Eternal Warrior: Resurgence
(W) Fred Van Lente (A) Alvaro Papagiani (CA) Guillermo Fajardo
In Shops: Oct 16, 2024
SRP: $5.99
A RESURGENCE TIE-IN! Discover why Gilad is the Fist and the Steel, eternally called to serve by the Geomancer’s side. This one-shot unveils the origin of a formidable new adversary, The Kaggen. As the Resurgence event unfolds, chaos and danger loom over all.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Eternal Warrior: Sword of the Wild
It should be no secret to you that I am a huge fan of Valiant comics. I’ve also made no secret of my love for the Eternal Warrior. But a lot of that love stems from Book Of Death and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, and not his first solo series offered since Valiant’s 2012 relaunch, the eponymously titled Eternal Warrior. I first read that series shortly after Book Of Death and didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to, and although I’ve heard mixed opinions on it since, I wanted to give the first four issues in the series another chance (you can find them collected as Sword Of The Wild, hence the full title of this week’s column, and what I’ll be referring to them as going forward).
The back of the trade dressing (apparently) reads;
Soldier. Guardian. Warrior. Legend. Across ten millennia and a thousand battlefields, Gilad Anni-Padda has traversed the darkest, most mysterious corners of history. But the horror and bloodshed of constant warfare has finally taken its toll on the man myth calls the Eternal Warrior…and he has abdicated his duties as the Fist and the Steel of Earth for a quiet life of seclusion. But when a blood vendetta from the distant past suddenly reappears in the modern day, he must decide if he will return to the ways of war…for the child who betrayed him thousands of years ago…
Before rereading Sword of the Wild I realised that I had to look at the book as its own entity, removed from the larger continuity of the Valiant universe as a whole. This realisation came because for me Sword of the Wild doesn’t tie in to the portrayal of the Eternal Warrior we were given in Unity, and subsequently Book Of Death and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior (although the latter two came after Sword of the Wild) nor the general continuity Valiant had built at the time. Once I had taken that mentality with the book, I sat down, opened the front cover and got started… and was immediately transported to what felt like a reimagination of the 90’s era Eternal Warrior.
I say this because although the book doesn’t lot in as well with the Valiant continuity as other books and series have done, it’s still a really enjoyable read. More so than I initially expected. When you look at this book as a standlone story about an immortal warrior finally having enough of the world’s shit and just wants to live the rest of his long days in peace (or at least a portion of them), and remove any preconcieved notions of how it could or should fit into the other stories featuring Gilad Anni-Padda, then you’ll find that there’s a really compelling four issue arc here.
Just on that maybe lines up better with the pre-relaunch Valiant comics than the Valiant Entertainment era.
I really enjoyed this book – far more than I expected to. So why is it today’s subject? Because I hear very few people talk about this volume with the enthusiasm the character deserves because it doesn’t fit the larger Valiant continuity as well as it could. But as a standalone story? It’s pretty good – that’s why the book is Underrated.
Join us next week when we look at something else that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.
It’s one of two new comic book days! What are you all excited for? What do you plan on getting? Sound off in the comments! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web to start the day.
The Guardian – Bobby Joseph becomes first person of colour appointed UK comics laureate – Cool.
ICv2 – Alien/Valiant to Omnibize Jim Shooter’s ‘Eternal Warrior’ for the First Time – Cool.
WGRZ – Local coffee and comic shop announces closing – Sad to see them go. A lot of people liked the shops.
Reviews
The Beat – Clive Barker’s Next Testament
The Beat – When Fate Finds Us
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Eternal Warrior: Sword of the Wild
It should be no secret to you that I am a huge fan of Valiant comics. I’ve also made no secret of my love for the Eternal Warrior. But a lot of that love stems from Book Of Death and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, and not his first solo series offered since Valiant’s 2012 relaunch, the eponymously titled Eternal Warrior. I first read that series shortly after Book Of Death and didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to, and although I’ve heard mixed opinions on it since, I wanted to give the first four issues in the series another chance (you can find them collected as Sword Of The Wild, hence the full title of this week’s column, and what I’ll be referring to them as going forward).
The back of the trade dressing (apparently) reads;
Soldier. Guardian. Warrior. Legend. Across ten millennia and a thousand battlefields, Gilad Anni-Padda has traversed the darkest, most mysterious corners of history. But the horror and bloodshed of constant warfare has finally taken its toll on the man myth calls the Eternal Warrior…and he has abdicated his duties as the Fist and the Steel of Earth for a quiet life of seclusion. But when a blood vendetta from the distant past suddenly reappears in the modern day, he must decide if he will return to the ways of war…for the child who betrayed him thousands of years ago…
Before rereading Sword of the Wild I realised that I had to look at the book as its own entity, removed from the larger continuity of the Valiant universe as a whole. This realisation came because for me Sword of the Wild doesn’t tie in to the portrayal of the Eternal Warrior we were given in Unity, and subsequently Book Of Death and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior (although the latter two came after Sword of the Wild) nor the general continuity Valiant had built at the time. Once I had taken that mentality with the book, I sat down, opened the front cover and got started… and was immediately transported to what felt like a reimagination of the 90’s era Eternal Warrior.
