A magical, little black cat has found its way out of the presence of the girl who had accidentally created it. Now that black cat finds its way into the company of a couple of people trying to get by in the midst of a massive war as Inkblot enters its ninth issue. Artist/writer Emma Kubert and writer Rusty Gladd continue the unexpected adventures of the little black cat with the big green eyes in a story that introduces a couple of appealing new characters. The little cat's curiosity is contrasted against a couple of reluctant adventurers in a fun, new direction for the series. 

A couple of siblings are fighting. This happens all the time. It doesn't always happen to occur with a couple of powerful magicians. There's a war that's developed between the two of them that has thrust a couple of orks into a mess. They didn't want much. They only wanted to escape service with a small fortune. Now they're being thrust into the forefront of a war between the two siblings. As luck would have it, the two orks happen to fall into the path of a certain magical black cat. The only question: is that luck good or bad? 

The introduction of a couple of new characters aids the story a bit. The orks Warden and Beatriz contrast nicely against the casual adventure of the little black cat. The two orks look to steal a small fortune, which makes them a bit villainous, but they also want peace away from war, which makes them relatable. The curious wanderings of a black cat allow for a nice change of pace. The concerns of the magical family in a position of great authority in the magical realms of Inkblot shift to the concerns of a couple of people who just want to get away from it all. 

Kubert's art continues to lie somewhere between whimsical and magical in a way that seems to shadow every panel. Even the bigger renderings of fantasy battle have a bit of whimsy about them. A couple of orks who might come across with a sense of light comic relief are given a bit of clever dramatic weight. Through it all, the little black cat with huge green eyes inhabits the corners of the panels in adorably feline postures that continue to make the series seem very distinct in an extremely crowded high fantasy genre.

The orks Warden and Beatriz look a LOT like "ork-ified" analogs for the two creators of the series. Kubert's rendering of them seems a bit more cleverly intensified than her work with other characters. If they ARE putting themselves into the series, it's very cool that they would be doing so in the guise of a couple of people looking to get away from the action. They're caught up in the pull of their own story. It's hard to fault them for wanting to be a part of the world they're creating. It's been a great deal of fun so far. 

Grade: B+