The Psi-Lords make their debut in the modern-era Valiant Universe in a brand-new ongoing series! 

But WHO are they? And where they heck are they?! Prepare for a cosmic adventure like no other! Seriously, it’s wild stuff.

Psi-Lords was teased in a Free Comic Book Day issue from… oh, at least a couple of years ago, now. To say that fans have been waiting a long time for the comic I’ve just read is a bit of an understatement. Having never read the original series from the original Valiant of the 90’s era, I have no basis for comparison or reference for these characters. I approached this as I would the first issue of any new property – with the expectation that all I need to know to enjoy the book will be within the book.

The book opens with four individuals in a high tech, or potentially alien, prison with little to no idea who they are. Guided by a disembodied voice, the four discover they have incredible powers, and may even be gods. What follows is a strangely disjointed prison escape tale that is little more than a couple of key moments surrounded by cliche designed to further the plot. And that’s the major gripe with this comic – it feels too much like Fred Van Lente is trying to get to a certain point that he’s moving the comic quickly while trying to provide some context, and it doesn’t work. Psi-Lords #1 is certainly not one of the writer’s finest works.

It isn’t quite clear what level of amnesia the characters have, nor why they only remember they have powers once they’re told about them – I’m willing to give the series the benefit of the doubt for another issue or two, but the writing doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

Thankfully, Renato Guedes is able to carry the load with some utterly phenomenal art. At the very least you need to see this book to believe it – it is breathtaking to watch Guedes navigate the characters through the unfamiliar environs and stark halls, the explosive action sequences leap from the page and pull your eyes into a comic you may have been otherwise tempted to ignore.

Psi-Lords #1 doesn’t require any real knowledge of the original series, but the plot doesn’t really stand out either. It’s a comic that is visually fantastic, but with a plot that barely rises above average. Whether it’s worth reading is up to you, but for me it wasn’t worth the wait.

Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Renato Guedes Letters: Dave Sharpe
Story: 6.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 7.1 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review