Unity – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3 (1993)

January 31, 2024January 23, 2024carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through a tale of the Turok: Dinosaur Hunter series.

Previously, Turok went on exploring Colombia after leaving the village of his romantic interest Serita. The village was decimated by the intelligent dinosaurs (also referred to as bionisaurs) that served Mon-ark, a fierce enemy of Turok’s. Eventually Turok got involved with the Colombian drug lord Comacho who has gang of armed men and lots of resources. Ever the dedicated hunter, Turok makes a deal with the drug lord to pursue dinosaurs.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Bernard Chang.

Early story

The story begins in Colombia in 1987. Turok tries to sell the severed head of a bionisaur to a local buyer (collector of hunt-related trophies) who offers him only three hundred Pesos.

After concluding a disappointing deal, Turok leaves the local joint only to encounter a lady driving a jeep…the scientist Maria Cortez. She tells him that the drug lord Comacho is planning a raid against the dinosaurs very soon and the gang wants Turok to come along. Cortez, who is obsessed with researching dinosaurs, tells him her single condition that one dinosaur should be spared for scientific study. After some thinking, Turok agrees to join…

Quality

Starting first with the plot, I can say that David Michelinie’s script is well-written and never lost focus on the inevitable encounter between Turok and his vicious dinosaur rival Mon-Ark. Right from the start, it is clear that the stakes have been raised higher which is the result of Turok’s successful killing of Mon-ark’s mate. Like in the previous issue, Mon-ark here was portrayed again to be very evil and even abusive to his fellow dinosaurs.

The raid mentioned early in the story is easily the action-packed highlight and it has some notable forms of symbolism. For one thing, the raid was organized by Comacho not because of concern towards Mon-ark nor Turok, but because he wants to stop the disruptions on his illegal drug business caused by the dinosaurs. Cortez meanwhile sees the dinosaurs as animals meant to be studied for the sake of science. And then there is a certain photographer who wants to record everything visually no matter what happens. I can say the raid scenes are entertaining to follow.

As this comic book was not drawn by Bart Sears, I can say that the visual quality and style went way down. I’m not saying that Bernard Chang is a terrible artist at all. It’s just that Chang’s art style does not live up to the gritty, exquisite and intense visuals of the first two issues which clearly defined how Turok stories should look. Along the way, there are several instances wherein Chang’s art style made some characters and facial expressions look somewhat cartoony. The dinosaurs themselves also looked cartoony at times and the heavy loss of visual details on them is very clear.

Conclusion

*The armed raid against the dinosaurs with Turok as a willing participant looking like Rambo.*

Similar to its predecessor, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3 (1993) has enough stuff worth following to be entertained even though the visual quality went down several notches. For one thing, the promised battle between Turok and Mon-ark happened and the way it was written was strong on its own. At the same time, the Indian hunter of dinosaurs got more involved Comacho’s gang which raises questions about his ability to differentiate right from wrong, and good from evil. At this stage of the series, Turok’s direction remains clouded.

Overall, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3 (1993) is recommended.

+++++

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A Look Back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #2 (1993)

January 17, 2024January 7, 2024carlocarrasco

While issue #1 turned out to be entertaining enough, the Indian protagonist Turok was not too engaging. The story worked primarily due to the combined creative works of David Michelinie and Bart Sears.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #2, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Bart Sears.

Early story

The story begins in Colombia in 1987. Set some time after he left the village of Serita (a Colombian lady he connected with), Turok finds himself in the middle of a fight with multiple intelligent dinosaurs that serve his rival and target Mon-ark. Turok recently started using locally produced poison for his arrows as part of his unrelenting hunt for dinosaurs.

Meanwhile in another part of Colombia, the drug lord Comacho holds a private meeting and express his frustration over the decimation of his drug shipments. It turns out, the couriers were slaughtered and eaten by the dinosaurs. Upon learning of the presence of an Indian who makes it his business to hunt dinosaurs, Comacho gives an order to find him…

Quality

*You will see Turok in a lot of action scenes fighting these intelligent and savage dinosaurs.*

As the follow-up to the 1^st issue, this is a story about Turok really hunting dinosaurs as part of his effort to get to Mon-ark (the leader of a pack of dinosaurs present in Colombia) in relation to what happened during the Unity storyline. In addition, you will get to see the protagonist get involved the Colombia drug lord who really needs him as the dinosaurs tremendously disrupted the shipment of illegal substances. As a newcomer in this particular time and place within the shared universe of Valiant Comics, Turok here does not care much about the reputation of Comacho as he is obsessed with hunting dinosaurs.

