The universe warping origin of Doctor Tomorrow revealed in Doctor Tomorrow #2!

The menace of Hadrian threatens the entire Valiant Universe!

Doctor Tomorrow is Valiant‘s first all-ages book set within the publisher’s continuity. This issue also reminds people of Valiant’s multiverse, or introduces them to it. We learn more about Doctor Tomorrow and his relationship with Hadrian, a universe destroying being hunting for a mysterious material. The straight forward nature of the plot has been done numerous times before. It’s hero gathers allies to prevent the end of something. Tthere’s still something fresh about this book.

Writer Alehandro Arbona takes a fairly standard plot and injects a level of warmth and fun. The comic embraces the simplicity of the story. The all-ages nature of the book means the comic doesn’t rely on “edgy” cliches to sell a comic. Doctor Tomorrow #2 is a fresh nice deep breath.

There’s an innate innocence to it, which works very well in Doctor Tomorrow‘s favor.

Joining Alejandro Arbona is artist Jim Towe, colorist Diego Rodriguez and letterer by Clayton Cowles, a creative team that seem to be working together in rare synchronicity. The comic opens with a flight scene as Doctor Tomorrow tries to teach his younger self how to pilot the flight suit that they’re wearing. It’s the first honest look we get at the nature of Doctor Tomorrow’s abilities, but it also is one of the most endearing sequences I’ve read in some time. It’s also an example of just how well Towe and Rodriquez come together to illustrate this book.

Doctor Tomorrow #2 also features fan favorite Valiant characters making a long over due return to the publisher’s comics, and that has me just as excited about the story as anything else in this book. It brings the book into continuity, and introduces two of the more underused aspects of the Valiant universe.

Jim Towe’s art seems to fall more toward what you’d consider an “all-ages style”. The art feels like it came from a Saturday morning cartoon aimed toward older kids, which I love. It’s an aesthetic that fits the style and scope of the comic by being accessible without sacrificing visual storytelling. It is never difficult to follow the events of this book, with the story moving at a fair pace and the art having a bright determination that feels effortless.

I’m one of those people who tend to shy away from all-ages comics because they’re usually not part of the main continuity of whatever universe I’m following, but with Doctor Tomorrow being another Valiant book that just happens to be all ages, that excuse to avoid the comic has gone. And I’m happy about that, because if I missed this then I’d miss a slice of fun and brightness that we all need right now.

Story: Alejandro Arbona Art: Jim Towe
Colors: Diego Rodriguez Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.9 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Teen hothead and star athlete, Bart Simms, is about to meet the Valiant Universe’s greatest hero…Himself! It all begins in Doctor Tomorrow #1!

Doctor Tomorrow #1 is Valiant‘s first all-ages book set within the publisher’s continuity. Yes, there was Valiant High – a fun four-issue miniseries. It reimagined the Valiant characters in a high school setting that had distinct Archie vibes. That was never actually set within the publisher’s continuity. The Eternal Sophomore was never going to grow into the Eternal Warrior. I don’t think the Eternal Warrior has ever actually been to school, come to think of it.

When Valiant gave Graphic Policy the chance to read and review Doctor Tomorrow #1 early, we jumped at the chance. Personally, I think all-ages stories are often overlooked. A stigma exists that something that’s all ages isn’t going to be able to be enjoyed by all ages, right? I’ll counter that with Toy Story and Into The Spiderverse and move right along.

Written by Alejandro Arbona with art by Jim Towe, colors by Diego Rodriguez and letters by Clayton Cowles, the comic opens with a fight scene to set the stage and establish the threat level of Valiant’s newest supervillain Hadrian. It quickly disabuses the notion that all-ages comics aren’t going to have any real stakes.

It’s at this point that the comic switches gears and we’re introduced to the teenaged Bart Simms, who will apparently grow up to become Doctor Tomorrow. Doctor Tomorrow #1 is on the surface little more than an introduction to Simms and Doctor Tomorrow. It does a really good job of setting the stage. It introduces and establishes the foundations of the characters for Arbona to build upon. By having the teenaged Bart Simms meet his older self, Arbona is also able to avoid the trope of a teenage superhero. At the very least it throws an interesting twist on it. It’s tough to say how it’ll play out based solely on the first issue. Based on the last page there’s going to be a lot more to that aspect of the comic.

