The Valiant #2 continues the story of the Eternal Warrior and his never-ending fight against the Immortal Enemy. Kay finds herself confronting the Enemy unprepared and has to fight on her own for a time before help comes. Meanwhile, Ninjak and Gilad are out finding someone who can open the mysterious box Bloodshot retrieved next issue.
Lemire and Kindt do a fine job of balancing Kay’s vulnerability with her abilities: She is up against a terrifying foe and does not know what to do, but she is still strong enough to stay alive and not to give in to the Enemy’s greatest weapon—fear. The two writers weave in elements of a childhood story that Kay used to love, giving the Immortal Enemy more power as he draws on old fears from the tale but also leading to one moment of dark comedy, something Kindt and Lemire do well. Ninjak’s story also features a moment of macabre humor, though his “greatest fear” is a little less compelling than Kay’s. Overall, the Immortal Enemy emerges as a terrifying beast, strong enough to warrant calling in more help.
Paolo Rivera and Joe Rivera create the kind of quality art now expected in a Valiant book. Expressions, body language, and backgrounds tell a good portion of the story. Kay looks like what she is: A young woman out of her depth, just beginning to learn how to use her new power. The humor is visual as much as it is textually generated, and the fight scenes are, as always, compelling.
The Valiant is a good introduction to the Valiant universe as characters are introduced to Kay, who as the new Geomancer knows very little about them and naturally needs some explanation. Other aspects of the characters become clear in the course of the story. At the same time, it is done well enough that people familiar with the characters are not going to feel like they’re stuck with a retread.
The Valiant is a good Eternal Warrior story and a great team-up story with an enemy who will make you pay attention.
The Valiant #2 is available January 21, 2015 from Valiant Entertainment.
Writer: Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt
Artist: Paolo Rivera & Joe Rivera
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
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