Unity #4

Matt Kindt - Writer

Doug Braithwaite - Artist

Clayton Crain - Cover Artist

Brian Reber - Colorist

Dave Sharpe - Letterer

Josh Johns - Assistant Editor

Warren Simons Executive Editor

 

Unity is a massive series that is so important to the current Valiant Universe. Issue #4 in particular plays off the massive thread that Robert Venditti has seeded in X-0 Manowar’s world for possibly years. The strongest part of Valiant at the moment, is that it contains a superhero continuity that is so tight, practically none of the major plot threads are going to be forgotten. While we can definitely thank people like the writers of both series (Matt Kindt and Robert Venditti) for this interesting approach to writing, editors Josh Johns and Warren Simmons deserve a standing ovation for pulling these different titles together so tightly. When looking at pictures for the Harbinger War, there is a natural progression of events that has culminated into this really incredible first arc of Unity that will have some truly massive ramifications for books in the Valiant Universe, it is also worth mentioning that this all will occur without a cheap comic book death.

 

The title initially catches up with the food critic that readers were introduced too in the first issue. This installment in particular gives her a nice focus framed around the narrative that hints at what future role she will serve regarding the series. It also gives Aric a wonderful spotlight, and illustrates how locking a person up can humble them, as he seems to have adjusted to his life within a cage and a defined set of rules. These two moments are still very much the subplot to this story, even though they do prove to be the most rewarding aspects of this issue. If the last tale really fleshed out the character of Livewire in an interesting manner, this installment gives her even more material to shine through. She is a minority heroine that stands tall against the boys club that Unity naturally revolves around. While sparse, the material with Gilad also paints an interesting picture at what could possibly be coming next in the title. This is another issue that will take preconceived notions that readers will likely have about the book, and spin them completely around. Kindt does a great job juggling so many different plot threads and ideas, and fleshing them out for just the right amount of time. There is gold hidden within these pages.

 

Braithwaite’s art once again achieves the spectacle necessary for a splashy superhero team book. There are visual cues here that really make this installment feel like the end of one hell of a movie. Brian Reber helps out by complementing the book with sun stained hues of citrus, that make the finale bittersweet in just the right way. There are few moral individuals on this team, but every single member of Unity looks as though they are tough as nails. The fights move at a brisk pace, thanks to an innovative layout style, and strong lettering. When having a style like Braithwaite, whose pencil’s can look slightly static at times, using effects like motion blur can make a world of difference. Altogether, the artist does a great job wrapping up this arc in the series.

This installment of Unity features all the spectacle, ferocity, and character moments that Valiant fans could possibly want. Kindt and Braithwaite deliver truly inspired superhero work in this tale, that should have fans counting the days until the next issue.