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Book of Death #1-4
Book of Death
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died. Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world. Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar) joins superstar-in-the-making Robert Gill (Batgirl) and visionary artist Doug Braithwaite (Armor Hunters) to begin a thousand-year journey into the future of the Valiant Universe and rain, fire, blood and war on the heroes of today.
Collecting: Book of Death 1-4
New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar) joins superstar-in-the-making Robert Gill (Batgirl) and visionary artist Doug Braithwaite (Armor Hunters) to begin a thousand-year journey into the future of the Valiant Universe and rain, fire, blood and war on the heroes of today.
Collecting: Book of Death 1-4
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2015
About the author
Robert Venditti
766 books348 followersRobert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.
Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.
Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 17, 2019
★★★★1/2
I've never really appreciated the character of Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. Every time he pops up in other Valiant books, I felt he was alright, but for a guy that's supposed to be the greatest fighter in the world due to his millennia of experience, you never really saw him do much. He was kinda meh. But this right here? THIS is an Eternal Warrior showcase! When he takes out all of his teammates in Unity like he was spanking little kids, I finally got a sense of the badass he is! Like, where you been hidin’ them skills at bruh?!
Just the way that Bloodshot Reborn is the sequel to the Bloodshot events of The Valiant, this book can be seen as the follow-up to the Eternal Warrior events from that same book. So it's good to have read The Valiant prior to this. This book reads as the biggest event in the Valiant universe since Armor Hunters, as Gilad and Tama, the Geomancer from the future, race to stop this era's Geomancer from being corrupted by an outside force into ending all life on Earth. The key lies in a book that Tama brought from the future, a book that foretells the fate of all of Earth's heroes: the Book of Death.
This was pretty epic and very exciting; in my opinion it felt more realized than The Valiant event that this spun out of. It was bittersweet watching Gilad and Tama form a father/daughter relationship that feels doomed from the start, especially when they read from the Book of Death. The reveal of who is behind the Corrupted One is pretty epic as well if you're familiar with other Valiant stories. But what made this really compelling were the chapters here from the Book that detail the future fall of some of our favorite Valiant heroes, like the psiot Renegades, Harada, X-O Manowar, Ninjak, Livewire, and Bloodshot. Each story is written by the writer of the character's respective series and thus the last hurrahs feel totally different and each one fits their particular character well. This was a cool event and I can't wait to see how this impacts the rest of the Valiant line as I continue making my way through it.
*This deluxe edition includes the main miniseries:
and it's series of one-shots:
I've never really appreciated the character of Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. Every time he pops up in other Valiant books, I felt he was alright, but for a guy that's supposed to be the greatest fighter in the world due to his millennia of experience, you never really saw him do much. He was kinda meh. But this right here? THIS is an Eternal Warrior showcase! When he takes out all of his teammates in Unity like he was spanking little kids, I finally got a sense of the badass he is! Like, where you been hidin’ them skills at bruh?!
Just the way that Bloodshot Reborn is the sequel to the Bloodshot events of The Valiant, this book can be seen as the follow-up to the Eternal Warrior events from that same book. So it's good to have read The Valiant prior to this. This book reads as the biggest event in the Valiant universe since Armor Hunters, as Gilad and Tama, the Geomancer from the future, race to stop this era's Geomancer from being corrupted by an outside force into ending all life on Earth. The key lies in a book that Tama brought from the future, a book that foretells the fate of all of Earth's heroes: the Book of Death.
This was pretty epic and very exciting; in my opinion it felt more realized than The Valiant event that this spun out of. It was bittersweet watching Gilad and Tama form a father/daughter relationship that feels doomed from the start, especially when they read from the Book of Death. The reveal of who is behind the Corrupted One is pretty epic as well if you're familiar with other Valiant stories. But what made this really compelling were the chapters here from the Book that detail the future fall of some of our favorite Valiant heroes, like the psiot Renegades, Harada, X-O Manowar, Ninjak, Livewire, and Bloodshot. Each story is written by the writer of the character's respective series and thus the last hurrahs feel totally different and each one fits their particular character well. This was a cool event and I can't wait to see how this impacts the rest of the Valiant line as I continue making my way through it.
"In contests of life and death, survival does not always mean victory. Only that there is a chance to fight again. And again. And again...
For the Eternal Warrior, there is forever another day. Forever another battle. And hopefully, victory at last."
*This deluxe edition includes the main miniseries:
and it's series of one-shots:
September 13, 2016
Though they’re a much smaller publisher, Valiant’s superhero event books manage to be every bit as crap as anything Marvel or DC put out!
The Eternal Warrior protects Geomancers (Earth wizards) like the little girl Tama who’s a Geomancer from the future. Together they must find the evil one to stop a terrible future from occurring. Yeah, it’s as bad and slapped-together as it sounds.
Book of Death is a mess. It’s not really a standalone - it follows their last (and also crappy) event The Valiant so if you haven’t read that you might be a bit lost and writer Robert Venditti very poorly explains what’s going on in this one. Who is Tama? How did she get here from the future? Where did she get this magic book of prophecy? If she’s from the future, how come she doesn’t know what happened in the past?
