Valiant; $3.99

After the “Ninja-J debacle,” MI6’s Ninja program was temporarily shut down. When it reopened a new agent, Ninja-K, was named – and it wasn’t Colin King. But, once Colin entered the field, the first K was demoted to K-2 status, to handle lower caliber missions and be Colin’s backup. Naturally, he wasn’t happy about that. K-2 found the Jonin, who had been excommunicated from MI6 and the Ninja program. They strike a deal whereby Jonin will train K-2 to beat Ninja-K, if he in turn will inform on MI6.

Given that the agency expected some animosity from the agent, Neville Alcott has tracked K-2 to Mexico City, which was destroyed in the Armor Hunter invasion. Since that invasion, the government and drug cartels have developed an armistice and are working on new weapons to face enhanced enemies. Believing that K-2 is there to turn on them and train soldiers using Ninja program methods, Neville sends Ninja-K to stop the wayward agent.

Like other Ninjak, and now Ninja-K comics, this issue is complicated and intense, with technical-style fights, cool technology, and fun espionage angles. It’s not nearly as flashy as some spy stories, instead going for a grittier approach that doesn’t have time for the fancy side of spy work.

The new arc, written by Christos Gage, is already off to a good start. Gage is a very great writer who can craft an adventure with multiple layers of a spy story that’ll entertain readers without saturating them in jargon to justify unrealistic conclusions.

-Amanda Sheriff