Ivar, Timewalker 2

Prehistoric empires! Dystopian futures! And everywhere in between! The past, present, and future of our universe are about to meet an untimely end, and only the mysterious Ivar Anni-Padda can prevent all three from collapsing in on themselves. Unstuck in time, and pursued by enemies simultaneously across every moment of his time-lost life, can the man called Timewalker save everything that ever was, is, and will be?

Get ready for a clock-stopping odyssey into the distant past and far future as the most unlikely Valiant hero of all leaps into his first history-ripping adventure!

Writer:

Fred Van Lente

Artist:

Clayton Henry

Publisher:

Valiant

It's one thing to rip off Doctor Who – but to do it so well and entertainingly? Well, that's an almost herculean task. None the less, Ivar, Timewalker does just that, even if it does lampshade it a little with this issue, which may as well be called (and the characters themselves say at one point) 'Let's not kill Hitler!', a reference to a Doctor Who episode from a year or so back.

This playfulness is the comic's strength. Whilst the somewhat 'bro' humour isn't quite clicking with me, the mischievousness of it all is. As is it's inventiveness. Where else would you be likely to find a comment on internet culture and the harm of sites 4chan, whilst having characters leaping through the different sections of Hitler's life, deciding if he should die or not?

Add in the several fascinating twists on the logic of time, that I'm assuming will be explained in later issues, and you have a very interesting story on your hands. The art is serviceable this issue – it sounds harsh to say, but it's all I can really say. However, composition is bloody brilliant – with Henry's layouts and direction guiding your eye to exactly where it needs to find all the various visual gags and story beats.

It may be lacking a little in the momentum of the last issue, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Issue 2 builds on a solid base and cements it, creating a good foundation for further issues to expand upon. This is two for two of the issues I've reviewed this week that do just that, so it seems both readers and creators are having a good run. Long may it continue!

In short, issue 2 of Ivar, Timwalker is fulfilling the potential it showed in it's debut. The art could stand to be a little better, but considering the tight schedules on it all as well as the fact that it's a two person team doing it all, and you have to realise it's rather impressive.

Count this series as one to watch and grab the first two issues today.

Cover image courtesy of Valiant.

You can buy Ivar, Timewalker from Comixology or your local comic book retailer.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.