Though there’s no gimmick cover here, the first issue of Eternal Warrior commits the most 90s of sins: kicking off an entirely new series in the midst of a company-wide crossover. That said, this isn’t necessarily a problem that’s relegated to 90s comics, but it’s definitely something that became pretty prevalent during the decade.

Despite this problem, is Eternal Warrior #1 worth reading? Let’s find out!

Gilad Ani-Padda is the strongest warrior in his tribe, and the fiercest protector of his people. His younger brother Aram, though brave and incredibly strong, has always felt like he lives in his sibling’s shadow. When tragedy strikes, during a time when both brothers have their own families, they go their separate ways. Gilad and Aram have more than just strength, resilience and battle prowess at their hands, however: they seem to be immortal, which is how they find themselves at the centre of a war which threatens reality itself.

The Frank Miller cover of Eternal Warrior #1 is pretty cool, but it’s not particularly representative of the issue in general. Instead, it feels for the most part like an almost biblical epic, with dramatic flash forwards to the modern world occurring in the final pages. Gilad doesn’t come across as very likeable at all; he seems to be an arrogant and rather angry character, and given the misogynistic views he espouses (along with some unnecessary hints at sexual violence in the artwork), I’m beginning to think that this was a Valiant problem back in the early 90s, with an attempt to feel edgy and grown up just resulting in it feeling even more juvenile.

With the crossover element happening at the end of the issue, it’s not too harmed by being part two of the Unity saga overall, but it can’t help but feel a bit disjointed and lacking in important details (why exactly are Gilad and Aram immortal? It’s certainly not addressed at all in this issue).

That said, the historical sequences are really well done, not to mention certainly more violent than you may expect, and with the dodgy (but almost certainly period accurate) sexual politics aside. John Dixon’s artwork is fantastic, particularly in the epic, old world scenes, and Paul Autio’s colours give it an appropriately painterly look.

Had this issue fleshed out Gilad and Aram some more in terms of the why of their immortality, it would have been a bit more of an interesting read; as it is, it’s an enjoyable, era-spanning romp that sets the series up well. It’s a shame it couldn’t stand alone without the Unity stuff bolted on, but we’ll see where this leads in the next issues!

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