Unity started out with a bang and continues to push the envelope as Valiant’s super-team confronts X-O Manowar, literally and figuratively, head on. Matt Kindt ups the ante and finally has a team capable of going toe-to-toe with Aric of Dacia.

Official Description from VALIANT:
Broken but not beaten, Unity has to put down X-O Manowar and avert nuclear war. But Harada’s super-team lasted a grand total of five minutes last issue before they were taken out. Time for Unity 2.0, but how do you get a cast of malcontents, egotists, immortal warriors, and manipulative backstabbers to work together? The answer? You don’t tell them they’re working together.

Kindt and Valiant have built up X-O Manowar to be an unstoppable force and issue #1 of Unity did nothing to dispel that point of view. However, Kindt takes readers where no one could have imagined would be the perfect battleground to take on Aric. I suppose if you have been reading Harbinger it might not come a great surprise but it is a direction few readers would have expected.

Toyo Harda’s team is comprised of Livewire, Harada, Eternal Warrior and Ninjak. Throw in the threat of a nuclear attack and you’ve got yourself some high drama and emotional intensity. Ninjak has already failed to stop Aric but he his the one with the most inside knowledge of how Aric operates and Kindt makes him a very valuable commodity to Harada and his cause. Don’t be mislead however, X-O Manowar still has the upper hand and it will take this formidable team together to even make a dent in his alien armor.

Kindt uses all the nuances and infighting among reluctant allies to write a solid, intense story with plenty of great dialogue. He has a great grasp on what makes these team members click and uses it for full impact and diversity. Doug Braithwaite’s art feels less comic booky and more illustration and that’s no knock on other artist but a story this big is beautifully captured by Braithwaite’s skill. It’s as complex and dense as Kindt storytelling and it makes a statement as well as a well thought out piece of art.

Unity #2 continues to keep pace with the first issue and somehow manages to surprise you by the end with a twist longtime readers of X-O Manowar never thought was possible. Again, there really are no pure villains or heroes here and that makes for a complex and rich story that Kindt handles with ease. A great new team book in the super-powered comic landscape that fans should not miss.

5/5