Coming back from the land of the dead when you’re still alive is not for the young. Sometimes your purpose collides with your desires. In this case it’s Gilad who battles back to the land of the living. Apparently he’s made this trek before and it seems to get worse every time he returns.
What makes issue 3 of “Wrath of the Eternal Warrior†hard to put down is the dominating artwork. After all, how do you depict an immortal once again leaving the land of the dead? There isn’t exactly a litany of existential conversations with demons known as the horde. They’re just lackeys who only look upon Gilad as entertainment. And Raul Allen and Patricia Martin show their readers that a demon’s existence is only peppered with moments of happiness when they get to torture and feed upon entrails. Still there is a story, Gilad senses that he needs to return, but to what type of mess will he have to clean up? Will he reach the land of the living and his comrades before it’s too late?
The Valiant universe is so connected that what Master Darque did to Gilad can’t go unnoticed. His determination to get back to the living world reinforces the need for an Eternal Warrior. But how many times can Gilad go through this? In the beginning of the narrative we see Gilad lamenting while simultaneously devoting himself to why he must go back. Such conflict reflects, to an extent what happens in the lives of everyone. Have you ever been faced with leaving your loved ones for a job that only you can do? That’s what Gilad grapples with. There is no one else who can do what he does.
The same goes for Rai, Bloodshot, X-O Manowar and even Ninjak. Someday Gilad may not have to return and then what happens to an Eternal Warrior? Will he finally find some peace?
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