Valiant; $4.99

Dr. Silk has added Kay McHenry, the Eternal Warrior, and the resurrected psiot, Flamingo, to his list of associates. They attacked G.A.T.E.’s floating command center, where heroes like Ivar Anni-Padda, Ninjak, Faith, X-O Manowar, and Livewire are planning their next move to stop him.

The attack on the space station has pitted brother against brother and friend against friend in violent confrontations. Elsewhere, Tama with Obadiah and Mary-Maria Archer are seeking allies in the Faraway, another group of heroes looks for a weapon, and Dr. Silk continues to recruit allies.

Each issue of Resurgence of the Valiant Universe is well worth the cover price. Writer Fred Van Lente isn’t wasting a single panel with fluff or longwinded speeches. Instead, he’s crafting a big, intricate story in which most of Valiant’s well known characters are in this fight. He’s keeping the focus on the characters and how Dr. Silk’s actions would change the world, and the plans for action are easy to follow (unlike some event series that get bogged down in complicated recourse).

Likewise, the art by Guillermo Fajardo and Julio Azamor, and colors by Lautaro Ftuli with Brushu Studio provides impressive visuals on each page. There’s tons of detail that brings the story to life from the emotional confrontations to the big battles, and they are using many different panel sizes and angles to convey the tone.

-Amanda Sheriff