The bad guy is painfully generic as a supervillain - he just wants powah and he’s evil and mwahahaha, gimme a break - and Eternal Warrior fights Unity just because Valiant wanted some stupid superhero fighting. The ending is as rushed and meaningless as the rest of the book.
It’s so disappointing to see Robert Venditti churn out trash like Book of Death when he used to write such awesome Valiant comics just a few short years ago. I guess he’s burned through his best material? Book of Poo is Valiant trying too hard to be like Marvel and DC when being unlike them was what made them great when they relaunched in 2012. Here’s hoping they come to senses and move away from garbage event books in the future.
The Eternal Warrior protects Geomancers (Earth wizards) like the little girl Tama who’s a Geomancer from the future. Together they must find the evil one to stop a terrible future from occurring. Yeah, it’s as bad and slapped-together as it sounds.
Book of Death is a mess. It’s not really a standalone - it follows their last (and also crappy) event The Valiant so if you haven’t read that you might be a bit lost and writer Robert Venditti very poorly explains what’s going on in this one. Who is Tama? How did she get here from the future? Where did she get this magic book of prophecy? If she’s from the future, how come she doesn’t know what happened in the past?
The bad guy is painfully generic as a supervillain - he just wants powah and he’s evil and mwahahaha, gimme a break - and Eternal Warrior fights Unity just because Valiant wanted some stupid superhero fighting. The ending is as rushed and meaningless as the rest of the book.
It’s so disappointing to see Robert Venditti churn out trash like Book of Death when he used to write such awesome Valiant comics just a few short years ago. I guess he’s burned through his best material? Book of Poo is Valiant trying too hard to be like Marvel and DC when being unlike them was what made them great when they relaunched in 2012. Here’s hoping they come to senses and move away from garbage event books in the future.
November 11, 2015
Reading this story in monthly increments doesn't do it justice (the trade isn't out until next year) - the pace seemed off and the middle issues (#2 and #3) felt like set-up issues rather than crucial center pieces to the Darque/Geomancer conflict. However, read in a single sitting the Book of Death's pacing, plotting, and overall feel of is so much more enjoyable.
The reader gets a true sense of the impending doom, death and destruction the world over is to experience should Darque not be stopped. Standing in his way is the Eternal Warrior, protector of the Geomancers throughout time, and Tama, the Geomancer from the future.
Despite all the ripples of time and outcomes of the Valiant heroes glimpsed in these beautifully drawn pages by Robert Gill/Doug Braithwaite, Book of Death is Tama's story, plotting her growth from a timid and semi vulnerable girl to someone brimming with confidence and a true protector/speaker of Earth. The title may center around death yet it's life that prevails as the story reaches its satisfying conclusion.
There are a number of enjoyable cameo's too with Punk Mambo's brief appearance in #3 and #4 a perfect set up for the upcoming Ninjak arc (Operation Deadside). While Unity don't get actively involved in the Darque conflict, their battle with the Eternal Warrior is crucial to the outcome of the book and paves the way for the future look of the team (The Unity ongoing title ends at #25 and I hope we see more of Valiant's answer to the Justice League/Avengers).
Perhaps one of the most pleasing aspects to Book of Death is the subtle shift in the Eternal Warrior's character, from being pure brawn to battling with heart and emotion. Each battle is full of tension with the outcome hinging on his selflessness and genuine desire to be the protector of the Earth.
Book of Death reads as though it was written for trade and that's he way it should be read to fully appreciate what this creative team have come up with. I'd rate this a solid 4.5 out of 5 - Valiant sure know how to write 'event books'.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
The reader gets a true sense of the impending doom, death and destruction the world over is to experience should Darque not be stopped. Standing in his way is the Eternal Warrior, protector of the Geomancers throughout time, and Tama, the Geomancer from the future.
Despite all the ripples of time and outcomes of the Valiant heroes glimpsed in these beautifully drawn pages by Robert Gill/Doug Braithwaite, Book of Death is Tama's story, plotting her growth from a timid and semi vulnerable girl to someone brimming with confidence and a true protector/speaker of Earth. The title may center around death yet it's life that prevails as the story reaches its satisfying conclusion.
There are a number of enjoyable cameo's too with Punk Mambo's brief appearance in #3 and #4 a perfect set up for the upcoming Ninjak arc (Operation Deadside). While Unity don't get actively involved in the Darque conflict, their battle with the Eternal Warrior is crucial to the outcome of the book and paves the way for the future look of the team (The Unity ongoing title ends at #25 and I hope we see more of Valiant's answer to the Justice League/Avengers).
Perhaps one of the most pleasing aspects to Book of Death is the subtle shift in the Eternal Warrior's character, from being pure brawn to battling with heart and emotion. Each battle is full of tension with the outcome hinging on his selflessness and genuine desire to be the protector of the Earth.
Book of Death reads as though it was written for trade and that's he way it should be read to fully appreciate what this creative team have come up with. I'd rate this a solid 4.5 out of 5 - Valiant sure know how to write 'event books'.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
May 1, 2021
Wow! What a badass event.
It takes the lead from The Valiant very well and it brings back a Shadowman villain that I really loved.
This is that good valiant that you love. Definitely a must read.
It takes the lead from The Valiant very well and it brings back a Shadowman villain that I really loved.
This is that good valiant that you love. Definitely a must read.
