Ninjak

So, I completed the graphic novel, Ninjak Volume 1: Weaponeer by Matt Kindt covering issues one through five. The story revolves around a man who is both a spy and a ninja, working specifically for the MI-6 British intelligence agency. The narrative explores his past, detailing his childhood and the early stages of his life as an agent. Simultaneously, it delves into his present life as an advanced ninja and agent on a mission.

One aspect I appreciate about the book is how everything converges in a cohesive manner across the first five issues. The protagonist, named Colin, is on a mission to locate a group called the “Seven Shadows” or something similar. This group is involved in the illegal production and sale of weapons on the black market, catering to mostly nefarious individuals. Colin’s objective is to find and infiltrate this group, ultimately dismantling their operations.

As the narrative shifts to Colin’s early childhood, we witness unexpected elements, starting with his abusive Butler. So, every time his parents leave town for extended periods, it’s just him and the Butler. The Butler is somewhat suspicious of the boy and resorts to abuse. We see how this dynamic plays into his character and contributes to his later development. As the story progresses, we learn that the boy is smart, finding ingenious ways to fight back against the Butler and eventually escape from him. This sheds light on how he developed some of the skills needed to be an agent and a ninja.

Spoilers!!!

Weaponeer

On his first mission, we see that he has a handler, and while I need to do more research on the exact role and purpose of a handler, in short, it seems she briefs him on all his missions while he’s in the field. The mission involves learning and adhering to strict rules, including no personal contact, although we eventually see this rule being broken over time as a romantic relationship develops.

So, I guess two key elements emerge towards the end of the book. As different storylines unfold, we see them all converge, revealing a cohesive narrative. Throughout his childhood, we witness his intelligence and early signs of skills, a natural aptitude for the agent and ninja world. Towards the end of that arc, we discover that his parents were likely secret agents themselves, possibly influencing his desire to become an agent later in life. However, this revelation isn’t entirely clear until later in the story.

A Formative Mission Gone Awry

Regarding the missions, we observe his development at an early age, where he forms a relationship with his handler, a woman. For one of his initial missions, he was tasked with killing a person at a drop spot. However, due to misinformation, he hesitated, unsure if the target was the right person. Later, it’s revealed that it was the correct target, and she, in turn, tracked down and killed the handler. This early mistake becomes a significant one, shaping his decisions and motivations in future missions.

In the present timeline, during his current mission, it initially appears that he is tracking down arms dealers and dismantling their operations because they are deemed as bad guys. However, we uncover that he has had a personal mission all along: to find and kill the person responsible for his handler’s death.

Mythical Elements and Supernatural Twists

The story goes beyond spies, agents, and ninjas; it also introduces mythical creatures. For instance, there’s a horned demon-like creature at the bottom of a cave. Additionally, mysterious monks, including one known as an undead monk, have the ability to sit and meditate for years without moving while communicating with students through telepathy.

Another character in the story, a woman, studied with this order of monks. She was sent on a trial to obtain the perfect weapon from the person they worship. Unfortunately, she dies but gains supernatural abilities in the process. Her hair becomes razor-sharp, and she develops telekinetic powers and extra strength. These fantasy elements add depth to the story, making it more than just an action spy mystery novel.

Why did I choose this book?

I think I was just interested in reading another graphic novel. I went on the Hoopla app, started scrolling through the comics, and found it in their featured section. Yeah, I wanted something different for the summer, a comic that wasn’t just about superheroes – nothing wrong with that, but I wanted something not from the big Marvel or DC. So I ended up with this book from Valiant, a slightly smaller comic book company but apparently consistent in putting out titles. It wasn’t too far off from a superhero comic, even though I didn’t know much about Ninjak.

Anyway, going into it, I didn’t know much about the work. I did a quick Google search, saw it had a good star rating, so I thought, okay, I’ll check it out. It turned out to be an entertaining read.

Conclusion

Now, let me see, any themes in this book? Well, basically, it was an origin story not only for Ninjak, our protagonist, but also for our main antagonist. We saw his origin story and some of the origin story of his bodyguard, the woman with the razor-sharp hair. They were all seeking power, strength, revenge, or some kind of destiny. At the end of the book, he only took down one member of the Seven Shadows group. So, of course, the rest of the series will involve tracking them down and eventually getting revenge on whoever killed his girlfriend in his early days.

Alright, I think it was a surprising and entertaining read with good artwork. The artist has worked with Marvel, showcasing an art style reminiscent of modern-day superhero comics.

So yeah, it was an entertaining read, you know, good visuals, not bad.

Artists: Clay Mann, Butch Guice, and Marguerite Sauvage

Original draft written in June 2019.