Ninjak

For the past few weeks Valiant has been hinting at a live-action project to be announced at this year's New York Comic-Con, though I was beginning to think it was just a dream I had. Honestly, a live-action project about Ninjak with very few details other than that it also stars former Power Ranger Jason David Frank and professional wrestler John Morrison? If that doesn't sound like the product of my subconscious left to run wild, then folks, I don't know what does. Now, though, as we get a little closer to NYCC, enough details have been filled out that I have finally, shockingly discovered that this is actually happening, and not just a wish I made on a shooting star --- and today's reveal is the coolest one yet: a look at Michael Rowe, who's set to star as Live-Action Ninjak.

This December, Valiant is doing a line-wide series of variant covers featuring cosplayers dressed as Valiant characters, from Faith to Archer & Armstrong, all the way down the line to Bloodshot. The thing is, all of these cosplayers... are cats.

At this point, I'm pretty sure everyone who reads ComicsAlliance is familiar with my deep and abiding affection for Ninjak, but for real. I can't help loving him when he keeps doing the most amazing things I've ever read about. I mean, you'd think it would be enough that he once broke into MI6 headquarters to stop the alien invaders who had infiltrated British intelligence, or that time he went on a mission to the literal magical land of the dead. But y'all. Y'all. In the next issue, which continues "Fist & The Steel" crossover with Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, Ninjak --- Ninjak of the future! --- fights a dude who has like twelve arms. I can't even hand-le how great this is.

Gather 'round, children, and let me tell you a tale of times past. Back in the days before the Internet, back when you could not read through a disturbingly thorough summary of any comic book character and/or lightsaber fighting style anytime you wanted, we got our information from Who's Whos and Official Handbooks, and by gum, that's how we liked it. Nowadays, even in this more modern era, Valiant is keeping the dream alive with Valiant Universe Handbook 2016, a compendium of information that'll bring you up to date on characters like Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, Faith, and of course, Ninjak. Really though, the only fact you need to know about that dude is that he rules. Check out a preview!

Ninjak has been having a pretty rough year. Not only did he travel to a horrifying realm of supernatural terror in "Operation: Deadside," but once he got home to his castle to rest up, the whole thing came crashing down around his head as part of a plot by the villainous Roku that left him with absolutely nothing. But cheer up, Ninjak! Even if things are going bad now, maybe they'll get better in the future! Wait, no, hang on. I'm looking at the future now, courtesy of Matt Kindt and Andres Guinaldo's Ninjak #18, and it looks like it's just way more fighting and murder. But hey, at least he has a best friend in Gilad, the Eternal Warrior! That's gotta count for something, right? Check out a preview!

When Ninjak #18 hits shelves in August, it's kicking off the time-bending The Fist & The Steel crossover, in which the Eternal Warrior teams up with Ninjak for futuristic immortal ninja action.

It's been a while since we've talked about Ninjak --- unquestionably the single greatest character in the entire Valiant roster, which you can tell because he's basically Batman plus Snake Eyes and his name is Ninjak --- but if you haven't been keeping up, Colin King has been having a pretty rough go of it. Not only has he been dealing with the kind of standard hassles that you get when you're MI-6's go-to ninja, but in his last adventure, he had to journey through the supernatural dimension called Deadside, with the kind of horrifying consequences that you'd expect from that sort of adventure. Now, though, when Ninjak #14 hits shelves next week, it's time for Ninjak to head back to the literal castle he calls home for some rest, relaxation, and an explosion that blows up his house on page four. It's the start of the next arc, "The Siege of King's Castle," and you can check out a preview below!

Valiant Comics' shared superhero universe is smaller and less familiar than those of its major rivals, but even a small shared universe can offer a lot to learn about. To help those readers looking to take the plunge into the Valiant Universe, we’ve assembled our own team of delinquents to break things down. Steve Morris knows Valiant inside out; J.A. Micheline is new to the universe. Micheline has the questions, and Morris has the answers. Over the last month Steve has introduced JAM to the superpowered Harbinger team and the brainwashed assassin Bloodshot. For the next assignment, though he set JAM homework of a more cosmic nature --- the flagship Valiant series X-O Manowar. If that wasn't enough, it's also finally time to talk about the British Enigma that is Ninjak. She gamely accepted the mission --- and now they're back to talk about it!

When it comes to shared comics universes, most people turn their mind straight to Marvel and DC, publishers that have mastered the concept over several decades. But a few years ago, Valiant Comics came roaring back, relaunching themselves for a contemporary audience, and providing a simpler superhero universe to get to grips with. Yet even a small shared universe can feel like a lot to learn about, and readers may have held back from taking the plunge. To help those readers whose curiosity has been piqued, we've assembled our own team of 'delinquents' to break things down. Steve Morris knows the Valiant Universe inside out; J.A. Micheline is completely new to the universe. Micheline has the questions, like what exactly is a "psiot", and who is that bloke in the blue and yellow helmet, and why is everybody so afraid of a goat; and Morris has answers. We hope.

If you're anything like me, then you want - no, you require --- as much Ninjak as humanly possible to be delivered into your waiting eyballs at all times, and if that's the case, I've got some good news for you. Next week, Valiant's #1 ninja --- or, you know, their #11 ninja, if we're going alphabetically --- is taking the center stage in not one, but two new stories. First, Ninjak #6 continues the awesome ongoing series with a brand new story arc that pits Colin King and his high-tech ninjutsu against La Barbe, a mysterious French adversary who preserves his anonymity with a Scrooge McDuckian pile of money and some Ninjak-hunting laser weapons. And if that wasn't enough, Book of Death: The Fall of Ninjak jumps a hundred years into the future to see what he's up to in the post-apocalyptic world ravaged by the Armor Hunters. Can you handle that much Ninjak?!