Reviews

4001 A.D.: Beyond New Japan by Robert Venditti, Jody Houser, Jeff Lemire

crookedtreehouse's review

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2.0

A completely unnecessary companion volume to the mediocre [b:4001 A.D.|30058117|4001 A.D.|Matt Kindt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550502717l/30058117._SY75_.jpg|50469986], this is a series of short stories about what familiar Valiant characters are doing on Earth during or shortly after the end of the main 4001 AD series. None of the stories have time to breathe, and since they're all set 2,000 years in the future from the previous times we've seen their characters, there isn't really any emotional punch to any of the stories.

I feel bad because all of the writers and artists involved in this volume are good, but none of them did anything particularly interesting with the conceit.

Even if you'r a die-hard Valiant fan, you can skip this one. It's not terrible, it's just boring, and doesn't really add any flavor to any of the characters or the overall lore of the Valiant Universe.

carroq's review

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4.0

I liked this book quite a bit. It is a collection of four tie in stories to the 4001 A.D. event from Valiant. It features three previous Valiant heroes and one new one.

The first story tells the history of the massive X-O armor that plays a role in the main 4001 event. I enjoyed seeing the origins of this armor and how it tied into the future storyline. Next up is a story about Bloodshot. Specifically, it is about the nanites and their final mission. This felt like the weakest of the stories to me. Bloodshot has become one of my favorite Valiant characters thanks to Jeff Lemire. It's a nice transition story but didn't add much to the character.

Third is a Shadowman tale. This one raised a bunch of questions for me regarding Shadowman and the Loa. It's pretty cool though because it is set on Earth and explains how these coexisting towns have been able to survive. It also introduces a new character that could easily pick up the Shadowman mantle in the future storyline. Lastly, is the story about Warmother, the new Valiant hero. Also set on Earth, this one shows what I think might be a more common way of life for the planet-bound people in 4001. There is a lot of isolation and scramble for tech. The character is strong and has the makings of a great leader.

The art on all of these are pretty solid. The Bloodshot story has some interesting effects with the nanites. Warmother shows off Earth of the future wonderfully. I thought these stories were great, even though they are mostly tangential to the 4001 event. I recommend reading 4001 A.D. first just because it is easier to see how these stories fit alongside it.
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