I say this because although the book doesn’t lot in as well with the Valiant continuity as other books and series have done, it’s still a really enjoyable read. More so than I initially expected. When you look at this book as a standlone story about an immortal warrior finally having enough of the world’s shit and just wants to live the rest of his long days in peace (or at least a portion of them), and remove any preconcieved notions of how it could or should fit into the other stories featuring Gilad Anni-Padda, then you’ll find that there’s a really compelling four issue arc here.
Just on that maybe lines up better with the pre-relaunch Valiant comics than the Valiant Entertainment era.
I really enjoyed this book – far more than I expected to. So why is it today’s subject? Because I hear very few people talk about this volume with the enthusiasm the character deserves because it doesn’t fit the larger Valiant continuity as well as it could. But as a standalone story? It’s pretty good – that’s why the book is Underrated.
Join us next week when we look at something else that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.
The Year of Valiant, continues as the publisher has announced three brand-new titles!
Shadowman. Punk Mambo. Eternal Warrior. Doctor Mirage. And [CLASSIFIED]. The supernatural protectors of the Valiant Universe unite for the very first time to stand against a terrifying ancient threat. No one is safe as Exarch Fane has his cold hands on the Book of Shadows. From the master of horror Cullen Bunn and rising star artist Riccardo Latina, Book of Sadows is a supernatural event that forms a brand-new team in the Valiant Universe… but will they be enough to stop Exarch Fane’s wrath? The all-new team arrives this July.
When living weapons break out of a top-secret facility, the nanite-infused supersoldier Bloodshot must journey across the United States to stop these twisted and lethal creations from unleashing more bloodshed and devastation on the neglected small towns and forgotten corners of the country. Will Bloodshot need to kill all of them… or can some of them be redeemed just like he was? From Ringo Award-nominated writer Deniz Camp and acclaimed artist Jon Davis-Hunt comes Bloodshot Unleashed, the popular character’s first mature readers story that truly lives up to its name. The mayhem begins this September.
Aric of Dacia is X-O Manowar, a relentless and brave warrior torn from the past who wields the most powerful sentient armor in the universe. When X-O’s latest battle brings him into uncharted cosmic territory, he encounters a powerful enemy that will rip open old wounds and force Aric into treacherous, uncertain waters. Fan-favorite co-writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad are joined by blockbuster artist Liam Sharp to present X-O Manowar Unconquered, a gripping sci-fi epic that embraces the beloved character’s history while challenging him in a whole new way. X-O’s next battle begins this November.
Eternal Warrior: Scorched Earth is Valiant Entertainment’s first original graphic novel and debut Kickstarter campaign featuring the return of fan-favorite character Gilad Anni-Padda, the Eternal Warrior, and Tama, this generation’s Geomancer of Earth as well as introducing an all-new threat to the Valiant Universe.
Kickstarter is the perfect platform for bringing the community together and celebrating the Valiant fandom, delivering the next evolution of fan engagement. This is realized through Valiant’s debut Kickstarter campaign featuring the first original graphic novel, offering a new way to engage with those who love the Valiant Universe.
Eternal Warrior: Scorched Earth is an original 100+ page graphic novel from writer Tres Dean, artist Alberto Taracido, colorist Rain Beredo, and letterer Tom Napolitano alongside acclaimed cover artist Gerald Parel. For Valiant’s first original graphic novel and a fascinating new chapter for Gilad and Tama, everything was designed for the Kickstarter platform including a special deluxe edition, exciting add-ons and so much more directly from Valiant Entertainment.
The Kickstarter campaign features a standard exclusive hardcover edition with a remarkable cover by Gerald Parel as well as an exclusive Raze’s Flame deluxe hardcover edition featuring the iconic Valiant gold treatment on the cover title and an exclusive AR code bringing the book to life like never before. The pledge tiers offer many exciting opportunities for fans to take advantage of everything the campaign features including limited offer tiers for “THE BOON” that has every single add on and “STAY VALIANT” allowing you to actually appear in the graphic novel!
There are plenty of add-ons for any backer who wants to collect exclusive merchandise as part of this new Kickstarter campaign. These add-ons will not be available anywhere else following the end of this campaign and are a great opportunity to take advantage of some exciting deals from a new enamel pin to a signed bookplate by writer Tres Dean and artist Alberto Taracido and more.
Valiant has announced their first original graphic novel featuring fan-favorite character Eternal Warrior. Eternal Warrior: Scorched Earth will be coming to Kickstarter and those interested can sign up now to find out when it launches.
