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Rai by Dan Abnett
Rai, Book One
Welcome to the 41st century: New worlds, new characters, new adventures.
The cyborg ronin named Rai embarks on a thrilling quest to save the future. Side by side with his prototype and predecessor – the robot boy called Raijin – the spirit guardian of the fallen nation of New Japan will journey into the wastelands of Earth to set right the wrongs of their onetime overlord once and for all.
Multiple New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) joins forces with breathtaking artist Juan José Ryp (X-O MANOWAR) to begin the essential sci-fi series of the next two thousand years!
Collecting RAI (2019) #1–5.
The cyborg ronin named Rai embarks on a thrilling quest to save the future. Side by side with his prototype and predecessor – the robot boy called Raijin – the spirit guardian of the fallen nation of New Japan will journey into the wastelands of Earth to set right the wrongs of their onetime overlord once and for all.
Multiple New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) joins forces with breathtaking artist Juan José Ryp (X-O MANOWAR) to begin the essential sci-fi series of the next two thousand years!
Collecting RAI (2019) #1–5.
128 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 28, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley, Dan Abnett, and Valiant Comics for a chance to review this trade paperback book. I have not felt compelled, in any way, by the author, the publisher, or NetGalley to alter my sincerest thoughts on this book. Every word of this review is solely and completely mine.
I have been familiar with Valiant since they began as a company for at least two decades when I was a comics shop owner and have generally found the stories exceptional. I was not disappointed with Rai #1 which includes the first 5 issues of Rai. There’s great chemistry between Rai and Raijin. There is moral ambiguity to their quest which injects both realism and drama to the narrative. The artwork by Juan Jose Ryp is stunning and consistent with the Valiant style. There’s really much to enjoy here. My only caveat is that there is too little exposition for those who are coming into the story at this point. I needed more backstory. Congratulations to Dan Abnett for an entertaining story. I hope his run is long and effective.
I have been familiar with Valiant since they began as a company for at least two decades when I was a comics shop owner and have generally found the stories exceptional. I was not disappointed with Rai #1 which includes the first 5 issues of Rai. There’s great chemistry between Rai and Raijin. There is moral ambiguity to their quest which injects both realism and drama to the narrative. The artwork by Juan Jose Ryp is stunning and consistent with the Valiant style. There’s really much to enjoy here. My only caveat is that there is too little exposition for those who are coming into the story at this point. I needed more backstory. Congratulations to Dan Abnett for an entertaining story. I hope his run is long and effective.
March 26, 2020
This felt like a return to the Valiant of a few years ago. Valiant's books have been lackluster to me for the last year or two since DMG took over. This spins directly out of Abnett's Fallen World. In 4001 AD, Father has returned, taking over Bloodshot's body. Now Rai and his older brother Raijin are tracking down the rest of the code that could give Father his full powers. I loved Juan Jose Ryp's designs and art. The world building was also very good.
Received a review copy from Valiant and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Valiant and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
March 22, 2020
Raï (2019) Vol. 1 collects issues one to five of the soft relaunch of the series by Dan Abnett, with artist Juan Jose Ryp, colorist Andrew Dalhouse, and letterer Dave Sharpe. Published by Valiant Entertainment.
It’s one of the four mini-series launching the « Breakthrough » era of Valiant for 2019. Valiant sure likes to soft relaunch regularly. They even put DC’s crisis to shame. Some will appreciate it, others less. Me, as long as the comics are entertaining, I don’t care. If I want high concept comics, I go to creator owned titles.
After the fall of Father and New Japan at the hand of Rai, him and Raijin are on a road trip on Earth. Their mission : find all the other offsprings of Father and destroy them, as they are horcruxes that could allow for Father’s return if combined.
Raï now aspires to become an human. He even has a lover he can’t find, but manage to meet in dreams. But his vow of non violence is hard to uphold, as him and Raijin are pursued by a cabal aiming at the exact opposite of Raï’s objective.
