Valiant Entertainment 2017
Written by Matt Kindt
Illustrated by Tomas Giorello, David Mack & Zu Orzu
Coloured by Diego Rodriguez
Lettered by Dave Sharpe
Once he was a great hero on Earth, but now Aric of Dacia has been conscripted into the Azure army as a lowly foot soldier. With a ragtag team of outcasts, Aric has managed to not
only survive, but to thrive in the most desperate of battles. The canny Azurian General sees potential in Aric and his team and assigns them a seemingly impossible mission: they must breach the imperial city and disable the Cadmium defenses. Against all odds the team succeeds…
I’m not entirely sure what it is about this particular story that I find so fascinating. It has the innocence and wonder of the original Star Wars franchise when it hit theatre’s but it also has the angst and depravity that we find ourselves immersed in today. Somewhat of a contradiction or oxymoron if you will but regardless there’s an inherent fascination to how Matt is telling this that we cannot escape from.
Aric would like to think he’s run away from Earth to find a quiet peaceful and tranquil existence only to have trouble find him again. Sure no one wants to admit that they seek it out, they never feel more alive than in the midst of battle. Somewhere in between lies the truth Aric is seeking and i’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever come to see that. It doesn’t help that his suit, which was designed as a weapon and something that bonded with him because of his inherent nature, doesn’t shut up and fills his mind with the violent version of his truth. Still what else is a giant space opera of good versus evil other than essentially one man’s journey to find out the truth about himself?
At first I opened up this issue and thought WTF is going on with the artwork. Then I realised it’s David’s signature style and it has a purpose, meaning behind it and it’s lovely to see. His unique style and the narration to accompany it leave the imagination working in overdrive. Then of course we get to the detailed work that also has a different painted on style that brings the characters, battle, alien landscape and a plethora of emotions to life. The contrast is stunning and works on so many levels. The way page layouts are utilised through angles, perspective and those backgrounds are powerfully done and provide that impact we want and need to see and feel in this.
I find myself wondering how long this can last? Aric in space, once again, by choice this time running away from his life on Earth seems cowardly in a way. Tired of all the violence and fighting he finds himself once again caught up in a conflict not his own. Since his abduction he’s lost his way of life, family, friends and though he’s found a purpose it isn’t one he was seeking and the inner conflict within his mind well it’s time for that to be his main focus. So how can that happen when he’s in the midst of making new friends whose lives he has saved and will follow him into any battle? Is he nothing more than a leader of men destined to fight the good fight whether he likes it or not or is there more out there for him to experience? Who knows but in the meantime his journey is wonderfully authored.
My god i’ve never been this invested in Aric’s life and adventures before. All those intangibles that make a book, man and creative team find that spark have aligned here.