One of Valiant’s deadliest villains continues to wage war wherever she goes! 

Heartbreak and violence as the woman known as War-Monger meets her match in the deserts of Mongolia. Seeking vengeance, Vexana the War-Monger finds a kindred spirit in the man who would become to be known as Dracula – Vlad Tepes, warlord of Wallachia!

The Forgotten Queen #3 has a wonderfully understated plot that is able to keep the reader utterly engaged as it divides its time between the past and the present, tying together both stories as the issue progresses.

I’ve been enjoying the series so far, but this issue has been the highlight for me as Tini Howard gives you a surprisingly deep insight into what had been a fairly two dimensional character. I had never felt that War Monger ever had the depth to be considered anything other than a threat (unlike, say the villains who could be heroes, or the villains who at least have understandable motives), but as The Forgotten Queent has progressed, Howard has been able to change my perception of the character slowly and organically as we learn more about the immortal hell raiser as she moves through the years.

There’s also a slight growth to the character over the seven hundred years the story spans; a maturing of sorts that opens a door for further character growth to be explored. If the goal of this series was to flesh out Vexana, the War Monger, then Tini Howard has certainly succeeded; and with an issue still to come, I’m excited to see how she caps off the miniseries after the final page’s casual revelation.

Amilcar Pinna and Ulises Arreola once again are give a variety of different times and locales to flex their collective artistic muscles. Whether intentional or not the colour pallet begins to form a cohesiveness as the time periods in the comic close up, subconsciously allowing the reader to make the distinction between time periods without being explicitly told; it’s a brave choice that pays off as the issue comes to a satisfying close.

The Forgotten Queen #3 has none of the quibbles I had regarding the previous issue, instead surpassing my expectations with what I thought would be possible with a series focusing on War Monger. If you’re a Valiant fan, then it’s absolutely worth reading this series – whether War Monger will play a larger part in the future of Valiant, I don’t know, but it never hurts to gain an additional insight into a character that hasn’t had the spotlight in recent years.

Story: Tini Howard Art: Amilcar Pinna
 Colours: Ulises Arreola Letters: Jeff Powel 
Story: 8.6 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review