Although the story itself is entertaining, this title reads like old Valiant. It’s not the horror infused comics that are the most recent incarnations of Bloodshot or Shadowman. It even gives a strong nineties vibe.
Raijin serves as an avatar for the reader, asking a lot of questions, at times to the point of laying it too thick. Some other Valiant characters make appearances, but there isn’t much character development, be it for them, nor for Raï and Raïjin. We also unfortunately do not escape the trope of heroes fighting each other, before uniting against a common enemy.
I’m sorry to have to say the art is approximative, and at times a little simplist. The lines are thick. The facial expressions, for example, are too often exaggerated. The (numerous) action sequences are too crowded and quite hard to follow. There is also no real use of color to improve on the art. Some could say they’re even too bright, and sometimes inadequate. They just seem to have been flattened without real thinking made on their usefulness.
As for the layout, there is no real use of panel dynamics. Most of this comic use standard grids. There is some bleed, now and then, as part of characters bleed out from their cases to other ones, but it is often done with no coherence, and doesn’t help at following the already muddied action.
This remains an entertaining read, with fast paced action and some moral dilemma, but it will more please lovers of the old Valiant era than the ones who, like me, have learned to appreciate the bold new direction Valiant has taken around 2914-2015.
Thanks to Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Books, and Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.
It’s one of the four mini-series launching the « Breakthrough » era of Valiant for 2019. Valiant sure likes to soft relaunch regularly. They even put DC’s crisis to shame. Some will appreciate it, others less. Me, as long as the comics are entertaining, I don’t care. If I want high concept comics, I go to creator owned titles.
After the fall of Father and New Japan at the hand of Rai, him and Raijin are on a road trip on Earth. Their mission : find all the other offsprings of Father and destroy them, as they are horcruxes that could allow for Father’s return if combined.
Raï now aspires to become an human. He even has a lover he can’t find, but manage to meet in dreams. But his vow of non violence is hard to uphold, as him and Raijin are pursued by a cabal aiming at the exact opposite of Raï’s objective.
Although the story itself is entertaining, this title reads like old Valiant. It’s not the horror infused comics that are the most recent incarnations of Bloodshot or Shadowman. It even gives a strong nineties vibe.
Raijin serves as an avatar for the reader, asking a lot of questions, at times to the point of laying it too thick. Some other Valiant characters make appearances, but there isn’t much character development, be it for them, nor for Raï and Raïjin. We also unfortunately do not escape the trope of heroes fighting each other, before uniting against a common enemy.
I’m sorry to have to say the art is approximative, and at times a little simplist. The lines are thick. The facial expressions, for example, are too often exaggerated. The (numerous) action sequences are too crowded and quite hard to follow. There is also no real use of color to improve on the art. Some could say they’re even too bright, and sometimes inadequate. They just seem to have been flattened without real thinking made on their usefulness.
As for the layout, there is no real use of panel dynamics. Most of this comic use standard grids. There is some bleed, now and then, as part of characters bleed out from their cases to other ones, but it is often done with no coherence, and doesn’t help at following the already muddied action.
This remains an entertaining read, with fast paced action and some moral dilemma, but it will more please lovers of the old Valiant era than the ones who, like me, have learned to appreciate the bold new direction Valiant has taken around 2914-2015.
Thanks to Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Books, and Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.
May 14, 2021
Beautifully done; storyline, artwork, coloring.
Action packed. Wonderfully devoured.
For those that love comics with an anti-hero, this is for you. Loved it!
Action packed. Wonderfully devoured.
For those that love comics with an anti-hero, this is for you. Loved it!
October 28, 2020
Rai might not have been my favorite hero of the Valiant lineup but I enjoyed volume 1-2 enough to check out more (I still have to read volume 3) But this reboot caught my eye for the art style and the idea of two, basically brothers, working together to hunt down creatures/robots similar to them in design to stop their Father from returning.