Speaking of the dinosaurs (who were granted human-like intelligence by the Mothergod), you will get to see Mon-ark have his own share of the spotlight and see him being a leader of his fellow dinosaurs. The showcase of his ruthlessness was expectedly done here to symbolize the element of evil in a violent way.

The plot by Michelinie is nicely structured and the narrative moved in a smooth enough pace leading to an obvious new direction.

Like in the previous issue, Bart Sears drew the art but with the involvement of Bernard Chang. For the most part, I recognized Sears’ work and there were some subtle visual differences here and there. The good news here is that if you enjoyed the gritty look as well as the uncompromised approach to violence in issue #1, then you will find those here as well.

Conclusion

*A look at the intelligence and interaction between these two evil dinosaurs in love. There’s no homosexuality here nor anything related to transgender or the disease called wokeness.*

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #2 (1993) is entertaining and compelling enough to read. It further explores Turok’s story as a man lost in time who simply would not run away from the dinosaurs as he is obsessed with eliminating Mon-ark. The tale, however, involves a Colombian drug lord as well as his private army which adds depth to the narrative as well as Turok’s place within Valiant’s shared universe of the time. Lastly, this one nicely sets up a big conflict between the Indian and his dinosaur rival.

Overall, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #2 (1993) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 (1993)

January 4, 2024December 30, 2023carlocarrasco

I say very notable because Turok, an Indian (North American native), started in comics in the 1950s published by Western Publishing through its licensee Dell Comics. The comic book series Turok: Son of Stone started from 1956 until the early 1980s. In 1989, Valiant Comics was established by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and business partner Steven Massarsky which was the result of a failed 1988 attempt to purchase Marvel Entertainment. In 1991, Valiant published Magnus: Robot Fighter and Solar: Man of the Atom as its early titles which is notable because both characters were licensed properties from Gold Key Comics (which itself was involved in the original Turok series).

Then in 1992, a newer version of Turok was introduced by Valiant Comics in the 12^th issue of Magnus: Robot Fighter and subsequently the character (along with established side-kick Andar) became involved in the Unity storyline which was Valiant’s first major crossover comics event. By the time Unity ended, the road was cleared for Valiant to further emphasize Turok for the modern comic book readers of the time.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Bart Sears.

Early story

The story begins in Colombia (note: written as Columbia in the comic book) in South America in the year 1987. Deep in the forest, Turok performs a ritual believing that his spirit is getting cleansed and purified. He remembers the times when he and Andar discovered a land – filled with dinosaurs and other animals they never encountered previously – where time no longer held much meaning.

He and Andar got involved in an armed conflict with invaders who arrived with advanced technologies. The robot fighter Magnus then got involved and helped Turok and their side turn the tide of battle. Eventually a stunning phenomenon happened as a woman who called herself Mothergod appeared. Turok and Andar foolishly submitted themselves to her and soon, they started operating in her service with violence against those who opposed her.

After encountering Archer and Armstrong, Turok realized the error of his devotion to Mothergod and eventually joined forces with Rai, X-O Manowar and others who waged battle against her.

Back in the present, an intelligent, cybernetically enhance dinosaur attacks Turok…

Quality

*Very intense violence drawn by Bart Sears which reflected the high intensity of Turok’s fight with the dinosaurs.*

To get straight to the point here, when it comes to emphasizing a new version of Turok for comic book readers in the early 1990s, the creative team was quite successful in achieving that goal. By the time I reached the end of this comic book, Turok’s place within the huge shared universe of Valiant got established solidly and the Michelinie-Sears duo dramatized the Indian’s struggle (being lost in time and far away from where he belongs) in South America in the late 1980s.

Being lost in time and having to deal with deadly, intelligent dinosaurs brought not only the warrior within Turok but also the determine survivor in him as well. There is a good amount of character emphasis of Turok which served as an effective balance to all the spectacle (read: uncompromised bloody violence) the creative duo prepared. Instead of using thought balloons, you will read Turok’s thoughts through narration boxes all throughout which made an effective and interesting reading experience.

