Secret societies are the writer’s bread and butter. Need something done in secret with no one the wiser? Secret society. Need a BBEG who was pulling the strings all along? Shadow organization. Need someone to plant a bomb in St. Peter’s Basilica leading to a string of coincidental loosely-tied together and hastily hackneyed circumstances? Illuminati, of course! Really it’s just a panacea for any problem. It’s just good writing.

Anyway, let’s hope this is the final year of Ninja and Pirate! Can I bring this all to a satisfying conclusion in 52 comics? Probably not! Huzzah!