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Ninja High School #1
Ninja High School, Volume 1
Jeremy Feeple's just your average high-school kid living in Quagmire, your not-so-average small town. Then two lovely young ladies enter his life: Ichikun "Ichi Koo" Ichinohei, heir to a ninja clan, and Princess Asrial of Salusia. Both are intent on marrying him for their own benefit. Can Jeremy survive their affections and weaponry long enough to take that Steamology exam on Friday?
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
3 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Ben Dunn
646 books19 followersBen Dunn is an American comic book artist. Although born in Taiwan, he grew up in Kentucky, Taiwan and San Antonio, Texas. It was in Taiwan that he was first exposed to Japanese manga. In 1984 he founded Antarctic Press, an American comic book company specializing in Manga-style titles. In 2003, he sold Antarctic to start his own development company, Sentai Studios.
Dunn was also one of the primary artists involved in the short-lived Marvel Mangaverse project.
Dunn was also one of the primary artists involved in the short-lived Marvel Mangaverse project.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 9, 2009
To properly appreciate this book, it becomes necessary to look at it in terms of what it has since inspired.
Ninja High School formulated the apex of the small press label Antarctic Press back in 1986. Along with a handful of other significant titles with origins in the company's earliest days(Mangazine, Tiger X, Mighty Tiny, et al), Ninja High School has proven to have the longest lasting appeal. Currently, AP has a number of popular titles (and has hosted a number of today's most acclaimed storylines, such as Alex Robinson's original comic book run of Box Office Poison). NHS lived through the black-and-white comics glut of the early-to-mid-1990s, and outlived even semi-legendary small press publisher Eclipse Comics (which had taken on the series for a time, presumably to increase the title's availability to increasing consumer demands).
Having seen a number of changes to its cast (inspiring a number of spin-offs and "alternate storylines" which do not mesh with current continuity), format (from black-and-white, to colour, to black-and-white again, to glossy full-colour, and an imminent return to its black-and-white roots), and supplemental additions to the series' title (the fan-created stories within AP's NHS Yearbook and The Girls of NHS serve as merely two examples of this phenomenon), Ninja High School has developed a complex matrix of characters, stories, and even compositions.
And it all started out with what was intended to be a three issue miniseries, spoofing popular Japanese cartoons and comics of the day. As such, Ninja High School has been the longest-running serial parody after Dave Sim's Cerebus.
As such, this book presents the earliest four issues of NHS, and therefore represents the most important sequence within the series' history. Any reader of Archie Comics (or any of the Harvey titles) can "jump on" at any point. With Ninja High School, it all stems back to these first few issues, without which the entire concept would prove somewhat difficult to grasp.
Considering this, it is somewhat disheartening to see that some changes were not made to the reprinting within this book. Indeed, they are taken exactly from the source material; misspellings, grammatical errors, accidentally omitted words and all. Arguably, such details add to the charm of the small-time book - although it is more likely to be said that they detract from the greater efforts involved in getting the book written, drawn, and published on a shoestring budget, considering how easily remedied they could have been.
The single biggest detracting consideration, however, is not the proto-stylism of artist/creator Ben Dunn's original artwork (just look at the earliest renderings of any given comic strip or animated character!), but the stumbling continuity issues which could have been corrected and/or explained. In Issue #1, the Ninja maiden Ichi-kun "Itchy-Koo" Ichinohei is completely taken aback when presented a photograph of the American boy she is slated to marry ("His name is Jeremy Feeple," says her grandfather), referring to him as "this homely brat!" Later, during their initial meeting, Itchy-Koo explains to the bewildered Jeremy that their connection was that their fathers "were once good friends in Japan." Yet, by Issue #4, Jeremy's mother reveals - by way of a non-sequitur anecdote/flashback - that Jeremy and Itchy-Koo were first acquainted during childhood, and that there is some manner of familial relation between them.
To expand upon this point, Jeremy's mother refers to her adoptive father as "Uncle" in Issue #4. The man in question was also, in fact, Jeremy's legal grandfather - so the use of "Uncle" confuses the relation between the family members. In light of hindsight, it is certain that such details were not plotted out for long-term continuity but were simply included for initial plot development - but should these not have been corrected to reflect what had become critical turning points for a long-running comics series?
In its defense, it can never be said that Ninja High School ever took itself too seriously (which contentiously became the case with Sim's mammoth Cerebus endeavor, having taken over much of his life throughout the years of its publication), and so the readers should not place too much importance on such details. This, however, is misplaced justification for an unfortunate mistake within the context of the larger body of work.
...Especially considering that Ben Dunn had the time to create a seven-page illustrated introduction to the graphic novel. Had some of this time been spent, instead, to remedying some of these details, the book would have proved stronger as a result.
