Valiant Entertainment 2019
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Juan José Ryp
Coloured by Andrew Dalhouse
Lettered by Dave Sharpe
Welcome to the 41st century: New worlds, new characters, new adventures. Valiant’s critically celebrated cyborg ronin named Rai embarks on a thrilling quest to save the future.
Stick a fork in me as I am done. I knew this was going to be good but by all that the gods allow I didn't know it would be this good. I have been a fan of all four of these men for longer than I care to remember and like a fine wine they've only gotten better over time. With all the limited runs that we saw of this time period I have been begging for an ongoing for Rai. Hot diggity this is finally here and now I want to binge this like it's a Netflix Original.
The way that this is being told is utterly amazing. The story & plot development is laid out for us and the way that we see the sequence of events unfold and how the reader learns information is exceptionally well done. The hunt for the offspring that will once again make father whole is on and while Rai pretty much uses Raijin to find them. The character development here is marvellous and I can't get enough of the dialogue the two have with each other. If this is going to be the norm then hell freakin yeah because these two together talking while driving being interrupted by fights then where do I sign because I have never seen this more brilliantly done than right here. The pacing is spot on as well and how the twists and turns come at them and us creates this ebb & flow that drives you crazy and makes you happy at the same time.
I am serious just one issue and you'll be hooked for life on this, it's more addictive than any opioid or crack. Finally we are getting the perfect book and it comes from some of the industry's best and brightest. I have my own theory why Rai is behaving the way we see him do here and that I am so engaged in this book to created this should come as no surprise. I mean when you constantly have to stop, not just to look at the art, because your mind new a few to think through the possibilities of what could happen next or why something is the way it is well that's how you know how well the book is structured and executed.
The interiors here are just incredible. The way that Juan is able to lay down this linework and utilise the varying weights to show this level and quality of detail is astounding to see. The man is incredibly gifted and the way he can utilise composition inside the panels so we see depth perception and a sense of scale to the book is second to none. The way that backgrounds are being utilised to enhance the moments, bring the bigger picture out and show a sense of size and scope to the story is awe inspiring. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling. The colour work here is gorgeous and how we see the colour is utilised through it's hues and tones to create the shading and shadow work is some of the best I've ever seen. Together they make the interiors look perfect!
The direction this is going the way Rai and Raijin are with each other, siblings pretty much covers that beautifully, is so well written. Just the overall sense of how the book is to going to go and what we can expect to see is mindbogglingly in its scope and I'm totally chuffed for what's to come. It's been since the 80's that I have been this excited of a comic series and damn if this isn't the perfect for that to happen again.