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FVL... you magnificent sunuvabiz-natch...

Spoilers follow...

Woah. Just when I think you can't top the introduction of the Geomancer concept into the Valiant Universe, FVL one ups himself with the introduction of the Immortal Enemy. Good Lord that was brilliant, and so well written the way it echo'd Kay becoming the Geomancer. But, man, Archer taking out both Gilad and Kay was well done and extremely brutal... quite the cliffhanger and the stakes are raised for next issue!!

A little shocked to see the Null off themselves like that. First the Archers, then the Green Llamas, now the Null... The Sect as a rogues gallery is quickly diminishing!! The return of Mary Maria, though anticipated, perfectly sets up the next storyline to the Faraway. Not sure what the Boon did to her, but she looks to be a force to reckon with (and dare I mention "yowza, hot diggity dog, and homina-homina" )

If you had asked me back around issue 1 that I'd someday be calling Archer & Armstrong my favorite Valiant comic, I'd call you a dangblasted fool. I would also be eating those words today.

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Another excellent issue. I loved how Armstrong referenced the flashback later in the story with the poetry. Nice touch.

Not sure how I feel about this Immortal Enemy, espescially if the Null all just offed themselves. If that's the case, how will he "infect" anyone in the future?

And poor Kay I hope she's OK Though a mute Geomancer would be an interesting twist...

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Whoa! Did not see that coming!

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LOTS of surprises in this issue, and I DO READ the preview pages!

Spoilers? Not hardly. More like appetizers!

Great issue.

One thing that wasn't clear though: Is the entity that took over Archer the Immortal Enemy?

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I think it absolutely has to be.

Wow.

I read this comic twice before I appreciated it. Liked it more the second time through. Tough to compare against Bloodshot - but really turned around the covers, too. Reminds me a lot of the OLD story when Enemy took over Gilad for a while.

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I miss the visual tell of the different coloured eyes. The title has improved but it's still at the bottom for me. I am not sure how I feel about IE being a minion for The Null, though with the Jonestowning of The Null, I guess as an entity he is going to have to go about paving his own path.

I liked the throw back to the original Valiant symbol on Obies outfit at the end there.

Interesting that The One Percent are aware of The Vine.

Mary-Maria should be an interesting foil.

"You're really giving me a lot of mixed messages here, y'know." I don't know why I enjoyed that line, but I really did. I am not certain if I like the way they are handling Kay's "conversations with the Earth, or Mother Earth" or however this is supposed to be working. Geoff always had to deal with a variety of voices and during the onset of Unity, he had millions of voices screaming in his head which I took to mean, the individuality of all living things. To centralize it to one conversation...just doesn't sit well with me.

It almost looked as if Archer blew Gilads arm off...I hope so.

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Oh, and I just noticed Obie's pupils are null or empty set symbols. Still not as cool as the initial Immortal Enemy visual cue. Not as subtle and, as has been my complaint with this title since it's inception, too hookey.

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What we need is innovation and even revolution—but not so much in the form of marketing ploys and doohickeys. What is needed is bold creative vision, excellent stories, and brilliant storytelling, in a word, entertainment. -- Jim Shooter

I didn't see IM as a tool/lackey of the Null. Rather, they both have the same agenda and the Null just happened to learn how to harness him/it.

My question is if/when he is defeated, who will harness him next? Are there more Null members out there? Other members of the Sect? Or will he be left with a different modus opperandi after this?

Maybe access to Obie gives him knowledge of how to jump into bodies at will, or he gains access to the Akashic record and travels through it?

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Greg, I agree - lots of surprises here and I, too, read the previews.

Wow wow wow.

I'm looking forward to the Mary Maria story. I've liked her from the get-go and I'm curious what the Boon has wrought in her. And where is Timewalker? We haven't seen him since Nazi/Boon incident. Is Mary Maria truly Mary Maria or like Obie, is someone else doing the steering?

I need to give this a 2nd read and will ponder more. Read it a bit quickly because, kid on Christmas day effect.

Anyone else have "Sympathy for the Devil" in their head while reading about Immortal Enemy?

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Armstrong smoking pot...wow I can't believe I almost dropped this book

I wonder how Kay will survive an arrow to the throat though, seems like something most people wouldn't survive

ugh, gotta wait until next month, for the next issue. But I dug it, the one percent mentioned the vine I wonder if X-O will have a crossover like Harbinger wars?
Liked the concept of the immunertal enemy, but with the null ceasing to exist will the Immortal enemy go away too?
I wonder what Mary Maria will do?

