Killers #1
Recap
Killers is a tale that combines the shady tournament vibe of Enter the Dragon with 70s Foxy Brown style cool. Ninjak is missing and someone is hunting down the survivors of the Ninja Programme. Things just get weirder when a mysterious girl who claims to be the daughter of Jonin, also hunts down the Ninjas offering them their heart's desire in exchange for retrieving a legendary treasure her father has urgent need of.
It's a massive race for the deadliest superhumans across the Earth from shadows far and wide all seeking to be the one to claim the prize. Backstabbing, mind games, and seedy espionage fills the pages along with brutal martial arts action as they battle it out to see which Ninja will be the last one standing to claim the prize.
Review
Moore does a pretty solid job in short order establishing how serious the stakes are here while also planting mysterious seeds into what really drives the Jonin’s motives and well as the individual Ninjas themselves. While the issue could use a bit more set up or at least a intro page to inform newbies to why the Ninja Programme matters and why these people are so deadly, Moore still manages to craft an engaging story with loads of promise for entertainment to come.
Fernando Dagnino’s art is spot on, perfectly capturing the tone needed for a clandestine martial arts spy thriller that oozes coolness from each panel. In particular he kills it on the introductory pages letting the reader know what’s about to pop off and nailing the brutality to come. Dagnino sells this story even further with each passing page showing himself to be the ideal candidate for this particular tale.
Final Thoughts
Ninjas, super powers, mystery and tons of action....what else could you want from a book called Killers? While I would highly recommend checking out Ninjak: Weaponeer or Ninja-K vol 1 at the least before reading this to fully grasp the beauty of the vicious nature of the Ninjas of the Ninja Programme, this is still a solid first issue. Having had a sneak peak of the second issue I can confidently say any misgivings one might have about coming into this blind will swiftly be dashed so if you're not totally sold, remember patience is a virtue for a reason.
Killers #1: Ain’t Nuthin but a Ninja Party
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 8.5/108.5/10
- Art - 8.5/108.5/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 8.5/108.5/10
