ALL-NEW ARC! START READING HERE! For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. First came UNITY… Now meet WEBNET!
Coming off of the earth-shattering repercussions of their first mission, Ninjak is leading the newly formed Unity team right back into the trenches to face the Valiant Universe’s next colossal threat – the enigmatic Dr. Silk and his high-tech terror cell: WEBNET! With the fate of untold millions on the line, can this team of cutthroat heroes uncover Silk’s endgame – and his connection to Ninjak’s shadowy past? Move over, Harada – Matt Kindt and Valiant’s next superstar artist, CAFU (Action Comics), are about to bring the world’s next A-level enemy down on Unity with the force of a hundred hydrogen bombs.
Summary
Livewire reflects on her experience having left Harada while on a mission to Taiwan for MI6. 24 hours later Ninjak, Aric and Eternal Warrior travel to Taiwan to rescue Livewire. They are attacked by a town under the control of Dr. Silk. Elsewhere a battered Livewire accesses Dr. Silk’s memories.
What I thought
How much do I love Livewire? I can’t count the ways! I loved the art and tone of the story. Very secret agent, sci-fi meets superhero realness. Livewire’s reflection is much needed since she had dedicated her life to a man, an ideal and was now without any of the direction that had defined her for so long. I am reminded of modern day Scott Summers/Cyclops being pulled out of Charles Xavier’s shadow after a series of revelations there as well. It’s a good bit of storytelling which helps to centralize her humanity before the story becomes more fantastical in nature. I equally liked the action sequences that featured Ninjak kicking ass in a very cool modern ninja kind of way. The contrast between Ninjak’s finesse to Aric’s more brutish and barbaric methods was also illustrated well. The art courtesy of CAFU also hits the right notes illustrating both the action and the emotion of scenes very well. Dr. Silk also is portrayed as a good foil for the Unity squad. Equally as cool for me was the portrayal of the first Unity Squad from WWII. We get a new black superhero in the form of the very first Bloodshot and a renegade Shadowman.
Overall this was a great issue so we give it a 3.5/5
Drawn into the WEBNET!
Unity is anything but unified as the team fractures and must start from scratch. But they’d better hurry because a new threat is looming…and Ninjak must tackle a viral epidemic that has been lying in wait for generations. A sickness is spreading across the land and only the doctor has the cure… Dr. Silk!
Summary
Ninjak, Aric and Eternal Warrior are trapped in a pod below the surface. They squabble about whether Aric should blast his way out or not. He ultimately does and they face Fitzhugh once more and this time they kill him. They head toward Livewire’s location as Dr. Silk tells her the rest of his story. The team crashes through the roof as the two speak. Dr. Silk is unshaken as his agents are all over the world distributing his virus, they are too late.
What I thought
Dr. Silk is a fascinating villain. His notion of immortality is intriguing and alluring. This issue has Silk taking over as the central character and he is delicious! It’s a topic that is thought provoking and discussion worthy. I also liked Eternal Warrior’s concern for the well being of the innocents captured by Silk. It contrasts with the blunt object that is Aric and the more gauged Ninjak. The revelation at the end that Livewire may not be completely human is also interesting because it would explain her connection with the X-O Manowar armour as more than just her powers. Clayton Crain’s art is distinctive and unique and is totally perfect for this issues gruesome cover depicting Dr. Silk. I must also confess that teh art continues to meld very well with the tale.
Overall I give this issue 3.5/5 stars
The final deathtrap of Dr. Silk!
Ninjak’s ultimate enemy has drawn his web tight around X-O Manowar and the rest of Valiant’s unbreakable all-star superteam…and now they’re about to find out how the globe’s most brilliantly depraved mind doles out revenge. “Trapped by Webnet” cuts to an action-packed conclusion…and no one will escape Dr. Silk’s grasp unscathed!
Summary
The Unity team is in a scramble to kills all the Silk clones and stop his plan to infect the globe with his virus. They locate his “original body” and cripple all his accounts and associates. Elsewhere his original body sleeps soundly, safe from discovery.
What I thought
This issue had good art and decent action though it lacked central characterization the way the proceeding issue did. It was a good ending to the tale but I was disappointed with the emergence of the Dell clone. It was another layer to the story sure but I don’t feel it added anything significant to the tale.
Overall this issue gets a 3/5
