THE NINJETTES #4, from Dynamite Comics on December 28th, 2022, whittles the contestants down to six. Loyalties will be tested, and lives will be lost. Plus, somebody’s head gets used as a puppet.
The Details
- Written by: Fred Van Lente
- Art by: Joseph Cooper
- Colors by: Dearbhla Kelly
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Leirix Li (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: December 28, 2022
Is It Good?
Thinking is hard. Thinking is distracting. Therefore, when readers typically sit down to read a comic, they don’t want to have to think too much. Instead, it’s better when you can easily focus on who’s who and what’s what so the story can take you away to have a good time for 20 minutes or so. THE NINJETTES #4 narrows the focus to let you focus on who’s who and what’s what so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.
In other words, Fred Van Lente’s latest issue about a deadly, government-sponsored battle royale is the most entertaining entry in the series so far. Whittling down the field of combatants to a manageable number helps. It helps a lot. The plot reaches a point where you can start to put a name with a face with a mask color to keep the players straight. Fewer characters mean more time for each character to let their personalities set them apart from the group. When alliances start to form, the relationship dynamics elevate the depth of the scenes.
Second but equal to Van Lente’s rich plot is a sharp, black wit to make your inner-emo-teenaged-heart happy. When a character unironically utters the phrase “We’re all going to Hell, aren’t we?” for a very good reason, you know Van Lente’s nailed the blackly comedic tone waiting to bubble up. This issue isn’t a comedy, but the violence is so over-the-top in spots that you have to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Cooper and Kelly deliver excellent visuals in the art department. The deaths are brutal, Kelly’s colors pop, and the overall comic looks great. That said, it would help to have more expressiveness in the characters’ eyes since the masks hide most facial expressions. You get what the characters are doing, but it’s sometimes tough to tell how they’re reacting and feeling at any given moment.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our THE NINJETTES #3 review to find out what happened to the alpha, Ceejay.
We begin with Luna, Michelle, and Steph recovering after their faceoff with Whitey. Suddenly, Kinsley shows up carrying Ceejay’s head as a peace offering and a request to join their group. Steph reluctantly agrees, but Michelle believes Kinsley is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Later, Steph takes a few minutes to nap and has a dream where she receives what could be prophetic information. When she wakes up, she finds Michelle trying to take advantage of her nap time, but Michelle arrives to keep Kinsley in check.
We conclude the issue with Teeny following orders, an unusual puppet show, tunnels, and a plan.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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THE NINJETTES #4 is the best entry in the series to date. The violence is wild. Now that the player count is smaller, the weirdly quirky and damaged personalities are starting to shine through. And the series is starting to pick up momentum.
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