The Good
The first issue of IMPERIUM was all about introducing readers to Toyo Harada's mission. Who is he? What does he want and how far will he go to obtain it? Who's on his team? All of those questions are answered (some more elaborately than others) and one thing is made abundantly clear: Toyo Harada is a huge part of Valiant's Earth. Sure, there's alien spies and immortal villains wandering around, but Harada is someone you cannot underestimate or ignore. Instead of following-up with even more insight into Harada's mission, writer Joshua Dysart chooses to focus on how the world is responding to the powerful man's plan.
Now, I'm a "new" Valiant fan, a.k.a. someone who got into the publisher when they rebooted, but I'm pretty sure this issue revolves around character who's brand new. Gravedog, the leader of a new H.A.R.D. Corps team, is an amazingly complex character. Dysart has this ability to create organic characters and Gravedog is one that'll keep you wondering about who he is and what he truly wants. This character's role also allows the writer to draw some parallels to what's going on in our world and how alliances can sometimes be such a fickle, forced and twisted thing. Is he really driven by the self-preserving and simple fact that Rising Spirit can kill him with the press of a button or does he still hold onto to elements of his darker past? To say whether we're left wanting to see more of him would spoil whether he makes it out of this issue alive (like I said, don't underestimate Toyo), but he's well-written and it brings a nice layer of mystery to the title.
The pacing here is very similar to the first issue. Focus heavily on a certain character in a way that'll give them depth while also providing a look at their side of the conflict. Then, before all is said and done, give the reader some crazy action. There's obvious differences here in the narrative (e.g. the themes, personalities), but the structure is very similar. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a great way to keep us engaged. It makes sure the read is informative and emotional before throwing some specactle our way. And even when the spectacle does drop, it's not just "'SPLOSIONS FOR EVERYONE!" Dysart doesn't lose sight of making sure there's meaning behind the vivid and bloody events.
When Doug Braithwaite's on visuals, you know you're going to get some good looking pages. This is a character-driven yet gritty and dark book, and Braithwaite's style brings that atmosphere to life so well. It's obviously a dialogue-heavy series, but the way he angles each panel and lays them out prevents the experience from ever feeling static. The final page is one that'll leave an impression, too. Everything about it works so well and it burns the images into your memory. Of course, colorist Dave McCaig plays a huge role in making sure that final set of panels really sinks in. The decision to go heavy with a certain shade of red really sells the moment.
The Bad
Issues like this one show just how important colorists are. Dave McCaig colored the first issue with Brian Reber and with this issue, he's flying solo. His work isn't bad -- so don't immediately think so just because it's in this section -- but Reber's absence is definitely felt. Characters don't seem to have the same depth as they did in the first issue and, with her ability activated, Law comes off as feeling flat, almost like she's pasted into the panel. There's some impressively colored panels and, as said above, the final page is striking (coloring plays a huge part in that) but all in all, it doesn't have the same kind of cinematic vibe that the first issue offered so well.
Personal criticism: after only giving us just a light introduction to many of Harada's allies in the first chapter, I was really hoping they'd get a little more attention in this one. I'm sure they will in the next issue, though, and, despite wanting to see more of them, I do understand why they didn't get much love this time around. This one's all about Gravedog -- and in turn, the mission against Harada -- and it absolutely earns the extra focus.
The Verdict
IMPERIUM is pretty much everything I'd want from a Valiant title. It's embracing elements from the creative universe, offers a smart script and has visuals that match the story's tone so well. Not many books can balance character and huge action, but IMPERIUM does it with ease. It's the kind of book that drops a whole lot of exposition for new readers but does it in a way that won't bother pre-existing fans at all because it feels like natural dialogue and, more importantly, it doesn't get in the way of moving the story and its characters forward. Do the right thing and add this title to your pull list.