The Valiant #2

by F.D. White on January 22, 2015

Writers: Matt Kindt & Jeff Lemire
Artist: Paolo River with Joe Rivera
Letterer: Dave Lanphear


Creeping from the back of everyone's mind there are fears. Inadequacy, love, family, war, everyone has some kind of deep-rooted fear (some can be as simple as spiders). What matters is that we face our fears and overcome. This is theme at the heart of Valiant's epic event: The Valiant.

This fear propels the story forward as Kay, a newly realized geomancer, discovers her abilities and becomes hunted by a dark and seemingly eternal creature. Gilad, who has struggled almost forever against this creature leads a group of Valian'ts finest to try and protect Kay. Valiant's roster seems to be primarily male from these two issues that I've read, so it's nice to see a female character at the heart of the story to balance things out. All of the characters feel real, and three dimensional. Even as someone brand new to his universe, Kindt and Lemire lay out these characters in ways that make them easily digestible, but also nuanced.

It also helps when you've got art powerouse Paolo Rivera drawing your book. This book has some gorgeous art in it alone that makes the book worth buying. I especially enjoyed the riff on classical Japanese art that maintained his own style while clearly paying tribute. The panels and layouts are expertly crafted guiding the reader along to each terrifying battle. Using one page splashes effectively, creating a big wow moments has never looked so simple.

I'll be honest and say, I've never been too knowledgeable about the Valiant universe. Many of the characters I've only seen in cursory glances at my local comic shop. However, with a stellar team of Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, & Paolo Rivera leading the way, The Valiant is one of the most exciting and downright creepy comics on the market.

Our Score:

10/10

A Look Inside

Comments

Kalem Lalonde's picture
Awesome to know that the momentum built in issue 1 holds up here! I'll ask Stephen to send me a copy!