Ninjak #11

Valiant; $3.99

The Dying One, a consciousness that thwarts death by jumping from host to host, has studied science for thousands of years in the hope of finding a way to achieve immortality in one host body. In a previous Ninjak story, he was able to enter and reside in the Eternal Warrior – which is not good.

MI6 has found the Dying One, but won’t tell Ninjak where to find him unless Ninjak agrees to find and bring in Livewire to face punishment for taking down the U.S. power grid. Ninjak makes a tough decision and heads to Ukraine were the Dying One was last seen. Based on footage they found, the Dying One has figured out how to access the Eternal Warrior’s muscle memory and use his combat skills. After arriving, Ninjak pretends to be a tourist to investigate and comes to believe something strange is happening in this town near Chernobyl.

Ninjak continues to wrestle with morality versus mission and what is acceptable in pursuit of the world’s safety. Christos Gage has written another intriguing story that has plenty of potential for growth. Ninjak’s missions are never easy, but what really stands out is how the title addresses collateral damage to others and the spy himself.

–Amanda Sheriff