The Eternal Warrior, Gilad Anni-Padda, is back alongside Tama the Geomancer in Valiant’s thrilling first original graphic novel which was designed for the Kickstarter platform with a special deluxe edition, exciting add-ons and so much more directly from Valiant Entertainment. The use of Kickstarter is Valiant’s next step in fan engagement.
Eternal Warrior: Scorched Earth is a 100-page original graphic novel from writer Tres Dean, artist Alberto Taracido, and acclaimed cover artist Gerald Parel, featuring fan-favorite characters the Eternal Warrior, Geomancer, and more as well as introducing a brand-new threat into the Valiant Universe. When a series of mysterious fires appear more targeted than natural, Gilad and Tama begin to suspect there is something more than natural disasters occurring. As Gilad suspects an ancient fire deity is at work and ventures off to ensure they are locked away, Tama focuses on her role as the Geomancer without living in Gilad’s shadow and begins to gain notoriety for her public deeds. Together, the two will uncover secrets long buried and learn just how important their relationship is.
The first 250 subscribers to the official Valiant Kickstarter newsletter will gain free access to an exclusive day one offer when the Kickstarter campaign goes live to receive a bookmark featuring artwork from the graphic novel. Sign up now HERE and stay up to date on all the latest announcements for Valiant’s debut Kickstarter campaign featuring the first original graphic novel.
The Kickstarter campaign is expected to go live in November with pledge tiers ranging from a digital copy to a special deluxe edition, as well as an option catered to retailers. Plus, stay tuned for all the exciting stretch goals and add-ons soon to be revealed.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Eternal Warrior: Sword of the Wild
It should be no secret to you that I am a huge fan of Valiant comics. I’ve also made no secret of my love for the Eternal Warrior. But a lot of that love stems from Book Of Death and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior, and not his first solo series offered since Valiant’s 2012 relaunch, the eponymously titled Eternal Warrior. I first read that series shortly after Book Of Death and didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to, and although I’ve heard mixed opinions on it since, I wanted to give the first four issues in the series another chance (you can find them collected as Sword Of The Wild, hence the full title of this week’s column, and what I’ll be referring to them as going forward).
The back of the trade dressing (apparently) reads;
Soldier. Guardian. Warrior. Legend. Across ten millennia and a thousand battlefields, Gilad Anni-Padda has traversed the darkest, most mysterious corners of history. But the horror and bloodshed of constant warfare has finally taken its toll on the man myth calls the Eternal Warrior…and he has abdicated his duties as the Fist and the Steel of Earth for a quiet life of seclusion. But when a blood vendetta from the distant past suddenly reappears in the modern day, he must decide if he will return to the ways of war…for the child who betrayed him thousands of years ago…
Before rereading Sword of the Wild I realised that I had to look at the book as its own entity, removed from the larger continuity of the Valiant universe as a whole. This realisation came because for me Sword of the Wild doesn’t tie in to the portrayal of the Eternal Warrior we were given in Unity, and subsequently Book Of Death and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior (although the latter two came after Sword of the Wild) nor the general continuity Valiant had built at the time. Once I had taken that mentality with the book, I sat down, opened the front cover and got started… and was immediately transported to what felt like a reimagination of the 90’s era Eternal Warrior.
I say this because although the book doesn’t lot in as well with the Valiant continuity as other books and series have done, it’s still a really enjoyable read. More so than I initially expected. When you look at this book as a standlone story about an immortal warrior finally having enough of the world’s shit and just wants to live the rest of his long days in peace (or at least a portion of them), and remove any preconcieved notions of how it could or should fit into the other stories featuring Gilad Anni-Padda, then you’ll find that there’s a really compelling four issue arc here.
Just on that maybe lines up better with the pre-relaunch Valiant comics than the Valiant Entertainment era.
I really enjoyed this book – far more than I expected to. So why is it today’s subject? Because I hear very few people talk about this volume with the enthusiasm the character deserves because it doesn’t fit the larger Valiant continuity as well as it could. But as a standalone story? It’s pretty good – that’s why the book is Underrated.
Join us next week when we look at something else that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.
The Eternal Warrior gets the spotlight this week as the winner of Valiant‘s “Hero of the Week. Fans chose him over Ninjak, Punk Mambo and Livewire, and we (well, me) thought it would be a great chance to highlight some of our favorite covers featuring the character. All of these covers will be pre the 2012 relaunch of Valiant and are shown in no particular order.
The below covers are some of the most striking, iconic or just plain cool images featuring the Eternal Warrior.
Sound off on your favorite covers below!
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on Twitter to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the “Hero Of The Week” from four choices. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways, and more. This week, the poll featured Rai, Punk Mambo, Livewire and the Eternal Warrior.
