Harbinger #14 is a terrific tie-in to the Harbinger Wars event and shows why it’s the standout title in the Valiant Universe.

Official description from VALIANT:

Choosing sides is never easy – especially when the decision could get you killed. As the Harbinger Wars reach their boiling point, Peter and his team must decide what role to play as the lines between friend and foe blur and the casualties pile high all around them.

Issue #14 is as much about the toll and aftermath Peter and his Renegades suffer as it is about the final chapter of Toyo Harada’s original battle against Project Rising Spirit. The book begins with a flashback to 1969 and Harada’s final assault against the leader of P.R.S. The reveal of Carter’s true power is something I never saw coming and it’s both surprising and grotesque. In the beginning Toyo’s initial intentions were undoubtably heroic but the fallout from the battle starts Harada down the wrong path. The action is outstanding and writer Joshua Dysart draws an exciting and emotional lines between villain and anti-hero.

What follows overlaps what happens during Bloodshot’s assault in Vegas but is more about what happened to Faith and how she steps up to reveal true courage and sacrifice. The battle in Vegas was the final step for all the Renegades to grow into a team but Faith is the stand out here. She’s has always been a fun character and now has developed into a solid and vital member of Peter’s group. The story wraps up with a flashback to 1971 and a rather different version of Harada than we have become accustomed. It is fun to see “hippie” Toyo and a great contrast to who he ultimately becomes. Khari Evans art is stellar. The flashbacks ring true to their time without using tricks or varying color schemes and gives the book a cohesive feel. The action sequences are dynamic and Evans attention to detail is remarkable.

The Harbinger Wars event doesn’t wrap-up with a neat little bow and Dysart is to be commended for such honest storytelling. Harbinger #14 is a coming of age superhero story and what seems like the final chapter in the Harbinger Wars is really only the beginning. It’s unquestionably one of the single best superhero books going.

5/5