Eternal Warrior #7 Discussion

[bygranddesign]

It was a decent read .. but the hope and ambition that seemed evident in issue #5 has been all used up and its just seems to be coasting along at the moment... It needs to up the ante and deliver some genuine surprises. This is a story that shouldn't feel bland yet thats the impression I felt after reading it.

That's all i got.

[tated250]

Ok I'll have to disagree I loved this one but how they are going to wrap it up in one issue I'm not to certain about

[bygranddesign]

Ok I'll have to disagree I loved this one but how they are going to wrap it up in one issue I'm not to certain about

That's cool.

Maybe my expectations are too high.

It WILL be interesting to see how this all wraps up ... especially since we know this title will have what I presume to be a lengthy hiatus after the next issue.

The story now moving toward the death cult as the main antagonist is intriguing especially since it might mean Mitu might show up .... and sort of bring this title full circle (and answers some lingering questions) before it goes on break.

[greg]

The story now moving toward the death cult as the main antagonist is intriguing especially since it might mean Mitu might show up .... and sort of bring this title full circle (and answers some lingering questions) before it goes on break.

Maybe there will be a follow-up mini-series called Deathcultmate!

[hunter_peterson]

I really like how in this book, but especially in this arc, every time Gilad has a clear course of action on how to do the right thing it turns out to be a lot more morally complex than he thought. There really isn't an easy answer as to what to do with the King and his robots. They turned out to have very good reasons for doing what they did, and after Gilad helps them secure the cure, what right does he have to remove their ability to protect themselves in the hostile future world? None, but he might anyway to protect the world from them. Interesting.

Also, Caroline with the robowolves was adorable. I hope Gilad gets that mechanical horse next issue, for the sheer badassery of it.

[bygranddesign]

The story now moving toward the death cult as the main antagonist is intriguing especially since it might mean Mitu might show up .... and sort of bring this title full circle (and answers some lingering questions) before it goes on break.

Maybe there will be a follow-up mini-series called Deathcultmate!

Gilad fighting along side Rick Grimes (and his merry followers) against Mitu and the Zombie Apocalypse?

That's Gold Jerry! Gold!

[SJS4]

Loved the issue. IMHO this series is getting better with each issue, which makes the "hiatus" such a shame.

I still miss Hairsine on art, but i dig Gill's art. Even he doesn't get to keep drawing EW i hope they give him a shot at another title.

The story is really starting to come together. With each issue we learn a little bit more about the 4001 time period, and it is now starting to come in to focus how this arc ties in to the first arc.

I love this interpretation of Gilad. As much ad i enjoy FVL on A&A, his take on Gilad was one dimensional at best and annoying at worst. Gilad's portrayal in Unity is a little better than A&A, but he still seems relatively shallow. I'll give props to Venditti though, he handled Gilad very well. All of that being said, the character we see in this book is three dimensional and has depth. His interaction with Caroline has been the best tool so far to get a read on Gilad as a character.

Speaking of Caroline, i am going to be crushed if we don't get to see more of her after issue #8. She has quickly become my favorite supporting character in any book i am currently buying (not just VEI).

Anyway i am REALLY looking forward to the final issue. My biggest concern is seeing if Pak can really bring everything together and wrap up the arc in a satisfying manor.

[sonicdan]

I still miss Hairsine on art, but i dig Gill's art. Even he doesn't get to keep drawing EW i hope they give him a shot at another title.

Hairsine's been doing some really nice covers for Valiant lately. I hope he gets back to doing some interiors.
Robert Gill is lined up to do the interiors for the Harbinger: Armor Wars mini.
DAN

[BugsySig]

I haven't read this issue yet, so I won't comment on that until I do, but I think I figured out my issue with this title thus far: I'm not sure who Gilad is and what this book is about.

Gilad is a man on a mission, sure, but what is his mission? The Gilad in A&A and Unity is very different from both versions we've seen in his self-titled book. In the former, he serves the Earth as the Fist and Steel. In the latter, he is a protective "father" who seemingly abandoned his post. I'm OK with that in 4001, where he has evolved and changed over two-thousand years, but I'm still not sure how to reconcile the two "modern day" versions.

I strongly believe this second arc needed to include flashbacks (or flash-presents I suppose ) in order to connect past and future Gilad, as well as provide a common thread for the series. When it returns from hiatus, I hope that becomes a hallmark of the series. The book needs to teach us who Gilad is/was/will be as well as how and why he changes.

Personally, I like Gilad as "Fist and Steel of the Earth" in the present (as shown in Unity) and jaded, conflicted wanderer in 4001 (as shown in Eternal Emperor). I just want to see the threads established that lead Gilad to that change.

[jmatt]

The title moves forward, the issue was 7/10 for me.

The holding the guns backward part was just dumb. They have an operational aircraft and can manufacture radiation medicine but they can't figure out how to hold a weapon? They actually never really tried firing one, not even once?

Not sure how happy I am that Gilad is an a-hole to people trying to help him. I guess it gives him some edginess as a character but I want to like my heroes.

What stops that carrier from tipping over? You would think there would be just a little dialogue about an aircraft carrier sitting in a hole in the ground a thousand miles from shore.

The art was good, but we'd be better served with more story and dialogue rather than 3 full splash pages in a single issue. The one with him attacking the bears was a waste. If you're gonna bother with that, it has to be much more dramatic to warrant using a full page.

[Aomalle27]

The art was good, but we'd be better served with more story and dialogue rather than 3 full splash pages in a single issue. The one with him attacking the bears was a waste. If you're gonna bother with that, it has to be much more dramatic to warrant using a full page.

This has been a big gripe of mine too. They are very liberal with the use of full page and dual page spreads. It had to be epic or gripping for me to give a pass to a FPS or DPS, otherwise it's just a lazy artist that doesn't wanna do allot of panel work. The bear fight doesn't cut it in my book

[pixierosa]

This felt a bit rushed to me, but it was by no means a bad read. I, too, like how tempered EW is now. He tries to make the best decision, the "moral" one, but interestingly enough, he doesn't take the "this is bigger than us" approach that most "heroes" would. Instead, it's a decision of what is best for whatever people are currently aligned with himself and his granddaughter. It's still a selfish worldview for someone who is supposed to be a servant or savior. Understandable, of course, that he places family first, but it's a wrinkle in his character.

Speaking of, I do hope that they at least explain the extreme fury in A&A. Granted, that story was told without any insight into the thoughts and motivations of EW, but instead was "translated" for us by Armstrong. That explains the one-dimensional effect. "My brother is stubborn, violent, etc." In Unity, we are seeing him as a negotiator and more of a protector. Here, we are privy to more of his emotions, motivations, and thoughts. Naturally this POV makes for a more rounded character. I like him.

I also like how the people in 4001 have access to old and dangerous technology. They have no real idea what they are dealing with and the repercussions upon their world. That can serve as a commentary on our society, too.

[Donovan]

I found myself bored with the first third of the book, and by the reveal in the middle had done a complete 120* and found myself enjoying it.

*I would have done a complete 180, but I'm just not feeling the art. It feels rushed, and in terms of storytelling doesn't seem up to par to with the other VEI books.

[KXXX]

I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, I've been down on some of the books lately but this was a nice read

[BugsySig]

I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, I've been down on some of the books lately but this was a nice read

I agree. I thought this was a very good read that nicely presented what was going on behind the scenes that has led Gilad to where he is. I'm now understanding who this version of Gilad is.

I do find the fact that these people are repairing robots and yet can't figure out how to use a gun a bit rediculous. Gilad's comment about trying to make sure no one ever used a gun again suggests there may be a larger story behind this, though.

The art was adequate, and I didn't mind 2 of the three full page spreads. The first with the bears was not very good, but the other two appropriately conveyed the importance of the scenes.

[David_Cody]

Ok I'll have to disagree I loved this one but how they are going to wrap it up in one issue I'm not to certain about

I agree. I rather enjoyed this one. Though I've liked most all the EW issues VEI has put out. Cannot come close to saying the same for A&A.

I look forward to what's going to happen next month.

[Bone-A-Fach-ee]

I dig the art. It does seem like issue 8 is going to be packed in order to wrap this thing up.
Liking the arc so far though.

[String]

Again, thoroughly enjoyed this issue and so far, this whole arc. A few inconsistencies aside, I'm looking forward to seeing how Pak resolves this arc. If Caroline survives (and she better! ) it 'd be nice to see Pak return to this era for more tales of the Emperor and his granddaughter.

[FormerReader]

I enjoyed the issue, but I'm with jmatt on this one. They can fly a plane, redevelop a cure to radiation poisoning, but can't figure out how to fire a weapon??

[Aomalle27]

A quick observation, since the marauders were from the East, and one in the security camera photo looks a lot like a raddie from the Rai preview, are these death cultists really raddies, and is this how the 4001 universe is gonna tie together? Other than this I still am not on board with this title. And am quite disappointed to see that they're already previewing Rai #2, what with issue #1 not even debuting yet.

[ShadowTuga]

Great read, great visuals. I really like the interactions between Gilad and Caroline. Greg Pak does a wonderful job in voicing these 2.

And the only beef I had with the previous issue was solved: finally we see SOMETHING related to the 1st arc, namely the Death cultists.

I hope the next one to be a true showdown issue.

[ilzuccone]

It needs to up the ante and deliver some genuine surprises. This is a story that shouldn't feel bland yet thats the impression I felt after reading it.

I agree completely. it feels like there's a lack of enthusiasm on either the writer or artists part. can't pinpoint which.

[bamaphilosopher]

This is actually the first of the new "Eternal Emperor" stories that I've enjoyed, because now I finally see where they're going with it.

But I'm kind of with the previous poster...I think Eternal Warrior should be more involved in the current-day Valiant universe, and interacting with the Geomancer. I think fast-forwarding to 4001 is not really what I want to see, unless he's actually interacting with Rai or something like that. And I hope this is just a temporary arc, and that they're not doing a "we'll set this book in the future to interacting with Rai, and just leave the current-day Eternal Warrior in Unity." That, I think, would be kind of disappointing.

It's a shame, to me, because Eternal Warrior could be one of their best characters and best books, and right now the title and the character doesn't seem to have any real direction.

I'll keep buying it...I'm a Valiant completist until the day they start sucking, like when I quit VH1 somewhere between Chaos Effect and Birthquake.

So far, I'm overall VERY pleased with the VEI line. But yes, Eternal Warrior needs some work. They say they've got some good plans cooking for him, though...I hope so.

Again, I'll stick with the title. EW is one of my favorite characters. When done right, he is a real linchpin for the Valiant Universe for me.

[leonmallett]

I am enjoying the story for the most part, with some exceptions (as jmatt points out, the issue with the reverse hold on the guns felt stupid and illogical - test firings, ergonomics, an end that looks like it does something rather than a shoulder stock etc.).

Nonetheless, I am enjoying the progression of the story, and Gilad and Caroline's relationship.

In this issue however, the art seemed sub-par; I just don't think it helped enhance the story. It was not terrible, it just was not up to a standard I hope for. I am not quite sure why; things felt a little static, but I am finding it hard to articulate *why* I did not really care for it, just that I simply did not care for it.

[kjjohanson]

Greg Pak says of the arc on his blog (link below to the full entry):

The latest and greatest issue of “Eternal Warrior” hits stores today, and I hope you’ll consider picking it up. Without any exaggeration, I think this might be one of the best things I’ve written in a while, and Robert Gill’s pencils, Guy Major’s colors, and Dave Sharpe’s letters are just stunning.

I'm enjoying the arc, but perhaps there are some of the subtleties that just aren't being conveyed, or just aren't what people are looking to get out of an Eternal Warrior series.

http://gregpak.com/2014-03-26-eternal-w ... out-today/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;