Comic Review Off! Archer and Armstrong #1

When Valiant comics relaunched in May with X-O Manowar #1, the entire comic world turned to watch. When Valiant relaunched Harbinger #1, the same effect took action. Bloodshot #1, same effect yet again. And each time one new relaunch was getting close I told to myself I wouldn't read it. Harbinger first, my reluctance didn't last. Bloodshot next, speculation: hitching a ride in the desert. I was adamant since I first caught wind of this "Archer and Armstrong", the 4th relaunch in the "Summer of Valiant", that this one I was NOT going to read. Now if that were true, I wouldn't even be writing this right now. So was I wrong about Valiant again? Yes, and at least I'm man enough to admit it.

First thing's first, what is Archer and Armstrong? As much as I hate spoiling comics in reviews, I'm going to walk a very fine line with you here.  The story starts off in ancient Mesopotamia, right in the middle of a dilemma. A powerful artifact is about to be deployed without knowing what it does. The brother of the man trying to use this artifact tries to stop him. A short battle takes place, one thing leads to another, and BOOM, world cataclysm.

Fast forward 10,000 years, we meet Archer, a young man highly trained in all forms of martial arts. His parents have convinced him it's time to pursue his destiny and go on a holy quest to rid the world of ultimate evil. He says farewell to his many sibling, departs his secluded home, wanders the streets of New York, taking note of all of the "sin" that is strewn about on display. He is directed to a bar, where he picks a fight, and receives a helping hand from a drunk bouncer named Armstrong. But Armstrong isn't just any boozing, muscle bound bar bouncer. And Archer soon finds out his Holy mission might not be all he thought it was.

Now, I haven't read much of the original Valiant series. Furthermore, none of the original series I read were an Archer and Armstrong issue. Now that that's out of the way, I can tell you what I really think of the writing. Fred Van Lente has a real grasp on where he thinks the series should be going. Religious deception, intense fight scenes, international conspiracy that goes back 10,000 years. And all of it done with bold enthusiasm. Both of the main characters are very likable, their history is smothered in intrigue. Half of the anticipation for the next issue is wanting to find out more about what really happened decades prior, and who Archer's parents really are.

If there's one thing Valiant has proven lately is that the artwork standards on their titles are very high. Clayton Henry shows just how up for it he really is. Some action scenes in comics are a tad hard to follow, but those in A&A are stunning and realistic. Besides the high level of detail involved  in every panel, every facial expression, the colors by Matt Milla are perfect. Especially the facial expressions. It all fits in with the feel of the story, and shares hints of the ongoing "theme" of the art style in all of the new Valiant titles.

Archer and Armstrong is another perfect addition to the Summer of Valiant line-up. So fresh and delicious, the story and the art are flawless in my opinion. I tried really hard to find something I didn't like about this comic, and there's really only one thing to mention. A lot of the comic felt a bit rushed and incomplete. I had to make a double take, and not the good double take, the one where you're just not sure exactly what's going on. There was also quite a lot of ground covered in such a short space. We are introduced to so many characters and so many places and things that some of the details get left behind. The comic was a bit rushed, but I'm sure that was simply to get us involved in the story and interested enough to read the next issue. Hopefully the rushed feeling will be alleviated further down the road. And yes when I say further down the road, I really mean I'm with this series for the long run.

Story: 8.5/10
Art: 9.5/10