwork is top notch as usual.
This volume also has the Lost Files which fill in bits of information by providing backstories on different characters. The story of the Shadow Man is a very very good one. So while the supernatural shift surprised me, I found it to be very well done. This has it all- action, great art and a good story.
November 21, 2018
Yep. It’s official. I love this series!
What’s it about?
Ninjak’s next mission involves some pretty freaky magical stuff (as in, literal magic) and now he has to fight the enemies with Punk Mambo as the series takes a supernatural turn.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very interesting and tons of fun. This series already involved a bad-ass ninja, espionage and superheroes so adding supernatural stuff to the mix is awesome!
The art is really cool. Not quite as great as the art in volume 2 but it still looks fantastic (I know I say it all the time but I have not read a Valiant comic that didn’t have good artwork)!
The characters are interesting. Ninjak is a ninja-spy so I don’t know what part of that isn’t awesome. Punk Mambo is a punk chick with supernatural powers so that’s also awesome (also, she should have her own series)! The villains are pretty cool in this volume too, they’re well written and not as cheesy as the ones in the previous volume.
There’s a lot of fantastic action in this book. If you like superhero action you won’t be disappointed!
There’s a bit of comic relief thrown in that is often very funny. I even laughed out loud despite this book not being a comedy so there’s a sign of great comic relief moments.
This book is not predictable. It is a bit more predictable than the previous 2 volumes but this still had moments that surprised me.
The supernatural elements in this volume work very well!
There are a few pages that have really cool layouts.
Overall:
This series is awesome, I love it so much! This volume is the best out of the first 3 I’d say, lots of fun!
Seriously, if you like superheroes and/or espionage at all and you haven’t tried this series, this is the comic that you should be looking for!
Highly recommended!
5/5
What’s it about?
Ninjak’s next mission involves some pretty freaky magical stuff (as in, literal magic) and now he has to fight the enemies with Punk Mambo as the series takes a supernatural turn.
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very interesting and tons of fun. This series already involved a bad-ass ninja, espionage and superheroes so adding supernatural stuff to the mix is awesome!
The art is really cool. Not quite as great as the art in volume 2 but it still looks fantastic (I know I say it all the time but I have not read a Valiant comic that didn’t have good artwork)!
The characters are interesting. Ninjak is a ninja-spy so I don’t know what part of that isn’t awesome. Punk Mambo is a punk chick with supernatural powers so that’s also awesome (also, she should have her own series)! The villains are pretty cool in this volume too, they’re well written and not as cheesy as the ones in the previous volume.
There’s a lot of fantastic action in this book. If you like superhero action you won’t be disappointed!
There’s a bit of comic relief thrown in that is often very funny. I even laughed out loud despite this book not being a comedy so there’s a sign of great comic relief moments.
This book is not predictable. It is a bit more predictable than the previous 2 volumes but this still had moments that surprised me.
The supernatural elements in this volume work very well!
There are a few pages that have really cool layouts.
Overall:
This series is awesome, I love it so much! This volume is the best out of the first 3 I’d say, lots of fun!
Seriously, if you like superheroes and/or espionage at all and you haven’t tried this series, this is the comic that you should be looking for!
Highly recommended!
5/5
August 17, 2017
This volume is absolutely bonkers. I mean one second we're all super ninja spy and shit - and then all of a sudden we're in an alternate dimension called Deadside chasing after a big nasty monster dude that ripped of MI-6...and there's all this magic supernatural stuff happening everywhere.
I mean...Ninjak literally rides an island (only its, not an island it turns out it's an elder god and after Ninjak ripped the giant freaking sword that's as tall as a building out of theislands God's back it somehow came under his control).
So, he rides the freakingisland God into a city called Shamballa and fucks shit up and win's the day. Or sorta. Gotta read the book to actually find out.
See? Bonkers. And that's not even half the crazy shit that goes down. Just one slice outta the pie.
But bonkers is great and even though there wasn't a lot of Ninja'y spy shit happening it was still a helluva fun ride!
I mean...Ninjak literally rides an island (only its, not an island it turns out it's an elder god and after Ninjak ripped the giant freaking sword that's as tall as a building out of the
So, he rides the freaking
See? Bonkers. And that's not even half the crazy shit that goes down. Just one slice outta the pie.
