REVIEW: Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #5

Recently, I had the honor and pleasure of speaking with Wrath of the Eternal Warrior writer, Robert Venditti, during one of the Creator Spotlight episodes of the Undercover Capes podcast. In that episode, I asked him if he could shed a little bit of light on the Wrath of the Eternal Warrior series, specifically in regards to Gilad Anni-Padda’s family and his sacrifice of being able to leave them behind in the afterlife for the sake of the Earth. Here are some of Mr. Venditti’s Eternal Warrior comments from the podcast:

“Immortal characters are not rare”¦they’re very common in all sorts of fiction”¦and mythology. We always see it from the perspective of the living world, we never see it from the perspective of the afterlife. What happens”¦from the moment he ‘dies’ to the moment he wakes up again?”

“This guy could have his paradise/afterlife that all of us would want, to be with our loved ones that we’ve lost, and to see them and to have this paradise”¦that’s what we would all wish for ourselves, and he has it, but he turns his back on it to come back and fight for us, because ultimately, he’s an eternal optimist.”

“There’s a lot of negativity in the world..but for this guy to keep getting up”¦and keep going back out on the battlefield, he has to be the most hopeful character. Otherwise what would motivate him to do these things? …he fights for us because he knows we’re good and he knows we could be better.”

Since Gilad Anni-Padda’s demise in the Book of Death event last year, the first four issues of Wrath of the Eternal Warrior has focused on Gilad’s journey from the realm of the dead to the world of the living. At the expense of abandoning his deceased relatives in paradise, Gilad heeds Earth’s call to continue being its primary defender against those that wish to do it harm.

Gilad’s early days takes center stage in issue #5 as we learn further details surrounding the origin of his estranged and eldest son, Kalam. Rober Venditti continues his mastery of presenting a high-quality script packed with a variety of intense emotions and critical moments that help us gain a better understanding and sense of what the Eternal Warrior has endured over the course of his life and how it relates to the trials he has yet to face. The artwork in this issue by Juan Jose Ryp is absolutely stunning and his visual presentation of ancient cultures is on a world-class level.

Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #5 begins a two-part prelude to the upcoming Labyrinth story arc which will commence with issue #7. This issue is yet another fine example where new readers are provided with an opportunity to begin enjoying the extraordinary immortal character that is the Eternal Warrior. Valiant is perhaps better than any other publisher in the industry right now when it comes to offering new readers with great jumping on points.

Until next time Crusaders!

[yasr_overall_rating]

Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #5
Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Juan Jose Ryp
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Published by Valiant Entertainment LLC.

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)