If you've seen things like Logan or played the Last of Us, you'll get similar vibes here. Rai and his (older, yet looks younger) brother Raijin embark on a quest to kill their father's offsprings. What starts off as a simple story decides to go deep into the meaning of life, purpose, and why we do what we do. Best part being that Rai is only half human and Raijin isn't human at all, yet they begin to show human like tendencies. By the end, after a major battle, there is no happy answer to this adventure.
And I think that's what worked here. While not always dour and sad, as Rai and Raijin have good banter, it has a sense of big epic adventure with a feeling of loss and unease. By the end I was wondering what Rai's goal was and when he said it to his old friend, it all made sense. I am eager to see where this series goes but for now, this is the best Rai story I've read. A 4 out of 5.
If you've seen things like Logan or played the Last of Us, you'll get similar vibes here. Rai and his (older, yet looks younger) brother Raijin embark on a quest to kill their father's offsprings. What starts off as a simple story decides to go deep into the meaning of life, purpose, and why we do what we do. Best part being that Rai is only half human and Raijin isn't human at all, yet they begin to show human like tendencies. By the end, after a major battle, there is no happy answer to this adventure.
And I think that's what worked here. While not always dour and sad, as Rai and Raijin have good banter, it has a sense of big epic adventure with a feeling of loss and unease. By the end I was wondering what Rai's goal was and when he said it to his old friend, it all made sense. I am eager to see where this series goes but for now, this is the best Rai story I've read. A 4 out of 5.
September 8, 2022
Not me actually enjoying a RAI book?
Wonders will never cease!
Wonders will never cease!
November 14, 2020
The next installment of the ongoing story of 4001 AD, the new volume of Rai comes to us from Dan Abnett and Juan José Ryp. Picking up where Savage World left off, Rai and his new older/younger brother Raijin are trekking across the Earth of 4001 AD to find the remnants of Father before they can reunite and bring the horrible AI back to life again.
This is some real ronin shit. Rai's on a mission, and he doesn't care who he hurts along the way. This is obvious from the first three issues, which are all solo stories about Rai and Raijin's quest. We can see how he treats the Offspring (Father's remnants) as well as Raijin, and there's a healthy dose of self-loathing in there too, so that's nice. The relationship between Rai and Raijin isn't exactly subtle, but it's well done, and really comes into focus when a familiar face returns in the latter two issues to really put it into perspective for Rai.
There are some other characters from past Rai stories that return as well, with some cameos in the first two issues, and the villain of the piece looks oddly like someone from Lemire's Bloodshot run (which makes sense given that Rai and Bloodshot are intrinsically linked across the centuries). I do like how Abnett manages to introduce them easily without pointing at them and jumping up and down with a 'look who it is!!!' type thing, it makes it more seamless and I expect makes it better for newer readers as well who won't be as familiar with them.
Ryp's artwork is probably the best it's ever been, although he still struggles with some faces in the early issues. There's an abundance of odd looking facial expressions, as well as a few characters that look like the disguises in White Chicks, which is not a comparison we should be making about anyone. The action scenes are smooth though, and Andrew Dalhouse's colours are a good fit for Ryp's pencils.
Rai's latest adventure is a love letter to what went before, while forging a new path with new questions for Rai to answer about himself and the world he lives in. It's a little bitty to begin with, but that's a good way to establish a baseline before we hit the heavier stuff later on. Abnett remains a master of sci-fi, while Ryp's art, while not without its problems, works great in tandem with Abnett's script.
This is some real ronin shit. Rai's on a mission, and he doesn't care who he hurts along the way. This is obvious from the first three issues, which are all solo stories about Rai and Raijin's quest. We can see how he treats the Offspring (Father's remnants) as well as Raijin, and there's a healthy dose of self-loathing in there too, so that's nice. The relationship between Rai and Raijin isn't exactly subtle, but it's well done, and really comes into focus when a familiar face returns in the latter two issues to really put it into perspective for Rai.
