This week, our Off the Presses section is diving into the original Valiant comics line. Valiant told superhero tales within science fiction and fantasy genres with heroes like X-O Manowar, Shadowman, Bloodshot, and Eternal Warrior, humorous characters like Archer and Armstrong, and villains such as Toyo Harada and Master Darque. For these reviews, we are taking a look at some of our favorite characters and issues from Valiant’s original line that was published in the early 1990s. 

 Valiant; $2.25  

Colin King, aka Ninjak is a man of mystery in Valiant comics, who was first introduced in Bloodshot #6. He is a ninja and spy who is smart enough to find the bad guys and dangerous enough to defeat just about any foe.  

Ninjak #7 starts at JFK International Airport where there are concerns about the safety of a United Nations ambassador. Ninjak has the inside scoop, particularly that an assassin named Ishak, aka Djinn, is targeting the ambassador. A pursuit through the airport gets even more complicated when Ninjak and his target board a plane. A plane full of innocent people. 

Ninjak comics are always centered on Colin’s many skills as a spy and fighter… and a little on his brooding personality. In this issue written by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Mark Moretti, readers witness his intelligence as he finds the disguised Ishak amid the crowd of travelers at the airport. The writers also show off Ninjak’s high tech weapons and suit as he fights his foe. 

Much of the issue showcases the work of penciller Andrew Currie, inkers Lanning and Jenifer Marrus, and colorist John Cebollero as they deliver a lengthy fight between Ninjak and Ishak. They crafted a blow by blow account of the fight across pages that have up to eight panels of action.  

Ninjak comics deliver the intrigue of a spy story and action of a superhero adventure with sleek technology and a taciturn, tough guy hero. The series is as smart as it is exciting.  

–Amanda Sheriff