After countless centuries apart, the Earth’s Fist and Steel has finally reunited with his long-lost son, Kalam. But before this father and son can truly find peace, they must first face the impossible…and escape from death itself! As unimaginable terrors rise to prevent Earth’s immortal champion and his scion from returning to the land of the living, can the Eternal Warrior conquer eternity to save the boy he once thought lost…or will his transgressions against the natural order trap them forever at the far end of eternity?

The penultimate issue of what has become my favourite series over the past year doesn’t disappoint.

Last issue we saw Gilad Anni-Padda cross the hellscape alone to retrieve his eldest son from the demon that held him captive, preparing to confront an uncountable horde of demons standing in his way (if you want a mental image, think the scene where General Hux is addressing the First Order troops in The Force Awakens, then double the count). There’s an immediate payoff this issue, with one of the most “hell yeah” moments of the series up to that point – not because of any artistic sequence, but rather because the way Robert Venditti has framed the sequence leading up to the title page with his narration combined with the expression on Gilad’s face from artist Robert Gill. It’s a great full page image that is unlikely to be on any posters because the image may not necessarily be the dynamic pose or action fueled image those posters tend to feature, but when taken as part of the whole – whether that be the story or the arc to this point – it’s a powerful moment that’ll have you throwing your fist into the air.

On the surface, Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior #13 is a fairly standard tale of a father rescuing his son from untold horrors, albeit a fantastically well written and well drawn one, but once you peel back the layers a little you notice that the comic also begin to pull together the awkward silences and suppressed emotions between Gilad and Kalam that we’ve seen since the first issue in the series.

This is the second to last issue in the series, which is such a shame because this has been one of the best series on the racks for the past year. Robert Venditti is a master at his craft, and he’s set up what promises to be a climactic final chapter. Read this run in single issues, or read it in trade – you’ll love every page.

Story: Robert Venditti Art: Robert Gill Colourist: Mike Spicer
Story: 9 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.