There are some other characters from past Rai stories that return as well, with some cameos in the first two issues, and the villain of the piece looks oddly like someone from Lemire's Bloodshot run (which makes sense given that Rai and Bloodshot are intrinsically linked across the centuries). I do like how Abnett manages to introduce them easily without pointing at them and jumping up and down with a 'look who it is!!!' type thing, it makes it more seamless and I expect makes it better for newer readers as well who won't be as familiar with them.
Ryp's artwork is probably the best it's ever been, although he still struggles with some faces in the early issues. There's an abundance of odd looking facial expressions, as well as a few characters that look like the disguises in White Chicks, which is not a comparison we should be making about anyone. The action scenes are smooth though, and Andrew Dalhouse's colours are a good fit for Ryp's pencils.
Rai's latest adventure is a love letter to what went before, while forging a new path with new questions for Rai to answer about himself and the world he lives in. It's a little bitty to begin with, but that's a good way to establish a baseline before we hit the heavier stuff later on. Abnett remains a master of sci-fi, while Ryp's art, while not without its problems, works great in tandem with Abnett's script.
February 5, 2021
Rai is back!
March 24, 2020
I loved everything about Rai. It was my first time reading the Valiant comic book and I think it won't be the last since from now I want to be up to date with the story of Rai and Raijin.
The story takes place in the 41st century, a time of great adventures! At the beginning of the story, we meet our two main characters, who are a kind of brothers to each other and are on an important mission to find and destroy the offsprings and to stop the so-called Father.
"- It's a narrow A.I.! It doesn't feel!
- I think it does. Now it does. It's had eight hundred and five years to evolve. To define despair. To recognize loneliness."
In this story, I liked the fact that the protagonist was trying to be more humane as for the "synthetic warrior from New Japan" and he actually considered any other A.I. be more humane than others could think. I really like the theme of artificial intelligence in modern literature and I liked how it was presented here. I guess that would be one of the two main reasons why I totally loved this book.
The second reason is that thanks to perfectly-created illustrations I could fully understand this absorbing story. I could enjoy the action, see emotions, admire facial expressions. When I saw the cover for the first time, I knew that I would probably love this comic book.
In general, each issue was interesting, presented a slightly different, but coherent story and, most importantly, encourages further reading.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank everyone thanks to whom I was able to read this comic book.
The story takes place in the 41st century, a time of great adventures! At the beginning of the story, we meet our two main characters, who are a kind of brothers to each other and are on an important mission to find and destroy the offsprings and to stop the so-called Father.
"- It's a narrow A.I.! It doesn't feel!
- I think it does. Now it does. It's had eight hundred and five years to evolve. To define despair. To recognize loneliness."
In this story, I liked the fact that the protagonist was trying to be more humane as for the "synthetic warrior from New Japan" and he actually considered any other A.I. be more humane than others could think. I really like the theme of artificial intelligence in modern literature and I liked how it was presented here. I guess that would be one of the two main reasons why I totally loved this book.
The second reason is that thanks to perfectly-created illustrations I could fully understand this absorbing story. I could enjoy the action, see emotions, admire facial expressions. When I saw the cover for the first time, I knew that I would probably love this comic book.
In general, each issue was interesting, presented a slightly different, but coherent story and, most importantly, encourages further reading.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank everyone thanks to whom I was able to read this comic book.
December 16, 2021
Valiant comics RAI is a sci-fi action adventure series that is set far into the future. Humanity once lived aboard a vast city that orbited the Earth. The city and all its inhabitants was cared for by an A.I. named Father. However, Father was neither friendly nor kind but craved control and power. One of the city’s most advanced weapons, a human-synthetic hybrid named Rai, turned on Father; destroying the AI overlord and plunging the orbiting city towards the Earth. Humanity and their synthetic brethren are now strewn across the planet, trying to reassemble their lives, rebuild communities and to find purpose in this new environment. Rai, however, is not concerned with the plights of these survivors, even though he is responsible for the new status quo. Instead his sole mission is to track down backup copies of the Father. If twelve copies of the A.I. can merge than Father can come back and regain control of everyone and everything. Rai is much the wandering Samurai; guided by Raijin, a prototype version of Rai, tracking down the remnants of Father and reluctantly playing the hero when needed.