April 10, 2016
Book of Death is a Valiant crossover that is somewhat awkwardly split in two.
On the one hand, we have the core Book of Death. It's the story of a Geomancer with a prophetic book from the future and how it may help to prevent the ultimate corruption of the earth by a Geomancer gone wrong. Though we've seen the fight-the-future trope many a time in comics, going back to "Days of Future Past", this one has a couple of things going for it. First, it rather magnificently mashes up two of the main forces in the Valiant universe: Geomancy and the Deadside. Second, like most Valiant crossovers, it offers real consequences. In some ways, this all feels like a retread of The Valiant because of its similar focus on the Eternal Warrior and Geomancy. Still, it's a fun event [7/10].
The other half of the Book of Death is a series of "Fall" stories that tell the final fates of various Valiant heroes:
Bloodshot. Lemire gives us true scope, and rather delightfully puts Bloodshot into the roles of missing VH-1 heroes as he becomes Robot Fighter and Dinosaur Killer. But Bloodshot's final fall .. that's amazing, in parts shocking and tear wrenching [9/10].
Ninjak. Despite its name, Kindt really gives us a final story for Unity, and it's a strong one, investigating the relationships between its three final members. This is a wonderfully somber character piece about legacies. There are also rather nice future connections to Rai. Unfortunately, it gets a little muddy in the last couple of pages [7+/10]
Harbinger. Dysart indeed gives us the endings for the entire Harbinger family, and those endings are meaningful and touching. The core story about Peter, meanwhile, is Dysart's science-fiction at its best. An appropriate ending for the series [7/10].
X-O Manowar. The amazing thing about these "Fall" stories is that they aren't dystopias. They're inevitability full of hopes and possibilities and that may be the truest of X-O Manowar. Of all the Valiant comics, X-O focuses the most on legacies, so that's where this Fall comic goes as well. [8/10].
The somewhat awkward part of this book is the question of its relevancy. If these deaths all happen within the chronology of the Book of Death future, then they're irrelevant, because that's theoretically averted. So what's the point of reading them? However if they're instead an alternative universe that's still the future of VH-E ... then why were they mashed up with the Book of Death crossover?
I suppose we should just appreciate these four stories on their own, because they're generally quite good.
On the one hand, we have the core Book of Death. It's the story of a Geomancer with a prophetic book from the future and how it may help to prevent the ultimate corruption of the earth by a Geomancer gone wrong. Though we've seen the fight-the-future trope many a time in comics, going back to "Days of Future Past", this one has a couple of things going for it. First, it rather magnificently mashes up two of the main forces in the Valiant universe: Geomancy and the Deadside. Second, like most Valiant crossovers, it offers real consequences. In some ways, this all feels like a retread of The Valiant because of its similar focus on the Eternal Warrior and Geomancy. Still, it's a fun event [7/10].
The other half of the Book of Death is a series of "Fall" stories that tell the final fates of various Valiant heroes:
Bloodshot. Lemire gives us true scope, and rather delightfully puts Bloodshot into the roles of missing VH-1 heroes as he becomes Robot Fighter and Dinosaur Killer. But Bloodshot's final fall .. that's amazing, in parts shocking and tear wrenching [9/10].
Ninjak. Despite its name, Kindt really gives us a final story for Unity, and it's a strong one, investigating the relationships between its three final members. This is a wonderfully somber character piece about legacies. There are also rather nice future connections to Rai. Unfortunately, it gets a little muddy in the last couple of pages [7+/10]
Harbinger. Dysart indeed gives us the endings for the entire Harbinger family, and those endings are meaningful and touching. The core story about Peter, meanwhile, is Dysart's science-fiction at its best. An appropriate ending for the series [7/10].
X-O Manowar. The amazing thing about these "Fall" stories is that they aren't dystopias. They're inevitability full of hopes and possibilities and that may be the truest of X-O Manowar. Of all the Valiant comics, X-O focuses the most on legacies, so that's where this Fall comic goes as well. [8/10].
The somewhat awkward part of this book is the question of its relevancy. If these deaths all happen within the chronology of the Book of Death future, then they're irrelevant, because that's theoretically averted. So what's the point of reading them? However if they're instead an alternative universe that's still the future of VH-E ... then why were they mashed up with the Book of Death crossover?
I suppose we should just appreciate these four stories on their own, because they're generally quite good.
April 17, 2018
It may just be that I'm coming back to Valiant after a few months off, but this was very, very good.
In the aftermath of The Valiant, a new Geomancer has arrived from the future. But with the death of Kay McHenry, there's also one in the present. That's a problem, especially when a dark force threatens to corrupt one of them, and pits Unity against the Eternal Warrior as he attempts to protect the other.
There's something oh-so-satisfying about people underestimating Gilad, even after everything he's done to prove that he should NOT be underestimated. Seeing him basically dismantle Unity is both hilarious and frightening - you really know why he's the Eternal Warrior after that altercation, which makes what happens in the ultimate conclusion as he battles the villain of the piece (do Valiant only have one evil magic character though?) leading into an actual status quo change for him.
There's action, there's heart (I'm surprised how much I cared about Gilad and Tama's relationship after only four issues), there's some great art from Robert Gill (who seems to be channeling André Araujo in these issues) and Doug Braithwaite (always brilliant, and especially so for the dark future flashforwards), and this is just a rollicking good time, to be honest.
