Though “Zero Year” has claimed the focus of many DC titles this month, the doomed Katana continues its status quo of mysticism and action. While the series has suffered under Ann Nocenti, Katana is given the opportunity to close on a strong note with the introduction of new villain Mona Shard. Bringing this issue to life is the artistic team of Chriscross and Cliff Richards.
Positives
If readers are willing to overlook little things such as quality, this issue is entertaining in a popcorn kind of way. A lot of credit is due to the visuals by Chriscross and Richards.
Despite popular belief, reading this title does not cause permanent brain damage.
Negatives
The concept of the antagonist, Mona Shard, symbolizes this series as a whole. She has the potential to be a solid foil to Katana: She takes the form of a child, and Katana has a problem with hurting children. While an intriguing idea, the execution falls flat.
The dialogue is poor and, at times, laughable. It may appear that the writing improves over the course of the issue, but it is just the brain regressing 15 years to comprehend the script. With the series ending next month, it appears that Nocenti is trying to bring all the elements of the series to a solid conclusion rather than focusing on the main story. The plot of Katana versus Mona Shard is derailed midway through the issue by a revenge plot featuring Shun the Untouchable… at least that’s who it appears to be. The issue is not very clear about that.
Verdict
Katana #9 is a poor outing for a series that has overstayed its welcome by eight issues. Despite boasting some impressive visuals, the writing leads to a frustrating and disappointing reading experience.
