Unity has been of my favorite titles since the first issue, and while Aric and his X-O suit are understandably absent from the issue – it is Shanhara the Armor Hunters want after all – we get an exciting story tossing Valiant’s super team into the midst of the big Armor Hunters event.
The story
Unity is always such a fun and quick read and issue 8 is no exception. Matt Kindt consistently delivers a page turner and he has done a fantastic job tossing the team in the middle of the Armor Hunters search for the X-O armor. Aric is missing from the issue, which makes sense as it would put the team in jeopardy to be around him and we know from the events of Armor Hunters #1 that he’s preoccupied elsewhere.
The main focus of the issue is on Ninjak and Gilad and Kindt does a great job at showing the opposing dynamics of their personalities which provide some great scenes and a joke or two at Gilad’s expense. We also join Livewire in her search for Bloodshot, who will make a great addition to the team as an asset in the fight against the Armor Hunters.
Most importantly, Kindt has done a great job at referencing events in Armor Hunters #1 without the reader having to have read that book, something which Valiant has always done well, and which Kindt has had previous experience in the first Unity story arc.
The art
With a new arc we also get a new artist in Stephen Segovia, who has worked on titles such as Dark Wolverine and Superior Carnage for Marvel. The art is fantastic and remains consistent throughout the book, particularly in the character design. I look forward to seeing Segovia’s art in future issue and would like to see him appear in other books as well.
Final words
This is a solid issue for current fans of the series and a great jumping on point for new readers. With Bloodshot going on hiatus, fans of the character should definitely pick this up. I’m interested to see where Kindt will take him as he becomes a part of the team and how he will interact with the other characters. Overall, Unity continues to shine, and I look forward to an all out showdown against the Armor Hunters.
[author-post-rating]
Good Review Martin.
I wasn’t a fan of Unity 1-4, but Webnet chaned my opinion of the series and Kindt.
I thought it was a fun, easy read, with lots of great character moments, especially showcasing Ninjak’s talents.
However, I find that issue 8 is not all that good.
Yes, Kindt does a great job with Ninjak and Gilad – I would love to see just those two again more often in hairball type situations as the chemistry and banter between the two is great.
I was not a fan of the Bloodshot introduction, I thought it was sloppy and the art in those first few pages just felt ‘off’ to me.
But my biggest gripe here is the blantant disregard for continuity.
The book beings with the aftermath of Mexico City then on the plane, Ninjak makes reference to the Mexico disaster – all good so far, until Ninjak and Gilad enter the Russian Military installation where you find Helix and Quartz in a pre-Mexico City disaster scene – so how can that be?
I read the scene again to see if I had missed something, but it seems like the editor has let this blinding error pass through.
That for me kind of spoiled the book as I could not enjoy the story.
While I love X-O and the Armor Hunter book, this first Unity tie in was a bit sloppy and poor in general.
2.5/5
Great analysis Lee…it’s like you should be reviewing books here or something 🙂