Armor Hunters #4

By Robert Venditti, Doug Braithwaite and Laura Martin

This is it, the finale of the epic Armor Hunters! Just in case you read this before you read the books, make sure you read Armor Hunters #4 before you read X-O Manowar #29. There’s a warning in the front of X-O Manowar but just in case, you’ve been warned again!

To call this finale simply “epic” might not do it justice. For seventeen issues, counting all the mini-series and tie-ins, Armor Hunters as an event has ravaged the Valiant Universe. This is a culmination of all of pretty much everything Valiant has done since its triumphant return, and it’s definitely one for the books.

Writer Robert Venditti has done something that really isn’t as common as you might think. He’s created an event that rippled across the entire universe that brought many characters together, changed the outlook on all books affected and he’s done it all brilliantly. That is to say that he’s completed an event, from start to finish, that was fantastic. It ended on a somber but light note and it’s opened up so many possibilities for the future. Truly, Valiant made the right choice to trust in Venditti. Quite frankly, this was a make or break kind of event and all of Valiant’s trust and all of the reader’s trust was rewarded with something amazing.

Speaking of being rewarded with something amazing: DAT ART! Doug Braithwaite absolutely killed it on not only this issue, but this entire four-part series. This guy is the real deal and we definitely need to be treated to more fantastically fast fight scenes and amazingly emotionally charged close ups. Every panel deserves a frame and wall space in someone’s house; they’re that good. Of course, Laura Martin’s amazing colors only help to elevate Mr. Braithwaite’s work to a level that most comics on the shelves just don’t attain. It’s gorgeous and subtle and striking and it really draws you into the panel. There aren’t enough words to praise the art by these two. It’s really something you have to see to believe.

So, was Armor Hunters a success? Yes, absolutely. Did it live up to the hype and all the expectations when it was announced by Valiant? Not only did it live up to those expectations, it drove a spear through it and kept on going. It needs to be shouted from the roof tops, but since my voice can’t reach everybody this will have to do: VALIANT COMICS IS THE REAL DEAL AND YOU NEED TO READ THEIR BOOKS!