Bigger Than Capes

Publisher: Valiant
Jeff Parker and Javier Pulido – Words and Art
Dave Sharpe with Javier Pulido – Letters

I am a bit late with this review but better late than never when talking about a comic as excellent as the current Ninjak run. If you’ve read the Free Comic Book Day Ninjak then you should have a pretty good idea what happens in at least the first few pages of this one. If you haven’t there’s no need to worry because it all happens in the first few pages of this issue.

Following Colin and Myna’s not great encounter with G-3 when the Eurostar crashed we join them as they head to Neville’s house. Neville, for those unfamiliar with Ninjak’s history, is basically Colin’s only friend (though I like how Myna is working her relationship with Colin toward the friendship route) and also the guy who had his brain messed with in the first issue leading to the leak of information about all the agents.

It’s nice to see Neville back and still as supportive of Colin as ever. Poor Neville has been through it a bit, fearing for his life, having his brain scrambled, never very fun things to experience at the best of times. He is the person who knows Colin best though and he also knows that he can rely on Colin for help and support. He’s also a great source of exposition as we learn more about the mysterious Daylight Group and their leader, or the person pulling the strings at least, the Kingmaker.

The mission has now started to expand for Colin and he and Myna must head to Norway to investigate a mysterious lab. That whole section of the book is tripping. It’s absolutely glorious. The reader feels like they too are experiencing the hallucinogenic effects of whatever was down the bottom of that lab. The use of colour, panels and confused, weird speech bubbles to showcase some sort of weird hallucinogenic flashback Colin is experiencing are just amazing. It’s one of those ‘this book takes the medium of comics and shows what it can do’ moments.

Not to say that the art isn’t also good in other ways. The way Colin jumps from the helicopter when they get to Neville’s place, the way he tackles the guys with guns, silhouetted against the background is just great. The movement and descent into the lab is also superbly done with lovely long panels stretching the action out naturally and making it fill the page in new and interesting ways.

This issue of Ninjak neatly expands out the information – who are the bad guys? What have they been up to? Whilst supplying new and interesting mysteries for Coin and Myna to investigate as they seek to take down the Kingmaker. Plus, Neville’s back which is always a bonus. With really wonderful art, the same fun writing and a dash of plot this is another excellent issue of Ninjak.