It’s Alphan Armorclads vs. the Legionnaires’ guerrilla tactics with the Ironclads caught in the crossfire in Armorclads #5! With the Citadel under assault from all sides, it’s going to take more than luck to rescue Peris and escape in one piece. With the Legionnaires unveiling their secret weapon, will the Citadel fall before the Ironclads can fight their way out?

The last two issues of Armorclads have effectively just been a rather large combat scene with giant mechs battling it out with humans and monsters; writers JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccalleto are more than capable of pulling something like this off, and do so while leaving enough threads hanging for the second arc/series that will inevitably be hitting in the future.

The plot in the comic is pretty simple, with the Iron Clads aiming to rescue Peris from the director amidst the chaos, which does end up with one of the more eyebrow raising moments in the series as Peris seems to have developed some form of Stockholm Syndrome with the director – though this is largely based around the ancient mech that they had discovered might work for the captured youth (at this point the mech has basically become another Chekov’s gun situation). This marks one of the downsides of the series as the dialogue around the exchange seems a little hokey compared to what we’ve seen in the series already, but ultimately it’s not enough to really break your immersion in the story.

I’m going to repeat what I said last issue, about the artwork, because it’s still just as relevant given the setting hasn’t shifted locations at all; “The artwork, once again, is wonderfully suited to what you’re seeing on the page. Gone are the lush vistas and vibrant colours, however, replaced with a harsh rock and urban landscape bathed in greys and browns, lit primarily by explosions and missile blasts. The comic’s artistic team, penciller Manuel Garcia, inker Raul Fernandez, colourist Rex Lokus, and letterer Dave Sharpe, deliver yet another visual experience that grabs you by the collar and shakes your tired self for attention. There are a lot of names credited to this book, and each one of them deserves praise.”

Armorclads #5 isn’t the conclusion I had hoped for, given the number of threads left dangling, but it’s still going to be a satisfying enough ending to the first trade; here’s hoping the next part won’t take too long to turn up.

Writers: JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccellato
Penciller: Manuel Garcia Inker: Raul Fernandez Colourist Rex Lokus Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 7.8 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

---

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

The only thing standing between the Ironclads and rescuing their kidnapped friend, Peris, is the Citadel, the most heavily-fortified location on Xeru, the army of Armorclads guarding it, and the battle raging between the Citadel’s forces and an army of Legionnaires. Is this the end of the line, or have they come too far to turn back now? Find out in Armorclads #4!

Writers JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccalleto know how to write a good battle, and because that’s essentially what this entire comic comprises of (or at least 90% of it), you’re in for a treat. There’s no real world building in this issue, not a huge amount of characterization, but there is a lot of destruction. It’s just the kind of book that you should be looking for when you don’t want to think a whole lot – of course the reason you don’t need to think too much is because O’Connor and Buccalleto have spent the previous issues building to what we’re seeing here, which means Armorclads #4 is the payoff we’ve been waiting for since the first issue hinted that mechs will battle mechs. Being the penultimate issue means there’s no need to force loose ends to wrap up, and instead we can just enjoy the chaos and explosions as the young group of Ironclads try to rescue their kidnapped friend.

The artwork, once again, is wonderfully suited to what you’re seeing on the page. Gone are the lush vistas and vibrant colours, however, replaced with a harsh rock and urban landscape bathed in greys and browns, lit primarily by explosions and missile blasts. The comic’s artistic team, penciller Manuel Garcia, inker Raul Fernandez, colourist Rex Lokus, and letterer Dave Sharpe, deliver yet another visual experience that grabs you by the collar and shakes your tired self for attention. There are a lot of names credited to this book, and each one of them deserves praise.

Armorclads #4 begins to bring the story to its conclusion, but after this issue all I can say is I want more. More mech battles, more details on the world’s history that we’ve only begun to scratch into, and more of the spunky Ironclads who are too stubborn to know when they’re outclassed. Thankfully there’s another issue next month.

Writers: JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccellato
Penciller: Manuel Garcia Inker: Raul Fernandez Colourist Rex Lokus Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.2 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

---

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

The Governor reveals his plans for Peris but what does it have to do with the ‘Lost Suits’? Meanwhile, the remaining Outpost 12 Ironclads realize they’ll need some upgrades if they’re going to free Peris — and their entire planet — from the Alphans. This revolution will not be televised but you can read about it in Armorclads #3!

