Sugar Ninjas
By Philip Schweier
November 1, 2009 - 05:18
Pink-Lightning Press
Writer(s): edited by Ana May and Z. Ravenel
Cover Artist(s): Daria Theodora
$11.82, 366 pages
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As publishers continue to struggle to maintain and grow their audiences, it makes sense that they include what is effectively one half of their potential readership by cultivating ideas created by girls for girls. A second volume, Sugar Ninjas (Spicey), containing more adult-themed material, is forthcoming.
Many of the stories in Sugar Ninjas are heavily influenced by manga, in both art and subject matter. Nevertheless it is not strictly a manga book. Its common theme throughout is "comics created by women."
While manga's broadest appeal may be to teenage girls, the stories run the gamut, from complete fantasy to what may be semi-autobiographical to simple fairy tales. This variety is the book's greatest strength; variety in art style, variety in narrative style and variety in subject matter.
Some stories are more successful than others, some being perhaps too disjointed to easily follow. In fairness, this may be due to the format of the book, published in a horizontal, "landscape" layout and the stories designed in a traditional vertical orientation. A few appear to be incomplete; they may be excerpts from a longer storyline, in which case I would suggest that could have been made more clear.
Nevertheless, the volume of talent contained in Sugar Ninjas is clear, and no doubt many of the creators involved will soon be rising stars in the comic book world.