The Pull List – Ninjak #7
Beaten and injured from his first encounter with The Coalition, a group of immortal villains, Ninjak seeks allies for his mission. Returning back to MI6, Neville Alcott, NInjak’s MI6 handler, gives Ninjak a list of candidates to recruit. The Coalition is a group of warriors and mystics, fueled by dark arts and powerful incantations. Leading the Coalition is MI6’s former Ninja master, the Jonin, whose motivates are unclear at the moment. To counter the Coalition, Ninjak acquires Livewire, Dr. Mirage and Punk Mambo, each with special skills that can put up a fight against the Coalition’s abilities. As Ninjak preps his team for combat, will it be enough to stop the Coalition before they can carry out their plans?
It’s not too often to see NInjak badly hurt that makes him reach out for allies. Of the few times he works in a team is when all of humanity is on the line and the paycheck he’ll get is worth it. This time around, Ninjak is finds himself out powered by a group of mystics. NInjak is a master of many things, but he doesn’t have the ability to cast spells. Finding aid in people that are willing to help, Ninjak gets support from powerful experts of technology and magic. Livewire is a psiot with abilities to control all electrical devices. Dr. Mirage is knowledgable with spirits and the occult. Punk Mambo is a voodoo priestess and a collector of ancient artifacts. All their abilities will be tested when going against the Coalition’s members, each deadly in some form of dark arts. The known members of the Coalition include Kostiy the Deathless, a Russian warlord encased in magic armor; Ultimo, a mutated shapeshifter and Linton March, an ageless collector of cursed artifacts.
This issue brings together Ninjak’s allies and sheds some details on the Coalition. Long time readers of Valiant Comics will see returning characters from other series. Punk Mambo and Ninjak have a history together, and it’s neat that they don’t really respect each other, but can put aside their differences for the good of the mission. This story arc also predates the cross over event of the upcoming Harbinger War 2, a major event in all the current Valiant Comics Universe that will have dramatic repercussions in the aftermath. While this issue is lite on the action, there are some entertaining dialogue and visuals. From Dr. Mirage speaking to her ghostly dead husband, Punk Mambo sobering up and the gigantic mech robot carrier known as Gin-GR being oddly polite to it’s own passengers. The anticipation of the two groups battling it out will have to linger for another month when the next issue comes out.