Valiant Entertainment 2019
Written by Andy Diggle & Alex Paknadel
Illustrated by Doug Braithwaite
Coloured by Jose Villarrubia & Diego Rodriguez
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
Beyond the margins of human reason lies a realm known as the Deadside, where the souls of the dearly departed linger – and where demons wait for us in the dark. For countless ages, Earth’s chosen protectors have guarded the veil between both worlds – but there are other doors to the Deadside, through which gruesome terrors from galaxies untold can trespass... With the planet’s freedom at stake, can the reigning Geomancer and her steadfast Eternal Warrior stand together against an invasion unlike any they’ve ever witnessed?
Oh El Dorado, Black Vulcan and Samurai too this is a revelation in the ongoing lives of Gilad and the Geomancer Tama. Right off the bat the opening to this is spectacularly rendered so that we as the reader get to see the full effect of what’s coming to Earth. There is a familiarity and uniqueness to what we see and that’s a damn near impossible dichotomy to create. One of the many things this latest iteration of Valiant has done is expand their universe by going full steam ahead to the stars, alien races and new and unseen threats that forever change the landscape of the Valiant Universe. While I am not sure who’s in charge of what over there but whomever is responsible for allowing this kind of story to be told in this manner deserves a raise.
The way that this is structured and the overall ebb & flow of the book is bloody brilliant! While it almost seems to me that the pacing is might quick but in reality is perfectly executed. One of the strongest points of this story is it’s pacing because what we see here isn’t looming or on the horizon as it were no this is now and the beginning that we see leads directly into the main segment of the book. So it’s almost literally hello here’s the new villain and cor you in the midst of it all so it has a very real time feel to the way it’s being told. I am completely gobsmacked by the way this issue makes me feel and then add into all this the characterisation and suddenly it feels more like something we see in the cinema, or more likely a cable network programme.
Oh gee whiz the interiors here are just the dog’s bollocks. Good god almighty I am serious the quality that we see in the opening has this complete soft tone that belies the evil within it and the colouring and the linework with that attention to detail is mind boggling good. I love the difference in tone when we see Gilad and Tama versus these new folks it really reinforces the differences in where they come from beautifully. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off this sensational eye for storytelling. That damn pin-up page where we see Gilad’s past, well part of it, does more than look good it also adds to his characterisation in such a powerful way. By the Count of Monte Cristo there is not one bad thing about the artwork on any page and it really is this strong and powerful work.
This is beyond exceptional work that we are seeing here. The story & plot development, the pacing and the characterisation alongside the interior artwork just demonstrate what is possible when creators are able to kind of let loose their skills and have at it. While this is a mini-event I would like it to be that springboard that launches the Eternal Warrior into his own ongoing monthly series. With X-O Manowar at issue 24 this week why can’t Gilad and Tama hold their own like that? I’d entrust to either of these two men together or separate to keep their adventures nee lives current and interesting.
Valiant has such great characters with unlimited potential and it needs to be unleashed!