NINJA BOY #2
"Blood"
Neutral (4/10)
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DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions
Writers: Allen Warner
Pencils: Ale Garza
Inks: Dan Norton
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Aaron Watanabe
Price: $2.95 US/$4.95 CAN |
And with the second issue of Ninja Boy, my confusion and general distaste for manga storytelling kicks in. Fans of odd ninja stories told in anime and manga in the past will likely enjoy this book, but Warner and Garza lose me by taking an oddly predictable but weird path with this issue.
Nakio finds that his mission to assassinate the corrupt Mikaboshi was a trap, but one set for his more experienced Mugen ninja clan brethren. Nakio manages to escape, only to learn that his brothers were indeed captured by the malevolent warlord. Wisely, Nakio decides he'd better turn to his grandfather for guidance, and he rushes home, with the drunken but cute and furry Sake tagging along for the ride.
Garza's dynamic style and angular designs certainly catch the eye, and they capture the Japanese-inspired storytelling approach to which Ninja Boy owes its existence. But the art is chaotic as well. There's not a strong panel-to-panel flow. Style is emphasized over storytelling.
There's a lack of clarity in the script that mirrors what we get with the art. Mikaboshi says he had been expecting Nakio's brothers to oppose him, and all of a sudden, they show up, captured and about to be executed. Where did they come from? How were these Mugen ninja captured so easily? Warner leaves out this essential information. A climactic and traumatic scene loses its power as the reader is left scratching his head, wondering how it came to pass.
Part of the charm of the first issue was the enthusiasm and innocence of the title character. Given the events of this issue, that's gone, understandably. But that charm is lost as well. Warner tries to include it through other characters, but hearing the adult villain talk in a modern colloquial tone just isn't the same.
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