But bonkers is great and even though there wasn't a lot of Ninja'y spy shit happening it was still a helluva fun ride!
April 30, 2018
I didn't like this volume that much, it had some cool moments but it didn't felt part of the same story, Ninjak's techniques are not used at all, he's just the average superhero on this mission, its missing those key spy/ninja moments that I loved in the last volumes.
September 14, 2019
Ninjak remains fun!
So this one has Ninjak and a girl named Punk going into a weird dimension. I think if I read Shadowman I might understand more of this world, but basically it's another universe of some type. Anyway, they head into to save someone but of course nothing goes as planned. Will Ninjak and Punk come out alive or will we lose someone?
It's nothing amazing but it's al ot of fun. Quick paced, solid dialogue, and both Ninjak and Punk are highly entertaining. I also think the art is a step above the regular for Valient here. I think the plotting could be better though. Overall a 3 out of 5. Good stuff.
So this one has Ninjak and a girl named Punk going into a weird dimension. I think if I read Shadowman I might understand more of this world, but basically it's another universe of some type. Anyway, they head into to save someone but of course nothing goes as planned. Will Ninjak and Punk come out alive or will we lose someone?
It's nothing amazing but it's al ot of fun. Quick paced, solid dialogue, and both Ninjak and Punk are highly entertaining. I also think the art is a step above the regular for Valient here. I think the plotting could be better though. Overall a 3 out of 5. Good stuff.
June 25, 2016
So this time around we're in some sort of demon world? Or something? I don't know, but this book is heavy on the magic and crazy. Less spycraft, more straight-forward adventure. But with magic. And demons. It's still a good time, though I do like the spy stuff more.
January 11, 2022
Este volumen intermedio de Ninjak encaja como continuación de Shadowman Edición de Lujo 2 y en cierta forma me ha gustado más que ese volumen integral. No es la octava maravilla pero entretiene. Es curioso como algunos personajes ganan en estos spin-off por encima de sus historias principales, en este caso me refiero a Punk Mambo. Recomendable.
June 4, 2018
Almost gave this 2 stars but the origin of Shadowman was pretty cool. There wasnt good flow from frame to frame, I couldnt catch quite what characters were doing. Plus it didnt feel like a Ninjak original, but a Shadowman vol1 or even a Punk Mambo b:side.
July 26, 2022
Reprints Ninjak (3) #10-13 (December 2015-March 2016). Ninjak has been sent on a special mission. His goal is to infiltrate the Deadside and bring back stolen MI-6 property and their missing agents. Colin finds himself reluctantly teamed with Mambo Punk for the extraction mission, but things have a way of going sideways for Ninjak. Faced with a being called the Magpie and his assistant Ember, getting back home could be harder than Ninjak expected.
Written by Matt Kindt, Ninjak Volume 3: Operation: Darkside is a Valiant Comics superhero comic book collection. Following Ninjak Volume 2: The Shadow Wars, the collection features art by Doug Braithwaite.
Valiant’s relaunch interested me more than the initial run of Valiant. With semi-established characters and a plan, Valiant had a means to hit the ground running. By the time Ninjak came around, the initial push was over…and Ninjak had to stand on its own without the newness of the Valiant line. Ninjak 3: Operation: Darkside shows that the character has the potential to be a great standalone character, but it also feels he isn’t quite there.
The comic book is mired in the fact that Ninjak is an agent of MI-6. Personally, I am not a huge fan of secret agent comic books (even Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D drag a bit) and the whole idea of a hero that only sees the bottom line doesn’t feel much like a hero. It is compounded by the fact that Ninjak is an agent of MI-6 and that “Queen and Country” might potentially stand before world safety. It generally doesn’t come down to that, but there is a lot of “red tape” in Ninjak.
This volume in particular is structured around this “red tape” and that doesn’t necessarily make for compelling storytelling. The four issue storyline is a debriefing of Ninjak and Mambo Punk’s mission and that means everything must have turned out ok for Ninjak’s handler Neville to have the information to put into a brief…taking away from any suspense. It is an unfortunate side effect of the writing style.
The series also is pretty hard on Jack Boniface aka Shadowman. Shadowman also is one of Valiant’s earlier characters, and he’s led a tortured life…but the hits keep hitting. The hero is down and out and a slave to his past. He wanders the Deadside bound by Master Darque and it is a rather grim outlook for one of Valiant’s major characters (and it doesn’t get much better for him by the end).