I hope the tie-in one-shots are as much fun.
In the aftermath of The Valiant, a new Geomancer has arrived from the future. But with the death of Kay McHenry, there's also one in the present. That's a problem, especially when a dark force threatens to corrupt one of them, and pits Unity against the Eternal Warrior as he attempts to protect the other.
There's something oh-so-satisfying about people underestimating Gilad, even after everything he's done to prove that he should NOT be underestimated. Seeing him basically dismantle Unity is both hilarious and frightening - you really know why he's the Eternal Warrior after that altercation, which makes what happens in the ultimate conclusion as he battles the villain of the piece (do Valiant only have one evil magic character though?) leading into an actual status quo change for him.
There's action, there's heart (I'm surprised how much I cared about Gilad and Tama's relationship after only four issues), there's some great art from Robert Gill (who seems to be channeling André Araujo in these issues) and Doug Braithwaite (always brilliant, and especially so for the dark future flashforwards), and this is just a rollicking good time, to be honest.
I hope the tie-in one-shots are as much fun.
July 22, 2017
Sometime in the future Gilad tried to protect a Geomancer by sending him back in time, hidden by another Geomancer's death. The one from the future, named Tama, is now a target that current-day Gilad is still sworn to protect from unknown natural-looking disasters. Unity is involved in trying to bring in Gilad and Tama.
March 18, 2016
Book of Death is another strong outing with significant impact for the Valiant Universe.
At the outset of Book of Death, environmental disasters have had deadly consequences in several American towns. Unity thinks that Tama, the 11-year-old Geomancer from the future, is responsible. The Eternal Warrior absconds with the girl to keep her safe, putting him at odds with his team. Meanwhile, Tama becomes aware that another Geomancer has activated and fallen under a corrupt influence. She and the Warrior scour the Book of the Geomancer, containing information about the horrific course events could take, for clues. A brutal showdown ends with some serious consequences for the heroes.
Unlike previous Valiant event series with a larger cast, Book of Death really focuses on The Eternal Warrior. Tama and Unity provide some crucial support, but other Valiant characters appear only in cameo. Fortunately writer Robert Venditti has a strong grasp of the Warrior and what drives him. He does a nice job with the Warrior/Tama dynamic, teasing out a paternal bond without being treacly about it, and crafting a cracked mirror image in the relationship of the corrupted Geomancer and the story’s villain. Venditti brings back one of Valiant’s signature menaces for the story and uses him quite effectively. If the rest of Unity (along with the little seen mystical character Punk Mambo) are mostly along for the ride, Venditti still breathes some life into them. Overall, he crafts a compelling adventure that makes strong use of various threads that had been running through the Valiant books over the past few years. The climax marks a major change in the status quo for the Warrior, puts Unity on a different footing and sets up the eventual return of another key Valiant hero who’s been off the board for awhile (though that’s not teased in this story).
Artists Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite, working with a color team consisting of David Baron, Brian Reber and Allen Passalaqua, craft some strong visuals. Gill’s crisp, sharp linework for the action sequences is an effective contrast to the dreamier approach Braithwaite applies for the scenes illustrating predictions from the Book of the Geomancers. The action/fight choreography is excellent and the art team crafts some rather striking visuals. A town’s population skewered on an overgrown tree is particularly memorable, if somewhat grisly, and the Warrior’s showdown with a horde of zombie animals is a horror masterstroke. The art brims with tension and drama, with spot-on color work that enhances visual impact. Book of Death is a beautiful series that keeps up Valiant’s high standards.
Fans of The Eternal Warrior and those who have already read The Valiant will be especially interested in Book of Death. It’s not the easiest jumping on point for newcomers, but for existing Valiant fans it should be on your “to read” list.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
At the outset of Book of Death, environmental disasters have had deadly consequences in several American towns. Unity thinks that Tama, the 11-year-old Geomancer from the future, is responsible. The Eternal Warrior absconds with the girl to keep her safe, putting him at odds with his team. Meanwhile, Tama becomes aware that another Geomancer has activated and fallen under a corrupt influence. She and the Warrior scour the Book of the Geomancer, containing information about the horrific course events could take, for clues. A brutal showdown ends with some serious consequences for the heroes.
Unlike previous Valiant event series with a larger cast, Book of Death really focuses on The Eternal Warrior. Tama and Unity provide some crucial support, but other Valiant characters appear only in cameo. Fortunately writer Robert Venditti has a strong grasp of the Warrior and what drives him. He does a nice job with the Warrior/Tama dynamic, teasing out a paternal bond without being treacly about it, and crafting a cracked mirror image in the relationship of the corrupted Geomancer and the story’s villain. Venditti brings back one of Valiant’s signature menaces for the story and uses him quite effectively. If the rest of Unity (along with the little seen mystical character Punk Mambo) are mostly along for the ride, Venditti still breathes some life into them. Overall, he crafts a compelling adventure that makes strong use of various threads that had been running through the Valiant books over the past few years. The climax marks a major change in the status quo for the Warrior, puts Unity on a different footing and sets up the eventual return of another key Valiant hero who’s been off the board for awhile (though that’s not teased in this story).
Artists Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite, working with a color team consisting of David Baron, Brian Reber and Allen Passalaqua, craft some strong visuals. Gill’s crisp, sharp linework for the action sequences is an effective contrast to the dreamier approach Braithwaite applies for the scenes illustrating predictions from the Book of the Geomancers. The action/fight choreography is excellent and the art team crafts some rather striking visuals. A town’s population skewered on an overgrown tree is particularly memorable, if somewhat grisly, and the Warrior’s showdown with a horde of zombie animals is a horror masterstroke. The art brims with tension and drama, with spot-on color work that enhances visual impact. Book of Death is a beautiful series that keeps up Valiant’s high standards.
Fans of The Eternal Warrior and those who have already read The Valiant will be especially interested in Book of Death. It’s not the easiest jumping on point for newcomers, but for existing Valiant fans it should be on your “to read” list.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
December 1, 2017
Enjoyable
While this definitely seems retro-90s, Valiant Entertainment 's consistent universe and Venditti's plotting gives the feel of a classic epic comic with an uptick in violence. Highly enjoyable.
While this definitely seems retro-90s, Valiant Entertainment 's consistent universe and Venditti's plotting gives the feel of a classic epic comic with an uptick in violence. Highly enjoyable.
March 14, 2020
Reprints Book of Death #1-4 (July 2015-October 2015). The Geomancer has become a problem for Unity. On the run with Gilad the Eternal Warrior, Unity suspects the young Geomancer is losing control of her powers as a path of death and destruction follows them. Gilad knows the truth. Tama is being hunted by an unknown force and The Book of the Geomancer foretells the fall of humanity if the force isn’t stopped. A second Geomancer has arisen and is being used in a nefarious plot by an unseen enemy…and the Eternal Warrior could be the world’s only hope.
Written by Robert Venditti, Book of Death is a four issue Valiant Comics limited series. The volume contains art by Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite and issues in the volume were also collected as part of the Book of Death—Deluxe Edition.
Valiant Comics was a fun little experiment for me. I didn’t read a lot of Valiant on its first run (the early issues were too expensive to hunt down and individual issues didn’t really tell the story). I started Valiant with its second run (or third run if you are counting the Acclaim period as the first rebirth). Book of Death was kind of at the end of the issues I had been reading, and I never got around to reading the story until now.
The series is a pretty solid read. Unlike a lot of event series with lots of spin-off titles (Book of Death had four one-shots and a Legend of the Geomancers four issue series), you didn’t need to read the spin-off to read and enjoy Book of Death. The series actually kind of reads like the Wolverine movie Logan with the Eternal Warrior trying to protect a special child from forces that threaten to destroy her…with a shocking end.
The only fault I would say I have with Book of Death is that it is rather short without the associated material. I was enjoying the story and art for the comic, but it felt like it ended a bit too quickly. I don’t feel like I missed any of the story, but it feels like the story could have been five or six issues to really flesh out the battle and make the ending even more significant.
I like Gilad. With both X-O Manowar and the Eternal Warrior, Valiant made some creative characters in the 1990s. A warrior who has fought in every war (kind of a Vandal Savage for the side of good) is an interesting idea. Book of Death kind of gives an ending to character (though comic books generally don’t work that way).
Book of Death could arguably be called Eternal Warrior: Book of Death because it really feels like an Eternal Warrior storyline. If you don’t read Valiant Comics, the title won’t mean much to you nor will most of the characters that show-up. Though it isn’t a jumping-on book, the story does feel rather independent and can be enjoyed by those familiar with the Valiant line…in fact, I would recommend it in that sense. It is a fun, solid Valiant title that delivers even if it feels a bit abrupt.
Written by Robert Venditti, Book of Death is a four issue Valiant Comics limited series. The volume contains art by Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite and issues in the volume were also collected as part of the Book of Death—Deluxe Edition.
Valiant Comics was a fun little experiment for me. I didn’t read a lot of Valiant on its first run (the early issues were too expensive to hunt down and individual issues didn’t really tell the story). I started Valiant with its second run (or third run if you are counting the Acclaim period as the first rebirth). Book of Death was kind of at the end of the issues I had been reading, and I never got around to reading the story until now.
The series is a pretty solid read. Unlike a lot of event series with lots of spin-off titles (Book of Death had four one-shots and a Legend of the Geomancers four issue series), you didn’t need to read the spin-off to read and enjoy Book of Death. The series actually kind of reads like the Wolverine movie Logan with the Eternal Warrior trying to protect a special child from forces that threaten to destroy her…with a shocking end.
The only fault I would say I have with Book of Death is that it is rather short without the associated material. I was enjoying the story and art for the comic, but it felt like it ended a bit too quickly. I don’t feel like I missed any of the story, but it feels like the story could have been five or six issues to really flesh out the battle and make the ending even more significant.
I like Gilad. With both X-O Manowar and the Eternal Warrior, Valiant made some creative characters in the 1990s. A warrior who has fought in every war (kind of a Vandal Savage for the side of good) is an interesting idea. Book of Death kind of gives an ending to character (though comic books generally don’t work that way).
