Valiant Entertainment 2015
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Robert Gill & Doug Braithwaite
Coloured by David Baron & Brian Reber
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 superteam Unity believed Tama to be causing the destruction, forcing Eternal Warrior to take down his old allies.
All the while, the true threat remained hidden in the shadows..
Oh god this series is incredible and the more I read the more I want to continue. Sure Darque is one hell of a bad man but what he’s able to do with the new Geomancer and corrupt, steal and twist his power for his own dark necromantic needs is some of the most intense creepy and scary stuff out there today. I’m not sure if this was originally intended to be a horror story but it has all the makings of one of the most action packed superhero horror stories ever created.
Poor David is taken from his mother after Darque does her in and the boy hasn’t stood a chance ever since. I have to say I love the way this all played out and that David’s connection as a Geomancer is something even so young he embraces. There’s potential with the boy if Gilad can get to him in time and hopefully we’ll see that instead of another of his failures to protect the Geomancer. Hasn’t the poor guy been through enough trying to protect them as it is?
His realization about the book and Tama reading from it came much later than I would have expected it to but I do like what he does after he realizes it. Why keep looking for the cause of all this when you bring it to him by having her read from the book? Sure while Darque is frustrated with what’s happening and the power split the two Geomancers sharing the power is keeping him from really harnessing the boys power it’s a great time to strike.
I’m seriously impressed with what Robert’s doing here. From the realization by Gilad to the horroresque view caused by reading the book of Darque’s future with the Geomancer’s power added to his own and both kids being scared by what they are going through this story really encompasses everything in comics today. There’s so much happening that it’s hard to imagine that this is only a mini-series and even though there is a lot going on it doesn’t feel rushed, crowded or crammed to full of stuff.
While it’s true Neville and the rest are too far behind in the true understanding of what’s happening right now by the end of the story they’ll either have come around, learned or be forced to see the truth of the situation and that for all their blustering they had it wrong. Too quick to judge and not see the forest for the trees. Still what Robert’s doing with this story is going to involve the entire Valiant Universe in one way or another and from here it’s a much more interesting and somewhat darker place to live. Not a brooding dark angst but a darker more evil inclined world whose threats are numerous and unexpected.
The interior artwork here is also on par with what Robert’s doing with his words. This is some of the most interesting work around. From the characters, the mood, the setting and the imagination required to showcase such twisted and corrupted life to be used in such ways demonstrates why this is such a strong team. Not to mention there are times with Darque alone that it’s old school horror come to life and that’s all kinds of awesome.
Valiant isn’t changing for change’s sake they are telling stories that continually evolve their characters and the world they live naturally without these events that don’t makes sense. This is how you do something on a grand epic scale.