Ninja High School formulated the apex of the small press label Antarctic Press back in 1986. Along with a handful of other significant titles with origins in the company's earliest days(Mangazine, Tiger X, Mighty Tiny, et al), Ninja High School has proven to have the longest lasting appeal. Currently, AP has a number of popular titles (and has hosted a number of today's most acclaimed storylines, such as Alex Robinson's original comic book run of Box Office Poison). NHS lived through the black-and-white comics glut of the early-to-mid-1990s, and outlived even semi-legendary small press publisher Eclipse Comics (which had taken on the series for a time, presumably to increase the title's availability to increasing consumer demands).
Having seen a number of changes to its cast (inspiring a number of spin-offs and "alternate storylines" which do not mesh with current continuity), format (from black-and-white, to colour, to black-and-white again, to glossy full-colour, and an imminent return to its black-and-white roots), and supplemental additions to the series' title (the fan-created stories within AP's NHS Yearbook and The Girls of NHS serve as merely two examples of this phenomenon), Ninja High School has developed a complex matrix of characters, stories, and even compositions.
And it all started out with what was intended to be a three issue miniseries, spoofing popular Japanese cartoons and comics of the day. As such, Ninja High School has been the longest-running serial parody after Dave Sim's Cerebus.
As such, this book presents the earliest four issues of NHS, and therefore represents the most important sequence within the series' history. Any reader of Archie Comics (or any of the Harvey titles) can "jump on" at any point. With Ninja High School, it all stems back to these first few issues, without which the entire concept would prove somewhat difficult to grasp.
Considering this, it is somewhat disheartening to see that some changes were not made to the reprinting within this book. Indeed, they are taken exactly from the source material; misspellings, grammatical errors, accidentally omitted words and all. Arguably, such details add to the charm of the small-time book - although it is more likely to be said that they detract from the greater efforts involved in getting the book written, drawn, and published on a shoestring budget, considering how easily remedied they could have been.
The single biggest detracting consideration, however, is not the proto-stylism of artist/creator Ben Dunn's original artwork (just look at the earliest renderings of any given comic strip or animated character!), but the stumbling continuity issues which could have been corrected and/or explained. In Issue #1, the Ninja maiden Ichi-kun "Itchy-Koo" Ichinohei is completely taken aback when presented a photograph of the American boy she is slated to marry ("His name is Jeremy Feeple," says her grandfather), referring to him as "this homely brat!" Later, during their initial meeting, Itchy-Koo explains to the bewildered Jeremy that their connection was that their fathers "were once good friends in Japan." Yet, by Issue #4, Jeremy's mother reveals - by way of a non-sequitur anecdote/flashback - that Jeremy and Itchy-Koo were first acquainted during childhood, and that there is some manner of familial relation between them.
To expand upon this point, Jeremy's mother refers to her adoptive father as "Uncle" in Issue #4. The man in question was also, in fact, Jeremy's legal grandfather - so the use of "Uncle" confuses the relation between the family members. In light of hindsight, it is certain that such details were not plotted out for long-term continuity but were simply included for initial plot development - but should these not have been corrected to reflect what had become critical turning points for a long-running comics series?
In its defense, it can never be said that Ninja High School ever took itself too seriously (which contentiously became the case with Sim's mammoth Cerebus endeavor, having taken over much of his life throughout the years of its publication), and so the readers should not place too much importance on such details. This, however, is misplaced justification for an unfortunate mistake within the context of the larger body of work.
...Especially considering that Ben Dunn had the time to create a seven-page illustrated introduction to the graphic novel. Had some of this time been spent, instead, to remedying some of these details, the book would have proved stronger as a result.
August 24, 2009
Giving this book its due, Ninja High School, Volume 1 is an accurate reprinting of the first books in the series. As such, it establishes the early characters and motivations which have propelled the title into its current incantation, upwards of 450 individual issues revolving in and around the original Ninja High School mythology.
This is where it starts.
This miniseries has been reprinted a number of times in various different formats, including full-colour comic book editions and a paperback edition with an additional introductory cartoon by creator Ben Dunn, etc. In addition, however, this edition of the stories includes an "updated" version of the characters by way of introduction - and Dunn takes the opportunity to clarify a few of the pressing questions which arose from the early days (for example, the sequence involving Jeremy Feeple and Ichi-Kun meeting as young children - before being reintroduced as seemingly unfamiliar teenagers - is explained easily). The new material is a must for any collector of the series. Too, the book represents the first of several collected editions of the series, and is indispensable for completists.
Sadly, the book does not correct earlier misspellings or inaccuracies, including the notorious "grandfather/uncle" transposition originally reprinted in NHS #3 1/2. After having been reprinted numerous times, one would hope that such errors would have been noticed - and remedied - prior to further establishing themselves as a part of the NHS chronology.
