Throwback Review: Eternal Warrior #1

By Former Contributor
On 08 July 201416 June 2017
0

Since Comixology is offering many Valiant #1’s for free on their site, we thought we’d review all of Valiant’s first issues this week so that even new readers can know they’re getting into before picking up a book. Today, we’re reviewing Eternal Warrior #1 the the amazing duo of Greg Pak, and Trevor Hairsine.

The Story

It’s really great having Greg Pak writing a Valiant book. Pak really nails what Gilad is all about here, and sets up some interesting plot points for this arc. It was really great being thrust right into the middle of a giant battle. Many first issues take some time setting up characters first, but Gilad is a warrior who has been through millenia of war, so it makes perfect sense to start the book this way. Additionally, it provides a great introduction to Gilad’s children, which play a bigger part in this book in future issues.

Even through the giant action sequences there is a good bit of dialogue, and while somewhat sparse in wording, there is a lot the dialogue tells us about the characters. Overall the story is intriguing enough to make me want to pick up the next issue.

The Art

Trevor Hairsine has art duties on this book and his style is absolutely perfect. The variation of action and closeup panels in the book really showcases his detailed pencils quite well, and really shines in the first few pages as Gilad and his men battle the warriors of Nergal.

The full page panel of Xaran, Gilad’s daughter, on an elephant breaking through the enemy lines is truly breathtaking. There are also several panels with extremely closeups of characters and even these show off a sense of pride and detail which is typical of Hairsine’s work.

Even if you’re not familiar with the characters, or don’t really enjoy the story completely, this book is worth picking up solely on Hairsine’s art alone.

Overall

I had a really fun time reading this book and it brings up a lot of questions I can’t wait to have answered in this arc. Eternal Warrior may be on hiatus right now, but the first arc of the series is well worth reading, and Trevor Hairsine’s art is great.