Mail Order Ninja Recommended

Publisher
Tokyopop
Writer
Joshua Elder
Artist
Erich Owen
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2006

Mail Order Ninja Volume 2

By David Rasmussen
15th Feb 07

The art of ninjitsu, the art of silence and stealth. Trained killers who just have that kind of cool, and sadly have been making the rounds in the worst ways of late. This time out I’m going to not mince words… I still don’t like the English voiceover adaptation of a strangely popular ninja who seems to have escaped from Russian Olympic Track & Field Boot Camp still wearing his godawful orange jumpsuit! What’s the appeal of Naruto again? Because I can’t stand listening to English dubbed Naruto no damn more! “BELIEVE IT!!” (I am so going to harm the next orange jumpsuited nutjob who shrieks “BELIEVE IT!!”)

But since I don’t want to talk about Naruto no more let’s focus on a ninja that DOESN’T run around in a bright orange jumpsuit and shrieks “BELIEVE IT!“ every five minutes or so. That’d be you, Jiro.
For young Timmy McAllister the art of ninjitsu means something else.
It means a mail order friend who’ll handle the bullies of his life, which seems to include an evil stereotypical rich girl (who is about to become the ultimate stereotypical evil rich girl thing monster) and Timmy’s own sister who is evil as evil can be… until a worst evil rises.
It seems Timmy had once been the victim of quite a few bullies all his life, which quickly changed once he got ahold of a catalog made by a disturbing french man which offered a mail order ninja.
JacQues Co, in association with the honorable Clan Yoshida of Japan, have an offer for you Mr. McAllister, and that is one mail order ninja named Jiro, who’ll open up new worlds not only for Timmy but for his school… which does not sit will with the evil rich person who orders her own mail order ninja who, surprise surprise, happens to be the archnemesis of Timmy’s ninja.

Volume 2 brings the whole rich girl evil person thing to a close quickly as she soon amasses an army and overthrows first Timmy and his ninja Jiro, then the entire town becoming the ultimate evil (it’s almost as if she’s possessed by the writing style of Alan Moore only without Alan Moore‘s approval). The adults are enslaved, the children are enslaved by the already enslaved adults, nobody can face the evil of the evil rich girl gone mad… until her most trusted aide (possible girlfriend for Jimmy?) turns traitor, Jiro is freed and in turn he frees the last adult who resists (she who is a hot teacher and is so totally right as girlfriend material for a certain ninja who isn‘t evil), and a resistance including former bullies turned good guys strikes out in a last ditch attempt to overthrow the uncool rich evil wench turned uncool evil dark negative energy monster thing. Now Timmy, Jiro, and those who still can resist the evil of the rich girl turned dark evil I think I saw this in an RPG once spawn monster have the fight of their lives ahead of them.
The battle for Timmy’s hometown is so damn on now!

Yeah, this one is good… but do I have to weep for the title? You tell me, Mr. Elder, you tell me.
Next time we’re going to have “Ninjaz in da’ Hood”… dammit, Mr. Elder, must I weep for this title? What say you, Mr. Owen! Must I weep for this title!! Now, before I actually do cry we’ll go into the breakdown as the dust settles and the “relationships” begin to hopefully sort themselves out.

My Favorite Ninja Breakdown the 2nd
Some months ago I did an interview with the creators of this title, and this book was compared to Calvin and Hobbes… only with more action, tight humor, and solid overall action and fun. Owning your own personal ninja bodyguard slash avenging angel has never been so much fun, and as the title heads into a major ninja on ninja on student rebellion on (etc etc) we’re going to see things get hot now.

Yeah, while I usually don’t recommend people take things from crazy French dudes this is one mail order gift that deserves to be owned (again). A solid read that truly honors the ninja, and yet brings you the fun of ninja ownership (as we really have a true battle royale heading your way). Yes people, ninjas can still be most enjoyable even when they’re all ages aimed ninjas. Yes siree. Buy and enjoy, folks.
Mail Order Ninja Volume 2 gets 4 ninja on ninja smackdowns out of 5.

-- David Rasmussen 15th Feb 07