Written by: Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt
Art by: Paolo Rivera
Publisher: Valiant
***This review contains spoilers***
The Valiant #1 launched brilliantly just over a month ago and the wait for issue two has seemed almost, pardon the Valiant pun, eternal. Thankfully issue two is finally out and it masterfully picks up where issue #1 left of, delivering an engaging and at times horrifying read.
The issue begins with a gorgeously drawn sequence involving Ninjak breaking into a guarded compound. He is built up as the badass ninja that he is and right off the bat he steals the show.The fight with the Unknown Enemy continues in this issue and Ninjak and The Eternal Warrior join in to fight it. As it turns out though they fail and The Unknown enemy almost succeeds in killing the geomancer, if not for the intervention of the always badass Bloodshot. The issue ends with a way to bring in the rest of the Valiant heroes into the fray, including Quantum and Woody and Archer and Armstrong to name a few. It sets up for an action packed horror filled final two issues and one that I am very excited for.
This issue just like its predecessor is ridiculously accessible, even for those who haven’t read the first issue. While the issue is certainly better for those who have read the first issue and know the history behind the The Eternal Warrior’s century spanning conflict, new readers will easily pick up the main details like who the bad guy is and how badass Bloodshot and Ninjak are.
I am running out of adjectives to describe Paolo Rivera’s art because he simply knocks it right out of the park seemingly every time he draws a book. He conveys the various characters emotions masterfully and really gives each one their own distinct personalities. His depiction of Mr. Flay is truly the stuff of nightmares and reading this series makes me want to see him on a purely horror esque book. Jeff Lemire also provides a few panels of art in the style of a children’s book and as a fan of Vertigo’s Sweet Tooth, it’s really cool to see Lemire take up art duties again, if only for a couple of pages.
Two issues in the The Valiant is shaping up to be one of the best events in recent memory. It is accessible to new readers, boasts an all star creative team and really illustrates why Valiant is the Publisher to watch in 2015 and beyond.