Ninjak 3: Operation: Deadside cannot be the taut spy thriller it needs to be because it decides to tell the story in a recap. Ninjak can work in the superspy world better if there is a hint of suspense or the threat of death (it seems unlikely that Ninjak would die or be dismembered…but at least it should be in the back of the reader’s mind). Ninjak 3: Operation: Deadside is followed by Ninjak 4: The Siege of King’s Castle.
Written by Matt Kindt, Ninjak Volume 3: Operation: Darkside is a Valiant Comics superhero comic book collection. Following Ninjak Volume 2: The Shadow Wars, the collection features art by Doug Braithwaite.
Valiant’s relaunch interested me more than the initial run of Valiant. With semi-established characters and a plan, Valiant had a means to hit the ground running. By the time Ninjak came around, the initial push was over…and Ninjak had to stand on its own without the newness of the Valiant line. Ninjak 3: Operation: Darkside shows that the character has the potential to be a great standalone character, but it also feels he isn’t quite there.
The comic book is mired in the fact that Ninjak is an agent of MI-6. Personally, I am not a huge fan of secret agent comic books (even Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D drag a bit) and the whole idea of a hero that only sees the bottom line doesn’t feel much like a hero. It is compounded by the fact that Ninjak is an agent of MI-6 and that “Queen and Country” might potentially stand before world safety. It generally doesn’t come down to that, but there is a lot of “red tape” in Ninjak.
This volume in particular is structured around this “red tape” and that doesn’t necessarily make for compelling storytelling. The four issue storyline is a debriefing of Ninjak and Mambo Punk’s mission and that means everything must have turned out ok for Ninjak’s handler Neville to have the information to put into a brief…taking away from any suspense. It is an unfortunate side effect of the writing style.
The series also is pretty hard on Jack Boniface aka Shadowman. Shadowman also is one of Valiant’s earlier characters, and he’s led a tortured life…but the hits keep hitting. The hero is down and out and a slave to his past. He wanders the Deadside bound by Master Darque and it is a rather grim outlook for one of Valiant’s major characters (and it doesn’t get much better for him by the end).
Ninjak 3: Operation: Deadside cannot be the taut spy thriller it needs to be because it decides to tell the story in a recap. Ninjak can work in the superspy world better if there is a hint of suspense or the threat of death (it seems unlikely that Ninjak would die or be dismembered…but at least it should be in the back of the reader’s mind). Ninjak 3: Operation: Deadside is followed by Ninjak 4: The Siege of King’s Castle.
November 28, 2017
What am I even reading at this point.
So here's what's going on. Bored by the events of the last two volumes, the writer of Ninjak read Jeff Vandemeer's Reach Trilogy and said, hey, why not. So we do that for a while. And it turns into a cross-over with Shadowman, who is another Valiant character that nobody cares about.
I'm starting to think that the problem with this sort of genre work is similar to the problem with film composers trying to work off of temp tracks. People hand you a mish-mash of amazing bits and pieces, none of which they have the legal rights to, and tell you to make something that amazing out of the things they do have the legal rights to, which are generally grey and dull. Imagine the impossible task of being handed a stack of all the old Valiant comics and being told to make something fascinating out of it. Imagine being in a room full of adults, all of whom have recently tried to read the Valiant canon, all of whom are required to pretend that they finished it, that they like it, and that they have something amazing to add to it. It must be terrible. Few souls could survive such a harrow.
Anyway, they try to do something with Shadowman, and Ninjak more or less disappears from the comic, and the whole thing might actually be sort of interesting except they hired a penciller who thinks of comics storytelling as some wacky thing they used to do back in the 60s. So you can't even tell what's going on. There's a lot of computer coloring, so you at least know who the pink glows and the blue glows are, but after a while even that gets lost.
I'm going to keep reading this series. There's no reason why. I can't even use the "someday I might get hired to write this" dodge, because this iteration of Valiant sure ain't gonna hire me and if I did the first thing I'd do would be to throw out all of the first two volumes and make up everything about volume three from scratch. I'm just gonna read 'em anyway. I checked them out from the library, I want to like them, I'm gonna read 'em.
