Rating: 4/5
This volume collects four one shot stories connected to the events of Divinity III. Each one features a different Valiant hero within an alternate history (ish) where the Soviet Union became the leading superpower during the 20th century. There are also four separate, smaller stories that provide the origins of some new characters introduced in Divinity III.
Someone unfamiliar with the Valiant characters coming into this book would probably be unimpressed or maybe even put off by it. There seems to be an expectation that the reader will know about who these characters are and why they are important. That being said, this is a great collection of stories for someone that is interested in seeing some favorite characters in a different light.
Bloodshot's story is fantastic. It does a nice job of balancing the importance of the Soviet Union's power with Bloodshot's personal interests and history. This same sort of thing happens in the Archer & Armstrong story, but it focuses more on their relationship. It serves to highlight some of what makes them different and how that makes them work together so well.
The plot in the X-O Manowar story is okay, but the layout and the art more than make up for it. It retells Aric's return to Earth from X-O #1 in light of the Soviet domination. Not the most original story, but it is wonderfully put together. The laggard in this group for me was Shadowman. The role he plays in the overall concept is necessary, but the character seemed kind of flat, or at least less developed than the others.
I really enjoyed the volume as a whole. The art is good all around and the book serves as a nice deviation from the standard stories.
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