Book of Death could arguably be called Eternal Warrior: Book of Death because it really feels like an Eternal Warrior storyline. If you don’t read Valiant Comics, the title won’t mean much to you nor will most of the characters that show-up. Though it isn’t a jumping-on book, the story does feel rather independent and can be enjoyed by those familiar with the Valiant line…in fact, I would recommend it in that sense. It is a fun, solid Valiant title that delivers even if it feels a bit abrupt.
November 28, 2018
Se nota, y mucho, que Robert Venditti es el guionista que ha conseguido levantar y redefinir con brillantez el personaje Eternal Warrior.
Este guerrero, Gilad, es el eje principal de la historia. Se enfrenta a sus compañeros de Unity para proteger a una niña geomante. Todo indica que esta cría es la culpable de una serie de plagas y desgracias, pero Gilad sabe que todo tiene una explicación muy distinta, un nuevo enemigo y otro pequeño geomante secuestrado.
En el libro de los muertos está la clave, pero cada vez que la niña geomante lo consulta, una nueva amenaza sucede.
Y así, por un lado tenemos a Gilad y a esta geomante huyendo de Unity, y al mismo tiempo una nueva amenaza contra la Tierra y la humanidad va cobrando fuerza en cuatro números más que interesanes gracias a los más que correctos lápices de Dougie Braithwaite, un dibujante de aquella generación de autores que participamos en Marvel UK décadas atrás, y que hjoy en día está más que consolidado como un dibujante de alta calidad.
El punto fuerte de esta serie es que nos ayuda a ubicarnos mejor en todo el contexto del Universo Valiant.
Esta saga se publicó en combinación con otra serie limitada centrada en la figura de una geomante en épocas prehistórica, y cuatro especiales bajo el título "Book of Death: The Fall of...", dedicados respectivamente a Bloodshot, Ninjak, Harbinguer y X-O Manowar.
El nexo que hay entre estos especiales y Book of Death es casi inexistente y su lectura no es necesaria en absoluto para conocer esta saga. Ni siquiera son eventos que se crucen tangencialmente con esta trama. Aunque eso sí, son de buena calidad y bastante recomendables.
En España existe una edición integral publicada por Ediciones Medusa. Una edición bastante recomendable.
Este guerrero, Gilad, es el eje principal de la historia. Se enfrenta a sus compañeros de Unity para proteger a una niña geomante. Todo indica que esta cría es la culpable de una serie de plagas y desgracias, pero Gilad sabe que todo tiene una explicación muy distinta, un nuevo enemigo y otro pequeño geomante secuestrado.
En el libro de los muertos está la clave, pero cada vez que la niña geomante lo consulta, una nueva amenaza sucede.
Y así, por un lado tenemos a Gilad y a esta geomante huyendo de Unity, y al mismo tiempo una nueva amenaza contra la Tierra y la humanidad va cobrando fuerza en cuatro números más que interesanes gracias a los más que correctos lápices de Dougie Braithwaite, un dibujante de aquella generación de autores que participamos en Marvel UK décadas atrás, y que hjoy en día está más que consolidado como un dibujante de alta calidad.
El punto fuerte de esta serie es que nos ayuda a ubicarnos mejor en todo el contexto del Universo Valiant.
Esta saga se publicó en combinación con otra serie limitada centrada en la figura de una geomante en épocas prehistórica, y cuatro especiales bajo el título "Book of Death: The Fall of...", dedicados respectivamente a Bloodshot, Ninjak, Harbinguer y X-O Manowar.
El nexo que hay entre estos especiales y Book of Death es casi inexistente y su lectura no es necesaria en absoluto para conocer esta saga. Ni siquiera son eventos que se crucen tangencialmente con esta trama. Aunque eso sí, son de buena calidad y bastante recomendables.
En España existe una edición integral publicada por Ediciones Medusa. Una edición bastante recomendable.
April 18, 2021
I've found most of Valiant's one-off books to be disappointments. They're often heavily continuity based, but feature a different combination of characters. This book was basically just a volume of Unity, Volume 1: To Kill a King with a different title slapped on to it.
While not awful, the pacing of the book is odd as the first half focuses on The Eternal Warrior fighting with his teammates in order to protect The Geomancer From The Future, and the second half is about battling with The Current Geomancer and the person pulling the strings.
I had a hard time believing the Unity team would fall apart so easily, so I didn't really buy their battle. And once they revealed The Big Bad, my eyes rolled back in my head. Master Darque is one of the worst villains in comic books. He's supposedly this massively powerful creature from Valiant's Hellscape who Can Not Be Beaten, but every time he shows up in a book, a sparrow farts a hundred miles away and The most Powerful Villain In The World just collapses, defeated. It's always anticlimactic. This book was no exception .
While I didn'thate it, I can't really recommend it.
While not awful, the pacing of the book is odd as the first half focuses on The Eternal Warrior fighting with his teammates in order to protect The Geomancer From The Future, and the second half is about battling with The Current Geomancer and the person pulling the strings.
I had a hard time believing the Unity team would fall apart so easily, so I didn't really buy their battle. And once they revealed The Big Bad, my eyes rolled back in my head. Master Darque is one of the worst villains in comic books. He's supposedly this massively powerful creature from Valiant's Hellscape who Can Not Be Beaten, but every time he shows up in a book, a sparrow farts a hundred miles away and The most Powerful Villain In The World just collapses, defeated. It's always anticlimactic. This book was no exception .
While I didn'thate it, I can't really recommend it.
March 29, 2020
I'm not sure if there more build up to this in other titles or what, but in this story we have a geomancer traveling from the future to the present where Master Darque has taken control of the current geomancer in order to take control of the Earth. That's probably confusing to anyone not familiar with the Valiant Universe but there's too much backstory to go into here.
Gilad the Eternal Warrior protects the future geomancer while his team mates in the superteam Unity think she's the one causing the issues, not realizing Master Darque is behind it all.
It reads simpler than it sounds and it was a very good and pretty much straight forward story with good art. Another hit from Valiant.
Gilad the Eternal Warrior protects the future geomancer while his team mates in the superteam Unity think she's the one causing the issues, not realizing Master Darque is behind it all.
It reads simpler than it sounds and it was a very good and pretty much straight forward story with good art. Another hit from Valiant.
October 5, 2018
Any adventure with Gilad, the eternal warrior, is a good one. Plus: Gin-Gr the gigantic robot is in here, and they are the best! Plus, an intriguing cameo by The Goat!
As for story: this is a good one. The power of the geomancer is quite the temptation for a baddie, and man, the struggle over said power is pretty interesting. From such humble beginnings, the Valiant universe continues to reward faithful readers.
As for story: this is a good one. The power of the geomancer is quite the temptation for a baddie, and man, the struggle over said power is pretty interesting. From such humble beginnings, the Valiant universe continues to reward faithful readers.
April 5, 2024
Really liked this one.
December 12, 2016
Book of Death is an odd animal. At times, it is blatantly aping DC's Animal Man/ Swamp Thing crossover. It's presented as an event book, but really just reads like an Eternal Warrior solo outing. Doug Braithwaite illustrates it... but only a few choice pages each issue, leaving David Baron's sub-par pencils in lofty company. There's all sorts of intrigue and potential here, and while parts of Book of Death are exciting, most of it is hollow, and a grim reminder of what the Valiant U has fallen to since it's brilliant resurrection.
Still, it's not a terrible read and I don't feel like I wasted my time. We get to see Master Darque return, and while his motivations here are thin, if you're familiar with the character from Shadowman, he'll fit comfortably in the narrative. Gilad gets a few cool moments, taking on Unity, and mentoring Tama. The alternate future is neat to look at, as alternate futures are, though I'll admit, Valiant sure is risking alternate future fatigue these days. I wish Baron's art were a little more up to standard. There are some seriously derpy faces and ugly hands, amidst some truly confusing, momentum stealing action. Oh, also, why in the world was Punk Mambo here? She's a bad character, who had absolutely no reason to be here besides the apparent crossover nature of this title.
Still, it's not a terrible read and I don't feel like I wasted my time. We get to see Master Darque return, and while his motivations here are thin, if you're familiar with the character from Shadowman, he'll fit comfortably in the narrative. Gilad gets a few cool moments, taking on Unity, and mentoring Tama. The alternate future is neat to look at, as alternate futures are, though I'll admit, Valiant sure is risking alternate future fatigue these days. I wish Baron's art were a little more up to standard. There are some seriously derpy faces and ugly hands, amidst some truly confusing, momentum stealing action. Oh, also, why in the world was Punk Mambo here? She's a bad character, who had absolutely no reason to be here besides the apparent crossover nature of this title.
June 23, 2016
The Eternal Warrior is awesome. He acts as protector to the Geomancers that serve the Earth. In this story, he has to help the last Geomancer save the world. There is a great contrast between the present day and the future that will occur if they fail.
So the crazy guy bent on the destruction of the world isn't a new plot in comics by any means. The creators handle this really well by making the bad guy smart, using tension between the heroes of the world, and allowing the reader to discover what is happening as the characters do. The beginning seemed a bit odd until I made it further into the book and saw how it was connecting into the story.
This book is friendly to new readers because it actually introduces each of the main characters at the beginning of the book, and then gives the reader a reminder of who each of them are as they come on stage. This is repeated in each chapter. The fight sequences really show off why the Eternal Warrior is a great character. It kind of reminded me of Batman, but he certainly has his own personality.
The Book of Death is an enjoyable read. Despite the name it contains a fair amount of humor and hope.
So the crazy guy bent on the destruction of the world isn't a new plot in comics by any means. The creators handle this really well by making the bad guy smart, using tension between the heroes of the world, and allowing the reader to discover what is happening as the characters do. The beginning seemed a bit odd until I made it further into the book and saw how it was connecting into the story.
This book is friendly to new readers because it actually introduces each of the main characters at the beginning of the book, and then gives the reader a reminder of who each of them are as they come on stage. This is repeated in each chapter. The fight sequences really show off why the Eternal Warrior is a great character. It kind of reminded me of Batman, but he certainly has his own personality.
The Book of Death is an enjoyable read. Despite the name it contains a fair amount of humor and hope.
April 10, 2016
Book of Death is a Valiant crossover that is somewhat awkwardly split in two.
