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