If next issue's raid on Leviathan is as big as I imagine it will be, it's possible that Imperium could begin to move in an entirely different direction. While these character-based issues haven't always read well on a monthly basis, they're obviously the foundation for the title, much like “the Renegades” arc did for Harbinger. Thus far, Imperium seems capable of matching the heights of Dysart's previous Valiant title.

While some of my colleagues at Valiant Central weren't quite satisfied with parts of this issue, for me at least, I felt it was another strong outing. Admittedly, this title is probably my second-favorite Valiant title (and considering that I love everything Valiant publishes–except Shadowman, that one is pretty rough) that's saying a lot, so there's probably more than a little bias in my opinion. Regardless, who anyone has enjoyedRai until now will probably continue to do so. Even though August feels like it's a long time away, if it means that we continue to get this kind of quality, then I am happy to wait.

Although the series was initially pitched as an arc of Unity, I'm glad that Valiant saw the potential in the story and instead opted to make it a Prestige-format Mini-Series. Much like the recent Harbinger: Omegas, this is an example of a comic being so good that it needs to marketed as such. Both casual readers and Valiant fans would be highly advised to read this if they aren't already.

This is an incredibly strong debut for Ninjak, perhaps even stronger than Divinity or Imperium (both of which I loved). However, if the quality alone weren't already enough to recommend the book on, there's also the fact that the reader is essentially getting a double-sized issue for the standard price of $3.99. In terms of value for money, there may be no better comic out there.