Ninjak #23 Review: Getting The Evil Band Back Together

Roku takes center stage in Ninjak #23, reassembling the Shadow Seven for one last mission and finally revealing the secret seventh member.

Ninjak #23
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Marc Laming
Published by Valiant Entertainment

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Roku has plagued Ninjak since the early pages of his solo title. Yes, her name is that thing you get when you don’t want Apple TV. But once that’s all out of our systems, we can appreciate her for the super character she is. Originally Ninjak’s lover and mentor in the spy game, she was killed and brought back to life with mystical abilities, such as telepathy and razor-sharp hair that can burst into flame. And crammed into one sentence, I can see how that might sound a little silly, too.

So that’s why Roku needs a spotlight issue like this one. Even when fighting Ninjak throughout most of his book, even destroying his whole life in the recent “Siege Of King’s Castle” arc, she comes across as the taciturn shadow, captivating but only grabbing the edges of most pages. This issue upends that and establishes her as the force to be reckoned with.

Roku busts into an unbeatable prison to rescue the other five known members of the Shadow Seven organization. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that the prison should change to “mostly-unbeatable.” In addition to her versatility in smashing through trap after trap, Kindt and Laming illustrate her keen mind as she tries to talk her evil teammates into joining up for the new mission. And her reveal of the secret Seventh member has a nice taste of drama we don’t normally get from her schemes.

Ninjak fans, don’t worry; he’s here, too. But Roku’s is the story you want to see, and this team does not disappoint.

Ninjak #23 goes on sale Wednesday, January 11, from Valiant Entertainment.

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