I’m not going to say any more about the page other than it’ll make some people very happy about what it could be hinting toward.

Jim Towe’s art seems to fall more toward what you’d consider an “all-ages style”. The art feels like it came from a Saturday morning cartoon aimed toward older kids. Personally, I love it. It fits the style of the comic by being accessible without sacrificing visual storytelling. People are lost in the opening pages, but Towe and Diego Rodriguez cleverly draw your attention away from the scene by placing something far more eye-grabbing on the scene. For me, it was akin to the scene in the Mandalorian where Mando cuts a guy in half using an automatic door. You don’t see it, but it happens. That’s kind of what happens here, only you do see it… it just isn’t the gory focus of the art.

There’s often a stigma that all-ages comics will end up being specifically for kids.

Just because it’s an all-ages comic, doesn’t mean it’s for kids. It means kids can enjoy it along with their parents. This is an exciting, fresh new story from one of the best publishers around. Don’t miss what is sure to be one of the must-read books this quarter.

Story: Alejandro Arbona Art: Jim Towe
Colors: Diego Rodriguez Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Teen hothead and star athlete, Bart Simms, is about to meet the Valiant Universe’s greatest hero…Himself! It all begins in Doctor Tomorrow #1!

Doctor Tomorrow #1 is Valiant‘s first all-ages book set within the publisher’s continuity. Yes, there was Valiant High – a fun four-issue miniseries. It reimagined the Valiant characters in a high school setting that had distinct Archie vibes. That was never actually set within the publisher’s continuity. The Eternal Sophomore was never going to grow into the Eternal Warrior. I don’t think the Eternal Warrior has ever actually been to school, come to think of it.

When Valiant gave Graphic Policy the chance to read and review Doctor Tomorrow #1 early, we jumped at the chance. Personally, I think all-ages stories are often overlooked. A stigma exists that something that’s all ages isn’t going to be able to be enjoyed by all ages, right? I’ll counter that with Toy Story and Into The Spiderverse and move right along.

Written by Alejandro Arbona with art by Jim Towe, colors by Diego Rodriguez and letters by Clayton Cowles, the comic opens with a fight scene to set the stage and establish the threat level of Valiant’s newest supervillain Hadrian. It quickly disabuses the notion that all-ages comics aren’t going to have any real stakes.

It’s at this point that the comic switches gears and we’re introduced to the teenaged Bart Simms, who will apparently grow up to become Doctor Tomorrow. Doctor Tomorrow #1 is on the surface little more than an introduction to Simms and Doctor Tomorrow. It does a really good job of setting the stage. It introduces and establishes the foundations of the characters for Arbona to build upon. By having the teenaged Bart Simms meet his older self, Arbona is also able to avoid the trope of a teenage superhero. At the very least it throws an interesting twist on it. It’s tough to say how it’ll play out based solely on the first issue. Based on the last page there’s going to be a lot more to that aspect of the comic.

I’m not going to say any more about the page other than it’ll make some people very happy about what it could be hinting toward.

Jim Towe’s art seems to fall more toward what you’d consider an “all-ages style”. The art feels like it came from a Saturday morning cartoon aimed toward older kids. Personally, I love it. It fits the style of the comic by being accessible without sacrificing visual storytelling. People are lost in the opening pages, but Towe and Diego Rodriguez cleverly draw your attention away from the scene by placing something far more eye-grabbing on the scene. For me, it was akin to the scene in the Mandalorian where Mando cuts a guy in half using an automatic door. You don’t see it, but it happens. That’s kind of what happens here, only you do see it… it just isn’t the gory focus of the art.

There’s often a stigma that all-ages comics will end up being specifically for kids.

Just because it’s an all-ages comic, doesn’t mean it’s for kids. It means kids can enjoy it along with their parents. This is an exciting, fresh new story from one of the best publishers around. Don’t miss what is sure to be one of the must-read books this quarter.

Story: Alejandro Arbona Art: Jim Towe
Colors: Diego Rodriguez Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review