Collective Consciousness Ninjak VS VU #1
Welcome to the return of Collective Consciousness, our weekly article where the staff takes one comic and puts it under the microscope. This allows us, and you, faithful reader, to get a good idea of how the comic fares against a variety of opinions. This week we're taking a look at the first issue of a new 4-part mini-series from Valiant Entertainment, Ninjak Vs Valiant Universe #1.
Valiant solicit: “Colin King is Ninjak, MI-6’s deadliest intelligence operative and weapons expert. When the ruthless assassin Roku exploits his greatest weakness, Ninjak will be forced to betray his closest allies. Now, on the run, he must face off against the most powerful heroes known to man for a high-octane, take no prisoners trial by fire more perilous and more unpredictable than any he’s faced before. In 2018, the world’s most dangerous super-spy goes to war with the Valiant Universe…”
Written by: Eliot Rahal
Art by: Joe Bennett
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
PEYI
For someone who isn't really familiar with the Valiant universe this book was easy to follow even though I didn't know all the characters. Although the plot of the issue was pretty basic, the true strength of the series is meant to come from seeing the fights between characters. There were some pretty cool fight scenes but I feel simplistic story really hurts the book. Overall, I have mixed feelings on the issue although the story doesn’t really engage me I’m still excited enough to check out the character fights in the next issue.
NATHAN
I opened this book as someone who is not a casual reader of Valiant comics and was unaware of the characters highlighted in this issue. My first impressions as I read were as follows: The artwork is what I imagine when I think “comic book.” Joe Bennett and Belardino Brado’s art is perfect for a comic book with a lot of action. I was also impressed with the character of Roku, who I hadn’t heard of before. A villain who looks as badass as her and who controls her long hair like she does her hands is quite creepy.
Something that I do not enjoy about superhero comic books is when the action’s artwork is confusing to follow. I don’t like having to look at a panel for several seconds trying to figure out whose arm that is and what it’s doing to whose face. But this issue’s action was exciting and easy for me to follow. It was clear that the action was intense and it was portrayed creatively.
The story isn’t breaking any new ground for a new comic book series in my opinion, but it’s done well enough that it drew me in and made me interested to continue following the series. The predicament is thought-provoking and sets up what is sure to be a lot of awesome fights and drama and I’m excited to get to know these characters through all of that.
JASON
Hey where's my web series you've been promising for what year now? That's probably the way most Valiant fans will review this book. I like the concept but we just had a similar story line in the proper Ninjak series this year, so it feels like it's recycling. They kill off a character we've never seen before in a Ninjak comic and we are supposed to care. I'm not excited for this book at all. Also I think the art is rushed and sloppy. I'm not sure if the character designs have been changed to reflect the actors in the web series, but they look different. The whole thing left me kind of cold, especially since this is my favourite character in comics.
HARLAN
Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe was a surprisingly good read. It was much more “realistic” that you roll your eyes at something so full of itself. Almost right off the bat, our protagonist has all of the odds stacked against him, and his circumstances are presented in a way that makes you care more than you normally would in the given amount of time for the character. Emotion conveyed is sometimes restrained, but still always makes your brain mirror what you see. This book is full of energetic action sequences and people that you want to see succeed and learn more about. These are all things that I look for in a good comic.
CHARLES
If you hesitate to pick this book up because you don't know much about Valiant, don't worry, the creators are way ahead of you. I would say too far ahead, in fact. To maximize newbie-friendliness, they've surgically excised any bit of backstory or world-building that might cause confusion. Unfortunately, what's left is practically begging us to describe it with the dreaded "G" word: Generic.
We're presented with a "villain forces superspy to go rogue and steal a MacGuffin from his agency" story built mainly out of clichés. It's a fast food meal of Bond-y Bourne-y shooty action with a hero vs. hero tease for dessert. Veteran penciller Joe Bennett attempts to polish up the visuals, but this story is so fast-paced that some of his good work ends up confusing.
This series is an adaptation of Valiant's upcoming live-action webseries, so many of the story deficiencies were forced upon the comic's creators. Publisher Fred Pierce's intro claims this is an "unprecedented multimedia event." It isn't. It's just a plain-jane tie-in comic, a genre that always stacks the deck against memorable storytelling. This example delivers basic entertainment but does not get close to notability.
If the webseries inspires you to explore the Valiant Universe, more power to you. But take the hint from Mr. Pierce's intro: This title isn't even in continuity with older, better Valiant comics. Find a hardcore Valiant Veteran to point you toward the real gems; this series isn't destined to be one of them.
Well there you have it folks our first group review of 2018! I hope you enjoyed reading all the different opinions on this book. It’s incredible to me that one book can solicit such a varied response amongst a group of comic fans. I usually expect either a majority skip it or a majority buy this issue but this story has a pretty even split amongst our reviewers. While all agree the story is quite simplistic half seem to really enjoy the action. Let us know in the comments section, on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter feed what you thought of this debut issue.
