Unity #16
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The good
Captures the essence of the difficulty of Gilad's journey being immortal and highlights what's meaningful and remains
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The bad
No reason for Gilad to be left behind initially. Reason for being in Japan in flashback story not known
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The ugly
- Total score
Unity #16 recounts a story from Gilad’s past, and shows how it has impacted a ritual he has performed many times over the centuries in Japan. Being immortal has not only given Gilad a unique perspective on life in general but has impacted what he finds meaningful considering his long history. So when he visits Tokyo after a difficult Unity mission during the downtime, even just eating a meal in the city brings back so many memories. It reminds him of a time when he was walking through a simple village in Japan long ago when it was attacked by troops looking for rebels. He had no idea what he stumbled on and decided to take up arms to defend the villagers who would’ve been slaughtered by this army. He wasn’t fighting alone for long as a rebel force would arrive, led by a woman named Tomoe who would lead them to victory. This was a spectacular memory for Gilad considering everything he saw in his long life, and he became enamored with Tomoe, who would take him on as a student. What is it about this memory that makes this experience so unique in Gilad’s existence where he’s reminded of it every time he visits Japan?
Last issue focused on Ninjak’s activities in between missions and this issue gives Gilad his time in the spotlight to show more about what makes him tick. I find Gilad to be a very interesting character yet sometimes his stories seem to make him feel more like he’s no longer useful as opposed to being a man with thousands of years of experience. So when the number of fighting styles he’s perfected is usually mentioned it tends to highlight how he seems to be outmatched in modern combat. And it’s perplexing why he hasn’t adapted to modern fighting styles and/or weapons. However, this particular issue has Gilad in his element again so it’s one where he stands out in a really good way. It starts out simply as Gilad becoming embroiled in a civil war in Japan and being smitten with Tomoe as she teaches him to be a better fighter. Yet this issue becomes more than that as the story advances and it starts to become clearer why Gilad makes this trip to Japan all the time. The story doesn’t focus on the differences between the warring sides nor does it become just a typical love story. It was about Gilad’s love for Tomoe but also had a twist about what could still be meaningful to one who is immortal. And it gave a better understanding of what that’s truly like for him. And the impact that has on others knowing the sacrifices made in the past for them to live the life they have now. I dont’ know what lies ahead for Gilad or even if the conclusion of the Valiant series will change his status quo but now I would like to see him have more than just an axe in his life going forward.
SUMMARY
Unity #16 is a surprisingly touching issue that follows Gilad as he makes his regular journey to Japan to honor an important moment in his life. This issue does a great job in showing how difficult being immortal is at times in light of all the things that change over the years and lose value. There are some things that are overlooked such as what originally brought Gilad to Japan and how long was he there but that didn’t take away from everything made clear. And there’s plenty of action throughout so it’s not a tedious read either. It’s one of the better Gilad stories I’ve read so far.
Release Date: 3/11/15
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Pere Perez
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