David: Brandon, it’s time for the tango you and I love. It’s time for your #2 book and my #2 book in the Valiant Universe to square off, once and for all, like Gamma vs. tiny armed Bloodshot. Or, you know, for this week of books.
Brandon: Well Mr. Harper I gotta say I really enjoyed the book per the usual. Gamma is badical and better not be dead though. Because if she is my rating on this book is going to change dramatically and not in the favor of the issue. I mean how badass was she punching through the side of Bloodshot?! VERY!
David: Yeah, she pretty much smoked Bloodshot. That was a pretty damn gruesome fight, and I loved how intense it was. You had Gamma on one side trying to build fear in the kids so she could beat up on him even more, then you have Bloodshot moving all of his protein from one arm to the another and yelling at the kid in his head to not put him in a coma so he could beat this woman to death. If you boil this comic down to that fight, it’s an A+++++ of awesomeness.
But I have to say, I had a lot of problems with the art. The fight was good enough – it got the job done – but outside of that it was really weak, with some sparse, under detailed characters and environments, as well as some really sloppy storytelling and perspectives. Were you completely onboard with the art, here?
Brandon: I would sadly agree with you on the art. It wasn’t the same gritty feel that worked so well for me last issue. This issue it did come across as sloppy and under detailed. It did distract me from the story at times but it wasn’t the worst art i’ve ever seen in my life either. The punch through Bloodshot and the small arm Bloodshot were actually pretty well done but in some other places it was not as strong.
The writing was the true hero here.
David: Yeah, absolutely. Duane Swierczynski, I think, is in many ways a really underrated writer (cue you bringing up his Cable run). He’s done a lot of really great work around the industry in the past few years, and I think he’s doing an exceptional job in a few ways.
First off, he’s actually made a guy who is effectively not really a man, or a person, or anything, into a sympathetic killing machine. Even the psiots in Project Rising Spirit were onboard with him by the end, protecting him from Gamma and running off with him. Bloodshot is a complete badass, but he’s a lot more than that.
Second off, he’s effectively developed the cast to the point where certain deaths actually affect us as readers (I’m not referring to Gamma though, who is definitely dead).
Basically, Swierczy has turned a concept that is rather limited in theory and done wonders with it, fleshing it out and making it more than what it is at the basest level. Obviously any writer would move the needle a bit, but he’s done an exceptional job at getting the most out of this book.
Brandon: How dare you?! Gamma is not dead! She’ll be back to hassle small children another day!
David: Maybe if she’s made of the same things Bloodshot is, but not likely. Either that or they’ll bring her back eyeless, which will make her ten times more scary.
Anything to add about Swierczy’s writing, or are you just so upset over what happened to Gamma that you can’t go on?
Brandon: I just need a moment. Please. Just a moment…
David: Take your time. There there Brandon. She’ll be there for you in your dreams.
Brandon: Thank you David. Your support is appreciated.
As far as Swierczynski’s writing goes I really don’t have anything else to say other than that I really enjoy this book and the work he has put in. I do not appreciate him wrecking shop on Gamma. Could she be considered a fridging victim? Maybe we can cause an uproar and they’ll be forced to giver her a title of her own.
Continued belowDavid: Clearly sexism drove Gamma’s untimely demise.
So what would you give this book, save the middle finger for harming your beloved?
Brandon: I’d probably give this issue a 7.1 with the .1 being my middle finger for killing Gamma.
What about you?
David: I’m going to give it a 6. I really, really enjoyed Swierczy’s writing, but the art took it down several notches for me.
Brandon: Honestly? I had to go check the front of the book to make sure it was her. I think this is the first time I wasn’t blown away by her art. It wasn’t bad but it really didn’t seem like the normal slam dunk that I’ve come to expect. The art seemed less clean than usual to me.
David: Wow. I’m blown away by that. Really? What was it that you didn’t like? Were there any scenes in particular you didn’t enjoy?
Brandon: It caught me by surprise as well. Like I said there was nothing that really stood out as being bad. It just wasn’t as clean as her work usually is. It felt less polished. The fact that I had to double check it was her confused the hell out of me. Not going to lie. Having said all of that I want to again reiterate it wasn’t bad art. I’d still take her over about 90% of artists out there.
David: That’s fair enough. I thought this was the best I’d ever seen her art. In fact, it kind of felt like it was an evolutionary step: it was still her, but there were some refinements, particularly in her storytelling, that really captivated me. Like, the opening sequence with Gilad climbing the wall to rescue the man captured by The Null was stunning, and I thought the open in the present was visually perfect. Hilarious storytelling, right there, and I loved the way Van Lente and Lupacchino worked together to bring that together.
What about the rest of the issue? Were you down with where Van Lente was taking us?
Brandon: I really enjoyed this issue. I thought that as usual the book was hilarious with a side of action. One thing this book does especially well is weave in and out of the past and present. It really adds serious depth to the characters involved. It’s like what was done with Zephyr in the last issue in Harbinger but Van Lente does it every issue. It goes a long way to making the book feel important and as if it has a longer continuity than it really does. The opening sequence with Gilad popping in on Armstrong was especially great.
David: Let’s be honest, you really enjoyed Armstrong getting high in a harem full of hot, Persian ladies. I thought of you as soon as I read that. I was like, “aw man, Van Lente is trying to move up in Brandon’s Power Rankings.”
Brandon: Oh without a doubt. I loved all of that. I also enjoyed the way Van Lente sewed the villains of he Valiant Universe through the issue as well. Can I also point out that Mary-Maria Archer is also awesome. One thing I really enjoy about Valiant is the way that they really do have some incredibly awesome characters. Characters who have a lot of potential upside as time goes on.
I also really enjoy Archer has a possessed bad guy. ARROW TO THE THROAT! Brutal!
David: I know! The arrow to the throat was intense, and my first take was “did they just kill another Geomancer?” I thought they handled that really well, and I love the way Van Lente uses those intro scenes to bring us important aspects of the book that are set to come, like with this issue introducing the idea of the Last Enemy and then having him take Archer over at the end. I think it’s really exceptional how Van Lente sort of corrupts modern ideas – the Occupy movement, coding impacting real life like the way Archer is set up and the Last Enemy and how he influences people, etc. – and I think it really underlines just how inventive this book really is in a lot of ways.
Continued belowBut yeah, the fact that they brought The Vine into the mix, even just conversationally, made this tie really well to the rest of the world. Van Lente is doing some killer stuff here, and I like that it’s getting some time to stand on its own two legs before crossing over with other books. Got anything else you want to add before we get to the grades?
Brandon: I’d like to add that I think this months Power Rankings are going to be a lot of fun! So far this month the books have been pretty damn solid. Wouldn’t you agree?
David: Oh hell yes. That’s without X-O Manowar (which might get a bump from Planet Death) and our main squeeze Harbinger coming into effect yet. It’s a good time to be reading Valiant.
As for Archer & Armstrong, it continues to be one of the most enjoyable reads in comics. I actually laughed multiple times reading it, and said “that was fun” to my lady after finishing it. It’s the type of book I want to share with people because it’s just a good time to read, and this might have been one of the best yet. I’m going to give a 9.0, because I was all onboard when it comes to art and writing on this book. Great stuff. What about you?
Brandon: For me I’d have to give this book a 8.0. Really solid issue.
