The Good
"All-New Arc" is slapped on the cover and man, it sure is all-new. Writer Greg Pak takes us two-thousand years into the future and establishes a whole new world from scratch. Despite being immortal, Gilad has aged and served as Emperor for generations. When you call a book "Eternal Warrior," my immediate concern upon seeing this aged Gilad was that the guy's going to be seriously downgraded compared to who he once was. Well, let's just say Pak puts that concern to rest and proves Gilad's definitely still a warrior, too. Pak's also done an impressive amount of mythos building in this one. He's slowly introducing us to this completely different civilization and hits us with a very efficient cliffhanger. It's unclear what what's going on with his two kids or if they're even still alive (I'd wager yes), but this issue revolves around the life Gilad currently has and his bond with his granddaughter. I won't lie, the relationship is kind of adorable, especially upon seeing their little chat after Gilad has to take someone's life in front of her.
Artist Robert Gill and colorist Guy Major do a thorough job introducing us to this completely new landscape. There's several establishing and wide-shots of all kinds of environments that are just a real pleasure to stare at. The character work is consistent, too, and there's one gruesome panel where they go all out to make sure the image makes an impact. This is a book where you expect a lot of action, and thankfully, this team has shown they can handle it. There's a great sense of speed and motion blur when the action strikes and it all looks solid.
The Bad
The jump into the future is a bit awkward at first. It's a whole new world and we're randomly hit with some crazy looking robotic Bantha with a whole lot of blades sticking out of it. Needless to say, it's an abrupt welcome to this new world, but Pak does a fine job easing us into it immediately afterwards.
The Verdict
ETERNAL WARRIOR #5 is a perfect jumping on point and continues to show Pak's creativity. All of the fantasy elements are tossed out the window (immortality aside, of course) and Pak uses the issue to focus on a simple concept: a man striving to protect the people he cares about. We've only seen the basics of this version of the future and it's definitely an attention grabber. Additionally, Gill's art demonstrates he's a more than able fit for the book. Do yourself a favor and buy this.