Valiant solicit: “Colin King is Ninjak, MI-6’s deadliest intelligence operative and weapons expert. When the ruthless assassin Roku exploits his greatest weakness, Ninjak will be forced to betray his closest allies. Now, on the run, he must face off against the most powerful heroes known to man for a high-octane, take no prisoners trial by fire more perilous and more unpredictable than any he’s faced before. In 2018, the world’s most dangerous super-spy goes to war with the Valiant Universe…”
Written by: Eliot Rahal
Art by: Joe Bennett
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
PEYI
For someone who isn't really familiar with the Valiant universe this book was easy to follow even though I didn't know all the characters. Although the plot of the issue was pretty basic, the true strength of the series is meant to come from seeing the fights between characters. There were some pretty cool fight scenes but I feel simplistic story really hurts the book. Overall, I have mixed feelings on the issue although the story doesn’t really engage me I’m still excited enough to check out the character fights in the next issue.
NATHAN
I opened this book as someone who is not a casual reader of Valiant comics and was unaware of the characters highlighted in this issue. My first impressions as I read were as follows: The artwork is what I imagine when I think “comic book.” Joe Bennett and Belardino Brado’s art is perfect for a comic book with a lot of action. I was also impressed with the character of Roku, who I hadn’t heard of before. A villain who looks as badass as her and who controls her long hair like she does her hands is quite creepy.
Something that I do not enjoy about superhero comic books is when the action’s artwork is confusing to follow. I don’t like having to look at a panel for several seconds trying to figure out whose arm that is and what it’s doing to whose face. But this issue’s action was exciting and easy for me to follow. It was clear that the action was intense and it was portrayed creatively.
The story isn’t breaking any new ground for a new comic book series in my opinion, but it’s done well enough that it drew me in and made me interested to continue following the series. The predicament is thought-provoking and sets up what is sure to be a lot of awesome fights and drama and I’m excited to get to know these characters through all of that.
JASON
Hey where's my web series you've been promising for what year now? That's probably the way most Valiant fans will review this book. I like the concept but we just had a similar story line in the proper Ninjak series this year, so it feels like it's recycling. They kill off a character we've never seen before in a Ninjak comic and we are supposed to care. I'm not excited for this book at all. Also I think the art is rushed and sloppy. I'm not sure if the character designs have been changed to reflect the actors in the web series, but they look different. The whole thing left me kind of cold, especially since this is my favourite character in comics.
HARLAN
Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe was a surprisingly good read. It was much more “realistic” that you roll your eyes at something so full of itself. Almost right off the bat, our protagonist has all of the odds stacked against him, and his circumstances are presented in a way that makes you care more than you normally would in the given amount of time for the character. Emotion conveyed is sometimes restrained, but still always makes your brain mirror what you see. This book is full of energetic action sequences and people that you want to see succeed and learn more about. These are all things that I look for in a good comic.
CHARLES
If you hesitate to pick this book up because you don't know much about Valiant, don't worry, the creators are way ahead of you. I would say too far ahead, in fact. To maximize newbie-friendliness, they've surgically excised any bit of backstory or world-building that might cause confusion. Unfortunately, what's left is practically begging us to describe it with the dreaded "G" word: Generic.
We're presented with a "villain forces superspy to go rogue and steal a MacGuffin from his agency" story built mainly out of clichés. It's a fast food meal of Bond-y Bourne-y shooty action with a hero vs. hero tease for dessert. Veteran penciller Joe Bennett attempts to polish up the visuals, but this story is so fast-paced that some of his good work ends up confusing.
This series is an adaptation of Valiant's upcoming live-action webseries, so many of the story deficiencies were forced upon the comic's creators. Publisher Fred Pierce's intro claims this is an "unprecedented multimedia event." It isn't. It's just a plain-jane tie-in comic, a genre that always stacks the deck against memorable storytelling. This example delivers basic entertainment but does not get close to notability.
If the webseries inspires you to explore the Valiant Universe, more power to you. But take the hint from Mr. Pierce's intro: This title isn't even in continuity with older, better Valiant comics. Find a hardcore Valiant Veteran to point you toward the real gems; this series isn't destined to be one of them.
***
Well there you have it folks our first group review of 2018! I hope you enjoyed reading all the different opinions on this book. It’s incredible to me that one book can solicit such a varied response amongst a group of comic fans. I usually expect either a majority skip it or a majority buy this issue but this story has a pretty even split amongst our reviewers. While all agree the story is quite simplistic half seem to really enjoy the action. Let us know in the comments section, on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter feed what you thought of this debut issue.
A Look Inside