So here's what's going on. Bored by the events of the last two volumes, the writer of Ninjak read Jeff Vandemeer's Reach Trilogy and said, hey, why not. So we do that for a while. And it turns into a cross-over with Shadowman, who is another Valiant character that nobody cares about.
I'm starting to think that the problem with this sort of genre work is similar to the problem with film composers trying to work off of temp tracks. People hand you a mish-mash of amazing bits and pieces, none of which they have the legal rights to, and tell you to make something that amazing out of the things they do have the legal rights to, which are generally grey and dull. Imagine the impossible task of being handed a stack of all the old Valiant comics and being told to make something fascinating out of it. Imagine being in a room full of adults, all of whom have recently tried to read the Valiant canon, all of whom are required to pretend that they finished it, that they like it, and that they have something amazing to add to it. It must be terrible. Few souls could survive such a harrow.
Anyway, they try to do something with Shadowman, and Ninjak more or less disappears from the comic, and the whole thing might actually be sort of interesting except they hired a penciller who thinks of comics storytelling as some wacky thing they used to do back in the 60s. So you can't even tell what's going on. There's a lot of computer coloring, so you at least know who the pink glows and the blue glows are, but after a while even that gets lost.
I'm going to keep reading this series. There's no reason why. I can't even use the "someday I might get hired to write this" dodge, because this iteration of Valiant sure ain't gonna hire me and if I did the first thing I'd do would be to throw out all of the first two volumes and make up everything about volume three from scratch. I'm just gonna read 'em anyway. I checked them out from the library, I want to like them, I'm gonna read 'em.
May 21, 2018
How do you take a character like Ninjak, who's basically equipped to deal with anything life can throw at him, and put him completely out of his depth? Answer - throw him into the Deadside.
Teaming up with Punk Mambo, Colin heads into the Deadside to retrieve a team of MI-6 agents who were trapped as part of a failed fact-finding mission. Throw in the Shadowman and a giant bloody monster, and you've got a recipe for great fun.
This arc is as un-Ninjak as you can get, really. Magic isn't what you'd expect Ninjak to deal with, but his constant adaptation to his surroundings allows him to take to the Deadside almost like a fish to water, and it's just as enjoyable as the earlier arcs, if for different reasons.
I have to commend Valiant for never throwing out continuity that they don't like (except that shortlived Eternal Warrior series that we don't talk about). Shadowman hasn't been seen since the events of the dire End Times mini, but this arc manages to take his imprisonment at the hands of Master Darque and craft almost a redemption arc out of it, fleshed out nicely by the Legend of the Magpie back-ups that show us what poor Jack has been up to.
Doug Braithwaite takes the art duties for the main series, and he continues to turn out beautiful pages; his artwork has always worked well for both epic scale and magical characters, so this is a home run for him. Juan José Ryp tackles the back-ups, and they're not as gory as his usual work so it's mostly palatable. He's still one of my least favourite Valiant artists, but he's a bit like Greg Land - get him on the right material, and it's all good.
Ninjak's third arc is a departure from what went before, but it's an enjoyable detour that looks gorgeous and is a hell of a good time to boot.
Teaming up with Punk Mambo, Colin heads into the Deadside to retrieve a team of MI-6 agents who were trapped as part of a failed fact-finding mission. Throw in the Shadowman and a giant bloody monster, and you've got a recipe for great fun.
This arc is as un-Ninjak as you can get, really. Magic isn't what you'd expect Ninjak to deal with, but his constant adaptation to his surroundings allows him to take to the Deadside almost like a fish to water, and it's just as enjoyable as the earlier arcs, if for different reasons.
I have to commend Valiant for never throwing out continuity that they don't like (except that shortlived Eternal Warrior series that we don't talk about). Shadowman hasn't been seen since the events of the dire End Times mini, but this arc manages to take his imprisonment at the hands of Master Darque and craft almost a redemption arc out of it, fleshed out nicely by the Legend of the Magpie back-ups that show us what poor Jack has been up to.
Doug Braithwaite takes the art duties for the main series, and he continues to turn out beautiful pages; his artwork has always worked well for both epic scale and magical characters, so this is a home run for him. Juan José Ryp tackles the back-ups, and they're not as gory as his usual work so it's mostly palatable. He's still one of my least favourite Valiant artists, but he's a bit like Greg Land - get him on the right material, and it's all good.
