After following Armstrong into the depths of his infinite satchel in a search for booze, Archer and his partner, history’s most inebriated immortal, have found themselves prisoners of…uh…what’s this villain’s name again? Armstrong may not be able to remember what their captor, Bacchus, is all about, but he sure is upset by the memories tied to a rare bottle of wine. What secret is about to come roaring out of the past to haunt him? And is Archer doomed to the repeat Armstrong’s tragic mistakes?

An immortal drunkard and a clean cut assassin trained to kill the Anti-Christ (who just happens to be said immortal drunkard) have become great friends, and when one (take a guess which) decides to enter his magical bag to get a bottle of whiskey… well while it may not be the best time for the Archer or Armstrong, it makes for a great comic.

It should be no secret to any who have read my reviews (regardless of where they were posted) that I’ve become a pretty big fan of Valiant‘s comics over the past year or so, and if you’re wondering why then just take a look at what they’ve put out this week. I honestly feel that pound for pound they are the best publisher around, and the two comics that the publisher has on the racks this week are a perfect example of this. With the release of the phenomenal Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior #6 you’d be forgiven if you expected that  A&A: The Adventures Of Archer And Armstrong #2 would be the weaker of the two comics – it’s not.

While Valiant‘s other release this week was a fantastic action comic, the second issue of  A&A… is equally as brilliant. Indeed, the brutality in Wrath… juxtaposes the warmth and humour in this comic so well that could almost be intentional, and personally I think it s, but then I may be over thinking things.

A&A: The Adventures Of Archer And Armstrong #2 retains the sense of fun from the last issue, and it’s like getting your favourite cold beverage after a week in the desert. With all the deeply dark and grim comics released these days, this is a lovely change of pace – not that I don’t enjoy those comics, but sometimes I’d rather a hot chocolate instead of a cup of tea.

And today, this was exactly what I needed.

Story: Rafer Roberts Pencils: David Lafuente Inks: Ryan Winn Colours: Brian Reber
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Previously post on Graphic Policy.