Finally, the reduction in size presents a more affordable - but less visually stimulating - package. Occasionally, text and images blur into the binding of the book, and results in a somewhat awkward reading experience.
All in all, though, the downfallings of this book do not detract terribly from the importance - and enjoyment - of the whole. For those about to embark on Ninja High School's story-changing development in the on-going series, this Pocket Manga series is the ideal way to refresh (or introduce!) the memories of where it all began...
This is where it starts.
This miniseries has been reprinted a number of times in various different formats, including full-colour comic book editions and a paperback edition with an additional introductory cartoon by creator Ben Dunn, etc. In addition, however, this edition of the stories includes an "updated" version of the characters by way of introduction - and Dunn takes the opportunity to clarify a few of the pressing questions which arose from the early days (for example, the sequence involving Jeremy Feeple and Ichi-Kun meeting as young children - before being reintroduced as seemingly unfamiliar teenagers - is explained easily). The new material is a must for any collector of the series. Too, the book represents the first of several collected editions of the series, and is indispensable for completists.
Sadly, the book does not correct earlier misspellings or inaccuracies, including the notorious "grandfather/uncle" transposition originally reprinted in NHS #3 1/2. After having been reprinted numerous times, one would hope that such errors would have been noticed - and remedied - prior to further establishing themselves as a part of the NHS chronology.
Finally, the reduction in size presents a more affordable - but less visually stimulating - package. Occasionally, text and images blur into the binding of the book, and results in a somewhat awkward reading experience.
All in all, though, the downfallings of this book do not detract terribly from the importance - and enjoyment - of the whole. For those about to embark on Ninja High School's story-changing development in the on-going series, this Pocket Manga series is the ideal way to refresh (or introduce!) the memories of where it all began...
November 29, 2025
This was fun. Found a crazy beat up copy at the shop and I've been wanting to check this series out. The story was goofy. A normal boy in some run down town, Jeremy, is the main character. Ichi is a ninja who must marry Jeremy in order to become the ruler of her clan. She's sent to his town in hopes of making him fall in love with her. Meanwhile an alien princess, Asrial, is sent to the same town in order to marry the same boy. What follows is full of hilarity and action. Plenty of exciting fight scenes, shared enemies, and off the wall backstories. This was just a blast to read and definitely worth the time if you can find it. Apparently they ran this series for a very long time. I might have to find some more volumes! Fun stuff!
October 26, 2021
Jeremy Feeple's just your average high-school kid living in Quagmire, your not-so-average small town. Then two lovely young ladies enter his life: Ichikun "Ichi Koo" Ichinohei, heir to a ninja clan, and Princess Asrial of Salusia. Both are intent on marrying him for their own benefit. Can Jeremy survive their affections and weaponry long enough to take that Steamology exam on Friday?(per Amazon)
The writing and the art is absolutely charming for Ninja HS. This is an older book written by Ben Dunn, who some of you will recognize as the writer for the Netflix original Warrior Nun. The story was simple to follow along with but at the same time hints at a deeper plot to look forward to.
Jeremy is your stereotypical lovable dork whom will fight for those he loves, and honestly I was getting Tenchi Muyo vibes from his character as well as the rivalry between Itchi koo and Princess Asrail.
Not sure how I feel about the steam professor at their school but I will admit he adds a good deal of humor to the scenes as well as being a great plot device to show you the greater story at large.
The writing and the art is absolutely charming for Ninja HS. This is an older book written by Ben Dunn, who some of you will recognize as the writer for the Netflix original Warrior Nun. The story was simple to follow along with but at the same time hints at a deeper plot to look forward to.
Jeremy is your stereotypical lovable dork whom will fight for those he loves, and honestly I was getting Tenchi Muyo vibes from his character as well as the rivalry between Itchi koo and Princess Asrail.
Not sure how I feel about the steam professor at their school but I will admit he adds a good deal of humor to the scenes as well as being a great plot device to show you the greater story at large.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2019
Ninja High School is a hilarious manga-esk graphic novel. I like how Ichikoo (is that meant to be Ku or Kō?) continues to wear her Japanese school uniform even after transferring to the American high school, and that her rival for Jeremy's hand, Asrial, is an alien risu-musame (or Salusian as the alien risu-musame are called). What's really funny is the name of the head of the Lendo Clan, Rivalsan. Rivalsan. What more is there to say to that? Well, other then the fact that his name should be written Lendo Rivalsan or Rendo Raibarusan (just not Rivalsan Lendo), but that's just nitpicking. Anyway, Ninja High School is a brilliant sci-fi, comedy, harem graphic novel.
June 10, 2011
The first one is a little confusing, but not too bad. Manga but by an American, so it has lots of hidden jokes that you will get. LOOK AT EVERYTHING! In the comic book style.
January 14, 2026
Very very early anime inspired comic series
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews