Eternal Warrior #2 Discussion

[Donovan]

Loved this issue - I think combining #1 and #2 into a single debut would have been a more impressive start.

I love Crain's valiant work - my only beef with this issue was that his art seemed to dark and saturated. It could have been curved up in Photoshop a bit just to bring out some of the midtones, imo.

[Knightt]

I also like how the art, at least for this arc, is being used to help showcase the change in "when".

Yep, this was done well in harbinger #0 and again here. I hope it's something editorial (Warren et al) will continue to do.

They did the same thing in early issues of Bloodshot to differentiate his uploaded memories from the real world, and in Shadowman for real world/Deadside.

Right on. I recall it working well in those issues.

Issues like shadowman 10, that have many artists and no rhyme or reason for who's on what pages drive me crazy! Shadowman 10 was a great story and the art really hurt it in places, taking my mind out of the story and into art critic mode.

So, is it a bad thing to mix the two ? I find myself reading the stories usually without any problem but it's the damn art that gives me "the letdown". Do you find this to be the same ?

Do you mean mix two art styles in one issue? Personally I think its a great idea when executed well, as in some of the examples listed above. I liked it in EW #2, there was a very distinct contrast in the styles, which is probably the key to making it work best. I was definitely not a fan of those issues of Shadowman where it was much more haphazard & didn't always coincide with a significant change in the story or setting. That really took me out of enjoying the story.

No, I mean mixing the 'mind out of the story and into art critic mode'. I read the story, I like... I look at the art, I don't like, ending up in disappointment.

[Dallow Spicer1]

Excellent issue, great tone to the book and shows Eternal Warrior as he should be depicted. In both issue 1 and 2 he smashes his daughter in the face which I found somewhat shocking even though she's mental!

Excellent start by the creative team 4/5

[Knightt]

Excellent issue, great tone to the book and shows Eternal Warrior as he should be depicted. In both issue 1 and 2 he smashes his daughter in the face which I found somewhat shocking even though she's mental!

Excellent start by the creative team 4/5

Do you have any daughters ?

[jmatt]

Excellent issue, great tone to the book and shows Eternal Warrior as he should be depicted. In both issue 1 and 2 he smashes his daughter in the face which I found somewhat shocking even though she's mental!

Excellent start by the creative team 4/5

Do you have any daughters ?

I have one, and the last time she ran me through with a spear she was grounded for the entire weekend.

[Knightt]

Excellent issue, great tone to the book and shows Eternal Warrior as he should be depicted. In both issue 1 and 2 he smashes his daughter in the face which I found somewhat shocking even though she's mental!

Excellent start by the creative team 4/5

Do you have any daughters ?

I have one, and the last time she ran me through with a spear she was grounded for the entire weekend.

I.e.why we want to smash our daughters in the face from time to time... and for those younger fathers who's baby girl is not yet 16 and older and are horrified at elbow planting "daddy's little girl"? You will... you...will.

[Aomalle27]

Not overly thrilled with this issue. The art just didn't pop like it did in issue 1; and the story didn't really lead anywhere for me. It dealt more with EW turning his back on Earth, than the strain between he and Xaran. Everything seemed mishmash to me, especially in comparison to A&A also released the same week ( I know it's unfair, A&A Had had time to grow into Valiants best title IMHO ). Right now I'm really putting this title at the bottom of VEI right now , although VEI is all I but, so there's no danger of it getting dropped anytime soon. * Q- when is this supposed to take place chronologically? Obviously before A&A 5, since he's not in his Earth servant mode. But how much earlier? The advent of Harada ( just after Hiroshima?) before etc?

[lorddunlow]

Excellent issue, great tone to the book and shows Eternal Warrior as he should be depicted. In both issue 1 and 2 he smashes his daughter in the face which I found somewhat shocking even though she's mental!

Excellent start by the creative team 4/5

Do you have any daughters ?

I have one, and the last time she ran me through with a spear she was grounded for the entire weekend.

I.e.why we want to smash our daughters in the face from time to time... and for those younger fathers who's baby girl is not yet 16 and older and are horrified at elbow planting "daddy's little girl"? You will... you...will.

[Dallow Spicer1]

Excellent issue, great tone to the book and shows Eternal Warrior as he should be depicted. In both issue 1 and 2 he smashes his daughter in the face which I found somewhat shocking even though she's mental!

Excellent start by the creative team 4/5

Do you have any daughters ?

I have one, and the last time she ran me through with a spear she was grounded for the entire weekend.

I.e.why we want to smash our daughters in the face from time to time... and for those younger fathers who's baby girl is not yet 16 and older and are horrified at elbow planting "daddy's little girl"? You will... you...will.

Yeah, I've got 2, both under 10! Lets revisit this conversation in 2021!

[betterthanezra]

Excellent issue I was blown away after reading it.

Gilad is turning into one of my favorite characters all over again.

-Brian

[Big Red]

First of all, the word "echo" has been used past quota in this thread. One week embargo of its use.

I echo this sentiment.

Wait...

[lorddunlow]

First of all, the word "echo" has been used past quota in this thread. One week embargo of its use.

I echo this sentiment.

Wait...

We're well past the one week embargo. You're free to use the word echo at your leisure.

[Big Red]

I wanted to say that I loved this issue. It reminded me of why I loved this character in the original Valiant universe.

I love Gilad. It even had me starting to like Xaran. And I hated her after the first issue.

Plus, the art was stellar.

[Baramos]

My biggest issue with mixing art styles is when an artist is very "off-model"--Buck McHenry in this issue looks absolutely NOTHING like the Buck McHenry Kay McHenry sees during her vision in A&A. He's supposed to be an albino here, whereas in A&A he just looked like an older guy with white hair. The art was fantastic, mind you, but that kind of thing bugs me. If the regular artist had done it it probably would have looked way closer to what Buck looked like in A&A because it would have been drawn less realistically.

Re: Buck still being alive in the present, I think that we can assume Geomancers are kept alive by the Earth until they get killed, so they can live for decades. That is assuming that is Buck who was killed in A&A #4 and not just another guy with white hair and similar clothing.

Re: Not sure about the timeline problem with the fact that Gilad was shown being active in the 1960s as the Fist and Steel. As people have said, it can probably be explained by a revelation that this is taking place prior to that or that he has quit multiple times.

Re: the House of the Wild, it's not a fighting force for the houses, it is a House itself. It represents some kind of spirit of living animals on the planet, as opposed to the House of the Earth which is the planet itself. We already know from A&A that these two things are not necessarily going to be in harmony, as the Earth pointed out that to protect herself she might have to kill all humans on the planet. So apparently there is a "God" of the Wild just like there is a "God" of the Earth. And instead of a Geomancer, an Animaliancer who can control animals, which is why they were attacking Gilad and Xaran.

[Phoenix8008]

I had thought that Xaran was somehow going to be the leader of the House of the Wild. Looking back at EW#1, Gilad mentions a couple times about them fighting as humans, not as animals. So what does she do? Rides an elephant into combat. And in that first panel where it shows her on the elephant, not only does she has her arms raised up at the same angle as the elephants ears, but there is a hawk or eagle flying above her with its wings spread out at the same angle just about. I thought that was a little strange and might be some foreshadowing or something.

Maybe Xaran was supposed to be the Fist & the Steel for the House of the Wild, but she walked out on that responsibility to go do Gilad's job when he quit? I doubt I'm right, but we'll see. Just really seemed like they were going out of their way in issue #1 to point out her animal connection. Then Gilad's dog goes nuts and the hypnotized lions attack in #2, so House of the Wild obviously controls animals to some degree. We'll see I guess.

[jmatt]

And instead of a Geomancer, an Animaliancer who can control animals, which is why they were attacking Gilad and Xaran.

Wow, I totally missed that. Good point. I was assuming that it was Xaran's evil presence that caused Gilad's dog to attack.

[String]

Some interesting theories on the House of the Wild but this very concept of the Houses is so tantalizing. What are they exactly? How many are there? What are their connections to the overall Valiant Universe? (For example, what are their relations with the Sect?) Buck mentions the 'Long War', was the Covenant a peace accord between the Houses, now torn asunder by whatever Xaran believes Gilad has done (or not done)? Sooo many fun questions.

Fantastic issue, Pak's usage of inner monologue for Gilad is terrific, showing his love of killing combined with his strict moral code of honor (Gilad's last words to the Sword of the Wild is a perfect example). The flashback scenes were great, definitely think that sparing the mother and child will come back to haunt Gilad in a big way. Of course, why this particular tribe needed to be 'culled' is another great mystery to add to this book.

Art was amazing, the fight scenes brutal and quick. A nagging nitpick occurs in the flashback, if it's 1877, then why is the Union soldier using a flintlock pistol? Just found that strange.

Overall, really, really starting to love this book and the characters. VEI does it again.

[the1captain]

So I just read issue 2(I get my books one month behind to get the discount on comixology) and have a question. I see on this thread there have been questions about the continuity. But what about this. If for the last 5 generations Gilad has turned his back on the earth, then why was he trying to avenge the death of a geomancer in his first appearence in Archer & Armstrong? Or even trying to help the new geomancer? When issue one stated he quit I assumed they meant after the A & A storyline. Not decades ago.

[ThatDarnCabbage]

So I just read issue 2(I get my books one month behind to get the discount on comixology) and have a question. I see on this thread there have been questions about the continuity. But what about this. If for the last 5 generations Gilad has turned his back on the earth, then why was he trying to avenge the death of a geomancer in his first appearence in Archer & Armstrong? Or even trying to help the new geomancer? When issue one stated he quit I assumed they meant after the A & A storyline. Not decades ago.

Greg Pak has stated that this story arc takes place before his appearance in Archer and Armstrong. Not sure how long before, but this arc is supposed to get him to be the man we have seen in the modern day version.

[the1captain]

So I just read issue 2(I get my books one month behind to get the discount on comixology) and have a question. I see on this thread there have been questions about the continuity. But what about this. If for the last 5 generations Gilad has turned his back on the earth, then why was he trying to avenge the death of a geomancer in his first appearence in Archer & Armstrong? Or even trying to help the new geomancer? When issue one stated he quit I assumed they meant after the A & A storyline. Not decades ago.

Greg Pak has stated that this story arc takes place before his appearance in Archer and Armstrong. Not sure how long before, but this arc is supposed to get him to be the man we have seen in the modern day version.

Thanks. I didn't know that. But they should make that more clear in the book itself.

[Phoenix8008]

So I just read issue 2(I get my books one month behind to get the discount on comixology) and have a question. I see on this thread there have been questions about the continuity. But what about this. If for the last 5 generations Gilad has turned his back on the earth, then why was he trying to avenge the death of a geomancer in his first appearence in Archer & Armstrong? Or even trying to help the new geomancer? When issue one stated he quit I assumed they meant after the A & A storyline. Not decades ago.

Greg Pak has stated that this story arc takes place before his appearance in Archer and Armstrong. Not sure how long before, but this arc is supposed to get him to be the man we have seen in the modern day version.

Thanks. I didn't know that. But they should make that more clear in the book itself.

I'm guessing that at the end of the story arc when Gilad decides to 'go back to work', he'll find out that the Geomancer has been kidnapped and start searching in vain because he's being flown around before the events in A&A #5.

[blujay]

So I just read issue 2(I get my books one month behind to get the discount on comixology) and have a question. I see on this thread there have been questions about the continuity. But what about this. If for the last 5 generations Gilad has turned his back on the earth, then why was he trying to avenge the death of a geomancer in his first appearence in Archer & Armstrong? Or even trying to help the new geomancer? When issue one stated he quit I assumed they meant after the A & A storyline. Not decades ago.

Greg Pak has stated that this story arc takes place before his appearance in Archer and Armstrong. Not sure how long before, but this arc is supposed to get him to be the man we have seen in the modern day version.

That makes a lot more sense.

The "Now" caption was very misleading, as it leads us to believe that "now" would be...right now...as in taking place not months ago when A&A #5 was released.

Then again I don't suppose you could put a caption that read "A couple of weeks before the events of Archer & Armstrong #5"

[BugsySig]

So I just read issue 2(I get my books one month behind to get the discount on comixology) and have a question. I see on this thread there have been questions about the continuity. But what about this. If for the last 5 generations Gilad has turned his back on the earth, then why was he trying to avenge the death of a geomancer in his first appearence in Archer & Armstrong? Or even trying to help the new geomancer? When issue one stated he quit I assumed they meant after the A & A storyline. Not decades ago.

Greg Pak has stated that this story arc takes place before his appearance in Archer and Armstrong. Not sure how long before, but this arc is supposed to get him to be the man we have seen in the modern day version.

That makes a lot more sense.

The "Now" caption was very misleading, as it leads us to believe that "now" would be...right now...as in taking place not months ago when A&A #5 was released.

Then again I don't suppose you could put a caption that read "A couple of weeks before the events of Archer & Armstrong #5"

I'd prefer, "Picture it: Sicily, 1931..."