Incursion #3
Valiant Entertainment 2019
Story by Andy Diggle & Alex Paknadel
Written by Alex Paknadel
Illustrated by Doug Braithwaite
Coloured by Diego Rodriguez
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
Beware the necromancer known as Imperatrix Virago. A narcissistic creature, Virago has devised a way to keep herself young by converting organic matter into necromantic energy, utilizing the special talents of her young servant, Syntilla. Virago invaded Earth with an armada of undead soldiers in search of the Earth’s avatar, Tama, who Syntilla succeeded in infecting with a necromantic virus. In hopes of bargaining for a cure, her guardian, Gilad the Eternal Warrior, pursued Syntilla to Virago’s keep, located deep in the ghastly realm of the Deadside. Meanwhile, Virago’s undead army has run rampant across the globe…
Hello Darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again, because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain still remains within the sounds of silence. (the Disturbed version too suits this exquisitely)
This is one of those stories that affects and involves the entire Valiant Universe and yet can still be contained to this four issue arc. It is so amazingly well done and from concept through execution the whole thing reads so very true, at least to those characters directly involved in what we see. It is stories like this that show the entire industry you don’t need some flashy worthless story that goes nowhere except for shock value that a true story driven story can do so much more for the readers’. Valiant really is home to the limited run series that make it both easier and affordable to follow their favourite characters, though honestly I wish Gilad did have a monthly because of all them he’s got the most complicated, sorrowful and interesting life.
While it certainly doesn’t have to be at this stage but the opening here is one of the best moment in time captures that I’ve seen. With a myriad of characters and a news helicopter reporting the state of what is going on, which the flimsy excuse provided by the CDC is proven so very quickly, it manages to convey so much within just one page. Then we hit the ground running again as Gilad’s adventure in the Deadside kicks back into high gear. The ebb & flow the book is sensational and the ratio of action to story is beyond what we could hope for.
The interiors here continue to keep- me in awe. Doug lays down some absolutely magnificent linework and then uses the varying weights to bring out this attention to detail that is just killer. Then add in the colour work which takes that a step further and continues to be utilised to create more lines in the faces, bodies or structures and wow. The colour gradation, the way light sources are utilised to bring us shading and shadows it makes me feel the whole thing is painted, I mean hell dents in armour out of colour variations get outta town. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off Doug’s stellar eye for storytelling. That backgrounds are utilised as they are makes me happy as they expand the moment and bring a better sense of size and scope to the worlds.
Imperatrix Virago really is one hell of a badass way to be introduced I'm in agreement with Mirage on that one. Part of me wants her and her slave Syntilla dead by the end of next issue and another part of me thinks this is the greatest threat to any Universe I have seen and hope that someday she’ll return to extract her revenge. This whole menagerie she’s got here are some truly sensational character creations which again demonstrates why I love Valiant so damn much!
Valiant Entertainment 2019
Story by Andy Diggle & Alex Paknadel
Written by Alex Paknadel
Illustrated by Doug Braithwaite
Coloured by Diego Rodriguez
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
Beware the necromancer known as Imperatrix Virago. A narcissistic creature, Virago has devised a way to keep herself young by converting organic matter into necromantic energy, utilizing the special talents of her young servant, Syntilla. Virago invaded Earth with an armada of undead soldiers in search of the Earth’s avatar, Tama, who Syntilla succeeded in infecting with a necromantic virus. In hopes of bargaining for a cure, her guardian, Gilad the Eternal Warrior, pursued Syntilla to Virago’s keep, located deep in the ghastly realm of the Deadside. Meanwhile, Virago’s undead army has run rampant across the globe…
Hello Darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again, because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain still remains within the sounds of silence. (the Disturbed version too suits this exquisitely)
This is one of those stories that affects and involves the entire Valiant Universe and yet can still be contained to this four issue arc. It is so amazingly well done and from concept through execution the whole thing reads so very true, at least to those characters directly involved in what we see. It is stories like this that show the entire industry you don’t need some flashy worthless story that goes nowhere except for shock value that a true story driven story can do so much more for the readers’. Valiant really is home to the limited run series that make it both easier and affordable to follow their favourite characters, though honestly I wish Gilad did have a monthly because of all them he’s got the most complicated, sorrowful and interesting life.
While it certainly doesn’t have to be at this stage but the opening here is one of the best moment in time captures that I’ve seen. With a myriad of characters and a news helicopter reporting the state of what is going on, which the flimsy excuse provided by the CDC is proven so very quickly, it manages to convey so much within just one page. Then we hit the ground running again as Gilad’s adventure in the Deadside kicks back into high gear. The ebb & flow the book is sensational and the ratio of action to story is beyond what we could hope for.
The interiors here continue to keep- me in awe. Doug lays down some absolutely magnificent linework and then uses the varying weights to bring out this attention to detail that is just killer. Then add in the colour work which takes that a step further and continues to be utilised to create more lines in the faces, bodies or structures and wow. The colour gradation, the way light sources are utilised to bring us shading and shadows it makes me feel the whole thing is painted, I mean hell dents in armour out of colour variations get outta town. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off Doug’s stellar eye for storytelling. That backgrounds are utilised as they are makes me happy as they expand the moment and bring a better sense of size and scope to the worlds.
Imperatrix Virago really is one hell of a badass way to be introduced I'm in agreement with Mirage on that one. Part of me wants her and her slave Syntilla dead by the end of next issue and another part of me thinks this is the greatest threat to any Universe I have seen and hope that someday she’ll return to extract her revenge. This whole menagerie she’s got here are some truly sensational character creations which again demonstrates why I love Valiant so damn much!
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