Ninjak's third arc is a departure from what went before, but it's an enjoyable detour that looks gorgeous and is a hell of a good time to boot.
September 28, 2017
And now I finally see where Jack meets Magpie. And I'd say it was certainly worth it.
The art was on point and the story was entertaining. It was kind of like an old adventure story in the style of "A Princess of Mars" or "The Princess Bride" when I think about it. The Deadside is a great backdrop for a wild romp where logic doesn't need to rule.
The Ninjak series has a habit of including serialized mini-stories to go along with the main thread. In this volume that mini-tale is of the genesis of the Magpie instead of a story from Ninjak's past. And this is the actual story I've been hunting for since reading about Magpie in Rapture.
The Ninjak character himself still just comes across as meh, to me. I've read a handful of his comics now and he pretty much does everything right and hasn't suffered much int he way of consequences. Sure. there is a single regret he has that's brought up a few times and his childhood wasn't great, but I'd like to see the character have a bit more grounding.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that he's kind of like a decently fleshed out side character headlining his own book. Maybe that changes eventually, but it's how I feel now.
The art was on point and the story was entertaining. It was kind of like an old adventure story in the style of "A Princess of Mars" or "The Princess Bride" when I think about it. The Deadside is a great backdrop for a wild romp where logic doesn't need to rule.
The Ninjak series has a habit of including serialized mini-stories to go along with the main thread. In this volume that mini-tale is of the genesis of the Magpie instead of a story from Ninjak's past. And this is the actual story I've been hunting for since reading about Magpie in Rapture.
The Ninjak character himself still just comes across as meh, to me. I've read a handful of his comics now and he pretty much does everything right and hasn't suffered much int he way of consequences. Sure. there is a single regret he has that's brought up a few times and his childhood wasn't great, but I'd like to see the character have a bit more grounding.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that he's kind of like a decently fleshed out side character headlining his own book. Maybe that changes eventually, but it's how I feel now.
April 6, 2018
Punk Mambo & Ninjak + Some LOA demons works for me very well. I have a small spoiler remark which is spoiler for Shadowman series:
February 19, 2020
This is my least favorite of all the Ninjak stories so far. He has to go into the Deadside to rescue one of his past villains. All of that is fine but between this volume and the one before I feel like I’m missing something. Almost like the storyline was picked up in another book and went off in a different direction. It doesn’t flow like it should. Hopefully the next volume does a better job of getting back to the main storyline I was hoping for.
July 2, 2019
Amazing!!!!
Loving Ninjak more and more. The artwork, the story, the action, etc everything is awesome. Valiant has a keeper with this one. When I start I can’t put them down. Can’t wait to read Vol. 4. This was an amazing story. Love the introduction of Magpie and Punk Mambo. Very cool characters.
Loving Ninjak more and more. The artwork, the story, the action, etc everything is awesome. Valiant has a keeper with this one. When I start I can’t put them down. Can’t wait to read Vol. 4. This was an amazing story. Love the introduction of Magpie and Punk Mambo. Very cool characters.
May 23, 2021
A+ art from my boy Doug Braithwaite. As far as the story goes, it just didn’t resonate. I did like the Mambo/Ninjak dynamic... but I think it could have been more central to the story. It just didn’t really come together for me.
September 10, 2021
Another soild entry in the series
The story overall is good with fun guest characters and a cool setting. This chapter intertwines with ShadowMan lore and adds alot of magic as a result. The art continues to impress and the villains were good in this one.
The story overall is good with fun guest characters and a cool setting. This chapter intertwines with ShadowMan lore and adds alot of magic as a result. The art continues to impress and the villains were good in this one.
January 28, 2019
Ninjak takes a jump into the paranormal. Read and reviewed in full in Ninjak: Deluxe Edition 1
March 25, 2019
A bit off-putting after the last two volumes.
May 27, 2019
Probably my least favorite volume so far. Atleast the story line seemed interesting but it slowly went down hill from there
April 12, 2021
Me resulto una historia bastante irrelevante, casi solo para mostrar que Ninjak está en un universo con otros heroes. Esperemos que mejore en el siguiente tpb.
September 26, 2024
The Magpie backup stories are far better than the main story.
