Panels 1 and 3: Note that Ninjette has unusually prominent lips in these shots, which seems an odd stylistic choice to emphasize the whole “using a blowgun” bit. Nay, pardon me, using a Japanese fukiya, of course, not just a conventional Western blowgun. (Ahem.)

Gamers of a Certain Age may note that I was a big fan of the Tenchu stealth-game series for the PS2, so you’d best g-d believe that I was gonna work the good ol’ blowgun—arguably Tenchu’s most formidable and handy special item—into an Empowered volume that was heavy on the ninjutsu. (Well, either that or the caltrops, which were super helpful during the games’ often obnoxious boss fights.)

Next week, we continue this scene of poor Ninjette in dire peril, before the story flashes back to—Ninjette, also in dire peril! Stay safe, Kozue-chan!

Today’s Patreon update: Probably another dose of Vintage Con Sketches, from the late-90s/early-2000s era when I was cranking out a ton of ’em.

-Adam Warren