Unity Volume 2: Trapped By Webnet by Matt Kindt

Unity

by Matt Kindt

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. First came UNITY... Now meet WEBNET!Coming off of the earth-shattering repercussions of their first mission, Ninjak is leading the newly formed Unity team right back into the trenches to face the Valiant Universe's next colossal threat - the enigmatic Dr. Silk and his high-tech terror WEBNET! With the fate of untold millions on the line, can this team of cutthroat heroes uncover Silk's endgame - and his connection to Ninjak's shadowy past?From New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) and superstar artist CAFU (Action Comics), start reading here when X-O Manowar, Eternal Warrior, Livewire and the rest of Valiant's best-selling superteam begin an all-new, high-stakes adventure! Collecting UNITY #5-8, plus the landmark first appearance of Ninjak from X-O MANOWAR #5!

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

Paperback

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

A creepy scientist who has spent the last several decades building up a terrorist network to take over the world so a clone of a woman he once fancied will love him, conveniently times his plan to happen just as Unity have dealt with Toyo Harada and have nothing further to do! What would an ancient mad scientist have to threaten XO Manowar, Livewire, Ninjak and Eternal Warrior with? Nothing at all - but he’s the villain! Does this sound like drivel? That’s because it is! From hack extraordinaire, Matt Kindt, no less!

It seems to be the lot of superhero teams everywhere that every now and then they get an adversary who would barely challenge one of them but for the purposes of the series, the entire team is taxed. It happened recently with Justice League when the entire team were held up by the Cheetah (weakness: aqua-rape!) and it’s happened to Unity with Dr Silk, a guy who could be taken down by reducing his winter fuel allowance.

The brainwashing doesn’t work on any of the team, just civilians whose guns can’t harm them anyway so there’s no immediate threat to any of our heroes. Plus Silk’s henchman, Fitz, who also can’t die because he keeps getting cloned, doesn’t have any powers of his own - he supposedly learns from each encounter to better defeat his opponents the next time he spawns, but he actually doesn’t and repeatedly gets killed, making him your average useless henchman.

Speaking of spawning, the plotline was ripped off from Devil May Cry - brainwashing the population with mass media, sports drinks, and other products that are popularly consumed IS what happens in that game. Real original, “writer”!

The Silk storyline eventually loses steam rather than builds to a climax and ends with a bizarre final page that seems to indicate that the Fukushima disaster in Japan was somehow down to Unity or something? Ah, who cares, this is garbage!

The final issue is a crossover in Valiant’s big summer event, Armor Hunters. If you haven’t read the first issue of that series, like me, this closing chapter to the book will be a swirl of confusion. Mexico City gets nuked? Everyone’s chasing after armour for some reason? Bloodshot is dying or something and then joins Unity? Whatever.

Unity could be a good series and I like all of the characters, but I really, really, really don’t like Matt Kindt’s writing which is dull and riddled with cliches, not to mention his half-assed plotting that help make reading his stuff so put-downable - he is working his way up the crap comics writers list, rubbing shoulders with Jeph Loeb, JMS and Ann Nocenti. Until Valiant replaces him, I’m giving up on Unity, and this second volume? Nonsense - boring, stupid nonsense. Watch kittens frolic on Youtube instead, it’s more intellectually stimulating.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting team up and some good writing from Kindt.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

The effects of the virus in this story is fenomenal. A virus is turned active by watching a code, it brainwashes the victim and turns him or her into a mindless, suicidal killing machine. And Ninjak's moves are as deadly as they are smooth. If you like decapitations, you have a further reason to read this arc.

Dr. Silk is a bit of a mad genius who has developed a method to transfer all the thought processes of one brain into another. He can also use the technique to somewhat rewrite personalities which enables him to create an army of brain-dead followers. He captures Livewire, so Ninjak enlists Aric and Gilad to rescue her. The guys need to face the zombie army first, then maybe a world of infected individuals as the doctor has already begun broadcasting his mind-wiping virus worldwide.

