by Joe Iconic, Reporter

Written by MATT KINDT

Art by PERE PEREZ

Cover A by GLENN FABRY

Cover B by JUAN JOSE RYP

Variant Cover by ANTONIO FUSO

War on the HOMEFRONT!

After a violent and devastating battle, the Eternal Warrior – one of the world’s immortals, and its greatest wager of war – must once again grapple with his most implacable enemy – the countless days behind him…and the life that’s about to become a memory!

Unity #16 brings together strong characterization, superb art, and a great jumping on point for new readers. This issue centers on Gilad, the millennia-old champion of Earth. The weight of his immortal memory provides

a rich background for masterful storytelling, revealing the loneliness and awesomeness of he who is the Eternal Warrior.

What really stands out in Unity #16 is how well the art synchronizes with the story. The sparsely worded action sequence introducing Tomoe strikes just the right emotional resonance, allowing the reader to fall in love with her at that same moment as Gilad.   Just two pages later is possibly the best use of a stairway and house scene since Joe the Barbarian. The combination of empty space, antique clutter, and sparse text boxes to lead upstairs work wonderfully to guide the reader through the house and Gilad’s loneliness. Both examples of artwork are worth framing and putting on the wall, but they are just two pages of the sublime artwork found throughout this issue.

Back in May 2012, Valiant Entertainment rose anew, putting together talent with fan-favorite properties from the 1990s. The first incarnation of Unity began in 1992 as a crossover with the various Valiant titles. In November 2012, Unity re-launched to what was the largest sales success for the revived Valiant. Unity continues the crossover tradition, showcasing Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, and Livewire from their respective titles as a team protecting humanity from top-secret threats. Unity #16 allows depth and background for the character spotlight. Next issue features Livewire, the psionic teletechnopath, who, like Eternal Warrior, was the creation of the legendary Jim Shooter.

Matt Kindt’s writing and Pere Perez’s art are perfectly in tune, and continue to impress. If you are not reading Valiant, try Unity first. In a single issue, Gilad became my favorite immortal warrior, and you can tell Vandal Savage I said so.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Unity #16 5 out of 5 shishi’s/unkillable temple guard dogs.

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