Mask of the Sensei

Gr 1–3—The four apprentices of Sensei Wu-Zane, Cole, Jay, and Kai—find that their master is acting more like a thuggish gang lord than as a wise master of the art of Spinjitzu. They set about on some quests to placate him and hopefully discover the truth about his odd behavior. The second volume based on the Ninjago LEGO sets, this pro forma story is built around the thinnest of characters. Each ninja has an individual color and a signature weapon and icon, but little to differentiate him from his fellows in terms of personality or speech patterns. The predominantly Anglo names and the lack of identifiable facial features might aim for a broader readership, but the ahistoric world of Ninjago also lacks what readers want: a coherent cultural conceit or any real sense of world-building. Unlike, say, the LEGO video games, where everything is constructed of bricks, this cartoonishly rendered world is simplistically realistic, but the characters still have holes in their legs like a branded minifig. The artwork isn't able to surpass the limitations of its physical source material, but neither does it embrace it. This level of discordant unreality could be fun, or could be excused by a clever, distracting narrative, but, unfortunately, this book feels too much like it's aiming low. It could have been manga; instead, it's an ad.—Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH