Unity #1 Review - Mobile Edition

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Unity #1 Review
By Andy Frisk
November 3, 2013 - 20:19

Valiant Entertainment
Writer(s): Matt Kindt
Penciller(s): Doug Braithwaite
Cover Artist(s): Doug Braithwaite

Aric of Dacia has declared present day Romania to be the new Kingdom of Dacia and himself its king. The alien tech powered and time displaced warrior king's actions are not received well by the Russian Federation. They view Aric, his X-O Manowar armor, and his alien ship to be the equivalent of a "nuke in the hands of a monkey" residing right on their borders. An assault is launched. It does not end well for the Russian forces. The use of nuclear weapons against Aric is eminent. World War III will follow. This will put a serious cramp in Toyo Harada's plans. Therefore, the world's most powerful Psiot forms a team to take Aric out aided by Gilad Anni-Padda, the Eternal Warrior, and Ninjack. Aric and his alien armor are a formidable foe that will not be defeated easily though, as the Unity team finds out.

Matt Kindt pulls no punches here in Unity #1. Harada and his Unity Team are at war with Aric of Dacia/X-O Manowar and there will be casualties, including an entire Russian Army Battalion. In Kindt's talented storytelling hands though, Unity #1 is much more than a simple action driven first episode of the the biggest event to rock the Valiant Universe 2.0's Earth. It's a nuanced and character driven examination of powerful men with powerful motivations who have little concern for those around them except for those most close to them. Each of the characters involved have specific motivations and reflect realistic motivations with real life consequences, much like Valiant's comics always have. It's hard to find one side or single character to root for. They all have their own misguided or dubious motivations. We haven't had the pleasure to see this many superhero characters portrayed this realistically outside of Watchmen, and its many copy cat comics.

Doug Braithwaite's excellent pencil work bring Kindt's script to vivid life. His characters are dynamic and eye catching. He manages to recreate ruined urban landscapes with the same depth that he brings to life the quiet meeting between Harada and Gilad. His visualizations of advanced technology (often of a warlike nature) are just as sharp and eye catching as his recreations of Gilad's ancient exploits referenced in flash back sequences. Overall, Unity #1 is an eye catching work.

The war has begun, and there will be blood. Unity has arrived. This is one series launch that you shouldn't miss.

Rating: 10/10

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