Considering his great skills in hunting and fighting, Turok is not really a super protagonist. He is as vulnerable as any other person and you will get to see him suffer and become so helpless, he has no choice but to avail of assistance from South American villagers who lived by the land but are themselves very vulnerable to the savagery of the intelligent dinosaurs. The symbolism regarding vulnerability as well as the ramifications of the Unity crossover on this tale is very strong. This is indeed very solid writing by Michelinie.

As for the art, Sears’ work here is very unique and his style on drawing people, monsters and locations made this comic book a visual standout among 1993 comic books. When it comes to the graphic violence, it is clear to me that Sears enjoyed the creative freedom he got and he really emphasized his imagination as to how gruesome violence caused by dinosaurs on human beings would be. That being said, there are lots of violent action scenes and images of physical damage (damage on the flesh specifically) that remain visually disturbing to this day.

Conclusion

*Very foolishly, Turok and Andar submitted themselves to a walking, evil idol. This should remind you that idolatry is both foolish and unholy.*

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 (1993) works nice as modern portrayal of Turok and it succeeds in establishing his place within Valiant’s comic book universe thanks primarily to the Michelinie-Sears duo. Turok himself is not exactly an interesting protagonist to me but I can say it is the creators’ way of portraying him that makes the plot and the comic book work as an entertainment piece. I also liked the way Turok was emphasized as a character who got lost not only in time but also dimensionally lost as he has to live within a whole new world while focusing on survival as well as his desire to kill his rival Mon-Ark (the intelligent dinosaur). If you know your American pop culture history, you will realize that this comic book incidentally paved the way for the Turok video games (starting with 1997’s Turok: Dinosaur Hunter of Nintendo 64) that happened years later.

Overall, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 (1993) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #22 (1993)

April 11, 2023April 8, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through the Harbinger monthly series.

In my previous review, Sting has been suffering and was revealed to have mononucleosis. After having a nightmare, he stubbornly re-entered his family’s home in the middle of the night trying to reconnect to his past life as Pete Stanchek. He eventually learned something harsh about his estranged father and went on to visit him in the hospital.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #22, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins with Archer and Armstrong having fun at the amusement of Coney Island. They eventually bump into Flamingo, Faith, Shatiqua and Kris who happens to be with her uncle named Mel. Armstrong found Mel looking familiar causing the latter to feel uneasy.

Sometime later that day, Mel visits a bar in Brooklyn managed by a local crime boss called Anthony Carino. After going through some initial trouble with Carino’s tough talking employees, Mel finally meets with their boss and told him that decades Armstrong made a move on his fiancé and then he and his buddies ran him out of town. After revealing Armstrong’s name and his presence at Coney Island, the crime boss reacts with knowledge about him. It turns out, Armstrong busted up his bar sometime in the past. Carino agreed to help Mel get back on Armstrong…

Quality

To start with, I can say that this comic book’s main feature is the crossover between the team (minus Sting) and the duo of Archer and Armstrong which also serves as a reunion in relation to their time together during the Unity crossover storyline. This time around, these established Valiant Comics characters get to interact with each other during a more peaceful time and if you remember Armstrong delivering Kris’ child (note: Magnus Robot Fighter) during the Unity storyline, there is a nice scene between the two characters talking about it. As with other Valiant works of the 1990s, the crossover element here is strong and engaging.

On the story itself, Armstrong’s past encounter with Mel sparks a conflict here which eventually pulled Archer and the other team members into a wild chase that was somewhat entertaining. How the story ended was surprising and even intriguing. If you are looking for character development regarding Faith, Flamingo, Kris and Shatiqua, you won’t find much here which is a bummer. Again, the mentioned crossover is the key feature of this comic book.

Conclusion

*A reunion between Archer & Armstrong and the team (minus their leader Sting).*

While it shifted the focus away from the unlikable Sting, Harbinger #22 (1993) was more about a shared universe crossover between the other team members and Archer and Armstrong. In some ways, Armstrong himself was almost the main character in this tale and what he did in the past sparked a chain of unfortunate events that involved Kris, Faith, Flamingo and Shatiqua. As this comic book was more about crossover, it turned out to be a missed opportunity for the creative team to further develop the other team members. Still, this tale delivered some entertainment value and there definitely is something being built up for further issues.