Writers JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccalleto explore the world beyond the remote planet that the first two issues were based on as Peris is taken to meet the Governor. With the name has some somewhat sinister connotations in the comic sphere thanks to The Walking Dead, O’Connor and Buccalleto play up to the association of the name. Through the Governor, we get a bit more exposition on this sphere of the Valiant Universe; there are brief glimpses of the Alphan’s planet, and an all-to-brief dip of the toe into a deep history that we’ll probably see teased out in future issues. Armorclads #3 doesn’t fall into the pattern we saw in the previous issues of untrained kids in non-combat mechs taking out enemies that trained soldiers in combat mechs couldn’t fight, which is a plus, though those same kids do feature in the pages of this comic as they make some changes to their mechs.

When it comes to the artwork, I said this about the artistic team’s work in the first two issues;

“The comic’s artistic team, penciller Manuel Garcia, inker Raul Fernandez, colourist Rex Lokus, and letterer Dave Sharpe, really give the book a visual identity that emphasizes the alien nature of Xeru whilst keeping it oddly familiar at the same time. Armorclads #1 looks like a dream; there’s really nothing I can say about what the artistic team have delivered that is anything less than positive. There’s lush vistas, technological backgrounds that aren’t overly flashy or beyond comprehensive, and creatures that are equal parts alien and familiar in their buglike creepiness.”

That paragraph is still true and consequently still applies to this issue. That said, rather than leaving it there, because we got to see a new locale with the story’s progression, I wanted to reiterate just how wonderful the team are here. There’s a brilliant that’s remarkably simple when you look at what is included in the backgrounds – Garcia has kept things relatively minimal and Lokus doesn’t over fill the blank space with shading and various colours; he keeps things minimal which allows you to focus on what’s being shown on the page.

Armorclads #3 is good; it’s really good. The setting isn’t something I would usually aim for in my reading, and if it wasn’t for the fact it was a Valiant book I’d probably not have read it. If nothing else, the series is helping this crotchety old man expand his reading horizons.

Writers: JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccellato
Penciller: Manuel Garcia Inker: Raul Fernandez Colourist Rex Lokus Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.2 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

---

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

What happens after a mission goes completely FUBAR? With Sam and SGT Troy dead, the Major is determined to get to the bottom of what went wrong in Outpost 12. With the Outpost split up, the fates of several Ironclad workers hang in the balance as the mystery of Alpharon continues to build. In Armorclads #2, can our disenfranchised heroes claim agency and take back some measure of control?

I had a distinct feeling of familiarity when reading the first few pages of this book, and it wasn’t until I opened the first issue that I realized why; I’d forgotten I had read the first five or so pages on a free preview. That said, it wasn’t an unpleasant experience getting the refresher (it just wasn’t my most observant moment, honestly was it?). Despite my constant claim of not preferring sci fi/space based stories in comics, I find myself enjoying the opening of Armorclads quite a bit. JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccalleto are consistent from the previous issue, and carry that comic’s spirit of a middle finger raised in an anti-corporate salute. This issue sees the lowly Armorclads at the mercy of military justice after they left their commanding officer to die (in their defence the officer’s unwilling sacrifice did allow the others to survive), and they end up facing a not entirely dissimilar situation – while it makes sense within the context of the comic, I’m hoping that the pattern doesn’t repeat for a third issue because that could easily lead to a predictability in the series that I’d like to see it avoid.

Last issue, I said this about the artistic team;

“The comic’s artistic team, penciller Manuel Garcia, inker Raul Fernandez, colourist Rex Lokus, and letterer Dave Sharpe, really give the book a visual identity that emphasizes the alien nature of Xeru whilst keeping it oddly familiar at the same time. Armorclads #1 looks like a dream; there’s really nothing I can say about what the artistic team have delivered that is anything less than positive. There’s lush vistas, technological backgrounds that aren’t overly flashy or beyond comprehensive, and creatures that are equal parts alien and familiar in their buglike creepiness.”

I was going to rewrite that paragraph, or rephrase it, because it is still true and still applies to this issue (and because my brain is tired and I can’t think of anything more to write about the art…. I’m taking the easy way out).

Armorclads #2 remains a happy diversion from life for the ten or so minutes it’ll take you to read. Ultimately, I can’t ask for more than that.

Writers: JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccellato
Penciller: Manuel Garcia Inker: Raul Fernandez Colourist Rex Lokus Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

---

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW