It’s Valiant via The Princess Bride in this adventure-filled one-shot set in King Arthur’s Court. Read on for our review, which contains only minor spoilers.
Written by Fred van Lente
Illustrated by Cary Nord and Clayton Henry
Inked by Mark Morales
Colored by Brian ReberArcher and Armstrong! The Eternal Warrior! Ivar, Timewalker! (And a very brief appearance by Faith!) In the great Armstrong tradition of telling history as it really happened, join the immortal Anni-Padda brothers for a journey to King Arthur’s court, where the true history of the monstrous GREEN KNIGHT is revealed! It’s winter at King Arthur’s court in Camelot, when the monstrous GREEN KNIGHT appears at the Round Table wearing no armor and bearing a gigantic axe. Eager for a challenge suitable for the weaker knights, he insists that they participate in a friendly ‘winter’s game’. Anyone can strike him once with his axe, but on the condition that the Green Knight may return the exact blow in one year’s time. Arthur agrees to the game, but the youthful knight, GILAD, takes up the challenge to protect his king. Much to the court’s surprise, the Knight doesn’t move as Gilad strikes his head off. The Green Knight picks up his own head and gives Gilad his own mighty axe, telling him he is fated to receive the same blow before the year is out. Now, Sir Gilad must solve the mystery of who the Green Knight is before his hour at the axe comes to pass! But first, he’ll need to find some help in the form of his immortal brothers, who will be united once again! New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente returns to Archer & Armstrong as Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (X-O Manowar) joins in for an oversized, 48-page one shot epic!
The Immortal Brothers that grace the title of this anniversary one-shot capture, more than any other perhaps, the true essence of the modern Valiant universe. Each have been around since the earliest issues of the 2012 reboot, and have threaded themselves throughout the comics line—be it in the issues of other characters or their own series—and each have the unique quality of being literally part of the history of the world since the beginnings of humanity. Fitting, then, that this issue is the first of four one-shots that celebrates the 25th anniversary of Valiant Comics.
It’s that unique fictional conceit that allows for fun stories like “Immortal Brothers: Tale of the Green Knight” #1, where a real Arthurian legend is dissected and recreated with the Brothers playing key roles in the mythological tale. Writer van Lente explored this concept back in his original “Archer & Armstrong” run. Having immortal characters allows for endless possibilities, all of time and history opening up for creators to play in, and that sense of fun is evident in this issue. Framed much like The Princess Bride (and remarked on as such by the characters), this story is being narrated by Archer to Faith, who’s in bed with the dreaded ‘Con Crud.’ This has the dual purpose of fitting it into the present day, albeit loosely, as well as allowing for some playful storytelling tricks through the ‘unreliable narrator’ trope.
In classic van Lente fashion, especially where Archer & Armstrong are concerned, there’s a real streak of self-aware comedy that runs through “Immortal Brothers: The Tale of the Green Knight.” Aside from the obvious comparison to The Princess Bride, there’s a nod to classic Dungeons & Dragons in how the cast of heroes is established – a comparison made, naturally, by super-geek Faith. At its heart though, this is a story that pulls its inspiration from a comic two-parter from the original Valiant run, namely “Archer & Armstrong” #8 and “Eternal Warrior” #8 written and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. That story similarly draws from classic literature, specifically The Three Musketeers, by inserting the brothers into the original narrative, making this one-shot a celebration of Valiant’s history on multiple levels.
The art is split between Clayton Henry penciling the framing sequence, with Cary Nord covering the main run. Nord’s style is expressive and bold, his art being familiar to Valiant fans thanks to his work on “X-O Manowar.” He’s no stranger to epic storytelling either thanks to his history on Conan, and that experience bleeds through into this issue too. A particularly satisfying page is one that works as a montage expressing the plight of the travelling heroes, their path hindered by mythical creatures like dragons and giants. Nord structures the page in an open panel fashion, the positioning of the fairytale beasts leading your eye through the page.
Continued belowIt’s clear that Nord takes each page as a whole, rather than the sum of its parts, and as such, his structuring encourages the reader to view each page that way. His first page of story uses the festive garlands that adorn the room as a frame for the panel in which the room is presented. Similarly, when the Eternal Warrior swings his axe against a foe, the arc of his swing slices through the panel borders. Both examples use the page to its fullest and immerse you more into any given scene. Aiding in this immersion is Reber’s colors, which enlivens every scene. His deep, rich palette, along with Morales’s crisp, bold inks make every panel pop off the page and add a really satisfying clarity to the action. The use of shadows and pure black on the page also make the colors stand out more and add atmosphere to the set pieces and fantasy locations.
“Immortal Brothers: Tale of the Green Knight” #1 has kicked off Valiant’s anniversary one-shots in a strong way. Feeling like an annual or a seasonal special, the story isn’t crucial to the overarching narrative of the shared universe, rather it’s a fun and thrilling adventure that utilises the freedom from any grander story to really let loose. It’s essentially an “Archer & Armstrong” tale, but the setup provided by The Princess Bride style introduction gives you everything you need to dive right in whether you’re a long time fan or not. The humorous streak that runs through the issue means it never takes itself too seriously, while still providing the thrill of a traditional adventure yarn.
Final verdict: 7.5 – A classic adventure in every sense, threading Valiant characters into existing mythology. Great for new readers and old fans alike.
