What was one of the best things we learned from Saturday’s Free Comic Book Day Valiant Special? Oh yeah, we learned Archer & Armstrong well be coming back in their own monthly series!!
I can see the quirked eyebrows, “Just who is Archer & Armstrong, Christian?”
So glad you asked…
Archer & Armstrong is a series basically about two square pegs in a round world. Two nonconformist who certainly march to the beat of a different drummer.
Archer & Armstrong was a series back during the original Valiant days in 1992. It lasted 27 issues (that’s including issue 0). They saw a revival in 2012 with the third incarnation of the Valiant characters. This new series lasted 26 issues (that’s also including an issue 0) as well as one special; ‘Archer & Armstrong: the 1%’ and appearances in the Quantum and Woody series, ‘Delinquents’. Now we have hope of Archer & Armstrong returning to their series.
Not much has changed between both incarnations of the series. As a matter of fact it might as well be the same characters. Both have similar origins as their predecessors as well as goals and characterization. Once again proving the new Valiant is a labor of love that does not ignore it’s roots!
The series focuses on the two main characters of the title; Aram Anni-Padda (that’s right the eldest of the three Anni-Padda siblings), Gilad (Eternal Warrior) and Ivar (Timewalker Anni- Padda) who wanders the Earth depressed blaming himself for the death of his brother, Gilad and Obadiah Archer, a rather Zen Buddhist individual who is a crack shot marksman with anything that is a projectile. Archer also comes from a family who is involved with a religious Sect of not so nice tendencies who is hellbent on the destruction of Armstrong.
The two meet when Archer’s parents send him out into the world to hunt down and kill Armstrong. Armstrong has been built up in Archer’s mind since birth as being a vile demon who needs to be eradicated. The two meet and are both captured by the Sect. It is here that Archer learns he has been lied to and misled. Once they escape, the two literally become the ‘Odd Couple’ of comic books.
Their adventures take them to a land lost in time, Area 51 and more secrets which have secrets in the vile Sect Cult. We see Armstrong come to terms with his brother, Gillad quite literally. There’s also team-ups with Quantum and Woody. The series has everything one could ask for!
Where else can you find aliens riding dinosaurs, killer nuns (ninja killer nuns at that) and more Zen Philosophy to entertain the Dali Lama himself? Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry leave huge shoes to fill if they aren’t taking up whatever this thing is which Armstrong says “don’t call it a comeback!” Time can only tell what Valiant has in store for oddball team.