Ninjak and Gilad's mission is to stop the virus. Dell, Silk's research partner and love interest, has been rewritten thousands of times because she refused his advances. She meets Gilad right after killing one of Silk's clones, a task she has been on for a while. She leads Gilad to a warehouse where Silk stored his means to spread the virus. Meanwhile, Ninjak finds Silk's original body and decapitates him. Or does he? I expect the good doctor will have a comeback later on.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unity finally feels like a super team.

This was a cool, self contained adventure. The villain was very supervillainish. Kinda reminded me of The Shadow King. I liked the interplaying character dynamics.

Definitely an awesome title.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints Unity #5-7 and X-O Manowar (3) #5 (September 2012-May 2014). In a small village in Taiwan, an alien ship of the Vine has crashed. With Livewire captured by a man named Dr. Silk, Aric, Gilad, and Ninjak must go on a rescue mission…but Silk’s plans could be worldwide. An outbreak of massive proportion could occur, and only Livewire, the Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, and X-O Manowar can stop it!

Written by Matt Kindt, Unity Volume 2: Trapped by Webnet is a Valiant Comics comic book collection. Following Unity Volume 1: To Kill a King, the collection features art by CAFU. Written by Robert Venditti and illustrated by Lee Garbett, the collection also features X-O Manowar (3) #5 (September 2012) which has the first encounter between Aric and Ninjak. The issues featured in the collection were also collected in Unity Deluxe Edition—Volume 1.

Valiant’s relaunch was an interesting thing. Marvel was picking up steam with their movies, and DC Comics had just restarted their whole universe with New 52. Valiant jumped into the fray, and Unity featured a few of the Valiant’s heavy hitters as a quasi-team book. While Valiant needed a team, the format of Unity is problematic.

The collections for Unity are tiny. This volume has a three issue story-arc and an unrelated issue of X-O Manowar. This isn’t worth the price of the collection…when you can get bigger collections for the same price or a little bit more. This makes it a challenge to bring in newer readers. If nothing else, readers should have an overload of comics and more value…making them want to buy more.

The story itself is basic comic book fodder with insane scientists, forlorn love, and a killer virus, but Valiant does put some twists on it. In one issue, Aric, Gilad, and Ninjak call the bluff of Dr. Silk…and kill and entire village. “I’ll be damned. It wasn’t a bluff” was the response from Ninjak. This wouldn’t happen in an Avengers comic book and that is kind of fun and different…I just wish the collection was longer.

Valiant also did a good job recruiting artists for their series. CAFU’s art for the core story is good, and it is a nice contrast to see Lee Garbett’s art for the X-O Manowar issue included in the volume, but the readers really deserved another issue.

Unity at this point feels clunky because the characters aren’t as known and developed as the characters of the DC Universe or Marvel Universe. The book feels close to something like Defenders (Marvel’s anti-team book). With solid solo books for most of the characters, Unity feels like it needs more time to develop. Unity 2: Trapped by Webnet is followed by Unity 3: Armor Hunters which was part of a bigger Armor Hunters storyline in the Valiant Universe.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Valiant trades are usually 4 issues in length, which is fine, but this volume is a little bit of a piss-take in that the fourth volume is an unrelated reprint of Ninjak's first modern day appearance in X-O Manowar (which I've already read, and doesn't really lend itself to being reprinted since it's part of the ongoing X-O story at the time), so yeah, that was a bad start.

After ditching Toyo Harada, Unity now consists of Livewire, X-O Manowar, Ninjak, and the Eternal Warrior. When Vine technology (see X-O Manowar) falls into the wrong hands, the four head off on a three part adventure to take down Dr. Silk, a brain-swapping nutcase. Sounds like fun, right?

Or it would be, if it wasn't mostly told in dialogue boxes, and then just kind of fizzle out and end. We're told Silk is a threat, but we never really see it, and then the story concludes at a point where it really should be just beginning.

The art feels a little pedestrian from CAFU. There aren't any big risks taken, and the sci-fi concept of the villain doesn't really shine through. It's okay, I guess, but I expected a little more. I wouldn't be able to pick this art style out of a crowd.