November 6, 2024
I prefer my Ninjak as the ninja espionage agent that's part Batman part Bond part Storm Shadow, not a magic fighting portal jumper, blecch
October 26, 2018
If you're into Ninjak because you love the Valiant Universe, you might like this story. On the other hand, if you like Ninjak because he's one of the more grounded and realistic Valiant heroes, you might want to skip this TP and head straight into the excellent Volume 5, as this volume focuses on the origin and antics of Shadowman, a character that even Garth Ennis couldn't make interesting.
March 21, 2021
I don't envy any writer trying to pull a story out of the absolute muck that Shadowman's narrative has become.
I'm certainly sad that Kindt's consistently interesting Valiant Universe titles run has this misstep along its path. There's potential intrigue in tossing Ninjak, a suave British ninja assassin who works with the Valiant Universe's Avengers, Unity, Volume 1: To Kill a King, into a magical storyline featuring the much misused Shadowman (I'm not linking, you shouldn't be encouraged to read a Shadowman book) and the poorly named Punk Mambo. Unfortunately, more of this story is focused on the Shadowman mythos than Ninjak's interaction with it. So the story plods confusingly through a hellish landscape that no writer has yet made frightening, intimidating, visually striking, or thematically interesting. Every tiny inconvenience is immediately overcome in the main storyline as they try and ... free Shadowman ?.. rescue the previous team sent into Deadside ?.. learn more about the dimension ?... Nothing in this book is clear. Nothing made me want to learn more about any of the characters, or the world they inhabit.
This is a thoroughly skippable portion of the Valiant Universe.
I'm certainly sad that Kindt's consistently interesting Valiant Universe titles run has this misstep along its path. There's potential intrigue in tossing Ninjak, a suave British ninja assassin who works with the Valiant Universe's Avengers, Unity, Volume 1: To Kill a King, into a magical storyline featuring the much misused Shadowman (I'm not linking, you shouldn't be encouraged to read a Shadowman book) and the poorly named Punk Mambo. Unfortunately, more of this story is focused on the Shadowman mythos than Ninjak's interaction with it. So the story plods confusingly through a hellish landscape that no writer has yet made frightening, intimidating, visually striking, or thematically interesting. Every tiny inconvenience is immediately overcome in the main storyline as they try and ... free Shadowman ?.. rescue the previous team sent into Deadside ?.. learn more about the dimension ?... Nothing in this book is clear. Nothing made me want to learn more about any of the characters, or the world they inhabit.
This is a thoroughly skippable portion of the Valiant Universe.
August 23, 2016
When a character leaves the normal genre of stories to do something totally different it is hard to make it exceptional. So I was a little skeptical of this Ninjak book because he travels to a different dimension to fulfill his latest mission, and Ninjak is complete with his sci-fi suit. It started off okay but it pulled me in that is until the end when you learn who Magpie is and that this entire arc is setting up his solo book. Maybe it will turn into a major crossover with said character, but honestly by the end I didn't care. This arc was just a setup and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I hope they get back to Ninjak as a soldier of fortune on earth!
September 15, 2019
I was never a fan of magic in comics outside the fantasy genre. Ninjak never felt good going against magic in this story, so I found myself skimming through it. There's an annoying girl ally of Ninjak's who has magical abilities, an antagonist from another plane I couldn't care less about and his goal of freeing himself by stealing artifacts from magical creatures. With all the Ninjak's one-liners I quickly got bored.
September 1, 2016
Fine adventure but never really connected with me.
April 5, 2017
My problem with this third volume of Ninjak is that it's a muddle. That's in large part due to the immersion into the Shadowman mythos. Mind you, Kindt actually seems to do well with Deadside, given it some character that was missing from the similar dimensional travels of The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage: Deluxe Edition, but it's not enough when you really can't figure out what's going on with the Magpie, who seems to be Shadowman gone evil.
Maybe this would be cleared up if Valiant ever published Shadowman: Deluxe Edition, Book 2, which has been getting pushed back on their schedule for years, but without that, I just don't know what was going on here (and the story also loses a lot of its emotional resonance).
Maybe this would be cleared up if Valiant ever published Shadowman: Deluxe Edition, Book 2, which has been getting pushed back on their schedule for years, but without that, I just don't know what was going on here (and the story also loses a lot of its emotional resonance).
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