4001 AD Issue 1 Discussion

[Psiot X]

The first couple of pages serve as an intro for new readers filling in the basics of the backstory. The digital edition makes them appear to be printed on old fashioned papyrus scroll type paper. They keep a very Asian style with line drawings for it. I wanted to quibble over the description of RAI as a symbol of hope rather than as a symbol of the state.

The art and color pallet will be familiar to regular readers. It's all good to me. After a farewell to some hunters, the action picks up with parts of New Japan being jettisoned to earth as Father finds he can't contain the virus and control the station. Lula is on a guilt trip and visiting her parents is no help.

Man, Gilad has an awesome look in this comic. I really like it better than the classic. The black and red with the white hair and beard, lean and mean build, is fearsome.

I didn't know what to make of the armor. Giant knight armor from the XO-War? It's a mecha. It's all squat and bulky but huge. Blue and gold? Maybe not my favorite color pairing and I think it has kept me from XO-Man O War now that I think about it. But don't mistake me. It's an interesting unit.

Somehow, I thought the secret weapon might have been Bloodshot nanites.

I did not expect Father to see it and RAI inbound on New Japan only to use it as excuse murder the entire human council.

Okay, WTF happened? Did father split New Japan into three sections and unleash a giant metal dragon snake to fight with Man O War Knight? Or did this completely mess with me?

Then it ends and leaves me with a ton of ads for other books in the event...

It's kind of like a big anime feature that ends a few pages too soon. It's not bad but it will take issue 2 to make it great or break it. I am having some trouble getting around my expectations here in that they have went into unexpected territory. It doesn't read or feel like the usual Valiant offering, this is a mecha anime.

What are you thinking and where are you at with it?

[krylox]

I liked it! Haven't read Rai since the first paperback and was once more impressed with Clayton Crain's hyperdetailed, digital art. Such a good fit for this futuristic story. The plot itself... well, not that much happened, yet. It read very much like a set-up issue. But it did a good job introducing me (and other new or relapsed readers) to the whole Father vs Rai thing, that is going on. The pacing was nice and I can't wait for Rai #13 in two weeks to come out.

[Keith]

I liked it, but agree that it was primarily setup (no surprise) and a new reader friendly intro (again, no surprise).

I really liked the initial image of the X-O Knight all dormant in it's mountain hideaway. The children playing around it gave a great sense of scale as to just how huge this thing is, and then just how big New Japan/Dragon is in comparison. I am most intrigued to read the X-O issue next week and get more background on the War of the X-O Manowars!

[Psiot X]

Yeah, The pacing was good krylox. Now that I think about it I feel they were setting Lula up for next issue.

You know Keith, somehow I was amused at the kids giving Gilad so much crap as Scar Face. Can't you just see him telling those kids to get off my lawn? I really want to read the XO-War 4001 AD issue too in order to understand more of what I am seeing.

But man I have spent so much on Valiant this month. I feel like I am junkie. lol.

[nonplayer]

I enjoyed it. No gripes other than some times crains art makes it hard to know what's going one. And I may be seeing things that aren't there or people from another time. But I'm hopeful that the guy shooting the arrow in the beginning could easily be a new Turok type of character. I'm probably just being hopeful as I saw all the dinosaurs burn up and most likely die. Still hopeful. No golden bubbles to save everyone this time.
O Momo where art tho. Rai's arm is blue scales now like the fish eye police guess its healing.
Pretty much played out like I thought it would.

[paradise]

Having read the Rai issue and the XO one shot, trust me, everything is coming together. THe backgrounds on the characters add a lot to the story and will make you want to re-read the first issue with them in light.

[greg]

Okay, WTF happened? Did father split New Japan into three sections and unleash a giant metal dragon snake to fight with Man O War Knight? Or did this completely mess with me?

Yes, that's definitely a concept from the 1990s Rai.

This is a "fan creation" (series of alternative covers) that I did a few years ago, using an image from the interior of Magnus #8/Rai (mini) #1, which features the Japan "dragon" in orbit.

[Donovan]

LOVED IT! Felt like old school VH1 to me for some reason.

That hunter at the beginning wasn't savage, but he was hunting dragons! I'd love to see this guy survive the plummet - the 'return' to earth!

[greg]

I'm hopeful that the guy shooting the arrow in the beginning could easily be a new Turok type of character.

I interpreted that exactly opposite.

Valiant shows us a Turok-type character, then disintegrates him in outer space. In other words... Valiant Turok? Forget it.

[JCP]

Loved the issue. I'm glad I reread my Rai TPB's first. Kudos to VEI for making this a good jumping on point without divulging the fun details from Rai 1-12.

Gilad looked pretty awesome. He did have a very Eastwood get-off-my-lawn comportment about him with the kids. His costume looked really cool.

Lots of action, love the art, and a solid tease for issue 2. Can't ask for more. Excellent work VEI!

[Keith]

But man I have spent so much on Valiant this month. I feel like I am junkie. lol.

But yet you resist getting the Fall of Ninjak issue... some junkie you turned out to be.

[Blood of Heroes]

My biggest takeaway from the issue was a possible clue to who Father is. He refers to the armor Rai uses as a "nuclear abomination" that he "dares bring to New Japan".
We all know that Harada has an aversion to nuclear weapons...

