Archer & Armstrong’s relationship has had it’s up and downs with varying results, now they must come together out of necessity, if only temporarily, to stop the Sect Civil War. But not before Armstrong goes on a pub crawl through 3,000 years worth of time with his brother Ivar.

Official Description from VALIANT:
WARNING: This is no longer a (FINGER QUOTES) ‘fun’ comic. Now the Sect Civil War has begun, it is now a (FINGER QUOTES) ‘grim’ and (FINGER QUOTES) ‘gritty’ work of (REAL QUOTES) ‘sequential literature’ with blood and headshots and naughty words (like ‘H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS’) and if you squint real hard at the backgrounds, maybe boobies. In this particular issue that will change the Valiant Universe forever*, the man now calling himself Dark Archer (NOTE TONAL SHIFT) must find his former partner Armstrong so they can reunite to stop the aforementioned Sect Civil War. And there are almost no fart jokes. Okay, one. (* FOREVER = APPROX. 20 MINUTES)

Fred Van Lente writes Archer & Armstrong with equal seriousness and absurd fun and issue #15 encapsulates them to the fullest. The Sect Civil War has begun and the book starts with our favorite Valiant villain Toyo Harada, who crosses over in three titles this week, to address the war and how the Harbinger Foundation can capitalize on it. The gravity and the seriousness is followed by Armstrong and his brother Ivar jumping through time while sampling the world’s finest brews. Armstrong exhibits his usual fun loving, hard drinking spirit with a sprinkling of regret and self-reflection on his break-up with partner Archer.

The majority of the issue focuses on Armstrong’s working through several levels of separation from Archer with a convenient statistical guide to how Armstrong’s consumption equates to his mental state. The pub crawl begins 3,000 years in the past and goes through to the 1920’s and ends just seconds before prohibition becomes the law of the land.

Fortunately for Armstrong, Ivar has a much bigger plan set in motion which is meant to bring Archer back into the mix, which brings us back full circle to the serious threat of the Civil Sect War. Van Lente seems to have a lot of fun with this balancing act and Armstrong is a big lovable brute that makes the lightheartedness and fun work so well. Last issue was Archer centric as he declared his intent to single handily stop the impending war so it seems only fitting that a night of hard drinking is needed for Armstrong to get some clarity of his role.

Khari Evan’s seems to be having equal fun and it shows in not only the action and pacing but also the panels that depict the “Beer Stats” vs “Man Stats” of Armstrong alcoholic consumption. The opening scene of Armstrong and Ivar watching over Armstrong’s deadly fight against an assassination attempt in 1336 BC with the unique choice of a cat as a weapon it simply par for the course in this book. Trust me, it all makes sense and Van Lente and Evans know just how to bring us through the madness.

Another great issue of a great title with more twists, turns, time jumps, drunken brawls and even bigger drunken blackouts than, well literally, any comic on the market. Not that it wasn’t already but if Archer & Armstrong can make peace then the Sect Civil War just got a whole lot more interesting and that’s saying a lot. Archer & Armstrong offers some of the best characters in Valiant’s line who continue to get bigger and better each issue.

4/5