Valiant Entertainment 2015
Written by Fred Van Lente
Illustrated by Francis Portela
Coloured by Andrew Dalhouse
Aware that Neela’s plans could destroy the very fabric of time, and with it, the entire universe, Ivar rallied his immortal brothers Gilad and Aram (who aren’t thrilled to see Ivar OR one another) along with the Lurker, part of a race of living internet memory, to help him build a ship to rescue Neela - and time itself. He then left to travel time and fi nd a pilot daring enough to join his mission.
But something is out to stop them as their drydock’s mysterious, nanite-fueled guardian subdues Gilad and launches Gilad and launching Armstrong into space. Meanwhile, Neela, tasked with discovering time travel once more, has generated her own time arc... only to discover…
Having the brothers all together in one story is one of those things that makes for excellent reading. Fred really is able to get behind the history of this family and bring us some of the most entertaining and thought provoking reading here. Now that Ivar has returned with the mysterious pilot he went to retrieve the story goes into hyper-drive. That he brought her to future so that she pilot the ship showcasing Ivar’s time traveling abilities was a perfect choice! Her reaction to seeing what it is she’ll be driving in the two page spread by Francis is one of those experiences that set this series apart from the crowd.
Ivar’s first meeting the nanites that made up his brother’s proxy’s that enabled them to temporarily take them out of the game was nicely played. Though in all honesty I wish we had a clearer reason as to why he knew that Aram wasn’t his brother. Aside from the obvious fact that they hate each other and would never have played a drinking game no matter how much he egged Gilad on.
Regardless the action sequence here from both Fred and Francis is done incredibly well and the way these two are able to work together is excellent. I love the characterization here and seeing Ivar going through the paces and the conversation they have and the feelings we didn’t know he had. Both are depicted through the writing and the artwork working in concert with one another and the guys are quickly becoming one of comics dream teams.
Neela’s story here continues with her evil future self and while she thinks she’s found exactly what her future self is looking for she isn’t prepared for what comes after that. The fact that future Neela is this cuckoo for cocoa puffs wasn’t something she’d planned on and yet now it puts her firmly her own way and she has to do something. If the un-jilted version, the one we met in issue one, can find a way to get Ivar there and help him I’m hoping that she’ll either end up a temporary sidekick or at least a trusted member in his life and she’ll be that supporting character he desperately needs.
So what does actually happen with the three brothers and can they get back together and enact Ivar’s plan in time to save all of reality? You’ll have to read this to know but i’m gonna say it’s a rip-roaring good time.
Ivar takes the headache out of time travel stories and brings us the action/adventure and intrigue we all crave.