I want to make a joke but I’m too stunned by a title relaunch actually using a volume number instead of what year the new series starts. It’s like they didn’t want to confuse us or something.
Ninja High School volume 2 #1
Antarctic Press (July, 1999)
Note that the Comixology version I’m using is only 17 pages so if something’s missing I’m not aware of it.
“It’s A Family Affair”
WRITER/ARTIST/CO-EDITOR: Ben Dunn
COLORISTS: Pat Duke & Jochen Weltjens
no listing for a letterer
CO-EDITOR: Doug Dlin
Okay, I am not all that familiar with this series, so put up with me here. Some guy named Tetsuo challenges his sister Yumei to fight who I believe is the series protagonist, Ricky Feeple. She wins, she gets stock in some company that the clans are fighting over or something, but if she loses she must marry him. Nobody told Ricky about any of this since he has a girlfriend (that he doesn’t know is a superheroine), but it doesn’t matter as he disarms her with one kick while he and his friends talk about starting a band. And what does this have to do with a spoiled alien furry brat diplomat’s daughter forced to take on human form?
What they got right: From what little I know before going in, Ninja High School is an anime and sci-fi geek love letter and it shows. The comedy isn’t to my specific tastes if you expected a laugh but it was amusing and might strike harder with others. It sets up the cast, at least the ones we see since I don’t know the full roster, and I’m curious which storylines are just for the comic and which will be full on tales. Is the band just talk or is it part of the story, for example. Will the alien be part of the class? It doesn’t answer the questions but it does set them up pretty well.
What they got wrong: Then again we have three, maybe four storylines about to collide. The ninja girl who may be forced to try to marry Ricky and how that clashes with his girlfriend plus how her brother, an apparent rival of Ricky, and his Terminator knockoff bodyguard robot/cyborg thing play into it. The alien who seems disconnected from the story. And of course the superhero girl. Will all of them be in the band, too?
What I think overall: Basically this issue sets up the dominoes but there are concerns about how well they’ll fall into place. Something to keep an eye on as the series continues, though this virtual issue is all I have at the moment. I did hear good things about the series back in the day though.
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