This week’s winner was…
Who is he? The immortal guardian of the Earth and it’s Geomancer. Gilad Anni-Padda has lived for thousands upon thousands of years, and has become a master combatant and strategist. He is also, unquestionably, my favourite character in the Valiant universe and easily within my top five comic book characters. Perhaps one of the things that interests me most with Gilad is the ability to set his stories in any time period.
A battle ten millennia in the making…
The Eternal Warrior has protected the Earth for more than 10,000 years. A master of countless weapons and long forgotten martial arts, he is guided by the Geomancers – those who speak for the Earth. During his long watch, the Eternal Warrior has failed three times. Each time, the Geomancer was killed…and a new dark age for humanity began. Each time, he was unable to stop The Immortal Enemy – a monstrous force of nature. A civilization killer. A horror that appears differently each time it arrives…and whose seemingly only purpose is to bring disorder and darkness to the world. Now, the time has come for The Immortal Enemy to return once more. But, this time, the Eternal Warrior will be ready. This time, he has a force greater than any single warrior. This time, he has…THE VALIANT.
The Valiant written by Matt Kindt and Jeff Lemire is the first of two books you’ll have seen before. The premise is centered around a loose group of allies headed by the Eternal Warrior trying to stop the Immortal Enemy from murdering the Geomancer, the person who speaks for the planet. As a showcase for the various Valiant heroes, this is arguably still the best way for new-to-Valiant readers to get introduced to the publishers characters. It’s also a fantastic story.
Buy Now: Amazon Hardcover/Paperback – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as
Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
This was my introduction to Gilad, and it was also what sold me on the Valiant universe as a whole. Book Of Death is technically a sequel to The Valiant, a book that I’ve recommended already in these weekly columns, and will again if Eternal Warrior wins the week. But you don’t need to read that story to enjoy this. You get an immediate sense of what an absolute monster the Eternal Warrior is very early in the series as he faces down Valiant’s premiere super team, Unity, entirely alone. That Book Of Death leads directly into Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior, easily one of my favourite Valiant stories (are you sensing a theme with this?) and there’s no question in my mind that this is the place to start if you want to read about the Eternal Warrior
Purchase: Amazon – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW
For five millennia, the Eternal Warrior has shaped history at the end of his sword. He’s razed empires, toppled civilizations, and broken armies as an immortal soldier in service to the Earth. But now, the Eternal Warrior has been torn from the world he once protected and finds himself stranded in a hostile alien landscape unlike any he’s faced before. Separated from his earthly environs, can history’s deadliest soldier survive a realm far older, far deadlier, and fare more ruinous than anything he’s ever encountered? Beyond Earth lies eternity…
I’m not going to cover this in detail because it’s also the subject of this week’s Underrated column. The first volume, Risen, is pretty good when you first read it, but as the series continued then you realize how necessary the story is and as you go back to the volume then you realize that “pretty good” is an understated recommendation when you take in the series as a whole. The entire Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior series is on my Top Five all-time comics list. Read it, and find out why.
Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Bookshop – TFAW
Beyond the margins of human reason lies a realm known as the Deadside, where the souls of the dearly departed linger – and where demons wait for us in the dark. For countless ages, Earth’s chosen protectors have guarded the veil between both worlds – but there are other doors to the Deadside, through which gruesome terrors from galaxies untold can trespass… With the planet’s freedom at stake, can the reigning Geomancer and her steadfast Eternal Warrior stand together against an invasion unlike any they’ve ever witnessed?
A sequel of sorts to Book Of Death in that it features both the Geomancer and the Eternal Warrior, this book both emphasizes the relationship between the two characters but it also shows just how far the Eternal Warrior will go in pursuit of his goals.
Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Bookshop – TFAW
The Eternal Warrior…Gilad Anni-Padda, the Earth’s Fist and Steel…is forever charged with guarding the Geomancer and securing the Earth’s safety. After completing another brutal mission, the Earth’s undying guardian is approached with a cryptic task: find and save a baby — in whose hands might rest the fate of an entire people! But the Eternal Warrior is no nursemaid…and, to complicate matters, a thousand Magyar invaders want the baby dead. At the edge of civilization, can history’s most expert killer keep one precious life alive?
This isn’t generally thought of among the classics. but it’s worth checking out. Eternal Warrior forced to choose between protecting one of two siblings; whether he chooses right or wrong… he’ll have to wait decades to decide. Clocking it at only three issues, this is one of the short stories on the list, and it’s one of the lesser acclaimed books, but I was more than happy with it when I closed the final page.
Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Bookshop – TFAW
It’s worth noting that you can get Deluxe Editions of many of these stories that collect what amounts to three trades in a hardcover. They are comparatively better valued, but present a higher initial cost (based on standard retail pricing not including sales and discounts). They’re my personal preference.
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