Everyone who seems to wield a sword that hates magic. In the DC Universe, it can defeat the man of steel. In the land of Marvel iconic characters such as Doctor Strange are called upon to use his magical abilities when there is no hope left. In Ninjak’s case he hates it for all of its unknowns. Yet he must partner with those who channel the powers of the supernatural. The Valiant Universe is unique in that it clearly utilizes its history, even the parts that have been rewritten. Nothing is completely erased.
Instead, writer Matt Kindt draws in a new audience while recapturing the old and in this latest installment of “Ninjak: Operation Deadside†readers get a clear sense of what’s happening action-wise. But there are still several layers that are taking their sweet time to unravel.
As a spy who deals mostly in his own self-interest Ninjak is still in the Deadside. As usual, he has his own agenda and it has to do with Jack Boniface and his loa Shadowman. A loa in this telling is a spirit who you either control or it rides your back until it uses you up and has you wishing you were a husk of corn. In Jack’s case he has been turned into the Magpie, someone who has lost all his humanity. Bounded by glowing ropes is the physical manifestation of his becoming enslaved by Master Darque through the intermediary of Shadowman.
How did this happen? When did Boniface become a whipping boy of his greatest enemy?
It’s because he lost control of his loa. In the Valiant universe similar to the way Punk Mambo uses her loa as an ally, Boniface was always running away from the mantle of the Shadowman. By never fully embracing his family heritage it has now corrupted him and compels him to work for the forces that his family has tried to keep in check. How does Ninjak get sucked into this mess? The audience still doesn’t know and Kindt’s not telling you in this issue. But what he does do is leave the door open for deeper, thought-provoking storytelling.
And just because you come to the end of this issue doesn’t mean the narrative has ended. It seems that the more that is revealed, the more the reader has no idea of what is going on. It’s fascinating to read a comic, see everything unfold and still not quite comprehend why it’s happening. By keeping the true motivations of the characters a secret and showing shadowy figures we remember that this is work based on a spy.
Although this is the end of the Deadside story arc, by adding the element of another realm or dimension Kindt is able to keep just enough hidden to make you want to know what will happen in the next issue. Even if it’s the beginning of a new journey for Ninjak.
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