Book of Death #2 (of 4)
Valiant Entertainment 2015
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Robert Gill & Doug Braithwaite
Coloured by David Baron
For Millennia, the Eternal Warrior has protected the Geomancers enigmatic mystics who guide mankind and protect the Earth. But the arrival of Tama--a new Geomancer from the future--has caused great division in the Valiant Universe. Shortly after her arrival, bizarre natural disasters occurred throughout the United States, killing thousands. The Eternal Warrior--whose life mission is to protect the Geomancer--absconded with her, hoping to protect her and find the true source of the disasters. The superhero team Unity has been sent to reclaim her…
The writing here by Robert is incredible! I love that Gilad is the focus of this story and that Unity led by Neville and Colonel Capshaw are so dead set in the fact that they are correct in their assumptions has been sent to stop him in his mission to discover the true threat to what’s currently happening. Logic would say that Tama is from the future and with Kay’s death a new modern day Geomancer would be born and the cause for the world’s current afflictions and yet only Gilad seems to understand that.
One of the things Robert does here that’s pretty remarkable is really deconstruct the team to basic components. Gilad has been around for a very long time and he’s watched and learned about his teammates and while they’ve left him no choice but to escalate this encounter into a fight he was more than prepared for it. Ninjak is as confident and arrogant as ever strikes first and the response from Gilad should have warned the others to listen and that he was indeed serious.
While this fight demonstrates that Gilad knows how to defeat his teammates it also shows us that Ninjak has also done things so that he can take out his teammates and the sword of Ninjak’s Gilad uses to render Aric immobile speaks volumes about the underlying trust level of this team. Seriously though that it’s Gilad whom they won’t stop and listen to doesn’t bode well for the team’s future. It does almost seem as Gin-Gr is the only one to question why Gilad is fighting them and even after giving livewire a chance to stand down she seems too enraged and fights back.
Once Gilad and Tama get back on the road and he has her read from the book. I’m not sure this is the wisest thing to do but okay it’s being done. This passage details that Gilad is the only one to survive and takes the fight to his enemy. There is a quick recap of Gilad’s life in the book but for the first time in his long history he’s facing a Geomancer in battle, one of those he’s supposed to protect. The story tells of Gilad’s defeat in battle. The book plays another role and I found that interesting as well. Robert has really put a great mix of obvious and subtle moments into this story to really make the reader think. This is great stuff too.
The end reveal well it makes me want to know why there’s not another member of Unity but that’s for another time. The poor child we met at the beginning of the story however will never be the same that’s guaranteed.
Robert, Doug and David’s work on the interiors continue to show us that they are putting out some of their best work. The attention to detail here is phenomenal and the darker tone of the books passage is wonderful compared to what happens in the now. The faces are the most impressive and expressive though and really tells a story unto it’s own.
This is the event that will shake up the Valiant Universe and redefine where it goes next and with it’s spin-off’s we as readers are presented with some of today’s finest storytelling in words and pictures.
Valiant Entertainment 2015
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Robert Gill & Doug Braithwaite
Coloured by David Baron
For Millennia, the Eternal Warrior has protected the Geomancers enigmatic mystics who guide mankind and protect the Earth. But the arrival of Tama--a new Geomancer from the future--has caused great division in the Valiant Universe. Shortly after her arrival, bizarre natural disasters occurred throughout the United States, killing thousands. The Eternal Warrior--whose life mission is to protect the Geomancer--absconded with her, hoping to protect her and find the true source of the disasters. The superhero team Unity has been sent to reclaim her…
The writing here by Robert is incredible! I love that Gilad is the focus of this story and that Unity led by Neville and Colonel Capshaw are so dead set in the fact that they are correct in their assumptions has been sent to stop him in his mission to discover the true threat to what’s currently happening. Logic would say that Tama is from the future and with Kay’s death a new modern day Geomancer would be born and the cause for the world’s current afflictions and yet only Gilad seems to understand that.
One of the things Robert does here that’s pretty remarkable is really deconstruct the team to basic components. Gilad has been around for a very long time and he’s watched and learned about his teammates and while they’ve left him no choice but to escalate this encounter into a fight he was more than prepared for it. Ninjak is as confident and arrogant as ever strikes first and the response from Gilad should have warned the others to listen and that he was indeed serious.
While this fight demonstrates that Gilad knows how to defeat his teammates it also shows us that Ninjak has also done things so that he can take out his teammates and the sword of Ninjak’s Gilad uses to render Aric immobile speaks volumes about the underlying trust level of this team. Seriously though that it’s Gilad whom they won’t stop and listen to doesn’t bode well for the team’s future. It does almost seem as Gin-Gr is the only one to question why Gilad is fighting them and even after giving livewire a chance to stand down she seems too enraged and fights back.
Once Gilad and Tama get back on the road and he has her read from the book. I’m not sure this is the wisest thing to do but okay it’s being done. This passage details that Gilad is the only one to survive and takes the fight to his enemy. There is a quick recap of Gilad’s life in the book but for the first time in his long history he’s facing a Geomancer in battle, one of those he’s supposed to protect. The story tells of Gilad’s defeat in battle. The book plays another role and I found that interesting as well. Robert has really put a great mix of obvious and subtle moments into this story to really make the reader think. This is great stuff too.
The end reveal well it makes me want to know why there’s not another member of Unity but that’s for another time. The poor child we met at the beginning of the story however will never be the same that’s guaranteed.
Robert, Doug and David’s work on the interiors continue to show us that they are putting out some of their best work. The attention to detail here is phenomenal and the darker tone of the books passage is wonderful compared to what happens in the now. The faces are the most impressive and expressive though and really tells a story unto it’s own.
This is the event that will shake up the Valiant Universe and redefine where it goes next and with it’s spin-off’s we as readers are presented with some of today’s finest storytelling in words and pictures.
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