Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 2: Wrath of the Eternal Warrior

Archer & Armstrong (2012)

by Fred Van Lente (Writer), Emanuela Lupacchino (Artist), Guillermo Ortego (Artist)

No one in the Valiant Universe is more dangerous or more experienced in the art of war than the undying Eternal Warrior. After thousands of years on the battlefield, he’s a master of strategy and weaponry, an unrelenting force of nature capable of dismantling entire armies with little effort and less conscience. His brother Armstrong, on the other hand, likes to read poetry and drink beer. Maybe that’s why they had such a bad falling out? But now – after years apart – the Eternal Warrior has a new mission: destroy young Obadiah Archer, Armstrong’s best-est new buddy and teammate in the war against The Sect. And, like it or not, Valiant’s history-smashing adventure duo are about to feel the brunt of the Eternal Warrior’s fist and steel.

By New York Times best-selling author Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man) and critically acclaimed artist Emanuela Lupacchino (X-Factor), the second volume of the series that IGN calls “hilarious and action packed” slams into high gear with a savage manhunt straight through the heart of the Valiant Universe.

Collecting: Archer & Armstrong 5-9

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comic Book, Humor, Superheroes, Science Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

Fred Van Lente is the New York Times-bestselling author of comics as varied as Archer & Armstrong (Harvey Award nominee, Best Series), Taskmaster, MODOK's 11, Amazing Spider-Man, Conan the Avenger, Weird Detective, and Cowboys & Aliens (upon which the 2011 movie was based), as well as the novels Ten Dead Comedians and The Con Artist.

Van Lente also specializes in entertaining readers with offbeat histories with the help of his incredibly talented artists. He has written the multiple-award winning Action Philosophers!, The Comic Book History of Comics, Action Presidents! (all drawn by Ryan Dunlavey), and The Comic Book Story of Basketball with Joe Cooper (Ten Speed September 2020).

He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Crystal Skillman, and some mostly ungrateful cats.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1st volume we were introduced to not only Archer & Armstrong, but we were also given a peek at Armstrong's brothers. Ivar was popping in and out of Archer's vision as a wannabe Jesus, and Gilad was futzing around doing something with the Nazis.



Anyway, in this volume, we get a better look at Gil aka The Eternal Warrior. He's immortal like his brothers and has been (somehow) tasked to protect (basically) the human embodiment of the Earth. <--or something like that
At any rate, whenever the Geomancer (that's what these guys and gals are called) gets killed, Gil goes into this berserker rage (akin to Thor's Warrior Madness) until he hunts down and kills the murderer.
He's kind of a badass.



And due to his sketchy upbringing by cultists and an unfortunate wrong place wrong time scenario, Archer has made it to the top of Gil's hit list. So, it's up to Armstrong to protect his naive little buddy from his estranged little brother.



Don't worry. It all works out.
This is a great title and I cannot believe I'm just finding out that it exists!

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the end of the last arc, Archer & Armstrong accidentally got the Geomancer killed. Enter Armstrong's brother, the Eternal Warrior who's out for vengeance. Now they need to find the next Geomancer before Gilad kills them both. A new sect, The Null, also enter the picture and they are pretty cool. We get to see flashbacks each issue to times when Gilad and Armstrong were fighting the cult throughout history. Van Lente does a bang up job of mixing up cool stories and just plain out fun action / adventure. I dig Emanuela Lupacchino's clean art style. It's gorgeous.

If you haven't ever picked up a Valiant comic, why not? They are fantastic.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The AA train kept a rollin in this fun fun fun GN that collects issues #5-9 of Valiant ENTERTAINMENT’s relaunch of their popular series.

Valiant COMICS was bought out in 1994 and when the buyer went belly up in 2004, new ownership resurrected the company and they relaunched many of their successful titles in 2012, including this TASTY concoction that’s well written and easy on the eyes.

This time we follow Obie and Aram and also get re-introduced to Aram’s also immortal brother Gilad, the Eternal Warrior. Gilad was one of the most compelling characters from the early days of the earlier Valiant line, making me think of Moorcock’s Eternal Champion. We also get to know the new Geomancer, Kay McHenry, who is just getting to know and understand her immense new powers.

The good guys fight the evil Sect along with other nasty bad guy organizations.

Blending good action, great background story and some humorous elements makes this a page turner. On to the next volume.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 2 picks up right where volume 1 left off, both from a story standpoint and in terms of design. That's perfect for me. This book is so much fun because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Watch out though. There is plenty of good content here that creates a backdrop for the series. Some new characters are introduced and more is revealed about our heroes. The Geomancer is a particular favorite of mine among the new characters. She is unexpected in many ways, which makes her progression through the book satisfying.

Van Lente does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Despite all the silliness, or perhaps because of it, they feel like fleshed out people. Since I've started reading the Valiant titles, I've been a huge fan of the art. Not every piece works for me, but it doesn't have to either. I felt like the art in this book was a step up over the previous volume. This is a great series to jump into the Valiant universe with.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which we get a new geomancer and two brothers reunite.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archer & Armstrong, fresh off their defeat of the Sect, find themselves on the run as the Eternal Warrior pursues them for accidentally murdering the Earth's Geomancer protector. Oh, and did we mention that the Eternal Warrior is Armstrong's brother?

Something the Valiant books do better than a lot of books at the moment is giving the feeling of an ongoing narrative rather than just returning to a status quo at the end of a story. This volume springs right out of the end of the first, and the third looks to do the same here as all of the plot points swirl around and progress.

There's a bit of a shift away from Archer & Armstrong in this one, Archer specifically as the Eternal Warrior and Armstrong's relationship gets the spotlight, as well as introducing the new Geomancer a few issues in. I expect they'll play more roles in the universe as a whole (since there's been a few Eternal Warrior series I haven't gotten to yet), but it's a shame we don't get to see as much of Archer dealing with his new lot in life.

Emaneula Luppachino draws this volume, and she reminds me of Mike McKone even more than usual. Her art is lovely, always detailed and fully formed, and expressive as hell. She's a very reliable artist who always elevates whatever she's given. I've liked her since her X-Factor stuff, and continue to enjoy seeing her on higher and higher profile books.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering it's basically an overly long crossover, this is actually a pretty strong book. Archer & Armstrong end up on the run from the Eternal Warrior for 'killing' the previous Geomancer, while also trying to find the next one. And when they do, events ratchet up another level, to a fairly thrilling conclusion underneath a golf course in Greenland. A new enemy, the Null, makes for a disturbing opponent, and interspersed are historical moments of the Eternal Warrior (and Archer) battling the same foe. While not quite as humorous as the previous volume, it's a stronger overall story and the characters develop well. All in all, it's a very enjoyable volume.

[Joey Heflich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty much what I imagined comics would become based on what I was reading in senior year of high school. Good writing, good art. Doesn't take itself seriously. Takes enough time to build a world around its characters, but it doesn't skimp on action sequences. And there's lots of female eye candy and nuns that are ninjas, if that's what you look for in a comic. (I don't; but maybe Valiant will follow Marvel's lead with diversity.)

Kinda feels like a normal-human-friendly Warren Ellis book at times.

[Wing Kee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun simple fun.

World: The art is okay, nothing special of note that sets this book apart, it does it's job well but yeah, nothing special. The world building here are in bits and pieces and only needed when the story requires it, no info dumping so it's also solid.

Story: The story moves fast and once again covers another Sect. It's formulaic but it's simple and fun and what exactly it needs to be. The humour is hit and miss and the banter is solid, adding the Eternal Warrior for this arc was a good world building move and also giving another straight man for Armstrong to play against. The potential for the next part of the story is there and I look forward to finding out where this story goes.

Characters: This cast of characters is fun. They are quirky enough to play well off each other. However we did not have enough time for the quite hang out moments that really builds chemistry. Adding Gilad was a nice touch in world building but I wish there were more quiet moments.

Good read, cliche and expected but fun.

Onward to the next book!

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Van Lente does a solid job mixing the high action tone of the Eternal Warrior and Archer's backstory with Armstrong's satire. Fast-paced, coherent, light in touch, Van Lente isn't trying to reinvent the genre, but tell an effective story within the context Valiant universe. The satire isn't entirely coherent in its targets, and the geomancer plotlines in Valiant can be confusing, but it's highly enjoyable. The art by Emanuela Lupacchino and Guillermo Ortego, while not particularly innovative, is quite good.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book was okay but I think volume 2 here is where it really starts to get good. I enjoyed this a lot more.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and reviewed as part of Archer and Armstrong: Deluxe Edition 1

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Almost Impossible to Overstate How Good These Books Are

Now, I read the occasional graphic novel and TP collection, (love the Rat Queens, the Grimm Universe, Red Sonja). I know of Marvel and DC. But I'd never heard of Valiant Comics until I found the first Archer and the new "X-O Manowar". Who knew that Valiant was a huge name in the 90's until it got rolled under by a bunch of bad publishing and video game mergers. And who knew they are now fighting back by reenergizing their oldest and strongest lines, and dipping into their inventory of over 2,000 Valiant Universe characters.

Well guess what? This book is terrific. It's sharply written, funny, loaded with interesting characters, and almost addictive. The plot careens around, but even if you are new to the Valiant Universe it all makes sense and falls into place in short order. You don't need to know the literally twenty years of publishing history behind this reboot/rethink; you can dive right in. This is Volume 2, (issues 5 through 9), of the Archer & Armstrong series, but a one page introduction summarizes the action to date well enough that any reader can step right in at this point, (although starting with Volume 1 would be more fun).

Archer and Armstrong make a great team. There are a lot of running jokes that never overstay their welcome. There are hints and bits that suggest loads of backstory and foreshadowing, but that's just icing on the cake. The secondary characters scream in and out of the action, and many of them get a real chance to shine before moving out of frame. I like jokes that are actually jokes and funny bits that are truly clever, witty, sly or deadpan, and this book delivers. For every predictable wiseguy smartmouth line there's another, better surprising line, which keeps you totally invested in the story and the fates of the characters.

So, if you've gotten tired of the Marvel and DC big names, or if you've just drifted away from comics and graphic novels because it's all been-there/done-that, well this is an impressive, smart, entertaining breath of fresh air.

(Please note that, while I picked up a free copy of the first A & A Volume at the 2015 ALA Convention, I got this second Volume by sending their sales manager a mash note. Otherwise, I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Anchorpete · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A series that is at the pinnacle of perfection"

this is one of the review blurbs on the back of this trade. I can't say I disagree. This book has two things that every perfect comic book has:

Gigantic Concepts that touch your inner child's sense of wonder

and

Actually funny inside jokes that reward readers for issue after issue.

In a way, those two things are really only achieved in the comic book medium. So far, Archer and Armstrong is a book that is proving just how wonderful comics can be.

Oh, I almost forgot. There is one other thing that makes comic wonderful-

References to other comic book characters that exist within the same universe. I mean, the third most featured character in this book is The Eternal Warrior, and there are also tons of references to Project Rising Spirit (Harbinger and Bloodshot) and The Vine (X-o Manowar)

Damn, I am loving this rebooted Valiant Universe.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really good to see Armstrong and his brother together, fighting with or alongside each other. The plot was a little confusing, only because I didn't remember much from the last volume, but it was still really enjoyable. I hope to see more of Kay, the Geomancer...though, the Eternal Warrior series now confuses me more. Ugh. I wish this Humble Bundle came with a reading order.

[darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non mais cette série c'est toujours aussi bon. C'est drôle, cool, avec un univers de plus en plus développé et en lien avec le reste de l'univers Valient, c'est bien écrit et j'aime le dessin, et puis l'histoire est bonne ! Bref c'est topissime.

[Bob Solanovicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know. Somehow, Archer & Armstrong are not on the same, really solid level of storytelling as the rest of Valiant's titles. Fred Van Lente has a lot of good ideas, but he's so hard trying to be Jack Kirby and funny at the same time that most of the stuff in the comic has no real weight at all. It's not that humor and big concepts or screwing around with conspiracy theories can't be funny and serious at the same time, it's more that Van Lente doesn't do a good job of blending all of that together. It was also weird how this Eternal Warrior character is involved in all the conspiracy theories from the beginning of time, but he's only capable to solve all of them in the present day. Also, I'm not sure it was meant to be read that way, but he loses all the previous Geomancers he's supposed to be protecting. It's not really logical to say he couldn't get better at his job through all the centuries he's been living through. If they wrote it like it was his curse, maybe I'd buy it but this way, the character seems kind of stupid. It would help if the series had managed to keep the first regular artist, Clayton Henry, on it longer than just first four or five issues because the job Emanuela Luppachino is bearable but completely unspectacular no matter how much she tries. All in all not a complete waste of time but I'd hardly recommend it to anybody.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just off the walls goofy and I love it. A cult dedicated to money furthers global warming because they're rich assholes. This helps another cult called "The Null" which is dedicated to unmaking reality and they're all fanatically obsessed with the idea of "zero" or "nothing" or "null". Turns out the entirety of reality runs on some sort of source code and they're cooking up a virus to untangle it. The only ones who can save it are an naive assassin, an immortal drunk, the drunk's immortal warrior who's trying to kill them, and some woman who just discovered she can speak to Mother Nature. So they travel the world and try to find a way to rewrite the reality rewrite while also rewriting who they are, since who they are has been rewritten, and it's all this goofy math equation stuff that's taken seriously but still embraces how damned ridiculous it can all be. The whole volume is a blast

[Reed Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why I found this more interesting than the first book, but I did. I guess the Eternal Warrior gimmick is intriguing. The whole Mother Earth thing is kind of trite, but the new Geomancer could be a relatable person. I liked that we got some connections to other parts of the Valiant Universe popping up. That's the kind of thing that will keep me reading even when I don't care much for a certain storyline.

I actually do care about Archer's story; certainly more than Armstrong's. I mean, I like Armstrong when he's being real with people, but when he's drinking and scoping out women and just trying to fulfill his carnal desires, he's not very appealing.

[Adam Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even more ridiculous and weirdly paced than the previous volume, this twisting adventure with Archer, Armstrong, Armstrong's also immortal brother Gilad, and a new geomancer, has more holes and deus ex machinas than a Stephen King novel. It's eye-rollingly ridiculous. But it's also still fun, and not appearing to take itself any more seriously than the reader should.

If you loved The Da Vinci Code but wished it was funnier, and more involved with American capitalism and cults, this is Your Book.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enjoyable volume with the odd pairing of the immortal drunk Aram the Strong ("Armstrong") and his Eagle Scout-like partner Obidiah Archer. The benefit of Armstrong's ancient immortality is that it allows him to be present at many interesting points in history (even if amusingly drunk most of the time).

The downside to this volume is that the friendship between the pair VERY quickly moves from "odd couple" to "I'll DIE to save him!" and it feels rushed. But whatever, it's still fun.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a crossover; I had no idea the Eternal Warrior had his own book in the Valiant-verse. It still worked.
Turns out that Gilad, the EW, is Armstrong's brother. In the aftermath of the first volume, with Archer and Armstrong accidentally getting one of the mystic geomancers killed, Gilad out to kill them. And he's Armstrong's brother so he's PO'd at him anyway for various reasons. And Gilad's the best at what he does and what he does is not pretty — wait, that's someone else, isn't it?
Much the same fun as the first volume. I look forward to V3

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This title is so great. It has the perfect balance of humor and adventure. I love where it’s going.

I was really happy with how unique the story is. It’s weird, no doubt... but the weird works. The characters are so well showcased. I have to say, I like Gilad The Eternal Warrior more in this title than I like him in his own solo title. He’s got more personality here.

This series is a blast. I can’t wait for Hollywood to come to their senses and make a movie where they cast Mark Hamill as Armstrong. This is one I’ll definitely keep reading.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this really crashed and burned... Volume 1 seemed promising, but a bit disappointing, but this was just a waste of time. No plot, no suspense, no character development, just a cycle of introducing increasingly stupid enemy groups, then fighting them, then move to a new location and repeat. This felt completely phoned in, about the level of writing you'd expect from a Saturday morning kids cartoon from the 80s.

[Micah Ulibarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ive been foraying into the Valiant Universe and I think Archer and Armstrong are probably my favorite property. They have such personalities and the stories are so interesting and have jaut the right amount of mysticism and logic. This was such a fun adventure with some great introductions to charavters we know will become important to their story. A really fun read and continuation.

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second volume of the new Archer and Armstrong we meet Gilad and start to learn more about the past of the Anni-Padda brothers. I loved Fred Van Lente's "Incredible Hercules" series for Marvel realized that was probably just a rehearsal for writing this book. Super fun comics!

[Megan Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting issue, although a bit choppy in the writing.

[James Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this volume more than the first, thanks to the interesting new supporting cast (Gilad and Kay) and the interesting new villains (the Null). Great stuff. (A-)

[Shawn M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valiant's secret best comic series is practically the most fitting description I've heard about this comic, and I agreed with the first volume and the second continues to leave me wanting more.

[Tim Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good start to the series over books 1 & 2, I'll probably be back for more!