Eternal Warrior #7 Review

Gilad, the Eternal Emperor, is now on a desperate quest. Find the “King” who poisoned an innocent village but most importantly his only granddaughter. The pace heats up in Eternal Warrior #7.

Official description from VALIANT:
Long Live the Eternal Emperor! In the year 4001, King Gilad Anni-Padda hoped to leave his days as the Eternal Emperor behind him. But when an unforeseen challenger emerges from Gilad’s past, the king must put down his crown and pick up his sword! What strange journey has taken Gilad take across the alien landscape of 4001 A.D. – and what terror wrought in the modern day has led him to this terrible turning point?

Now that Greg Pak has sent the Eternal Warrior story thousands of years into the future, 4001 A.D., he is has been slowly drawing out the angry warrior he was in the past. Since joining Gilad in the future we have seen him become a man of peace but by issue #7 he back to fighting the good fight, broadsword in hand. Pak reminds readers in the first few panels that even though Gilad is old he is still the best as he viciously takes down two bears single-handedly. But Gilad’s quest is much bigger than what’s for dinner. The hope and cure for radiation poising lies at the end of this quest and if Gilad is successful so will be the head of one “King” who brought the evils of nuclear machines back to life.

Pak gives Gilad the extra motivation he needs to kill a king through the danger that radiation poising is taking on his granddaughter, Caroline. It gives the story that extra push of immediacy and desperation befitting the quest of Gilad. As Gilad gets closer to the source Pak pulls out more “primitive” machines such as planes and robot attack dogs. Once the crew arrives at it’s destination more weapons and machinery are brought to pass, including guns for the king’s guards. Pak makes a great scene from which Gilad disarms the soldiers and the mistakes they make.

Robert Gill’s art fits well within this story as it’s both clean but etched with enough roughness to give a sense of both the future but also the return to more simple and grittier methods. His action sequences, are quick and flow with grace, much like Gilad’s warrior proficiency. Sadly, there’s less action this issue than most but it’s setting up for much bigger things.

Pak is effective in giving readers just enough hope for a cure but then turns it on it’s head by adding a dangerously small solution and dragging in much greater new threats. By the end Gilad’s quest takes on new meaning with implications of a wealth of action and excitement. He’s putting new tools of disposal in the Eternal Warrior’s arsenal and the results will be explosive. The Eternal Warrior set in this time gives Pak a plethora of material to play with and expand. This is a great new twist on this character and Pak is succeeding in exploring how Gilad’s eternal experience makes him a rich and deep mine for exciting storytelling.