Book of Death #4

by Robert Venditti, Robert Gill, Doug Braithwaite, Brian Reber, David Baron, Cary Nord, Warren Simons, Kyle Andrukiewicz

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

With a violent, yet uplifting finish, Book of Death #4 triumphantly concludes Valiant Entertainment’s 2015 epic saga (while seamlessly transitioning readers into what will be the Wrath of the Eternal Warrior mini-series this winter). When Book of Death was first announced as a project in early 2015, hopes were high. Will an all-star Valiant creative team, there was no doubt whatsoever that Book of Death would be a complete success, and with the release of series writer Robert Venditti final chapter, Book of Death #4, there is no doubt. Last month on September 24, 2015 at the Baltimore Diamond Retailer Summit, it was announced that “Book Of Death Tops 200,000 in sales” m. As a reader, fan, and collector who owns series’ artist Robert Gill’s original art for Book of Death #1 (and Carlos Alberto Fernandez Urbano’s (CAFU) original art for Book of Death #2), it is difficult to be happier with this outcome and for the outright success that Valiant (and it’s readers) have enjoyed with this series.

The scope of Book of Death was large enough that many fans and readers questioned if it was possible to include everything that Venditti intended for this mini-series with only four issues. However, Venditti is not a novice at this game, and manages to fit an action-packed and meaningful conclusion to this tale into Book of Death #4’s 40-page. Within this conclusion, are a number of character defining moments for Gilad, the Eternal Warrior, if not also for Master Darque (the “Corrupted One”). The right amount of questions are answered to satisfy fans and readers, while leaving enough questions for further exploration of the Valiant Universe (see also: Valiant Entertainment’s Wrath of the Eternal Warrior which will be released later this year — read the All-Comic review here).

Artists Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite expertly handle each page with a classic comicbook art style that is visually easy to appreciate. Both artists have produced some of the finest interior pages since Valiant Entertainment’s 2012 re-launch, and are artistically completely on-point with Book of Death #4. As it has been said many times before, colorists Brian Reber and David Baron are artistic dream-team that is impossible to fail with. If you look back over the past three-plus years, Reber and Baron’s names have been attached to a huge amount of the very best work that Valiant Entertainment has published. Their colors completely enhance Gill and Braithwaite’s pencils and ink. It is evident that Valiant Entertainment picked the “right” team for this mini-series.

If there remains any question about the visual and artistic quality for each cover (Mico Suayan, Pere Perez, and Paolo Rivera), one needs only to check the fan reactions here.

There is zero reason to not read Book of Death #4. If you have enjoyed the series so far, then enjoy this satisfying conclusion. If you have not yet read Valiant Entertainment’s 2015 epic saga, then you are encouraged to catch-up, either by grabbing Book of Death #1 through #4, or by getting a copy of the trade paperback that will soon be released. Following the events of The Valiant #1 through #4, and leading into the uncharted pages of Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, Book of Death #4 is a book that demands a look.