Overall, Harbinger #22 (1993) is satisfactory.

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #14 (1993)

August 22, 2022August 20, 2022carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, Faith encountered an old man who turned out to be highly unusual and this led to her dealing with street troublemakers. More notably, the comic book developed Faith’s personality further and she is definitely more than just the geek among her teammates.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #14, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins during one of the past events in the Unity storyline as the young Geomancer tells Kris to give to him her baby as something crucial was about to happen in just a few minutes. Kris, who already knows that her infant is actually Magnus the robot fighter, unsurprisingly resists. Suddenly, energy and light formed between the two and Kris’ baby suddenly disappears which prompts the Geomancer to state that Solar is sending everyone – including the baby – to a proper place in time.

In the present day of October 9, 1992, Faith helps a kid by retrieving his kite from a tall tree not realizing that she just exposed herself as they are within a public park. Sting warns her that her act was risky as there could by anybody watching them from a distance.

A few feet away from Sting, Faith, Flamingo and Shatiqua is Kris who watches a group of children playing…

Quality

*Even though most of them have special abilities, they are still vulnerable with the costs of independent living as well as being targets of the Harbinger foundation.*

The story here is a complete change of direction compared to issue #13. For one thing, it takes a look back at key events that took place during the Unity crossover storyline which specifically involved Sting and his teammates. The flashbacks were done through Kris’ memory and she provides the narration (conveniently for us readers) as she shares her personal views about what happened.

More notably, the flashback and narrations reflect how much of an impact the loss of the baby truly was for Kris who even expressed that the infant – destined to be Magnus the robot fighter as an adult – must have hated her for letting him go.

Unity aside, this comic book also follows the private lives of Sting, Kris, Flamingo, Faith and Shatiqua as they now live together in a rented home. While almost all of them have special abilities, they are still vulnerable with not just the threat of the Harbinger foundation but also the with the costs and constant challenges of living independently from their respective families. It’s nice that as this was Maurice Fontenot’s debut as writer of this particular monthly series, the general tone was maintained and the story was told with realism in mind. I also like the way Fontenot dramatized the characters particularly with Sting still living with a false sense of maturity at a time when his love Kris is struggling over the visions about the past and her lost child.

This comic book also marked the series debut of Howard Simpson whose art style resembles that of David Lapham.

Conclusion

Harbinger #14 (1993) has a solid touch on developing the lead characters – specifically Kris – and went as far as recalling some of the events of Unity while even having a few pages featuring one of Valiant Comics’ major characters which you can easily guess who. To put it short, this comic book ultimately served as a build-up for further confrontations with the Harbinger foundation but the characterization of Kris here is the real meat of the story. By the time you reach the end, you should be able to know Kris more. Definitely a solid read!

Overall, Harbinger #14 (1993) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #10 (1992)

August 5, 2022August 3, 2022carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, Sting, Faith, Kris and Flaming were still on a faraway world as the Unity crossover storyline went on. Things really changed drastically for Kris as she gave birth to a baby boy whose father was none other than the late Torque. Sting, who is still living with the false sense of maturity, dedicates himself to Kris (whom he fornicated a lot with by this time) and their child even though he still had parts to do in the middle of the destructive battles with Erica Pierce.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #10, published in 1992 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jim Shooter and drawn by David Lapham. This comic book marks takes place after the end of Unity.

Early story

The story begins on April 5, 1992, at 1:15 AM. Sting, Kris, Faith and Flamingo are instantly brought back into the home of Dr. Heyward and his family. Sting finds himself disoriented from the travel while Kris, who no longer has her baby by this point, feels very weak and hot.

The next morning outdoors, Sting meets with Dr. Heyward and reveals to him that he and his three female companions were away for about six months. For Dr. Heyward and everyone else, not too much time passed at all. To help him understand their experiences during Unity, Sting puts several images and memories into Dr. Heyward’s mind. When asked by the doctor what happened to Kris’ baby, Sting claims he does not know at all.

Meanwhile from somewhere, someone is using electronic surveillance…

Quality

*This private scene of Sting, Kris, Flamingo and Faith eerily reminds me of some 1980s Hollywood movies about teenagers.*

From a storytelling viewpoint, the wild fantasy that was Unity which had Sting and his team spend time with other major figures of Valiant Comics has indeed ended and this comic book smoothly follows their return to Earth, the sudden shift of their living and keeping up with reality. As such, you will get to see Sting, Faith, Flamingo and Kris think and act like teenagers which is a notable change of presentation after seeing them as nomads during their time in Unity.

Normalcy of living is a clear theme explored in this story and Jim Shooter really had the characters and events move on while being grounded in reality. In relation to that, there is this really dramatic scene between Kris and Sting as they talked about their relationship and what happened to the baby. The said scene was only seven panels long but you can see and feel the emotion flow through the two characters.

With the massive conflict of Unity over, Sting and his team start pursuing a new goal – to find other young super-powered beings like themselves before Toyo Harada and his powerful Harbinger organization make another move. Along the way, a new form of opposition awaits Sting, Faith, Flamingo and Kris. What was told in this comic book is engaging and refreshing to read.

Conclusion

*Nothing like being at home after spending many months away even though time on Earth did not move too much.*

When you think about the high-quality stories Jim Shooter wrote for the Harbinger monthly series, Harbinger #10 (1992) is clearly another winner. The portrayal of the powered teenagers is believable and very notably, the creators left space for some superhero spectacle for readers to be entertained with as Sting and his teammates start pursuing their new goal. Of course, the new pursuit happened after Sting, Faith, Flamingo and Kris tackled reality first as they returned from spending many months away in Unity while time on Earth moved forward very little. How Jim Shooter and David Lapham managed to emphasize their new story concepts while remaining tight and strong with the storytelling is indeed amazing. I should also state that this comic book marks the start of a new chapter for Sting, Faith, Flamingo and Kris.

Overall, Harbinger #10 (1992) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #9 (1992)

August 2, 2022July 30, 2022carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, things got totally wild as Sting, Faith, Flamingo and a pregnant Kris made their way into the middle of a war in an unknown, far-away place within the Unity crossover storyline. Even though Sting and Kris already have major challenges ahead of them related to an upcoming birth of a child, they have no choice but to help their side of powered figures (including Magnus the robot fight, Solar, X-O Manowar and others) win against Erica Pierce.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #9, published in 1992 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jim Shooter and drawn by David Lapham. This comic book marks the 16^th chapter of the Unity storyline.

Early story

The story begins on day number 157 of Unity. Needing immediate help for his girlfriend Kris who is about to give birth, Sting flies to Armstrong who is about to acquire a bottle of liquid painkiller. Minutes later, Sting and Armstrong arrive at a high-tech place where the pregnant Kris is waiting.

Supported by Armstrong and touched by Sting, Kris eventually gives birth to a baby boy. Even though he knows that the baby is not biologically related to him, Sting still expresses his love to Kris and the child.

Suddenly, Faith arrives feeling exhausted. She said she came from battle and their group lost Magnus…

Quality

*Sting, Flamingo and Faith with the other major Valiant Comics figures on a mission.*

To cite the obvious, this is another high-quality story crafted by Jim Shooter who successfully told the exploits of Sting and his teammates while also highlighting crucial developments on the heroes’ campaign against Erica Pierce within the Unity storyline.

When compared to the events of issue #8, the stakes are much higher this time around not only for Sting, Faith, Kris and Flamingo but also for the other major figures of Valiant’s comic book universe of the time. This is very fitting as Erica Pierce, the so-called Mothergod, took steps closer on achieving her goal that would mean complete disaster for everyone. The notable thing about the way Jim Shooter crafted the narrative within this comic book is that tension gradually rises as the story goes on which leads to something really powerful happening on the final page (note: you must read it yourselves).

On character development, Sting and Kris are the ones who got characterized most. Through Sting, you will realize that even though he is very powerful, his immaturity added to his struggle on achieving goals and setting his priorities straight. Also the way he expressed his love to Kris knowing that the father of the newly born baby was none other than their late teammate Torque, I felt he said it half-heartedly mainly to give her assurance (which he could fail to give). Kris also gets her own share of the spotlight as she embraces her new role as a teenage mother.

More on the Unity story, fans of Magnus, Archer and Armstrong, Rai and Eternal Warrior will have something to enjoy here.

