Comics

[Comic Review] “Ninjak” #1 – Is Another Stunning Debut From Valiant

Published

9 years ago

March 11, 2015

Reviewed by Brady Steele. The Valiant Next movement keeps on rolling with its latest and greatest release: Ninjak #1. This 1990s embodiment is now even cooler in 2015. This book has it all in its debut: international British spy, uber-femme fatale, traumatic childhood and a ninja blowing stuff up.

WRITTEN BY: Matt Kindt

ART BY: Clay Mann and Butch Guice

PUBLISHER: Valiant Entertainment

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: 11 March 2015

There is so much going on here on many levels that reading it over and over reveals how much effort writer Matt Kindt has put into this book. You can see it all over this initial chapter. Kindt mixes things together so well that it looks effortless. Combining a look at Ninjak’s utility belt with his psychiatric assessment is a prime example. The seeding is rampant everywhere in this issue too. Simple one-off lines and off-center images are leading readers somewhere already down the line.

Kindt and his artists are working darn hard already to make readers feel they are getting value for their money. The main story is being drawn by Clay Mann, who is very capable of showing how fun this character’s world can be. There was one moment I wasn’t exactly sure how Ninjak did what he did to evade exploding bullets but I’ll let that one panel slide. The Lost Files done by former Captain America and current Velvet artist Butch Guice are an excellent addition to flesh out Ninjak’s early spy years when he was simply Colin King, rookie agent. Seeing how he became so smooth and polished will no doubt add to the depth of this character in the future. Both artists are perfectly cast in their respective eras so I’ve no doubt will be a beauty to behold month in and month out.

I really knew nothing of this character other than his cool-killer moments from The Valiant miniseries and all those old 90s hologram / prismatic covers from my formative years. Based on that and now Ninjak #1, I’m interested. The layering of story elements and crisp art tells me this is a solid read worth picking up. Once again, Valiant Entertainment is the all-star team putting out great book one after another.

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Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.

Twitter: @mrbradysteele

Zac Thompson

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

7 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.