Unity #3

By Matt Kindt, Doug Braithwaite and Brian Reber

Unity #1 set out to dethrone Aric and take away his X-O Manowar armor, but by issue #3 it looks like the main focus of this collectives ire has moved off Aric and on to another “King”. What’s interesting about that is the ease that this collective of people took down Aric and how quickly they realized who the real threat is. In most comic series, that’s something that could have, and probably would have been, dragged out for issues and issues before reaching any kind of resolution.

Matt Kindt has gone with a much more direct approach so far and he’s kept the action, and story, moving at a very quick pace. Considering all that’s happened in three issues and that this is an ongoing series, it really begs the question, “Where can he go from here?”. With issue #3 focusing primarily on Livewire, and her interaction with not only the stolen X-O Manowar armor, but with Toyo Harada as well, it was a surprise to see how the issue ended and what’s on deck for the next issue. (If you want to know what all this vagueness is about, you’d better read the issue because it’s not getting spoiled here.)

Doug Braithwaite and colorist Brian Reber continue to hit the high standard that the first issue set for this series. Braithwaite’s pencils and inks are top notch in every panel; from the faces and expressions, to the fast movement and great action, everything is completed and done with a great amount of care and expertise. Reber’s enhanced everything from Braithwaite, while not being over powering. The colors chosen are almost duller, for lack of a better term, than most comics but because Braithwaite doesn’t really have any hard blacks, it blends together perfectly. The coloring stands out particularly in a panel with Harada and Livewire face to face with what looks like cherry blossoms in the back ground. The pinks and wire really contrast with the characters in the foreground and it really makes the panel pop.

Unity is moving at a fantastic pace and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. With the end of the first arc quickly approaching, it’s hard to tell exactly what Kindt is planning for this superstar cast of Valiant characters. Whatever he’s planning, with an art team the caliber of Braithwaite and Reber, you can be sure you’re not going to want to miss it. Bring on issue #4!