Conclusion

*Kris is now a mother and Sting is not the father of the child.*

Harbinger #9 (1992) maintains many powerful elements that made the previous issue a great read. The difference is that this comic book has not only the stakes raised higher, but also the drama and the progressive development of Sting and Kris. In here, you will see Sting not only as a powerful teenager struggling with his priorities, but also as a key player in the struggle against Erica Pierce. Those who follow the Unity story will see a lot of engaging stuff from start to finish here.

Overall, Harbinger #9 (1992) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #8 (1992)

July 29, 2022July 26, 2022carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, Sting, Faith, Kris and Flamingo struggled with the completely unexpected new reality that their teammate Torque had died. As they mourned, Toyo Harada and his foundation just kept on operating and preparing themselves for a future conflict with the protagonists. Harada specifically perceives Sting as the most dangerous object for his organization to deal with.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #8, published in 1992 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jim Shooter and drawn by David Lapham.

Early story

The story begins on April 4, 1992 inside the nice home of Dr. Heyward. There, Heyward, his wife and their two kids are enjoying the company of Faith, Sting and Flamingo. Upstairs, Kris could not fit jeans as she has gained weight. Heyward’s wife Moni arrives, offers her new clothes to wear and shares with her some insight about being in a relationship.

After dinner, Sting and Dr. Heyward have a nice chat with drinks. At the kitchen, Kris and Moni begin to talk about pregnancy with Flamingo present. As soon as Kris says that she is thinking about asking Dr. Heyward about getting an abortion, Flamingo tells her not to do it as the baby inside her all that is left of their dead teammate Torque.

Just as Kris begins to play dumb and divert attention away, a weirdly dressed teenager suddenly appears inside the home. He identifies himself as Geoff McHenry the geomancer…

Quality

*Faith collects and then flies high for a grand view.*

To get straight to the point, this issue of Harbinger is easily the wildest story I’ve read in this series and for a very obvious reason – it is part of the Unity crossover storyline that established the Valiant Comics universe’s overall concept. For the newcomers reading this, Unity was published in 1992 composed of eighteen chapters – beginning with Unity #0 – which saw story parts told in issues of other Valiant titles like Eternal Warrior, Archer & Armstrong, Magnus Robot Fighter, X-O Manowar, Rai and Solar Man of the Atom.

That being said, the story here is not only wilder than ever but also really went higher with its flight of fantasy which really impacted the protagonists. In her, Sting, Faith, Flamingo and even the pregnant Kris get recruited to join what turned out to be a major battle waged by a group of adult heroes (Solar, Eternal Warrior, Archer & Armstrong, X-O Manowar, Rai and others) against Erica Pierce (the Mothergod) who is obsessed with destroying the universe as she wield immense power.

More on the plot, the transition of Sting and his teammates going into battle on an unknown realm progressed very smoothly which surprised me. As there are lots of battle scenes and other forms of superhero spectacle to see, the creative team managed to maintain a compelling narrative that moved at a medium pace which makes following the exploits of the powered teenagers easy to do. Sure, you get to see the other Valiant Comics heroes share the spotlight in this comic book but Sting and his teammates are the clear protagonists.

Even though there are lots of battle scenes, Jim Shooter still succeeded in setting up a good amount of character development scenes which resulted in clear development of Sting and Kris. Not only that, Shooter convincingly captured the impulse of youth and the false sense of maturity on the part of Sting who at this point has to take special care of Kris, think about the future of becoming a father while dealing with pressure from the other Valiant superheroes who need him to really advance against Erica Pierce. This comic book’s script is very strong and richly layered!

Conclusion

*Sting and his teammates stand along with the other heroes of the Valiant Comics universe.*

Being the eight chapter of the Unity crossover storyline, Harbinger #8 (1992) has this almost perfect mix of the epic superhero conflict, spectacle and characterization while maintaining sufficient focus on the exploits Sting, Faith, Kris and Flamingo. At this point of the monthly series, Sting (note: whose immense power was portrayed here) and Kris are preparing themselves for the future while failing to realize they are not really mature enough to deal with both the anticipated parenthood and the Unity conflict at hand. This comic book is a must-read as it works excellently both as a standalone story as well as a chapter of Unity. That being said, I’m looking forward to the next issue already.

Overall, Harbinger #8 (1992) is highly recommended!

+++++

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