Comics
[Comic Review] “The Valiant” #4 – Deftly Refreshing and Epic
Reviewed by Brady Steele. The Valiant #4 brings the Valiant Universe’s latest event to a satisfying conclusion. Time capsules, no memories and heads that can’t be torn off are just some of the random things used to save the world from a new dark age. Once again, the creators here have melded epic scope and intimate moments together deftly and refreshingly.
WRITTEN BY: Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt
ART BY: Paolo Rivera
PUBLISHER: Valiant Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 25 March 2015
Time has run out for saving the world’s Geomancer Kay McHenry and only one man remains to defend her: the unkillable killing machine known as Bloodshot. No one has been able to slow down The Immortal Enemy Mister Flay. Not The Eternal Warrior, not Ninjak nor the combined might of the Valiant Universe’s combined heroes have done anything but be tortured and cast aside. Writers Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt have built up an enjoyable tale and now it’s time to see if this unbeatable foe can actually be defeated.
The final throw down is a triple threat match that has it all: explosions, lots of guns and head shots, a really ghastly looking monster and a literal last minute twist and a save. It’s frantic and emotive once it all shakes out. There is a good dose of bittersweet heaped in there as well which really shifts down the whole story. Once again, artist Paolo Rivera shows off how he can draw so many real and unreal things in one story so well.
Another great part of this entire series has been the commentary pages at the end. This time, we get letterer Dave Lanphear’s insight as to how what steps he takes to help tell the story with maximum impact and effect. I’ve found this series to be an overall satisfying tale. With so many moving parts, it still feels like an intimate story with the fate of the world thrown in with the attempt to save one another. I felt like the quieter moments of characters on the run were more powerful than the big hero spreads mixed in here and there. I hope artist Paolo Rivera keeps making more beautiful Valiant books down the line as his work really captivated my attention throughout all four issues.
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Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.
Twitter: @mrbradysteele
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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