Reading issue 19 of ‘Ninjak’ will make you realize why warriors don’t have nice things. And through the artwork of Khari Evans this is emphasized on every page. Colin King and Gilad are continuing their excellent adventure as they go after the many-armed man through a portal.
The art is in and of itself startling. Every panel is real. You see each crease and scar on the faces of these embattled men. From the people lying in the fetal position in the background to the confrontation at the end of the comic the art drives the story. That’s not saying the words are unimportant. The narrative thread Matt Kindt weaves brings together the outer and mundane worlds as they both seem to collide on ‘the fist and the steel.’
As this story is told in a non-linear style, it both reveals and hides what has happened to Colin when he was in the Deadside. But the second installment of this arc focuses on the adventure story. It also taps into the things the reader doesn’t get to see. In the Eternal Warrior’s series he is constantly in a state of battle, protecting the latest geomancer (in other words the earth itself); which means rarely cracking a smile, much less a joke. But here he is Gilad, a very old man with a wealth of stories, tales that Colin has heard too many times. In essence he’s not all steely stares, instead he has a personality that isn’t a murderous. For Ninjak he is the epitome of the perfect spy.
For the most part he is able to be comfortable in every situation. You get the sense that Colin is everything James Bond could hope to be. It all makes an enjoyable ride for the reader.
With Kindt he goes into well-treaded territory with the evil bad guy he’s using. It is the Valiant universe and you don’t need to create anyone new to try to defeat. Yet, though he is familiar his intent is creepy and there is a sense that while evil won’t win, he’s not going down without taking a chunk of the world with him.
Still, the best part of this issue is that the reader gets a bonus with finding out what happened to Ninjak in the present. His return from the Deadside meant that he didn’t come back alone. He along with the others on that mission brought a bit of this otherworld with them. And Colin is in a fight for his life. Old compatriots make an appearance, because that’s the kind of man he is. They aren’t just allies, they’re friends. And even though his appearance in other books may seem ominous, in his own storyline he is the ultimate survivor – human with a set of skills.
Perhaps that’s why this comic is so delicious. There’s an interweaving of the supernatural, a road trip and a baddie to get rid of. It’s a mix that’s ripe for entertainment and laugh out loud moments.
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