[JCP]

My biggest takeaway from the issue was a possible clue to who Father is. He refers to the armor Rai uses as a "nuclear abomination" that he "dares bring to New Japan".
We all know that Harada has an aversion to nuclear weapons...

Solid catch.

[greg]

My biggest takeaway from the issue was a possible clue to who Father is. He refers to the armor Rai uses as a "nuclear abomination" that he "dares bring to New Japan".
We all know that Harada has an aversion to nuclear weapons...

Solid catch.

If we're going with Harada clues... Rai is first seen (back in Rai #1) with the pink petal tree at the top of New Japan.
Harada takes Peter to the "idealized garden of his youth" in Harbinger #1. Pink petal trees.

[JCP]

My biggest takeaway from the issue was a possible clue to who Father is. He refers to the armor Rai uses as a "nuclear abomination" that he "dares bring to New Japan".
We all know that Harada has an aversion to nuclear weapons...

Solid catch.

If we're going with Harada clues... Rai is first seen (back in Rai #1) with the pink petal tree at the top of New Japan.
Harada takes Peter to the "idealized garden of his youth" in Harbinger #1. Pink petal trees.

Wow.

[jmatt]

Fantastic kick-off! Love the artwork like crazy but yeah, when X-O Bot meets up with New Japan it's hard to tell what's going on for a few panels. And if I could have traded splash panels, give me one with a nice big look at the X-O Bot instead of one of the others.

This is the first mention of the X-O Wars, yes? Wish the name was a little more nuanced and literary, like The X-O Interregnum or The Third Reconciliation of the Last of the McKetrick Supplicants.

Can't wait for the rest of this!

[Brapbrap]

this was good but i feel like valiant always gives away too much about their events, literally every teaser image showed the New Japan dragon and Rai in the X-O armor.

i think it was really good at introducing people to the story though, obviously its been a while since rai #12 came out and i had forgotten a few major parts of the plot so i liked how reader-friendly the comic was, it didn't expect me to remember what was happening and explained everything to new readers

[krylox]

Some good points raisend about the Harada-Father connection! While I was reading I was actually thinking about how the "benevolent dictator vs fighters for freedom/democracy" is such a big topic in different Valiant comics... haha.

But I would actually prefer Harada's exit in Harbinger BOD to be final.

[Psiot X]

I am actually wondering about the connection between live wire fueling Father's control of New Japan and the actual character Live Wire.

But man I have spent so much on Valiant this month. I feel like I am junkie. lol.

But yet you resist getting the Fall of Ninjak issue... some junkie you turned out to be.

May 25. Collection 3 Ninjak. My mother's birthday.

I have enough to meet both needs. If I buy the fall of Ninjak then I don't. If I skimp on mom's birthday this thread will suddenly be about the fall of me...

I'm hopeful that the guy shooting the arrow in the beginning could easily be a new Turok type of character.

I interpreted that exactly opposite.

Valiant shows us a Turok-type character, then disintegrates him in outer space. In other words... Valiant Turok? Forget it.

LOL. Is the glass half full or half empty?

[nonplayer]

My biggest takeaway from the issue was a possible clue to who Father is. He refers to the armor Rai uses as a "nuclear abomination" that he "dares bring to New Japan".
We all know that Harada has an aversion to nuclear weapons...

Solid catch.

If we're going with Harada clues... Rai is first seen (back in Rai #1) with the pink petal tree at the top of New Japan.
Harada takes Peter to the "idealized garden of his youth" in Harbinger #1. Pink petal trees.

"pink petal tree" I gotta curb this before it sticks. They call them cherry blossoms and the tree is an oriental cherry it doesn't actually produce fruit.

[String]

My biggest takeaway from the issue was a possible clue to who Father is. He refers to the armor Rai uses as a "nuclear abomination" that he "dares bring to New Japan".
We all know that Harada has an aversion to nuclear weapons...

Solid catch.

If we're going with Harada clues... Rai is first seen (back in Rai #1) with the pink petal tree at the top of New Japan.
Harada takes Peter to the "idealized garden of his youth" in Harbinger #1. Pink petal trees.

If we're looking for clues tying to Harada, then how about the yellow jacket that someone gives to Lula that harkens back to the yellow hoodie worn by Peter?

Catching back up, it's great that this issue was so new reader-friendly. (Also, thanks Psiot X for the thread shout-out about Comixology's Rai sale. I had only read the Vol 1 TPB so that was really helpful towards helping me get caught up).

Crain's art, amazing as always. LOVED the shot and scale of the X-O mecha resting under the mountain. Seeing this mecha in action makes me want to learn more about this X-O war.

Is this Gilad the same one from the Eternal Emperor arc or a different version?

Some great build-up here, looking forward to what's next.

[greg]

Is this Gilad the same one from the Eternal Emperor arc or a different version?

If I'm reading it right, it's the same one. This likely takes place after the Eternal Emperor arc.

[Elveen]

Japan as the Dragon is great. One of my very favorite single images from VH1 is Japan Dragon.

[depluto]

I loved this although it felt like Rai 13 (and I loved 1-12 of Rai). It does make me wonder where the real Rai 13 is heading.

[grendeljd]

I loved this although it felt like Rai 13 (and I loved 1-12 of Rai). It does make me wonder where the real Rai 13 is heading.

I think that arc will be exploring some of the past RAI incarnations? Just a guess based on the CAFU cover art (and possibly mentioned in a solicit somewhere).