Written by: Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt
Art by: Paolo Rivera
Publisher: Valiant
This’ll be something, someday. When all the myriad of Valiant Titles become feature franchises, one can say they were there to read this perfect comic event.
Good and evil. A struggle as old as time itself. The cliches that can follow this ageless set-up are as relentless as The Immortal Enemy’s pursuit of the Eternal Warrior (see what I did there). However, the full, shameless embrace of these tropes are what makes Valiant comics sing and most importantly, what elevate them as the premiere comic publisher in my eyes. This book is no exception.
By subscribing fully to this edict of the base level of Good versus Evil, Lemire and Kindt are able to introduce and make you fall in love with a plethora of Valiant characters merely in the course of four issues. All of these admirations come full circle in this finale, too. This book will make you a Ninjak fan (seriously, pick up his new book off the racks) and if Bloodshot and Kay the Geomancer’s dynamic closing out this issue do not tug at your feels, you are a soulless as the Immortal Enemy, himself (itself?).
Not to be left without praise, Paolo Rivera delivers some of the best work of his career in this prestige format series. Take note of the final panel montage and how he masterfully has every specific scene clearly demonstrate the plethora of emotions present with only a third-person narration to serve as a guide. Hopefully Valiant signs him on for another event as worthy as this one was for I hate to see him get snatched up by a lesser company.
Pick this one up, all the back issues too. Be able to say you were there. Valiant is starting a superhero renaissance and I, for one, will be continuing to compare every other publishers product to this stellar triumph.
