This is an interesting issue. Though it doesn’t say it on the cover it’s the perfect place for new readers, but not just for the series as it recaps a lot of the Valiant Universe making it a great place for new Valiant readers as well. I really felt like I was reading a first issue as even Matt Kindt took a different approach to the story than what he’s done before on the series. It opens with Livewire giving an interview and basically having to explain the events from previous issues of Unity that we already know. The exposition works because we’re getting very safe PR answers and because the art is showing what really happened as a brutal reminder. It’s also very cool because the reporter from the first issue of Armor Hunters has returned and is playing a role in the Valiant U.
After we get away from the Livewire interview (which continues to run in the background) we check in with the group. It’s funny because Ninjak is making repairs on something and Gilad is moving boxes and complaining that he’s just the muscle to move stuff which is true because their location is extremely classified. What’s the location you ask? Well that plays into the second half of our story as the man from the cover “Myth” infiltrates the U.S. from the border all the way up to Unity’s front door.
People’s biggest complaints about event books is that they never change anything real about a title. With this issue of Unity, Valiant and Matt Kindt show that it can be done. Honestly this issue is nothing like the other issues. The other issues were operating in the shadows and so they were always just on a mission and doing their thing. Now they have the public to deal with and so it’s slowed them down and changed what they do. It’s kind of hard to describe the change, but it’s noticeable and really contributes to this issue feeling like a first issue.
Valiant is one of the few companies that can pull of two artists on one issue. Usually that crap annoys me, but it’s the way Valiant executes it that makes it work. The art duties are broken up between CAFU and Trevor Hairsine and it’s a great back and forth. CAFU steals the show and contributes to the different vibe of the series I’ve been talking about. If people didn’t get that this was Valiant’s team book, they will now because the look screams “team book” in the best possible way.
Overall this is just a great point for new readers of Unity and Valiant to start with. It’s not bad for the rest of us either as it begins to build new plot line and dramatically change the makeup of this series and in a lot of ways the Valiant U. Check it out either way!
Score: 4/5
Writer: Matt Kindt Artist: CAFU with Trevor Hairsine Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/12/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital