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Archer & Armstrong (2012)
Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 4: Sect Civil War
Every enemy. Against each other.
For centuries, the cloak-and-dagger coalition of conspiracies collectively known as The Sect has worked together to bring silent oppression and undercover tyranny to a world that thought it was free. But, now after centuries of profit sharing and uneasy alliances, the factions of The Sect are about to erupt into open conflict...and the only men that can end the insanity are Archer & Armstrong! Too bad they're fighting for different sides! Why? How? And will either survive? The knockdown, drag-out A&A event of the year starts now - and no conspirator is safe!
Collecting ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #14-17 by New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente (Incredible Hercules) and acclaimed artists Khari Evans (Harbinger) and ChrisCross (Superman/Batman), jump into the series that IGN calls "a must read" with an all-new adventure pitching Archer & Armstrong into their biggest battle yet!
For centuries, the cloak-and-dagger coalition of conspiracies collectively known as The Sect has worked together to bring silent oppression and undercover tyranny to a world that thought it was free. But, now after centuries of profit sharing and uneasy alliances, the factions of The Sect are about to erupt into open conflict...and the only men that can end the insanity are Archer & Armstrong! Too bad they're fighting for different sides! Why? How? And will either survive? The knockdown, drag-out A&A event of the year starts now - and no conspirator is safe!
Collecting ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #14-17 by New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente (Incredible Hercules) and acclaimed artists Khari Evans (Harbinger) and ChrisCross (Superman/Batman), jump into the series that IGN calls "a must read" with an all-new adventure pitching Archer & Armstrong into their biggest battle yet!
140 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2014
6 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Fred Van Lente
1,358 books320 followersFred 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 14, 2018
I can't say enough about what a surprisingly fun series this has turned out to be, and what a good example of how the amazing friends I've made on Goodreads have shoved gently nudged me to branch out and find things that I never would have discovered on my own.
Alright, before I start ugly crying...
Ok, so you know how Armstrong is a bit of an oaf, who acts first and thinks about the result of that action waaay too late to be of any use to him? Right.
So in the last volume, he kinda sorta slept with the girl that Archer kinda sorta thought was the love of his life.
And then Archer walked in on them.
And then Archer walked out on them.
Like, literally, walked out of there and left Armstrong, Ivar, and Mary-Maria stranded in a past timeline. <--he was upset.
In this volume, Archer gets a bit darker and spends his time taking over all the different crazy sects. <--Ish.
Meanwhile, Ivar & Armstrong drink their way across the time in an effort to catch up to him.
The results are pretty damn entertaining.
Good stuff. Definitely recommended!
Alright, before I start ugly crying...
Ok, so you know how Armstrong is a bit of an oaf, who acts first and thinks about the result of that action waaay too late to be of any use to him? Right.
So in the last volume, he kinda sorta slept with the girl that Archer kinda sorta thought was the love of his life.
And then Archer walked in on them.
And then Archer walked out on them.
Like, literally, walked out of there and left Armstrong, Ivar, and Mary-Maria stranded in a past timeline. <--he was upset.
In this volume, Archer gets a bit darker and spends his time taking over all the different crazy sects. <--Ish.
Meanwhile, Ivar & Armstrong drink their way across the time in an effort to catch up to him.
The results are pretty damn entertaining.
Good stuff. Definitely recommended!
August 31, 2019
Archer turns dark after Armstrong betrays him and his version of dark is pretty hilarious. Meanwhile there's a civil war going on between the Sects. Armstrong and Ivar go on a pub crawl throughout time. This book is so much damn fun. It's one of those books you go back to read again and again.
April 29, 2022
“Some call it fried dough. Some call them funnel cakes. I call it JUSTICE FUEL”
Fred Van Lente – I wanna party with you, cowboy.
Our latest guilty pleasure from Valiant is volume 4 of the 2012 relaunch of Archer & Armstrong that collects single issues 14-17.
In this world building, Van Lente and team have set up a universe where Armstrong has been around for over ten thousand years, he was born a Mesopotamian in Ur. He got sideways of some evil priests in Egypt thousands of years later and they started The Sect to control things from the shadows. Fast forward to our age and The Sect is still around but divided into several nefarious factions. Because of Archer and Armstrong’s adventures, things have gotten wonky and this has resulted in the various factions going after each other in a civil war.
This is just plain fun. One of the most fun is the time travelling bar crawl. Trust me, you just need to read it.
Also, shout out to illustrators Khari Evans and Chris Cross, the art was especially good.
Good fun and I’ll be back for more.
Fred Van Lente – I wanna party with you, cowboy.
Our latest guilty pleasure from Valiant is volume 4 of the 2012 relaunch of Archer & Armstrong that collects single issues 14-17.
In this world building, Van Lente and team have set up a universe where Armstrong has been around for over ten thousand years, he was born a Mesopotamian in Ur. He got sideways of some evil priests in Egypt thousands of years later and they started The Sect to control things from the shadows. Fast forward to our age and The Sect is still around but divided into several nefarious factions. Because of Archer and Armstrong’s adventures, things have gotten wonky and this has resulted in the various factions going after each other in a civil war.
This is just plain fun. One of the most fun is the time travelling bar crawl. Trust me, you just need to read it.
Also, shout out to illustrators Khari Evans and Chris Cross, the art was especially good.
Good fun and I’ll be back for more.
December 20, 2017
Much better than previous volumes. I'm really falling in love with these characters.
July 30, 2014
I like a good story/plot-driven book as much as the next reader but what I really like seeing, and this is partly because it rarely happens, is a superhero comic where the superheroes decide they’re not going to do what they normally do; they’re just going to be selfish and think about themselves for a change - maybe even blow off some steam doing something stupid! That’s basically what happens in the first half of Archer & Armstrong Volume 4: Sect Civil War.
The partnership is dissolved after Archer catches Armstrong in bed with his adopted sister Mary Maria in the Faraway (see Volume 3). Archer has decided to do a job for Project Rising Spirit in return for information of his true origins: obtain the Wheel of Aten which will control all of the Sects. Meanwhile, Armstrong’s brother Ivar decides to cheer his brother up by going on a time-travelling pub crawl!
The 3000 year pub crawl where Armstrong and Ivar drink history’s greatest beers was definitely my favourite part of the book. Artist Khari Evans draws a small Armstrong in the corner of the page showing how drunk he gets the more he drinks with stats detailing how much alcohol is in his blood, how many pints he’s downed, as well as info on the beer itself - ingenious!
Fred Van Lente’s experience writing his Action Philosophers comic comes in handy with this issue as the reader learns bits of esoteric history like the London Beer Flood of 1814, which is awesome.
Archer steals the show though. What happens when you get your heart broken? Well, Archer goes all super-emo, growing his hair out and begins Archer’s War Journal (like Marvel’s Punisher) but he’s still too Ned Flanders to pull off an edgy, angry tone while writing. “Some call it fried dough. Some call them funnel cakes. I call it Justice Fuel.” he writes, before heading to a McDonald’s where he bitterly notes that the Happy Meal only enrages him further - but he does like addition of the toy.
The Sect Civil War itself is good too though it’s a bit rushed to fit in between Archer & Armstrong’s mini-dramas. I’m not entirely sure who or what the various Sects are or what they’re about - like, what do the Gnomes of Zurich or the Hashish Eaters have to do with running the world? - but they’re an entertainingly varied and nutty bunch and how the Sect War concludes is really good for where the series is headed next.
Some comics titles start off well and lose steam the more it goes until the creative team needs to be replaced but Fred Van Lente’s writing seems to only get better with Archer & Armstrong. Sect Civil War is both my favourite volume in the series and my favourite Van Lente book so far - it’s a really fun comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still manages to have lots of imagination and intelligence to spare.
The partnership is dissolved after Archer catches Armstrong in bed with his adopted sister Mary Maria in the Faraway (see Volume 3). Archer has decided to do a job for Project Rising Spirit in return for information of his true origins: obtain the Wheel of Aten which will control all of the Sects. Meanwhile, Armstrong’s brother Ivar decides to cheer his brother up by going on a time-travelling pub crawl!
The 3000 year pub crawl where Armstrong and Ivar drink history’s greatest beers was definitely my favourite part of the book. Artist Khari Evans draws a small Armstrong in the corner of the page showing how drunk he gets the more he drinks with stats detailing how much alcohol is in his blood, how many pints he’s downed, as well as info on the beer itself - ingenious!
Fred Van Lente’s experience writing his Action Philosophers comic comes in handy with this issue as the reader learns bits of esoteric history like the London Beer Flood of 1814, which is awesome.
Archer steals the show though. What happens when you get your heart broken? Well, Archer goes all super-emo, growing his hair out and begins Archer’s War Journal (like Marvel’s Punisher) but he’s still too Ned Flanders to pull off an edgy, angry tone while writing. “Some call it fried dough. Some call them funnel cakes. I call it Justice Fuel.” he writes, before heading to a McDonald’s where he bitterly notes that the Happy Meal only enrages him further - but he does like addition of the toy.
The Sect Civil War itself is good too though it’s a bit rushed to fit in between Archer & Armstrong’s mini-dramas. I’m not entirely sure who or what the various Sects are or what they’re about - like, what do the Gnomes of Zurich or the Hashish Eaters have to do with running the world? - but they’re an entertainingly varied and nutty bunch and how the Sect War concludes is really good for where the series is headed next.
Some comics titles start off well and lose steam the more it goes until the creative team needs to be replaced but Fred Van Lente’s writing seems to only get better with Archer & Armstrong. Sect Civil War is both my favourite volume in the series and my favourite Van Lente book so far - it’s a really fun comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still manages to have lots of imagination and intelligence to spare.
October 11, 2018
Armstrong goes on a bar crawl through history with Ivar and Archer is on a mission to unite all the secret societies! Read and reviewed as part of Archer and Armstrong: Deluxe Edition 2
July 19, 2020
Fun and amusing, if not a bit messy.
Definitely enjoyed the fast paced fun. these characters are a blast as well.
It’s a little weird reconciling the absurdism here with the relative seriousness of other Valiant titles, but I manage. It’s still cool. I do really like the characters. I’m excited to see how Bloodshot and Hard Corps interact with A&A in the next volume
Definitely enjoyed the fast paced fun. these characters are a blast as well.
It’s a little weird reconciling the absurdism here with the relative seriousness of other Valiant titles, but I manage. It’s still cool. I do really like the characters. I’m excited to see how Bloodshot and Hard Corps interact with A&A in the next volume
October 29, 2017
Archer & Armstrong...no more? After the events of the last volume, Archer strikes out on his own while Armstrong reunites with his lost brother Ivar to wander around time and generally just get drunk. But when the Sect threatens to fold in on itself and plunge the world into chaos, Archer and Armstrong must reunite to put the world to rights!
I was really surprised by this story - I thought it would be about Archer & Armstrong starting the civil war and watching the Sect tear itself apart, but instead it's something very different, and a lot more personal for the characters. While they do end up back together and over their past transgressions pretty quickly, the exploration of the pair and what they mean to each other (and the world around them) is a great lead story, with the civil war kind of just happening in the background. Of course, there's lots of punching and crazy action too, but that's par for the course, surely.
The art is by Khari Evans, who seems to be making the rounds on the Valiant books, and I think I've mentioned before that he seems a little Mike McKone-y in his visuals, which is great, plus some fill-in pages by ChrisCross which are a bit more basic but not too noticeable.
Definitely not what I expected, and a pleasant surprise.
I was really surprised by this story - I thought it would be about Archer & Armstrong starting the civil war and watching the Sect tear itself apart, but instead it's something very different, and a lot more personal for the characters. While they do end up back together and over their past transgressions pretty quickly, the exploration of the pair and what they mean to each other (and the world around them) is a great lead story, with the civil war kind of just happening in the background. Of course, there's lots of punching and crazy action too, but that's par for the course, surely.
The art is by Khari Evans, who seems to be making the rounds on the Valiant books, and I think I've mentioned before that he seems a little Mike McKone-y in his visuals, which is great, plus some fill-in pages by ChrisCross which are a bit more basic but not too noticeable.
Definitely not what I expected, and a pleasant surprise.
September 2, 2016
This title, like the other Valiant re-launch titles, started out great. They were far better than I expected them to be. Then something happened. They all collapsed into mediocrity (with one exception, Shadowman). The concept right out off the launch pad was great, but it seems now that the books have become directionless and mired in puerile humor instead thoughtful and well-conceived hilarity. Very, very disappointing.
