In Review: Ninjak #24

Synopsis: Ninjak is confronted with a past he does not believe. After all this time, Ninjak is revealed to be one of the infamous Shadow Seven. A group of mystically trained assassins that have plagued the world. However, Colin rejects this notion, and a bloody battle ensues. It is then that Roku presents an offer that he could never pass up. If Ninjak rejoins the Seven for one final mission, Roku will allow him the chance to rehabilitate his former lover. Once the offer is accepted, Ninjak comes face to face with the mastermind behind the reforming of the Shadow Seven, Sandria Darque.

Review: Ninjak #24 covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time. First, there is the obligatory battle as Ninjak faces his deadly opponents. I don’t use obligatory in a negative way because it is a fight the readers want to see. They will not be disappointed. The action in these pages is dynamite, and it all happens at a breakneck pace. With so many opponents against our hero, it can be a little dizzying, yet attention to detail is paid to the Shadow Seven. This helps maintain the level of distrust and dysfunction that we see in later pages. Those pages are a key component to the strength of this issue.

The appearance of Sandria Darque  signals the artistic shift in issue #24. The way she moves seems sultry and deadly; the character exudes the aura of the supernatural. I really thought this was necessary because there needs to be a bridge between the somewhat grounded beginning of the issue, and the way the art team depicts Ninjak’s past via a humorous comic strip. It is a such an arresting departure from the earlier pages, but it works incredibly well.

The new story arc for Ninjak has yet to disappoint. Seven Samurai is a classic, and this Ninjak is able to pay homage to that movie right. These seven people, although incredibly deadly, face a nearly impossible task to accomplish. Some will survive, and some may fall. It is a story told time and time again; however, the story is being told fresh and fun way. The next few issues should be a blast and totally worth a read.