Re-Reading: Eternal Warrior Yearbook 1
Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg
Re-Reading: Eternal Warrior Yearbook 1
I thought we could do a book a day (that way people can read one every day or catch up on weekends), talk about it on its own, in the context of whats next, in regards to what expectations it creates and vote on how good it is. I don't have to be the one that posts everyday. If I miss a day or if someone wants to take over please do
For voting think of your single favourite comic book (not just VALIANT) as the benchmark - thats a 10 - and grade according to that.
The voting (I'm hoping) will help new readers make more educated descisions. If this turkey files maybe we can even do a list of the books according to average voting grade.
Make sure to mention what you like'd about the book, what you didn't, what you wish they would have done, your favourite panels, lines of dialogue, little bits of trivia etc.
Eternal Warrior Yearbook 1
For voting think of your single favourite comic book (not just VALIANT) as the benchmark - thats a 10 - and grade according to that.
The voting (I'm hoping) will help new readers make more educated descisions. If this turkey files maybe we can even do a list of the books according to average voting grade.
Make sure to mention what you like'd about the book, what you didn't, what you wish they would have done, your favourite panels, lines of dialogue, little bits of trivia etc.
Eternal Warrior Yearbook 1
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Todd Luck
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This issue is one of the best post-Unity issues this side of the bloodrunner plotline in Shadowman. It actually has a lot in common in with pre-unity comics. We have a story that's esssentially one big fight but the flashbacks and dialog turn into something much deeper and more complex. We tackle the big questions here: What's the point of war? How do you square heroism with slaughter on a battlefield? How do you square faith with war? And there are no easy answers ot any of them.
The characters are complex. No two dimensional heroes here. Just a lot of people doing what they think is right. Thought provoking, entertaining, and, damn, if that isn't one bad *SQUEE* fight scene.
Some of the flash backs seem out of character for Gilad but I just assume that he's just playing whatever role the Geomancer wants him to play. Besides, the shock factor from some of these scenes was too good not to do.
It's still a completely different Gilad than the one Shooter wrote but other than that, it's got that good old Pre-Unity feel. A 9
The characters are complex. No two dimensional heroes here. Just a lot of people doing what they think is right. Thought provoking, entertaining, and, damn, if that isn't one bad *SQUEE* fight scene.
Some of the flash backs seem out of character for Gilad but I just assume that he's just playing whatever role the Geomancer wants him to play. Besides, the shock factor from some of these scenes was too good not to do.
It's still a completely different Gilad than the one Shooter wrote but other than that, it's got that good old Pre-Unity feel. A 9
A very different Gilad and boy is he a fun one.
So far we've had:
Shooter's Gilad:
Born without a clue, he fights because he enjoys it, ego plays into his actions. But even for someone so block headed 1000s of years of life and the advice of the geomancers is too much experience to stay stupid. But then add another few 1000 years and the will to fight the good fight is starting the fade
Van Hook's Gilad:
A true hero, you never doubt that he's going to win the day. He might sacrifice sounds eggs but good will prevail. He's very much the insturment of the Geomancers, the brawn to thier brain. That's okay because they never steer him wrong and he's always on the side of right, usually for both ends and means.
Windsor Smith's Gilad:
Still stubborn and worrying about the smaller picture (just like Shooter's version) but more of a war monger. More violent and a lot darker. He's got a duty. Instead of being the instrument of the Geomancer's he's their pawn and we (the readers) aren't sure the geomancer's are always right, and if they are we definitely aren't okay with their methods. They think really big picture which can mean losing sight of what's really important.
DeVries Gilad:
Warmonger, murderer, thinks small picture, trusts the geomancers implicitly, is both their pawn and instrument. This Gilad is the most morally ambiguous, hes very dark and its hard to identify with him. He's done some messed up things for the betterment of the world but then someones gotta do it and no one else will or can. He's got a duty.
This was a really fun read. Right up their with Eternal Warrior #1 and #8 for me. You can stop reading but you're also thinking is this a book about a hero or a villain. Even at the end when he and the Geomancer are clearly working for the greater good you are disgusted by them.
Lots of very cool settings in the past, really cool fights and a very well thought out story. The end makes everything come together and the reader is left thinking about a lot of big issues like the purpose of war, the nature of god and evil etc. The regular series should have been more like this. Even the structure works better than the prologue in the past stuff (which got old fast).
I give it a very solid 8
So far we've had:
Shooter's Gilad:
Born without a clue, he fights because he enjoys it, ego plays into his actions. But even for someone so block headed 1000s of years of life and the advice of the geomancers is too much experience to stay stupid. But then add another few 1000 years and the will to fight the good fight is starting the fade
Van Hook's Gilad:
A true hero, you never doubt that he's going to win the day. He might sacrifice sounds eggs but good will prevail. He's very much the insturment of the Geomancers, the brawn to thier brain. That's okay because they never steer him wrong and he's always on the side of right, usually for both ends and means.
Windsor Smith's Gilad:
Still stubborn and worrying about the smaller picture (just like Shooter's version) but more of a war monger. More violent and a lot darker. He's got a duty. Instead of being the instrument of the Geomancer's he's their pawn and we (the readers) aren't sure the geomancer's are always right, and if they are we definitely aren't okay with their methods. They think really big picture which can mean losing sight of what's really important.
DeVries Gilad:
Warmonger, murderer, thinks small picture, trusts the geomancers implicitly, is both their pawn and instrument. This Gilad is the most morally ambiguous, hes very dark and its hard to identify with him. He's done some messed up things for the betterment of the world but then someones gotta do it and no one else will or can. He's got a duty.
This was a really fun read. Right up their with Eternal Warrior #1 and #8 for me. You can stop reading but you're also thinking is this a book about a hero or a villain. Even at the end when he and the Geomancer are clearly working for the greater good you are disgusted by them.
Lots of very cool settings in the past, really cool fights and a very well thought out story. The end makes everything come together and the reader is left thinking about a lot of big issues like the purpose of war, the nature of god and evil etc. The regular series should have been more like this. Even the structure works better than the prologue in the past stuff (which got old fast).
I give it a very solid 8
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RobInOttawa
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I really did not care for the Yearbook very much since it did not have the feel of the Eternal Warrior that I am used to. It is hard to see Gilad as a warmonger and murderer. The story seemed confusing and the biggest drawback for me is that the artwork wasn't as "clean" as the other Valiant titles in 1993.
I've started reading the Valiant titles from the very beginning, for the first time ever (currently only around the Eternal Warrior 16 timeframe), so an issue like this, which is very different from the "norm" really jumps out.
I've started reading the Valiant titles from the very beginning, for the first time ever (currently only around the Eternal Warrior 16 timeframe), so an issue like this, which is very different from the "norm" really jumps out.