Valiant picks up Greg Pak (Planet Hulk, Superman/Batman) to write the timeless tales of Eternal Warrior #1, Dennis Hopeless keeps the tournament troupe tolerable in Avengers Arena #15 and take a future walk with Prophet #39 from Image.
Like your heroes old school like Doc Savage or The Spirit? Mysteryman #1 awaits you at ComiXology Submit!
ETERNAL WARRIOR #1
WRITER: Greg Pak
ART: Trevor Hairsine
Publication Date: September 11, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Valiant Comics
UPC: 85899200311600111
Buy it HERE
This tale spans the millennia from ancient Mesopotamia to present day as one of Valiant’s most recognizable characters gets launched in a new title with a new number one.
Gilad has been appearing in Archer & Armstrong and most recently in X-O Manowar, so he hasn’t been missing, just the title has.
Fans of Pak’s work on Planet Hulk will revel in the ancient scenes of elephants being ridden into battle, strong conflict within a family structure and page after page of Hairsine’s masterful axe-swinging Conan the Barbarian battle scenes, complete with blood smears across the faces of the warriors.
All seems to be going right over at Valiant right now with a variety of books existing in the same congruent universe.
Pak now joins Van Lente and Venditti, Asmus, and Dysart to construct a Valiant Universe that literally stretches over space and time and fits together very nicely. At Marvel, they might call these guys Architects.
At Valiant, I’d call these creators Mayan Architects, baffling future generations with beautiful work artwork set up for games of human sacrifice and a lot of blood spilled on the battlefield.
Has Gilad turned his back on fighting after centuries of battle? Pick up issue #1 to find out.
AVENGERS ARENA #15
WRITER: Dennis Hopeless
PENCILS: Kev Walker
INKS: Jason Gorder
Publication Date: September 11, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607903201511
Buy it HERE
It might seem like it has been a few issues since someone actually bit it and was knocked off of Arcade’s big game board but the buildup was worth it in the latest issue of Avengers Arena. Cullen’s been transformed into a gigantic bug lizard beast and everyone from X-23 to Reptil to Chasehawk (New Darkhawk) are trying to stop him before he pushes everyone to the endgame.
Nara, an Atlantean who’s parents were killed by Namor The Sub Mariner, reflects on her exile from Atlantis from the First Mutant and the lessons he tried to teach her.
Reviewing the action on the beach could get spoiler-y so I’ll avoid that for those reading in trade or haven’t gotten to the issue yet. I can say that ex-gamer Anachronism steps up by make a tough call regarding his mate Cullen, who has hulked out and put everyone in danger.
I hope that these Battle Royale books continue to sell, what looks like a cheap gimmick to get rid of throwaway characters actually makes for a compelling trip to the store ever month as the team dynamic adjusts and we wonder if just anyone will get out alive!
Perhaps we’ll get a Season 2? Or how about another Murderworld round of contestants, or an off-planet version of The Most Dangerous Game?
PROPHET #39
WRITERS: Brandon Graham, Simon Roy
ARTIST: Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis
Publication Date: September 11, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Image Comics
Buy it HERE
Buzz on the new incarnations of Liefeld’s corner of the Image Universe (Youngblood, Prophet, Glory, Bloodstrike and more!) has been pretty positive, my last dip into the Extreme may have been Larsen’s take on Supreme.
I’ve been hearing slash ignoring signs that Prophet was a book to check out for over a year now, and that the book was not what I’d expect, so what better way to try it out than to pick up this random issue this week!
Luckily, only a few Google searches were my guide to just what is going on here. Youngblood team member Die-Hard, the most Deadpool looking robot dude at Image upon inception, is here reflecting on his life over a 10,000 year span.
This, sir, is not a pouch and buckle fantasy. The pages of Prophet #39 look more like Frank Miller’s Ronin or Miller & Geof Darrow’s Hard Boiled than a ‘where are the feet?’ Liefeld page. Die-Hard is only a vessel by which we can have another millennia-spanning tale of scifi and fantasy that will blow your mind.
Go ahead, take a dip into future time space like I did, and if you are like me you will be looking at figuring out this world starting at issue #21 in trade to learn more of the Prophets, the fate of Badrock and why at one point Die-Hard age 6,602 has the body of an insect and creepy bug-Ewok children.
MYSTERYMAN #1
Writer: Matthew Todd
Art: Jonathan Case
Price: $0.99
Imprint: Matthew Todd
Page Count: 16 pages
Digital Release Date: 7/17/13
Age Rating: 9+ Only
Buy it HERE
First time comic writer Matthew Todd has all-star Batman ’66 artist Jonathan Case draw this McCarthy era noir action hero and former stuntman known to the press as Mysteryman.
The black listed Jack Mason evokes the Zeitgeist of Eisner’s Spirit and pulp hero Doc Savage.
The handsome vigilante isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and throw a punch. Classic comic book storytelling from a newcomer to the industry makes us hopeful for the future.
Mysteryman is a great book, even with communism being just a red herring.