Sometimes something about a comic strikes me that makes me wonder if something is wrong with me. For this issue what got me was yet another cool looking Gilad costume change. Gilad never seemed very distinctive visually for me in the old Valiant but Emanuela Lupacchino has made him look great. It was good enough to be distracting because I kept hoping for another flashback.

The scene with Armstrong smoking hash was a great scene that made me both like Armstrong more as well as display how infuriating he is to his brother.
I'm not usually one to suggest more than one title for a single character but the historical adventures of the Ani-Padda brothers seems like it would be great fun.

I wouldn't classify A&A the best Valiant comic but I think it is the most fun.

When we last saw Mary Maria, it seemed like Ivar might have been using Archer to destroy the Boon so that he could escape from whatever "plane of existence" he was on. It also seemed like Mary Maria might have been a "host" for Ivar after the Boon was destroyed.

Now that we've seen Archer become a "host" for the Immortal Enemy from whatever "plane of existence" he was on... it seems even MORE likely that Mary Maria is actually being used by Ivar.

Maybe Ivar thought he would be completely released by destroying the Boon, but instead was only able to take over Mary Maria.
Since Mary Maria knew exactly where the 1% headquarters could be found, it's likely that's Ivar's knowledge and Ivar is the one who'd like to get another Boon using her.

Since Mary Maria survived the Boon activation, does Mary Maria have a few extra lives?
If Ivar is inside Mary Maria's body... does Mary Maria have immortality now?
Would she still have immortality if Ivar wasn't in there?

If Ivar is controlling Mary Maria and if the Immortal Enemy is controlling Archer...
and if Ivar and the Immortal Enemy are truly enemies that would want to kill each other...
would Mary Maria and Archer try to kill each other, or would their love overcome their puppetmasters?

We think alike I think she's sharing space with Ivar. Notice how Obie has had no further contact/"visions" from him? You know it can't end well, but I'm sure the real Mary Marie will emerge for a bit before her untimely demise, likely while battling/saving Obie. A bit too expected, but three's a crowd, Plus, it gives Obie a new purpose - fighting the immortal enemy.

I know it may be not as dramatic to write, but just once I'd like to see a happy couple thrive. No death, no love triangles, just a positive partnership and kicking *SQUEE*. Yes, I'm a sap. No, I don't like Twilight.

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"Sorry, no. You are absolutely about to pepper spray the wrong guy."

Another great issue By Fred Van Lente.

This is the only comic that I read that actually makes me laugh out loud.

Can't wait for the conclusion!

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Hopefully that is where Dr. Mirage will come in eventually.

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Read it very quickly, but seemed like there's a lot of action here that will have some harsh ramifications in upcoming issues. Kay taking an arrow through her throat? Although "Archer" claimed it was just cutting her vocal chords, that's a pretty serious injury. And like another board member said, a mute geomancer would be a cool twist.
Loved the mention of The Vine! Got me all excited for another possible crossover! Pesky vine, was it? they didn't seem too concerned about them, like, oh we know theirs aliens on our planet, but they're no big deal, nothing to worry about. Hah!
What was up with Zorn's Wolverine haircut?
Mary Maria, welcome back! Curious to see if she too is immortal. So much potential for that character and story!
Blowing off Gilad's arm? Can't wait to see the explanation of that growing back.
And IS THIS The Immortal Enemy? ya gotta figure, right?
Loved the Valiant symbol that Kay and Archer were both wearing.
And yep, Armstrong smoking weed, or hash was priceless! Almost couldn't believe you can get away with that in a comic book! Not that I mind...

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I saw FVL teasing a shocking ending on Twitter yesterday so I figured he was killing the new Geomancer already. Nice to see that didn't happen, but taking away her voice is quite the twist. Hope she survives and is the Geomancer for a good while. Great issue.

If it got blown off, wouldn't it just grow back? I know its a new universe, but in VH1 the eternals could heal from pretty much anything (even brain death). Growing limbs back wasn't a fast process but they would grow back. Gilad had an arm chopped off once in an issue and he was able to reattach it later. I always assumed their healing ability was practically limitless (mothergod referred to Gilad as a long term threat, which to me meant even she would have trouble killing him).

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We've seen Armstrong heal -- he had to regrow his eyes after Mary Maria shot them out. It will take a bit of time but the arm will grow back.

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"Sorry, no. You are absolutely about to pepper spray the wrong guy."

Loved the new developments in the story, although I'm starting to see why EW is tired of Armstrong. And that dope joke was tired even when Cheech and Chong was doing it 40 years ago. Hardy har.

That line about paving over beautiful golf course landscapes and turning them into HUD ghettos with "free" homeless housing really made me laugh. Maybe we could turn every baseball stadium into a huge soup kitchen too.

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