David: After a skip week due to busy lives, we’re back to look at Valiant’s latest and (maybe) greatest #1 yet, Rai from Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain. Brandon, you’re a bit of a Crain Head. Did this issue tickle your comic reader fancy?
As far as the comic goes I really dug it. I don’t know a lot about the character or how much it may deviate from the original but I dug the concept. I also really really though Crain took his art to the next level. I thought the detail was phenomenal. I also though the coloring was rather excellent as well. So I guess I am trying to say I like the issue.
What about you David?
David: I’m a bit of two minds on this book, but overall I’ll say I liked it.
On one hand, this is apex Clayton Crain. This is literally the best and most evolved version of his work we’ve ever seen in comic form, and it’s not just the looks of it, but the storytelling and the fit. My biggest issue with Crain is his work always felt a bit stiff and robotic, but his character work is very lively, especially when it comes to Rai himself, on this book. And the highly computer generated look of his art fits so much better on something like this – taking place in the year 4001 A.D. – than it does on modern day books in my mind, that it’s just light years better. His coloring on his work has also improved dramatically, as I always felt – and this might be another question of fit – he leaned too heavily on darker hues. Here, he does that a bit, but the brighter colors in Rai’s home (love the cherry blossom tree) and of Lula provide a sharp and effective contrast that brightens the often dour mood of his art.
And I love everything Rai and everything Spylocke. Kindt’s incorporation of this fictional character – I love the background on Spylocke as a character in the back – as a devil on Rai’s shoulder is very interesting, and Rai himself is a very fascinating read because of how you can already tell he might start questioning Father’s word. Combine all that with some very interesting world building, and you have an extremely strong base.
But this issue, which spends so much time on developing the Positron/Raddie world, spends so much of its span working to develop the world, yet I don’t think we really reached a true clarity on what exactly is going on. We were dropped straight into the action, so it’s at least partially by design, but I honestly don’t really know what’s going on besides Raddies are apparently killing people, no one has been murdered in 1,000 years, and Rai is a mythical man who bridges the gap between Judge Dredd and a Kurosawa film. We’re given a lot of tropes and language that makes the world feel like it’s in the future, but I’m not sure I was given enough to truly understand what in the name of Father is going on exactly.
Do you think that was by design? Or do you think I am just off base?
Brandon: Well, I feel this was by design. I mean I feel like you were able to describe the world and its basics pretty well based on what we’ve read in just the first issue. You have the setting and the idea of it being so safe, you have the cast and their basic fit into this setting and you have some badass art. I think both writer and artist did a great job here. I especially love your description that this book is Judge Dredd meets Kurosawa. That’s money! It’s spot on.
What I really want to know is how this may or may not intersect with what we have seen in Eternal Warrior in the most recent arc which took place in this same time. I hope they give this title some time to breath before crossing over but I really think that could be a lot of fun. Maybe even bring in Bloodshot 4001!
Continued belowDavid: If you ever want to read some crazy, time travel related stories, go back and read the original “Unity” event at OG Valiant. That story literally spanned from the prehistoric era to Rai’s 4001 AD hood, and was basically Valiant’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. Madness, but I remember as a kid being like “THAT’S MY SHIT” like I was the valet guys from Key & Peele. Let’s just say there is like…a 99.9% chance we’re going to get some time travel business in the next year or two at Valiant, but as for crossing over with Eternal Warrior? I imagine so, but I really don’t know the plan for that book.
Anyways, you’re probably right. It’s likely by design, it just felt a little murky and cloudy to me as a reader. Did you read the Spylocke stuff in the back? I thought that was an awesome way to build him up. It was like he’s 4001’s answer to James Bond. I’m into that dude.
Brandon: Yeah, that was pretty cool. I really liked how it added more depth to the story and the setting that they are establishing. I’m not sure if I mentioned it but I really dug the issue.
Was there any part in particular that really stood out to you?
David: There was one page where Rai was running along the cityscape, and we get a good view of everything that is going on in the world around him. It was a really great way to provide a vision of this future while having an action set piece in progress.
Also, I loved Rai’s dojo, if you will. I want to live there. That looked like the most serene place ever.
What about you?
Brandon: My favorite part of the book was how visually striking that page with the cherry blossoms was. That was an incredibly beautifully rendered page. It is easily one of my favorite pages from Crain and really locked me into the story because I was really excited to see what else he’d be bringing to the table through the rest of the issue. That page was gorgeous!
Anything else you want to add or are you ready to hand a grade out?
David: Well, when I interviewed the executive team at Valiant, they talked about how Matt Kindt has pages and pages of notes about building out this world. I am really excited to see them do that, and I really, really hope Crain can stay along for the ride. This book is a good one that is made great by a singularly exceptional artistic performance, and I’m eager to see Kindt build up the world around that.
But Crain staying around is paramount to this book reaching its potential in my mind.
Anyways, I’ll give it an 8.5. I have reservations, but Rai #1 is maybe the best looking comic Valiant has produced yet, and a book that has nearly unlimited potential in building its stunning world. What do you give it?
Brandon: I would give this sweet sweet future baby an 8.9!