Rai is an excellent comics series. The story is science fiction rather than following a superhero theme. There are vast computer networks and hackers who can enter a virtual world of code where evil programs try to hunt them down. Many of the creatures found on earth are no longer products of evolution but rather products of coding. This new world offers an excellent dystopian setting where different peoples try to survive and its population is not just made up of humans and synthetics, but even thinking creatures that resemble elephants or tigers, among others. Rai has many enemies, some he is aware of and some that remain a mystery. Best of all since this title occurs far into the Valiant comics “future” heroes and villains from Valiant’s “present” have interesting ways of showing up in cameos. These occurrences lend the series connective tissue to make Rai’s adventures important to the greater Valiant comic universe.
If you love comics or science fiction give Rai a try. It is a new twist on the reluctant hero; has amazing artwork and offers a nice break from the “Big Two” of comics. I highly recommend this for teens and adults.
-John G
Rai is an excellent comics series. The story is science fiction rather than following a superhero theme. There are vast computer networks and hackers who can enter a virtual world of code where evil programs try to hunt them down. Many of the creatures found on earth are no longer products of evolution but rather products of coding. This new world offers an excellent dystopian setting where different peoples try to survive and its population is not just made up of humans and synthetics, but even thinking creatures that resemble elephants or tigers, among others. Rai has many enemies, some he is aware of and some that remain a mystery. Best of all since this title occurs far into the Valiant comics “future” heroes and villains from Valiant’s “present” have interesting ways of showing up in cameos. These occurrences lend the series connective tissue to make Rai’s adventures important to the greater Valiant comic universe.
If you love comics or science fiction give Rai a try. It is a new twist on the reluctant hero; has amazing artwork and offers a nice break from the “Big Two” of comics. I highly recommend this for teens and adults.
-John G
April 10, 2020
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've been a big fan of Rai since I started reading the characters a few year ago. The character/setting are pretty accessible to new readers because they are mostly disconnected from the rest of the Valiant universe by being set in the future. Sure, there are characters that show up from other books, but it never feels necessary to go read their stories to get what is going on with Rai. This particular book is a follow up to the previous Rai series, which means it can be useful to read that to get a better understanding of what is happening. The story is set up in a way that doesn't make it essential.
Rai and his older brother Raijin are on a mission to defeat their creator, an entity known as Father. They are traveling Earth to destroy parts of his consciousness, which if brought together will give him extraordinary power. The aspect of the story that I liked best is that it gives the reader time to see more parts of this future Earth. The book also dives into the relationship between Rai and Raijin and a rising tension between them.
The art has been one of my favorite parts of Rai's story, and this volume is no exception. While it does make the book tonally different than some of the previous books, I still enjoyed it a lot. It has a different feel that speaks to the franticness of the situation. I'm definitely enjoying this new series and want to read more of it.
I've been a big fan of Rai since I started reading the characters a few year ago. The character/setting are pretty accessible to new readers because they are mostly disconnected from the rest of the Valiant universe by being set in the future. Sure, there are characters that show up from other books, but it never feels necessary to go read their stories to get what is going on with Rai. This particular book is a follow up to the previous Rai series, which means it can be useful to read that to get a better understanding of what is happening. The story is set up in a way that doesn't make it essential.
Rai and his older brother Raijin are on a mission to defeat their creator, an entity known as Father. They are traveling Earth to destroy parts of his consciousness, which if brought together will give him extraordinary power. The aspect of the story that I liked best is that it gives the reader time to see more parts of this future Earth. The book also dives into the relationship between Rai and Raijin and a rising tension between them.
