Welcome to the new episode of Thursday’s Valiant Effort here at Comic Booked. This week is C2E2, the big convention in Chicago. If you happen to be attending, stop by and see Joe Harris, writer of the upcoming Armor Hunters: Bloodshot, Clayton Henry, the artist on Harbinger and Archer & Armstrong, and Brian Reber, colorist on both X-O Manowar and Unity among others. If you can’t make it, at least you have reviews of two great comics today.
Harbinger #22 – A new story begins in this issue. The much anticipated event, “Death of a Renegade”, kicks off this week. The students are hiding out underground and planning their next moves, but a slip last issue has alerted Harbinger to their location and now they are in danger. Instead of just attacking, Harada sends a listener, a psiot with the power to hear through anything within a limited range, to listen in on their plans. Faith and Torque’s relationship is solidifying, which is a good thing, but that puts things up in the air because we don’t want to place too much hope on one of them surviving. Remember, one of the crew will die in this story arc. Despite all of that, or actually, because of all of that, the team is able to misdirect Harada and break into the corporate building. What they want is data and to expose Harada for what he is really doing. There is a ton of action and excitement in this issue and some good twists and turns and, of course, a cool cliffhanger ending that will drag you back next month to find out what happens. Thanks again to Joshua Dysart, Clayton Henry, and Brian Reber for another awesome issue… even if it is leading up to someone dying.
Eternal Warrior #8 – The “Eternal Emperor” storyline wraps up this issue. Greg Pak, Robert Gill, Guy Major, and John Rauch, bring us another beautiful issue bringing this story arc to a close and putting Eternal Warrior on a bit of a hiatus. Gilad has a tough decision to make. Does he slaughter thousands of people to retrieve medicine to heal a few hundred? As the good king that he would make, he chooses to lead the army, chooses to save the people who are his and fight back against the Death Cultists who would kill them on site out of principal. I love the way this issue wraps up, because it opens a window deep into the heart of the Eternal Warrior that makes you wonder how many times he has seen this same thing happen in his long life. “She’s going to go there, isn’t she? Like they do every single time. She’s going to destroy the world.” Such a sad line, and made even sadder because he has to show a happy facade to his grand-daughter. It makes me wonder how many times he has said these same words and felt this same pain.
That’s it for this week. Next week is Free Comic Book Day so don’t forget to head to your local comic shop and get your FCBD issue of Armor Hunters. Come back next week for more Thursday’s Valiant Effort and all the Valiant you can read.
finally got around to reading the first issue of eternal warrior. liked it. will definitely be checking out the rest of the series soon.