I was disappointed in this arc, to be honest. The story's all over the place, and the art's just okay. A shame, since the idea of the Valiant Avengers/Justice League should really lend itself to better.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little bit of a challenge to review because it's a little different from other Valiant books. For a second volume, it has one less issue than most. On top of that, one of the issues is a reprint from another series featuring the first appearance of Ninjak. I decided to give this book a pass on these two points. The reprint issue was disappointing to see, but it is so enjoyable and readers that haven't picked up any of the X-O Manowar books might appreciate seeing more of these characters in a slightly different context.

The main story centers around Dr. Silk, who specializes in cloning and more specifically transferring the mind between bodies. He is a pretty dark character who has been around for a long time. It is refreshing to see another antagonist in the Valiant stories since so much has been piled on Toyo Harada.

Altogether, I enjoyed this story. It gives more of the team dynamic for the hero characters. I like how they get pulled into Silk's story and deal with him. An extra issue wouldn't have necessarily been a benefit to the story. Solid character art throughout.

[Xavier Marturet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the way how a big villain has to be created. An evil science doctor with an incredible almost inmortal power.
This second saga of Unity is as big as the first.
And Doug Braithway is in his best artist moment.
Here I can find something Marvel and DC seem to have lost long time ago.

*****************

Aquí está la manera en la que se ha creado a un gran villano. Un doctor científico y malvado con un poder inmortal casi increíble.
Esta segunda saga de Unity es tan grande como la primera.
Además, Doug Braithway está en su mejor momento como dibujante.
Aquí encuentro algo que Marvel y DC parecen haber perdido desde hace mucho tiempo.

[David Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Filler story arc that serves the purpose of introducing Doctor Silk. Dumps a lot of exposition about his past and motivations, setting up more interesting appearances elsewhere (e.g. Rai).

This story read like a very cliché super villain plan to me, with not enough time to address the main moral question it raises. Some nice panels from CAFU and colourist Brian Reber, though.

TPB has a random issue from another series, which I guess is fine if you haven't already read X-O?

I had, however, so it makes the collection feel like poor value for money – luckily, I found it secondhand, would advise others to also buy on the cheap (or skip).

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not really sure the point of this. This “team” doesn’t make any sense. It was created as part of an average crossover that’s already over. The actual story could have been good if it was just a Ninjak tale. The art by (Fill in artist here) was very good. As the writers in the Valiant universe try to world build they have to focus more on the characters and less on the events. Like a lot of Valiant books, this would be pretty inaccessible to new readers. Overall, the book doesn’t have much to offer story wise.

[Adam Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unity is, essentially, Valiant's answer to The Avengers. Some of their best superheroes (and a supervillain) teamed up for volume one, and now the supervillain has been replaced with, well, the villain from the last volume.

It's a pleasing development, and the introduction of a new, herefore unseen villain in the Valiant universe is very welcome. I'm very excited to see where this team's story is going next.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Not as good as the first volume, but that was expected. This volume sees the re-introduction of Ninjak villain Dr. Silk. He's a body hopping scientist intent on infecting the world with a virus to destroy civilization. (Aren't they always?) The ending was slightly predictable but still cool.

This was a James Bond Superhero type story, and was good for what it was.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right when this got really good, it ended. It was only 3 issues, with the fourth being an X-O Manowar reprint. It needed to be four issues. Everything was awesome and just stopped. Not cool. But I really like this team, and love Livewire's development. I definitely want to read more.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

The unremarkable second arc of Unity shows the team's first mission as a full team now that X-O Manowar has joined. Read and reviewed as part of Unity: Deluxe Edition

[Ratorrice Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting better and better

Volume 2 of Unity was amazing. I love that the team seems so inconvenient but they each are used in a way that makes them valuable to the team. With only 4 members they each stand on their own and the story is really good.

[Capital Fetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The Silk story is good enough. Other people have already mentioned the caveats w/ this volume: only 3 issues of Unity and a reprint of Ninjak's first appearance from X-O.

Really love the interaction between the members here -- particularly Ninjak and...well, everyone else.

[Steven Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expected this to be a longer arc but considering the history of Silk it makes sense it had to end the way it did. Including the X-O Manowar issue with the first appearance of Ninjak was a nice touch.

