Book of Death #1 by Robert Vendetti, Robert Gill & Doug Braithwaite

Writer: Robert Vendetti
Artists: Doug Braithwaite
Publisher: Valiant
Release Date: July 15, 2015
In the recent years since its return, publisher Valiant has become one of comics’ most prominent success stories. Relaunching an entire shared superhero universe from the ground-up featuring fresh takes on lost 90’s heroes, the imprint has carved out a nice niche for itself in the capes and masks genre—and the more Valiant explores the “jumping-on point” cliches of comics with its events and crossovers, the more Valiant manages to subvert most trends.
Book of Death continues the story of the Eternal Warrior, Gilad, and Tama, a time-displaced Geomancer. Taking place soon after previous miniseries The Valiant as a non-official sequel, Book of Death finds the duo hiding in Southeast Oregon as Gilad protects both Tama—an ecological messianic figure—from the world, and the world from her. As the duo remain in self-imposed exile, Tama reads Gilad a book from the future that chronicles the way the world will end (not with a whimper, but with several tremendous bangs). Scribe Robert Vendetti’s first time writing the pair, this relatively new paternal relationship remains intriguing, like a variant Lone Wolf and Cub, and Venditti ramps up the conflict that nips at their heels naturally.
However, Book of Death lacks a central tenet to previous Valiant events. What made former blockbusters like The Valiant, Armor Hunters, Divinity and other Valiant events so captivating was that they were presented as entry-points to the Valiant Universe first and foremost before diving headfirst into the evolving canon. Book of Death takes a slightly different approach; this title assumes you have some attachment or knowledge of the new Valiant Universe, and it leverages that headway for an emotional connection to the titular tome. This is a comic that begins by telling the reader all of these characters are going to die; if you have even the most remote affection for them, then this communique is unsettling. If not, then this approach plays like one of the many “everything is ending” superhero epics common in traditional crossover fare, presupposing the heroes present and their pathos are already relevant to the audience.
Book of Death Interior Art by Robert Gill