Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1

Valiant; $4.99

Earthquakes, sinkholes, and portals are threatening the world. Inside the sinkhole in Washington, DC, Gilad/the Eternal Warrior found a device linked to the Faraway realm where infinite resources are available – at a steep price. With the world in turmoil, Dr. Augustus Silk, an immortality obsessed villain, has positioned himself as a savior, but there are those – like Ivar, the Timewalker – who know that what Silk promises will surely bring an end to our world.

Gilad, the Eternal Warrior, and Tama, the current Geomancer, travel to Louisiana to close a portal to Faraway where they learn that dangerous things are crossing over between the two realms. Silk is gathering followers, known as Weavers, at a startling rate, and the heroes are witnessing how Silk’s message affects people. Now, Ivar, and allies like Armstrong, Faith, Ninjak, Livewire, and Aric, the X-O Manowar are making plans to stop him.

This event series is being handled by a large creative team with Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Fred Van Lente, and A.J. Ampadu handling the writing, and Guillermo Fajardo and Julio Azamor on the art with Lautaro Ftuli providing colors. The collaborative approach is certainly working for them, because the first issue of Resurgence of the Valiant Universe was exactly what it needed to be.

It’s filled with setup for the coming conflict – in the big, exciting ways and in the little breadcrumb ways. A character has come back from the dead, one has gone missing, teams are being formed, and neutral parties are watching with curiosity or trepidation. The art sets the tone by giving each scene its own sense of drama or action through the details, coloring, and stylistic choices. At some points its dark and foreboding, at others the action leaps off the page. The Resurgence event series is off to a great start.

–Amanda Sheriff