The art has been one of my favorite parts of Rai's story, and this volume is no exception. While it does make the book tonally different than some of the previous books, I still enjoyed it a lot. It has a different feel that speaks to the franticness of the situation. I'm definitely enjoying this new series and want to read more of it.
July 4, 2022
Great stuff. This reminds me of Mad Max, or more specifically, the Lone Wolf and Cub 2100 series where the robotic samurai wander around a post apocalyptic landscape.
In this series we have Rai and Raijin attempting to hunt down the last of Father's offspring in order to prevent his return. To clarify for readers unfamiliar with the series, Father was the evil computerized ruler of New Japan, which floated over the Earth until Rai brought it crashing down.
I've been a fan of Juan Jose Ryp's artwork since his early days doing work for Avatar in black and white, and he's only gotten better over the years.
This is more of the high quality work I've come to expect from Valiant.
In this series we have Rai and Raijin attempting to hunt down the last of Father's offspring in order to prevent his return. To clarify for readers unfamiliar with the series, Father was the evil computerized ruler of New Japan, which floated over the Earth until Rai brought it crashing down.
I've been a fan of Juan Jose Ryp's artwork since his early days doing work for Avatar in black and white, and he's only gotten better over the years.
This is more of the high quality work I've come to expect from Valiant.
July 2, 2024
Really dig this, post-apocalyptic action and beautiful Darrow-influenced art from Ryp. Great update on the old Valiant material.
July 30, 2025
Rai and his brother Raijin are on a mission to destroy Father's offspring, components that can bring him back to full power. Raijin is the only one who can detect the offspring from afar, which makes him a target for Father.
March 14, 2020
A very commendable read from the unfortunately patchy Valiant universe. Rai is a super-destructible cyborg, that killed off a huge floating city, Nu-Japan, in order to destroy his creator – except he failed, for the egomaniacal and vicious scientist left coded copies of himself all over the world. Rai, and an earlier draft of him – less able to have a human side, a bit less perfect on the battlefield, and so on – are starting their quest to destroy the remnants of the code. And as I say it's turned out rather well, with likeable characters, an intelligent spread of action, and the meaty drama I'd come to expect from Dan Abnett before he, too, went a bit too patchy, working to Valiant's orders. This is able to include characters from another of their titles, too, to patch everything together into one unified narrative, and still manages to succeed in being its own thing, and not some tie-in pudding. Newcomers might want for a bit more explanation and world-building as a prologue, but what we get here is just about comprehensible whatever your experience is. And it's a lot better than many of this publisher's current crop (here's looking at you, Bloodshot, with your too many abilities and indestructible, threat-free existence). Certainly four stars.
August 12, 2025
Too many times now have I picked up a Valiant comic labeled “book 1” only to find out that it’s the 2nd or even 3rd volume in a series. “Rai: Book One” is yet another one of those times.
This book follows the Rai after some cataclysmic event in the 41st century leads him to be a wandering warrior with his younger-but-older “brother,” Raijin. He is hunting down these fragments of someone called “Father,” seemingly the Rai’s main opponent in previous books. By destroying the pieces of Father, the Rai will prevent Father from rising again. Meanwhile, the “Red King,” a Fragment that has a humanoid form, is hunting Rai and Raijin with a kill squad as they fight Dinosaurs, sentient Smart homes, and Gilad, the Eternal Warrior.
Certainly a bad pick for a first “Rai” book, but the art and stuff is pretty nice. I think that this is in line with books like “Old Man Logan” or “Spider-Man: Reign” in that they’re about an older version of a character that is on a sort of Death Wish. Abnett seems to enjoy the character and is trying to say some things about AI before Chat GPT and stuff kind of took over the discussion. It’s pretty action packed and a quick read.
