Comic Review: Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #11 (Valiant)

“What will you do now Gilad? How will you return to me the child I’ve lost?”

Revelations  were revealed after, Gilad aka The Eternal Warrior defeated The Dying One during the conclusion of the Labyrinth story arc. But Gilad enters a new situation in the latest arc Deal Deal With a Devil part 1. The comic continues where issue 10 left off when Gilad summoned Aric AKA XO Manowar to grant him a request. The request is to Have Aric kill Gilad so he can return to the afterlife so he can mend the rift between himself and his estranged son Kalam. Gilad wakes up in his old home and interacts with his wife Leena , and once Gilad discovers that Kalam went beyond the Beyond the Woodland Barrier, it stirs up an argument between the two spouses leaving Leena to explain to Gilad what it means to be a father and a husband , which he has missed both opportunities due to his occupational focus that caused the rift between them. The title concludes with a cliffhanger that places Gilad in a place where his decision will lead him to a dark downward spiral.

Although I read his Green Lantern stuff here and there, Robert Venditti’s writing  is not as engaging as his work on this title. And it’s because his writing is bad on Green Lantern, it’s just that as reader, you know that Green Lantern is an established character and that he won’t be allowed to go in directions that his company’s ownership would allow him, which can make things stagnant. But what makes this title great for Venditti is that he had more room to tell a story with a character who while he has backstory, has more room for new stories to be explored, and isn’t pigeon holed into going in places that other established characters from the big two aren’t allowed to go. The verdict is that Vendetti is doing superbly well in this book, the interactions between XO Manowar is really great, you can see the outright deep respect between the two. The writing and interaction with Gilad and his wife Leena is heartfelt and realistic in terms of spouses arguing about what it means to be a parent and how to handle a child. It’s a great scene that caused me to go Reread some pages (especially page 14).

The art by Robert Gill really fits the aesthetic and mood of the story. He managed to balance an issue that’s more focused on discussion. This is not an action-oriented issue, it’s a very character focused issue with characters talking. That kind of stuff can be boring if the reader is not invested in the characters , and most especially the art, which Gill manages to compliment the writing and add more emotion to the scenes than it already has. The colors by Mark Spencer really adds more distinction between the environments showcasing the peaceful simplicity of the Woodland Barrier and the realm beyond.   I suggest getting this issue, this series a great and fun read and I look forward to the next issue of this arc.