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Writer's pictureByron O'Neal

INCURSION, ISSUE #1


Writer: Andy Diggle & Alex Paknadel Art: Doug Braithwaite Publisher: Valiant Comics


Incursion, Issue #1, cover, Valiant Comics, Diggle/Paknadel/Braithwaite

WHAT IS IT?

The first issue of a 4-issue miniseries about an immortal warrior and the magical, young girl he has to defend against a dark power.

It feels very Conan the Barbarian, or in the vein of other magical warrior fantasy.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

(Moderate Spoilers)

Evil alien Imperatrix Virago infects worlds with a terrible necromantic plague that harvests the energy of entire biomes — plants, animals, people, everything. She uses that energy for her own, selfish reasons, like to look young again. She’s set her sights on the next planet ripe for draining: Earth. And she’s looking for someone called The Geomancer. On the side of the angels is Gilad, an immortal warrior. It’s his job to protect The Geomancer, Tama, a young girl with the power to connect with the earth, the afterlife, animal spirits, and, well, every living thing. But can Gilad protect Tama and repel Virago and her hordes? Or will the immortal Imperatrix figure out how to kill them both, and drain the earth and its creatures for her own, selfish desires?

WHAT WORKS?

  • Longtime Valiant readers will recognize the Eternal Warrior, but this is the perfect place for readers new to the publisher and character to jump on

  • The story takes place on Earth, but it seems like an area or a time where there isn't much human presence

  • Without knowing the Valiant Universe or timeline, the only thing that lets me know this doesn't take place in early human history is when the heroes visit a decommissioned black site that looks like a bunker

  • Doug Braithwaite was born to draw fantasy

  • His pencils possess both a timeless quality and also harken back to that golden age of fantasy cinema, the 1980s

  • Villarrubia & Rodriguez's colors are truly impressive

  • When the venue is an alien planet in outer space, their palette is made from pastels that seem Moebius-inspired

  • When on Earth, that color palette shifts to warm tans, with blue accents to draw the eye

  • At the point of the Incursion on Earth, the color of the laser lights and alien forces are bright and ethereal, at war with the nature around them

  • Boiled down, this is a story about the people who protect life vs the types of people who would lay waste to universes to boost their own ego or for similarly shallow reasons

  • It's a real shame this story can't mirror any current events

  • Syntilla's nuanced character is definitely appreciated

  • Loved her "I'm Syntilla. I'm older than I look."

  • There's a Punk Mambo (Cullen Bunn & Adam Gorham's new comic) sneak peek in the back of the issue!

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?


  • Fairly visceral violence means maybe this isn't the best title for kids

  • This first issue does a lot of necessary set-up and world-building with a limited cast

  • Two writers, a line artist, and multiple levels of editorial make me wonder if the miniseries will feel sterile through multiple layers of creative second-guessing

  • ​Basically, it could be "too many cooks in the kitchen"

  • However, I'm unfamiliar with Valiant -- this could just be how they typically work

  • Also, this could mean that Valiant really want to get this right, as it has the potential to bring in many new readers and seems to also be part of their big plans for this year and next

WHY SHOULD I READ IT?

Valiant and the creative team bring us what will surely be an epic, action-packed, no-hold-barred, sci-fi/fantasy tale. You don't have to know anything about the Valiant Universe to enjoy this 4-issue miniseries, and the creative team is so talented, you can be certain it'll be one hell of a story.

Do not sleep on this one!

WHAT DO I READ NEXT?

If you like the writing:

  • Arcadia by Alex Paknadel & Eric Scott Pfeiffer

  • Thief of Thieves by Andy Diggle, Robert Kirkman & Shawn Martinbrough

  • Conan the Barbarian by Jason Aaron & Mahmud A. Asrar

If you like the art:

  • Incursion #2 by Andy Diggle, Alex Paknadel & Doug Braithwaite

  • Secret Invasion: Thor by Matt Fraction & Doug Braithwaite

  • Red Sonja by Amy Chu & Andrea Mutti

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Andy Diggle – Writer

  • Multitalented: Used to be an editor for long-time British hit comic, 2000 AD

  • Outlander: From South London

Alex Paknadel – Writer

  • On the Rise: His massive talent writing titles like Friendo, Arcadia, Turncoat, Kino and more has brought him attention and critical acclaim by the boatload in 2018 & 2019

  • Dream Team: Is part of White Noise Studio with other extremely talented writers, Ryan O'Sullivan, Ram V & Dan Watters, as well as the wildly skilled Caspar Wijngaard

  • Has a PhD in English literature

Doug Braithwaite – Penciller

  • Award Winner: He and 61 other comics creators set 2 Guinness World Records: the Fastest Production of a Comic Book and Most Contributors to a Comic Book

  • Dream Team: Has worked with such talented writers as Garth Ennis & Matt Fraction

José Villarrubia – Colorist

  • Multitalented: Is a professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art

  • Moniker: His full name is José Antonio Villarrubia Jiménez-Momediano

  • Illustrated the core rulebook of the Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of tabletop game

Diego Rodriguez – Colorist

  • Outlander: Lives in Argetina

  • Loves Heavy Metal & Death Metal

Marshall Dillon – Letterer

  • Test of Time: Has been working in comics for over 25 years

  • Multitalented: Has done most comic jobs except for drawing a comic

Drew Baumgartner – Assistant Editor

  • Started at Valiant as an Editorial intern

  • As of his hiring date, had "an A+ moustache"

  • As of the date this review was written, minus 24 hours, Baumgartner's Twitter shows that he still has a moustache, though its grade is unclear

David Menchel – Associate Editor

  • Valiant claims Menchel "played a critical role in helping to develop Valiant’s recently announced BREAKTHROUGH lineup of titles"

  • Was promoted around the same time Baumgartner was brought onto the team full-time

  • Multitalented: Also writes novels

Joseph Illidge – Editor

  • Though credited as "Editor" in this issue, he left Valiant in December of 2018

  • Was previously Executive Editor at Valiant & Senior Editor at Lion Forge

  • His open letter announcing his intent to work as an independent entity can be found here

Robert Meyers – Senior Editorial Director

  • Valiant promoted Robert Meyers to his current role at about the same time as the other aforementioned hires & promotions

  • Started at Valiant in 2013 as an intern

HOW DO I BUY IT?

This first issue will debut Jan. 20th.

Look for it here:

The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.

All Valiant Comics characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Valiant Comics or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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