This book follows the Rai after some cataclysmic event in the 41st century leads him to be a wandering warrior with his younger-but-older “brother,” Raijin. He is hunting down these fragments of someone called “Father,” seemingly the Rai’s main opponent in previous books. By destroying the pieces of Father, the Rai will prevent Father from rising again. Meanwhile, the “Red King,” a Fragment that has a humanoid form, is hunting Rai and Raijin with a kill squad as they fight Dinosaurs, sentient Smart homes, and Gilad, the Eternal Warrior.
Certainly a bad pick for a first “Rai” book, but the art and stuff is pretty nice. I think that this is in line with books like “Old Man Logan” or “Spider-Man: Reign” in that they’re about an older version of a character that is on a sort of Death Wish. Abnett seems to enjoy the character and is trying to say some things about AI before Chat GPT and stuff kind of took over the discussion. It’s pretty action packed and a quick read.
September 19, 2020
'Rai Book 1' by Dan Abnett with art by Juan Jose Ryp is another reboot of another Valiant character, but this time around it feels like they've done it right.
New Japan has fallen and Father is dead. Rai and robot boy Raijin want to make sure he stays dead, so they set out on a quest to find the pieces that could be used to resuscitate him. Rai wants no violence, but that is just not going to be the case in the weird world of the 41st century.
The 5 issues that make up this volume feel like 5 different stories, and I was really ok with that. The stories were interesting and were driven by Juan Jose Ryp's amazing art. This is a series I would like to read more of with this creative team.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
New Japan has fallen and Father is dead. Rai and robot boy Raijin want to make sure he stays dead, so they set out on a quest to find the pieces that could be used to resuscitate him. Rai wants no violence, but that is just not going to be the case in the weird world of the 41st century.
The 5 issues that make up this volume feel like 5 different stories, and I was really ok with that. The stories were interesting and were driven by Juan Jose Ryp's amazing art. This is a series I would like to read more of with this creative team.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
July 29, 2024
My friend put me onto this and it is a cracker. I'm keen on anything to do with Androids and robots.
A Japanese-style hero and tale of Earth and another evil AI tale.
Robotic father-son conflicts and save the planet with pseudo-religious overtones. And battles lots and lots of battles.
Dan has written for Marvel and 2000 AD which is why I went and looked for him.
As an adult Sci-fi reader, I enjoyed this series. He takes his time to explore robot issues and anti-human sentiment. There isn't anything new but it is stylish, readable and fun.
Abnett had a stint on Guardians of the Galaxy which led to the film so I enjoyed the offbeat humour.
The art is functional and pretty but nothing leaps out. Not a keeper but good if you are a graphic novel fan who wants a little more from their reads.
A Japanese-style hero and tale of Earth and another evil AI tale.
Robotic father-son conflicts and save the planet with pseudo-religious overtones. And battles lots and lots of battles.
Dan has written for Marvel and 2000 AD which is why I went and looked for him.
As an adult Sci-fi reader, I enjoyed this series. He takes his time to explore robot issues and anti-human sentiment. There isn't anything new but it is stylish, readable and fun.
Abnett had a stint on Guardians of the Galaxy which led to the film so I enjoyed the offbeat humour.
The art is functional and pretty but nothing leaps out. Not a keeper but good if you are a graphic novel fan who wants a little more from their reads.
August 3, 2024
I have never been an avid Valiant Comics reader. I dabbled a little but really don't know much about the universe and its characters or history. I bought this and the second volume more for my affection (fandom) for Juan José Ryp (Artist), whose work I fell in love during his run on the CLONE comic at Image.
So, I love the art. I do like Dan Abnett's writing a lot having read other stuff by him -- Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, Titans Hunt, Mera -- and so his work and Ryp's meld well together, but I feel at a deficit due to not knowing the Valiant universe. The book is not inscrutable. It's meant as a relaunch and so new readers should be able to get in. But I feel there is back story to which I am not privy.
The writing is solid and often, even startling. The art is gorgeous. I give it an 8.8/10, which is a four in Good Reads scale. On to volume 2.
