In Killers #4 it’s kill or be killed as the superninjas meet face to face!
What are they all trying to slaughter each other for? The reason behind the deadly race revealed!

It’s all-out action as the Killers face off against deadly Arctic assassins!

I’ve had an interesting relationship with this series. Not because I don’t enjoy it, I do, but because I’ve had a pretty good idea what will be happening from the first issue. Though that idea has become vaguer as the months tick by. Why, you might ask? Well for the simple reason that I had read the outline to the entire series in preparation for an interview with B. Clay Moore. Graphic Policy also published an interview with artist Fernando Dagnino which you can check out here. But of course, the outline was read some time ago. That has allowed me to transition from knowing the plot to having a rough idea how this’ll end whilst still getting surprised.

The part of Killers #4 set in the present day takes place almost entirely in a mountain pass. Various groups of assassins run into each other with some predictably bloody results. The action is smooth and swift. Dagnino and colorist Jose Villarubria work wonders with a limited color pallet for the cold snowy surroundings. The artists never fall back on pure blank space. Instead, they utilize subtle shades and the terrain to paint a picture for the assassins to play in.

You may have guessed that the comic isn’t entirely set in the present. Flashbacks flesh out the story so that we finally understand the motivations behind the driving force in Killers. The delivery is a little over explained over the course of the first half dozen pages, but not in a way that hammers you over the head with What You Should Know.

Killers #4 is a solid penultimate issue in the Ninja-K spinoff miniseries. While readers of that series will love the expansion of former Ninjas, those who haven’t read that series won’t have any trouble here. Moore has structured this comic along the edge of a blade; he’s got enough here for new readers to enjoy the story, enough for Ninja-K fans to delve deeper into the Ninja Programme lore whilst retaining a pace that’s as sharp as the edge he’s balancing on.

As an action comic, you really can’t go wrong with this issue. The surprisingly positive side is that it’s also pretty new-reader friendly too, assuming you’re okay to accept certain aspects of the characters capabilities.

Story: B. Clay Moore Art: Fernando Dagnino Colours: Jose Villarrubia
Story: 8.9 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review