The first part is the core Book of Death. It's the story of a Geomancer with a prophetic book from the future and how it may help to prevent the ultimate corruption of the earth by a Geomancer gone wrong. Though we've seen the fight-the-future trope many a time in comics, going back to "Days of Future Past", this one has a couple of things going for it. First, it rather magnificently mashes up two of the main forces in the Valiant universe: Geomancy and the Deadside. Second, like most Valiant crossovers, it offers real consequences. In some ways, this all feels like a retread of The Valiant because of its similar focus on the Eternal Warrior and Geomancy. Still, it's a fun event [7/10].
(The other part, not included herein, is a series of "Fall" stories about the last days of Valiant Heroes ... and one has to wonder if they're relevant at all, considering the fate of the future seen in this book.)
The first part is the core Book of Death. It's the story of a Geomancer with a prophetic book from the future and how it may help to prevent the ultimate corruption of the earth by a Geomancer gone wrong. Though we've seen the fight-the-future trope many a time in comics, going back to "Days of Future Past", this one has a couple of things going for it. First, it rather magnificently mashes up two of the main forces in the Valiant universe: Geomancy and the Deadside. Second, like most Valiant crossovers, it offers real consequences. In some ways, this all feels like a retread of The Valiant because of its similar focus on the Eternal Warrior and Geomancy. Still, it's a fun event [7/10].
(The other part, not included herein, is a series of "Fall" stories about the last days of Valiant Heroes ... and one has to wonder if they're relevant at all, considering the fate of the future seen in this book.)
May 11, 2016
Valiant needs to just cut it out. I'm not a huge follower of the company's output, but lately when a collection of theirs crosses my path, it turns out to be of shockingly high quality. This volume is no exception. Continuing along similar lines as "The Valiant" we have more exploits of The External Warrior and his efforts to protect the latest incarnation of Geomancer from those forces both good and bad who would like to stop her. What follows is a taut, fast paced story, with a wonderfully evil villain and some clever and unusual visuals. Made me want to keep my distance from blooming trees! There are a number of cameos and some participation from several of Valiant's main characters, but they never get in the way or slow down the action. Keep it up folks, and you'll soon make me a huge fan.
May 6, 2016
I get these Valiant comics trades every so often in a subscription box, and am generally pleased with them. Yes, knowing who many of the characters pictured inside were might have made the experience a bit more fun, but none of those characters were actually vital to the story, so the few I did need to know were introduced and explained as the book went.
The title comes from a book from the future, brought to the present by a girl name Tama, who is a Geomancer (has power over the Earth). Her present-day counterpart has been kidnapped and possibly corrupted, so she and the Eternal Warrior need to do something about it. A fairly straightforward story told well.
The title comes from a book from the future, brought to the present by a girl name Tama, who is a Geomancer (has power over the Earth). Her present-day counterpart has been kidnapped and possibly corrupted, so she and the Eternal Warrior need to do something about it. A fairly straightforward story told well.
November 10, 2021
Not really what I expected.
I was referred to read this from a reviewer, that review made it seem like the story was a fight over a magic book that predicted the future. But the story was more about a young girl that is blamed for some reason that never felt explained. That was really my only problem.
Seems like an interesting universe, and fun characters, hopefully they'll have a better event in the future that I can give another shot to.
I was referred to read this from a reviewer, that review made it seem like the story was a fight over a magic book that predicted the future. But the story was more about a young girl that is blamed for some reason that never felt explained. That was really my only problem.
Seems like an interesting universe, and fun characters, hopefully they'll have a better event in the future that I can give another shot to.
April 20, 2022
Being a long time comic book collector, I haven’t spent much time in the Valiant universe. This story includes a lot of characters pulled together in a traditional challenge/battle. It gives me some good idea of the characters and the art and story are pretty good, with a real feeling of peril. It makes me want to know more about these characters and I believe I’ll spend more time with Valiant in the future.
September 4, 2016
Picking up where The Valiant ended, the Eternal Warrior is protecting the Geomancer from the future who is under attack from an unknown entity. The aftermath of the attacks makes it look like the Geomancer is actually the cause of the attacks so Unity is hunting them down as well. Well written with great art from Doug Braithwaite.
September 8, 2016
I would describe this as the sequel to the Valiant. Reading the Valiant told me everything I needed to know to follow this story. It's a fine typical superhero adventure. Stuff happens. There is art. It's not great but not awful.
December 16, 2016
Pretty decent comic book, clearly set in a bigger world I don't know much about. Good enough fight scenes, but the story is pretty normal and we don't really get to know the characters. Standard for Vertigo.
March 1, 2017
This felt more solid than a simple crossover event. It was its own strong story with a past, present, and future. I wanted more.
May 16, 2016
The best part for me was likely the last stories. The main story is a typical action romp.
July 19, 2016
Gosh, I cannot get enough of the stories and art Valiant are putting out. Another winner here.
February 18, 2020
4.5 rounded up to 5.
4 stars for the main Gilaad & Tama storyline.
5 stars for the "Fall of __________" stories throughout.
4 stars for the main Gilaad & Tama storyline.
5 stars for the "Fall of __________" stories throughout.
October 11, 2022
3.5 stars
I'm not a regular reader of any of the Valiant Universe comics, but this was fairly well told, held my attention and was satisfactorily resolved (despite it turning out there is a Vol.2).
I'm not a regular reader of any of the Valiant Universe comics, but this was fairly well told, held my attention and was satisfactorily resolved (despite it turning out there is a Vol.2).
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