So, I love the art. I do like Dan Abnett's writing a lot having read other stuff by him -- Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, Titans Hunt, Mera -- and so his work and Ryp's meld well together, but I feel at a deficit due to not knowing the Valiant universe. The book is not inscrutable. It's meant as a relaunch and so new readers should be able to get in. But I feel there is back story to which I am not privy.
The writing is solid and often, even startling. The art is gorgeous. I give it an 8.8/10, which is a four in Good Reads scale. On to volume 2.
August 5, 2023
Dan Abnett is the GOAT
Is it possible for him to be any better? The answer is yes; especially if you didn't know he wrote this. Then this is him being even better than you already thought he was. So take a character you know very little about before reading this; throw Dan freakin' Abnett into the blender, hit puree and viola' you get a masterpiece that you will enjoy immensely. I haven't even mentioned the art yet. The art style is straight up awesome. Clean, vibrant, and amazing, it completes the story. Just do yourself a favor and read this. Stop reading this review and just push the download button. You may just find yourself a fan all over again.
Is it possible for him to be any better? The answer is yes; especially if you didn't know he wrote this. Then this is him being even better than you already thought he was. So take a character you know very little about before reading this; throw Dan freakin' Abnett into the blender, hit puree and viola' you get a masterpiece that you will enjoy immensely. I haven't even mentioned the art yet. The art style is straight up awesome. Clean, vibrant, and amazing, it completes the story. Just do yourself a favor and read this. Stop reading this review and just push the download button. You may just find yourself a fan all over again.
September 17, 2022
August 2022 Hoopla Bonus Borrows Recommendation
I started this with no knowledge of Rai or Valliant. Still don't know what Valliant is, but I absolutely loved this comic. Set in the far distant future, and andriod called Raijin, and a half human half android named Rai are out to destory the evil code of bloodfather.
The far distant future trying to survive after a fallout gave me Mad Max vibes, but the android and technology were an intreaguing addition. I look forward to reading more.
I started this with no knowledge of Rai or Valliant. Still don't know what Valliant is, but I absolutely loved this comic. Set in the far distant future, and andriod called Raijin, and a half human half android named Rai are out to destory the evil code of bloodfather.
The far distant future trying to survive after a fallout gave me Mad Max vibes, but the android and technology were an intreaguing addition. I look forward to reading more.
March 7, 2020
I received an advance copy through NetGalley, and I really enjoyed it. The overall plot and writing seem to follow Matt Kindt's setup really well, which I definitely enjoyed. It isn't a copy of his writing though, but a smooth transition.
Highly recommend for fans of Valiant Comics, and the art is pretty great.
Highly recommend for fans of Valiant Comics, and the art is pretty great.
April 30, 2020
I wasn't familiar with Rai prior to this trade, but much like his work co-writing the 2000s-era Guardians of the Galaxy reboot, Dan Abnett successfully continues the story from the prior trades with a Lone Wolf & Cub theme/pairing and rogue AI subplot. Ryp's artwork helps, too. (e-galley from Netgalley)
August 30, 2022
Rai is a cyborg in a distant future, dedicated to stamping out the last components of Father, the AI dictator of New Japan. Accompanied by his sidekick/little brother Raijin, Rai crosses the landscape, battling biker gangs and dinosaurs, crossing over with the Eternal Warrior and pondering what to do with Raijin after Father is finally destroyed.
This was well done without being standout.
This was well done without being standout.
October 9, 2022
Fatherland (#1-5). The MacGuffin quest in this arc is purely performative, but it allows for some interesting interactions between Rai and Raijin and some good solo issues before we get to a longer arc at the end. Rai's realization at the end is also intriguing, plus we get the great returns of Gilad and the Geomancer. [3+/5].
September 24, 2020
Super fun and GORGEOUSLY illustrated.
October 19, 2020
Really well written. A lot of fun.
January 13, 2021
A cyborg samurai road trip just like the cover said.
May 2, 2021
Great sci-fi post apocalyptic story. Enjoyed it.
September 4, 2021
Great story and amazing art!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews