Valiant Entertainment 2015
Written by Matt Kindt
Illustrated by Stephen Segovia, Ryan Lee & Ulises Arreola
Lettered by Dave Sharpe
Ninjak hunted down and imprisoned all of the Shadow Seven, save for Roku, who has know been tasked by a mysterious benefactor with breaking out the Seven and tracking down the final, unknown member. This mission brought Roku to the London apartment of Colin King where she revealed NINJAK to be the lost member of the Shadow Seven! Refusing to believe this, Ninjak is about to take on the six assassins by himself…
Good Golly Miss Molly! Every time I think okay Matt can’t keep up this incredible maddening pace he’s set for himself and every single time i’m proven wrong. It’s like Colin has become this muse and his adventures become bigger, bolder and more daring with each outing and I’m certainly not going to complain. While he spent all that time infiltrating and destroying the Shadow Seven he never once considered what they all have in common and I find that more fascinating. It makes sense though that they all trained under the Dead Monk and if he’d wanted to Colin’s life could’ve been that of a criminal just as easily as it’s become one of master spy and hero.
I was wondering how Roku would convince Colin to work with five sworn enemies and a very complicated relationship with herself in play. When the offer is too good to be refused sometimes you really just should but then again guilt and love make us tend to do things we regret later. The characterisation here is phenomenal and the way the story moves along is exceedingly strong. I will say that since her introduction Roku’s change into this leader of the rag tag alliance has proven there is so much more to her than we’ve ever anticipated.
The interior artwork here is beyond delightful. With the attention to detail that they bring the page the guys really outdo themselves here. The flashback sequence that looks at Colin’s life was one of those unexpected moments that make the issue that much more than it already is. The use of page layouts through their angles and perspective are handled masterfully. Character designs and backgrounds that we see showcase the creativity and imagination we look for in top artists.
Will this quest for Darque end up with an appearance by the Shadowman? I’m hoping so but somehow I doubt it. Still Master Darque has been a thorn in the side of the Valiant Universe for a long time and that it takes the entirety of the Shadow Seven to go after him only makes this much more interesting. How powerful is he and the one that wants him dead if she alone cannot do it then how does she believe this group can?
With the second issue in the books it looks like this is already another stellar epic story arc revolving around a life that has spiralled so out of control for Colin King. These guys always manage to keep me on the edge of my seat and beyond excited for what’s coming next.