Katana #1 Review
From the pages of Birds of Prey and the forthcoming Justice League of America (Issue #1 out next Wednesday 20 February) comes the spinoff character nobody wanted to read more of Katana! As is usual with a first issue of the New 52, theres no context or background to the newly launched series: does Katanas story take place before or after her stint in the Birds of Prey? Is this series a lead-in to the JLA or completely separate, or will it run parallel to that series? No clue. Katana herself remains underdeveloped as a character shes got mad fighting skills and is handy with her sword, she talks about getting better at fighting, talks about being monogamous to her dead husband (who possessed her sword when he was murdered) and thats about it. She is a very dull character to sustain her own series - theres very little about her thats particularly interesting, and Ann Nocenti doesnt do anything innovative or different with Katana that makes me want to read more of her. But how about the story whats she doing in Japantown, San Francisco? No idea. Fighting (presumably evil) ninjas with her sword, Soultaker (which takes the soul of anyone it kills - I know, clever right?), but otherwise theres no sense of a narrative, just mindless action in lieu of story. She fights a guy with a spiral-y, ribbon-like sword (!) called Coil and theres talk of a Sword Clan but its so superficially written. Maybe Katanas looking for her husbands killer or maybe it was resolved in another story arc, all I know is I was bored long before the end. Art-wise, David Finch draws the cover but the comic is drawn by Alex Sanchez who does a decent job though its nothing special. His backgrounds especially are a bit shaky and look a bit rushed. Katana #1 is a rather ignominious start for this (surely soon to be cancelled) title. Its definitely not an exciting new comic thats worth picking up, unless youre into ninja action for the sake of it.