REVIEW: The Valiant #4

Written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt
Art by Paolo Rivera with Joe Rivera
Published by Valiant Entertainment

If you have no idea what The Valiant is about, that’s OK, no problem ”“ I’m here to help you. Here’s what you’re missing out on”¦

Gilad Anni-Padda, The Eternal Warrior, has roamed the world for centuries, dedicating himself to protecting the planet alongside the Geomancer, Earth’s chosen spiritual mouthpiece. The history of the Geomancers is rich and their lineage extensive, and could be traced back to the earliest of civilizations. The Earth employs only one Geomancer at a given time. When a Geomancer passes on, Earth selects a new one to “carry on the tradition”, relaying the next course of action to Gilad in the hopes of preventing a catastrophe that could endanger the Earth.

One such calamity has a name, and it is called the Immortal Enemy. The Immortal Enemy is evil incarnate, an immensely powerful and ruthless abomination that feasts on mankind’s greatest fears, emerging once an era to annihilate that epoch’s Geomancer. If successful, the death of a Geomancer at the hands of the Immortal Enemy ushers in a period of darkness and despair”¦and successful the Immortal Enemy has been indeed. Gilad has only tasted defeat when he has confronted the beast ”“ a failure that has proven quite difficult for him to deal with, especially after losing several Geomancers courtesy of the Immortal Enemy.

The Valiant series features the return of the Immortal Enemy, primarily during the present timeline, in the Valiant Universe. Unlike previous experiences, Gilad has the benefit of seeking aid from the rest of the world’s heroes with keeping the current Geomancer, Kate McHenry, safe while simultaneously trying to put an end to the horrid creature once and for all.

As the series progresses, Bloodshot plays more of a critical role as he is charged with protecting the Geomancer at all costs, which sets up an epic confrontation between him and the Immortal Enemy in issue #4.

Unfortunately, the series concludes with issue #4; however, I view it as more of a beginning, as it offers us a glimpse into the future, particularly for Bloodshot, while leaving behind dramatic repercussions for the Eternal Warrior and the rest of the Valiant Universe as a whole. This series is another great jumping on point for anyone who has yet to experience what Valiant has to offer.

Which leads me to what I’m going to say next ”“ again”¦THIS IS THE AGE OF VALIANT! As a longtime collector myself, I’m more inclined to purchase, read, and like a comic book that delivers QUALITY. The mere thought that a four issue comic book series like The Valiant could be so impactful, in so many different ways, is inconceivable. The exceptional collaboration between writer’s Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt along with Paolo Rivera’s captivating art is proof positive that a high caliber story could be told and depicted in just four issues. That’s right. I said four. I didn’t say fifty something issues across twenty titles with twelve limited series, seven spin-off runs, a couple of one-shots and a special edition that presents a weak storyline that transpires in more parallel universes than leading theoretical physicists and string theorists could have possibly envisioned.

Valiant keeps things simple for collectors ”“ excellent stories, mesmerizing art, original concepts, significant runs and memorable limited series that have purpose. Isn’t that what comic books should be all about in the first place?

I am eagerly awaiting for what will happen next in the Valiant Universe. In the meantime, I highly recommend you heed Ninjak’s advice, especially if you have difficulty grasping the idea of how to break away from the customary way other publishers put out their “big” stories and events”¦

Until next time!

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Author Profile

13th Crusader

Real Name: Mike / Occupation: (As Mike) Classified; (as The 13th Crusader) Host of The Definitive Crusade, DC Podcast, for Undercover Capes / Known Aliases: 13, The Iron Mike, Ironhide, The Walking Human Encyclopedia, Professor M / Affiliations: Comic Crusaders / Base of Operations: The 13th Lair (location classified), often mobile / Abilities: Photographic memory (to the extent where he is capable of memorizing the comic book inventories of several stores simultaneously for lengthy periods of time), voice impersonation, acute senses (The 13th Crusader possesses an uncanny ability to track down vintage comic books, and on several occasions, with his eyes closed, he has been able to determine the exact year a comic book was published just by smelling the ink inside of it), capable of drawing sketches; however, he prefers to write. He has a substantial amount of resistance to alcohol, surpassing the levels displayed by Marvelâ€™s Volstagg and Valiantâ€™s Aram Anni-Padda â€“ combined. Multilingual (Proficient with English and Spanish, adequate with Portuguese and Italian). Above average marksman (he is capable of throwing objects accurately at high velocities), limited sword fighting skills and kickboxing techniques. / Known Weaknesses: Anything that involves the original Gwen Stacy, 2 for 1 drinks during Happy Hour, 50 cent comic book bins, the scent of 1983 comic book ink / Hobbies: Vintage comic book collecting, baseball, listening to excessive amounts of 80â€™s music / History: Little is known of The 13th Crusader. He is a man of many talents who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He has extensive knowledge of the comic book world and heâ€™s been collecting comic books since before he was able to read. Heâ€™s a BIG time fan of Silver and Bronze Age comics, and as such, his personal collection is truly impressive. He owns books that range from the 1950â€™s and onward. First Appearance: Comic Crusaders Column â€“ What Defines A Characters First Appearance (Feb 2014)