October 8, 2014
Is it possible for a major comic to be written specifically for one person? I am starting to think Archer and Armstrong is written just for me. At this point, I feel like the entire Valiant Universe was written for me. It just keeps getting better and better the more trades that come out.
This book is both hilarious and wonderful in the way that it serves as a connection between all of the valiant books. What a Universe, thanks for playing such a big part of it Armstrong.
This book is both hilarious and wonderful in the way that it serves as a connection between all of the valiant books. What a Universe, thanks for playing such a big part of it Armstrong.
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December 19, 2015"They think they know the night. They are wrong. The night "friended" me on Facebook. The night "likes" my Instagrams."
The secret rulers of the world are at each other's throats; so, alas, are our heroes. Illuminatus replayed as superhero slapstick. Which it wasn't far off in the first place, so this should be entirely pointless, but it's light and fun enough that it still works.
The secret rulers of the world are at each other's throats; so, alas, are our heroes. Illuminatus replayed as superhero slapstick. Which it wasn't far off in the first place, so this should be entirely pointless, but it's light and fun enough that it still works.
December 5, 2015
I'm really intrigued to see where this is going with Archer now.
May 16, 2017
Aight in parts, bad in others.
World: The art is okay, not the best looking Valiant title but definitely a Valiant title. The world building is utterly choppy and all over the place making this arc a bit of a mess to read resulting in the end being unearned and a mess. The different Sect factions are never developed and other than their names that's all we get. The with Mary-Maria was also choppy as all heck and the main McGuffin for the world building was well...a McGuffin.
Story: The story was choppy and a mess. For a 4 issue arc it needed to do too much and in the end did nothing it set out to achieve right. 1 it needed to build Archer and Armstrong's relationship, 2 it needed to create the idea of the Sect Civil War, 3 it needed to unite the Sect in the end. It did all three of these things but in a way that did not make sense and was not earned at all. This story simply does not work.
Characters: There are snippets of development for Armstrong when he's drinking with Ivar and little snippets of development for Archer but that's about it. This is a buddy comedy and it lives and dies by their chemistry and banter but that was unearned this arc and the end was not earned. Hopefully future books will be better in that regard.
Forgettable and not up to the usual standards.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is okay, not the best looking Valiant title but definitely a Valiant title. The world building is utterly choppy and all over the place making this arc a bit of a mess to read resulting in the end being unearned and a mess. The different Sect factions are never developed and other than their names that's all we get. The with Mary-Maria was also choppy as all heck and the main McGuffin for the world building was well...a McGuffin.
Story: The story was choppy and a mess. For a 4 issue arc it needed to do too much and in the end did nothing it set out to achieve right. 1 it needed to build Archer and Armstrong's relationship, 2 it needed to create the idea of the Sect Civil War, 3 it needed to unite the Sect in the end. It did all three of these things but in a way that did not make sense and was not earned at all. This story simply does not work.
Characters: There are snippets of development for Armstrong when he's drinking with Ivar and little snippets of development for Archer but that's about it. This is a buddy comedy and it lives and dies by their chemistry and banter but that was unearned this arc and the end was not earned. Hopefully future books will be better in that regard.
Forgettable and not up to the usual standards.
Onward to the next book!
February 2, 2021
While still better at being a humor book than an adventure book, this volume is written significantly tighter than the previous volumes. The inanity is far more believable, the characters seem less melodramatic (but still pretty dramatic), and rather than Deus Ex Piger Scriptor, the plot seems to ravel organically.
There's a single issue of time traveling in this volume, but it's just a pub crawl through time, and not something where you have to wrap your head around when something is happening and whether it will affect that past or future of the book.
If you enjoy buddy comedies that are humorous, but not precisely funny, then this could be a Go To book for you.
There's a single issue of time traveling in this volume, but it's just a pub crawl through time, and not something where you have to wrap your head around when something is happening and whether it will affect that past or future of the book.
If you enjoy buddy comedies that are humorous, but not precisely funny, then this could be a Go To book for you.
January 15, 2022
Usually the series pulls off these short volumes (it's only four issues) but not this time. Still fun, but it felt too rushed.
Plotlines include Archer and Armstrong working out their feelings about Mary-Maria and each other, Mary-Maria launching her own mission, the Sect collapsing into internecine warfare and Archer's plan to resolve everything. It's all good, but it needed much more time to really work. I think cutting out Armstrong's boring brother Ivar from one issue might have helped.
Plotlines include Archer and Armstrong working out their feelings about Mary-Maria and each other, Mary-Maria launching her own mission, the Sect collapsing into internecine warfare and Archer's plan to resolve everything. It's all good, but it needed much more time to really work. I think cutting out Armstrong's boring brother Ivar from one issue might have helped.
May 3, 2022
U prvoj epizodi ovog albuma Van Lente daje neku emocionalnu oštricu liku Archera, ali na kraju ispada da je to samo njegova parodija Frank Millera, što je samo po sebi fora, ali serijal mi i dalje nije dovoljno zanimljiv bez neke konkretne karakterizacije dvojice glavnih likova. Zaplet o ratu posvađanih sekti oko toga tko će upravljati svijetom jednostavno mi nije dovoljan. Ne pomaže ni crtež Kharija Evansa koji skroz dobro kadrira, ali tako ružno crta ljude.
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April 27, 2024I love the issue where Aram and Ivar go on a bar crawl through time. So many funny moments, and a few heartfelt ones too. The rest of this volume deals with what the title suggests, a civil war between various factions of the Sect. Archer, angry at Armstrong, inserts himself into the middle of it. The whole book is action-packed and fast paced. It’s impressive how much Van Lente packs into these arcs. Compared to most modern superhero comics, there’s little decompression here.
February 28, 2018
After the dramatic events in the previous volume Archer and Armstrong foment dissent within the Sect and take the fight back to their enemies. Some interesting seeds are laid for the future as we learn more about Aram's past. A great read.
May 13, 2019
Took we awhile to finish this volume since there is definitely a different feel to the story. Still enjoyable but I feel like it fell flat in areas.
July 1, 2019
Man, this series is fun.
April 22, 2020
Grade: VG
January 5, 2021
Another hilarious fast-paced entry
October 1, 2017
I am loving this series. The silliness is off the charts. So many books try to take themselves too seriously, and this one veers in the opposite direction. Some people might not like the goofiness, but I've read enough stuff by Fred Van Lente to know I'll enjoy it.
Archer seemingly turns his back on Armstrong after finding him in bed with his sister. He heads off to Project Rising Spirit for information on his past, which leads him into a full on battle with the Sect. I liked seeing the different groups that make up the Sect, even if some of them aren't in the book very long. The flip side to that is Armstrong's guilt ridden adventures with his brother, Ivar. Their short lived jaunt through time is massively fun. They hit up some historical events, but the best part is the beer stats for Armstrong in each leg of their journey.
Khari Evans and ChrisCross do a bang up job with the art. Their illustrations really embrace the tone of the series. Sit back, drink a beer, and embrace the ridiculousness that is the Sect civil war.
Archer seemingly turns his back on Armstrong after finding him in bed with his sister. He heads off to Project Rising Spirit for information on his past, which leads him into a full on battle with the Sect. I liked seeing the different groups that make up the Sect, even if some of them aren't in the book very long. The flip side to that is Armstrong's guilt ridden adventures with his brother, Ivar. Their short lived jaunt through time is massively fun. They hit up some historical events, but the best part is the beer stats for Armstrong in each leg of their journey.
Khari Evans and ChrisCross do a bang up job with the art. Their illustrations really embrace the tone of the series. Sit back, drink a beer, and embrace the ridiculousness that is the Sect civil war.
March 4, 2017
The mysterious Sect has been after Armstrong for centuries, and Archer's family were members in one off-shoot. So, who are they? Why do they want Armstrong dead so much? And what would happen if the different factions went to war with each other while the title duo were not on speaking terms?
Those are the questions finally answered in Volume 4 of this fun series. It turns out the Sect, which includes all-around Valiant bad guys like the Vine and Project Rising Spirit amongst its off-shoots, has a somewhat good reason for wanting Armstrong dead, though the reasons are so old they probably don't remember them. Any volume that features assassin nuns, little people explosive experts, and marijuana-using killers has to be worth something.
Those are the questions finally answered in Volume 4 of this fun series. It turns out the Sect, which includes all-around Valiant bad guys like the Vine and Project Rising Spirit amongst its off-shoots, has a somewhat good reason for wanting Armstrong dead, though the reasons are so old they probably don't remember them. Any volume that features assassin nuns, little people explosive experts, and marijuana-using killers has to be worth something.
March 1, 2017
I rather enjoyed volumes 1-3 of Archer and Armstrong but Volume 4 left me disappointed & disinterested. For starters the art style changed too much compared to the earlier volumes with the faces being notably worse (Armstrong now significantly gaining weight). Then there is the plot which seemed to totally go off the rails, with a secret sect war brewing & ending in barely any time at all; like it was a TV show that was told "you've got to wrap it up, we're cancelled".
I wish I had the words to articulate why it left me so disappointed, but it did. I'm glad I paid only a handful of $ for it. (Thank you Humble Valiant Bundle)
I wish I had the words to articulate why it left me so disappointed, but it did. I'm glad I paid only a handful of $ for it. (Thank you Humble Valiant Bundle)
July 20, 2014
Reprints Archer & Armstrong (2) #14-17 (October 2013-January 2014). Archer and Armstrong are friends no more! With Armstrong’s betrayal with Mary-Maria in the Faraway, Archer is headed back to Earth to unfinished business. He’s out to learn his true past and sparks a war between the Sect factions in the process. When Archer learns that he needs to locate the Wheel of Aten, Archer realizes the only one who can help him is Armstrong. Now with an uneasy alliance, Archer and Armstrong are going to be forced to work together if they hope to stop the Sect Civil War, but another betrayal could be coming if Archer’s plans come to fruition.
Written by Fred Van Lente will art by Khari Evans and ChrisCross, Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War collects the entire four issue arc of the series. The collection follows Archer & Armstorng 3: Far Faraway.
Archer & Armstrong through its run has developed into my favorite Valiant series. Much of Valiant is very good right now, but Archer & Armstrong does a nice job capturing a balance of action and fun and with Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War the fun continues.
Archer & Armstrong rely a lot on gimmicks but they generally pay off in this series more than they do in Valiant’s other duo comic series Quantum & Woody. I like the issue involving Armstrong and his lost brother Ivar’s pub crawl through time. I don’t know that I needed the updates on Armstrong’s sobriety and felt the issue stood on its own, but it didn’t bother me enough to ruin the comic…I would love to see more Armstrong and Ivar issues or a reunion of all three brothers.
I do have to say that this volume of Archer & Armstrong is a little down in regards to previous volumes. It isn’t because the writing has faltered, but because I really enjoy the bizarre team aspect of this book, and I hate to see Archer “growing up”. Once Archer’s innocence is out of the bag, it will be hard to put it back in. Archer has such a positive view of the world in previous volumes that seeing him become “Dark Archer” (even though it is played as a joke) isn’t necessarily a good thing for the series as a whole.
Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War shows a bit of a dark side to a light comic but still takes it with a lot of humor. I hope that Archer & Armstrong has a long life, but that is sometimes difficult in the world of independent comics. I like how Valiant is managing their titles and hope with the steady release dates and well planned crossovers, Archer & Armstrong will succeed. Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War leads into Archer & Armstrong’s crossover Mission: Improbable with Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps.
Written by Fred Van Lente will art by Khari Evans and ChrisCross, Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War collects the entire four issue arc of the series. The collection follows Archer & Armstorng 3: Far Faraway.
Archer & Armstrong through its run has developed into my favorite Valiant series. Much of Valiant is very good right now, but Archer & Armstrong does a nice job capturing a balance of action and fun and with Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War the fun continues.
Archer & Armstrong rely a lot on gimmicks but they generally pay off in this series more than they do in Valiant’s other duo comic series Quantum & Woody. I like the issue involving Armstrong and his lost brother Ivar’s pub crawl through time. I don’t know that I needed the updates on Armstrong’s sobriety and felt the issue stood on its own, but it didn’t bother me enough to ruin the comic…I would love to see more Armstrong and Ivar issues or a reunion of all three brothers.
I do have to say that this volume of Archer & Armstrong is a little down in regards to previous volumes. It isn’t because the writing has faltered, but because I really enjoy the bizarre team aspect of this book, and I hate to see Archer “growing up”. Once Archer’s innocence is out of the bag, it will be hard to put it back in. Archer has such a positive view of the world in previous volumes that seeing him become “Dark Archer” (even though it is played as a joke) isn’t necessarily a good thing for the series as a whole.
Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War shows a bit of a dark side to a light comic but still takes it with a lot of humor. I hope that Archer & Armstrong has a long life, but that is sometimes difficult in the world of independent comics. I like how Valiant is managing their titles and hope with the steady release dates and well planned crossovers, Archer & Armstrong will succeed. Archer & Armstrong 4: Sect Civil War leads into Archer & Armstrong’s crossover Mission: Improbable with Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps.
May 12, 2015
Ok soooo I started off with Archer & Armstrong loving it TELLING THE WORLD ABOUT IT! But then wellllllll. . . well I don't know WHAT happened. Getting into a civil war(???) with your best friend because he slept with your sister who your in love with. Let the shit get beat out of him by your enemies/future allies?. . . then forgive him because you realized letting him get bet up was a douchebag move???
This one was all over the place. The previous issues had a great pace to them, but this one was just FLYING through time. I could barely catch up before the setting was changing again.
All in all it was very confusing and the fight/war thing between Archer and Armstrong wasn't believable at all. It was more Archer was pissed and doing his own thing while Armstrong tried to catch up and be his friend again. Sooooo the title of this issue for me doesn't apply (and yes I'm thinking about the Sect too. I didn't see that as a Civil War just an everyman for himself.)And lastly, I don't know if its just me but the possession (???) is getting a little old for me, Archer should have realized that something is wrong by now, but hey he changed a lot too soooo I don't know. Sorry forgive my rant.
This one was all over the place. The previous issues had a great pace to them, but this one was just FLYING through time. I could barely catch up before the setting was changing again.
All in all it was very confusing and the fight/war thing between Archer and Armstrong wasn't believable at all. It was more Archer was pissed and doing his own thing while Armstrong tried to catch up and be his friend again. Sooooo the title of this issue for me doesn't apply (and yes I'm thinking about the Sect too. I didn't see that as a Civil War just an everyman for himself.)And lastly, I don't know if its just me but the possession (???) is getting a little old for me, Archer should have realized that something is wrong by now, but hey he changed a lot too soooo I don't know. Sorry forgive my rant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2014
The bizarre world of Archer and Armstrong is further tempered in this fourth collected volume of one of Valiant's best titles. The plot spins in some fantastic directions as more of Aram's rich history unfolds with the help of the Timewalker. The nature and history of the Sect is explained along an immersive and intriguing plot. FVL keeps his scope and pacing under perfect control, over a well mapped four issue narrative. Khari Evans also delivers some fantastic and consistent pencils, really binding the whole story together.
The individual components of A&A never seem like they should work, but together they make a machine that runs smoothly, and delivers one of the best comic experiences on the market. The writing is fun and full of clever nods, and curious graphics set a unique tone, including charts mapping out Armstrong's intoxication levels, or goofy SFX lettering thinly veiling a pop culture reference. The world is smart and bizarre, while the dialogue and characters are endlessly charming. I can't sing this book's praises enough.
The individual components of A&A never seem like they should work, but together they make a machine that runs smoothly, and delivers one of the best comic experiences on the market. The writing is fun and full of clever nods, and curious graphics set a unique tone, including charts mapping out Armstrong's intoxication levels, or goofy SFX lettering thinly veiling a pop culture reference. The world is smart and bizarre, while the dialogue and characters are endlessly charming. I can't sing this book's praises enough.
March 20, 2016
Sect Civil War (14-17). This is Archer & Armstrong at its best. The two leads each get great independent storylines, but still manage to come together for their buddy spotlight. This Archer continues to be just a little bit mysterious, this Armstrong continues to be the drunken buffoon that we've known through multiple universes , and there continues to be a lot of great humor throughout. I even liked the forces of the Sect in this comic; they almost convince me that they could be the rulers of the world, thanks to great backstory on them (and Armstrong) before they descended into more foolish buffoonery.
April 10, 2016
Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but this book felt really scattered to me. Part of it is the central issue in the collection is dealing with time travel, but it felt like large pieces of the story were left out, and the remaining bits didn't really fit together to reach the ultimate goal of the series. And some of the sects involved in the civil war are beyond goofy, making them seem utterly insignificant, and never really offering much of a challenge to Archer & Armstrong. All the same, the ultimate resolution is kind of interesting, and sets things for the series on a different course. But this book just never matched up to the quality of the previous volumes.
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