[Harold Pridemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The XO armor can kick any Tony Stark armor butt.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really just 3 issues long with a reprint of X-O #5 so they can charge more money. Dr. Silk has created a virus so he can replicate his mind throughout society. He's crazy in the worst way. The story feels a bit rushed and could have done with a 4th issue. CAFU's art is solid.

[Des Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Valiant makes it so damn easy to just buy every book they put out, that I find myself reading even the crappy ones. Volume 2 of Unity cruises our sweet, Valiant Avengers onto the trail of Dr. Silk. The art's fine, and the concepts are cool, with mind-uploads, clones, and brainwashing diseases. Nothing here is an absolute failure, but it does fail to live up to the high bar set by the better Valiant titles in every way. Not to mention, the whole story is crammed into three unevenly paced issues. Silk is neat, and there are some cool Ninjak moments, but everything else falls flat or goes totally unexplained, making for some real bummer comics.

Oh, also, three issues of Unity plus an issue of X-O that you've probably already read for 15 bucks. I hate that noise, and would be madder if I didn't like Valiant as a publisher so much otherwise. This is an easy skip, unless you're like me, and are just going to read everything Valiant puts out anyway, until they REALLY burn you.

[Anchorpete · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is nice to see a super hero team that isn't the Justice League, or the Avengers, taking on villains that are not Darkseid or Thanos.

That being said, I think I know who the members of Unity match up with in the other comic book universes:

Ninjak- is Batman is Tony Stark
Eternal Warrior is Wonder Woman is Thor
X-O Manowar is Superman is Captain America

That works for me.... I know that X-O manowar should Iron Man, since he is basically a man in an iron suit, but because of his Visgoth past, he is really the most powerful being in the Valiant Universe, who has lost his home...Ding - Superman

Ninjak, Iron Man and Batman are the Millionaires who can afford all of their incredibly gadgetry.

The threat in this book, Dr. Silk is legitimately intimidating. I want to read more of this book.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Storywise, this probably deserves three stars, but the fact that there are only three issues in it (a fourth is a reprint of a story from X-O Manowar vol. 2, which really shouldn't be necessary at this point, and is incomplete in its purpose of showing Ninjak & X-O's first encounter) knocks it down a star. It does tell a fairly complete story, which feels a bit like a cast-off plot from Dollhouse, as a scientist has started rewriting the brains of people to implant his own personality. The action and plotting is good, although it doesn't really move any of the individual characters' arcs forward much. But Silk is an interesting villain, and the way the story plays out is fairly strong. I just wish there was a little more to the collection than there is.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trapped by Webnet (5-7). Dr. Silk debuted in the early issues of VH-1 Ninjak (Valiant Masters: Ninjak Volume 1 Black Water), which were muddled and hard to understand. I was less than enthusiastic to see him return. He's still al little too megalomaniacal, but otherwise he's been reimagined in an interesting way. The plot again is nicely global, and though it seems overly compressed, it's otherwise a nice continuation of the Unity team [6+/10].

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh only I can say why I'm really liking the Unity thing... Once I say or even name it. I'm going to ruin it for everyone as a group is making a come back and its more interesting. In this series it focus more on Ninjak and XO

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid action story that I really wanted to like more.

It did not help that it is only three issues of Unity and then a reprint of X-O/Ninjak's first meeting that is part of another arc.

[Ritinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enquanto fangirl do Kindt, esperava bem melhor. Ainda assim, não desgostei totalmente.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting ideas in here (and some garbage ones) but they are way too crammed together to really be a story.

[Wing Kee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty bad.

World: The art is fine, nothing special and middle of the road Valiant. The world building is choppy as all hell. I am not familiar with Silk but I found him and his story to be fairly boring and janky making this very weak.

Story: Choppy as all hell. The pacing was off and the story was uninspired. After the events of the last arc I would have expected something exciting with the main team assembled. However the villain for this arc let the story down, it was stupid.

Characters: Not a lot of development, though the banter was good. Villains make or break team books and Silk was just a dumb character and his plan even more so.

Not a good follow up from the strong first arc.

Onward to the next book!