Valiant Universe: Harbinger, Unity, Rai, A&A; current state & future prospects

[thewarning]

So four years ago I was super excited about Matt Kindt's huge upsurge in comics. I think we hit peak Kindt around that time. I found Ninjak to be a bit confusing this week – not in the "I can't follow what is happening" sense, but in the "Huh" sense. Flashback payoff was good, but things that happened in the present day and one month later (and what a transition) seemed really abrupt and strange.

Coupled with the totally stagnant Unity and the incomplete feeling Valiant and Divinity events, my enjoyment of his superhero work is dropping.

[Detox]

So four years ago I was super excited about Matt Kindt's huge upsurge in comics. I think we hit peak Kindt around that time. I found Ninjak to be a bit confusing this week – not in the "I can't follow what is happening" sense, but in the "Huh" sense. Flashback payoff was good, but things that happened in the present day and one month later (and what a transition) seemed really abrupt and strange.

Coupled with the totally stagnant Unity and the incomplete feeling Valiant and Divinity events, my enjoyment of his superhero work is dropping.

I agree that this issue jumped around a bit sloppily at times, but that's really my only gripe. The art was spectacular from start to finish and I really enjoyed the fight scenes. Definitely looking forward to how the rest of the Shadow Seven hunt plays out.

[wwise03]

I agree that this issue jumped around a bit sloppily at times, but that's really my only gripe. The art was spectacular from start to finish and I really enjoyed the fight scenes. Definitely looking forward to how the rest of the Shadow Seven hunt plays out.

I actually loves this issue of Ninjak. It's currently my second favorite valiant book, just behind imperium and just above Booodshot and Ivar.

[harashkupo]

I actually loves this issue of Ninjak. It's currently my second favorite valiant book, just behind imperium and just above Booodshot and Ivar.

This is pretty much how I would rate them.

[Detox]

I actually loves this issue of Ninjak. It's currently my second favorite valiant book, just behind imperium and just above Booodshot and Ivar.

Imperium tops my list as well. Even though Ninjak is probably my favorite Valiant character, i'd put Bloodshot just below Imperium at this point(admittedly I am a Lemire fanboy), with Ninjak at third. Ivar is good but just a notch below the other three.

[Captain Craig]

Now that the uneven Eternal Warrior isn't in their lineup OR the horrid Quantum&Woody I think the line is the strongest it's been since VEI launched in summer of 2012.
There really isn't a widespread feeling of a consistently bad book that I've detected so far this year among discussions.

There was a large amount disappointed in Shadowman and then Q&W during 2013. This bled into the uneven short lived Eternal Warrior series in 2014.
I'm not sensing any large discontent with any one title in VALIANT's output currently through 2015. Some nitpicks on some issues but nothing overly disparaged.

[New Order]

Just read The Fall of Bloodshot. Damn, that ending, man. Seriously.

So hopefully this is a sign, but Amazon has changed the release date of the X-O Manowar Deluxe Volume 2 from January, to August 13, 2015. Harbinger has not been changed yet... So hopefully it also moves back.

Yes! Best news. Now we just need that Harbinger one as well and I'll be a happy camper.

[xMatt]

Yeah, I really enjoyed that Book of Death: Bloodshot ending. Thought it was really great!

Also, #5 of Ninjak was my first and I thought it was quite well done. I agree there was quite a bit of jumping around, but Mann's artwork was great and the internal monologue that ran through the issue was a good read.

[ksbord]

Imperium tops the list for me, with Ivar and Bloodshot tied for second. Rai is in third place, Ninjak in 4th.

Anyone check out the Reading Valiant column on Bleeding cool? The head guy is reading through all the titles in their release order each month, so X-O #1 was last month, X-O #2 and Harbinger #1 is this month. Interesting to look back on these issues several years later. I recall some folks referring to the titles as "90ish" or "dude bro" (whatever that means), and I am just not seeing that in these first few issues. Curious to know what you other readers think.

[harashkupo]

Imperium tops the list for me, with Ivar and Bloodshot tied for second. Rai is in third place, Ninjak in 4th.

Anyone check out the Reading Valiant column on Bleeding cool? The head guy is reading through all the titles in their release order each month, so X-O #1 was last month, X-O #2 and Harbinger #1 is this month. Interesting to look back on these issues several years later. I recall some folks referring to the titles as "90ish" or "dude bro" (whatever that means), and I am just not seeing that in these first few issues. Curious to know what you other readers think.

Thanks for posting this. I'm definitely going to follow this to see what it's like to experience this again through a new set of eyes.

A while ago RLAAMJR asked who all the characters were on the cover of the X-O wedding issue. I knew all of them except the vine priest, so I used that as an excuse to re-read the X-O series. I have to say that reading the whole thing again was a lot better than the first time around. I even enjoyed the art so much more when in the beginning it wasn't really doing anything for me. I think with this Bleeding Cool segmant, I just might go back and read the rest of Valiant over again.

By the way, the priest is just "the Priest" in the book unless anyone else could actually find a name for the guy.

[TheFerg714]

So four years ago I was super excited about Matt Kindt's huge upsurge in comics. I think we hit peak Kindt around that time. I found Ninjak to be a bit confusing this week – not in the "I can't follow what is happening" sense, but in the "Huh" sense. Flashback payoff was good, but things that happened in the present day and one month later (and what a transition) seemed really abrupt and strange.

Coupled with the totally stagnant Unity and the incomplete feeling Valiant and Divinity events, my enjoyment of his superhero work is dropping.

Eh, I disagree. Initially, I thought I agreed with you, but after thinking about it, I really just think he dropped the ball on Unity. Rai, Ninjak, The Valiant, and Divinity are/were all pretty phenomenal imo (haven't read Ninjak #5 yet btw). Although, I do think he's being stretched a little thin. Now that Lemire has quite the Valiant presence with Bloodshot Reborn and The Valiant, I'd like to see Van Meter (or a brand-new signee) step up as a Valiant heavyweight.

I actually loves this issue of Ninjak. It's currently my second favorite valiant book, just behind imperium and just above Booodshot and Ivar.

Imperium is easily the best, then Bloodshot, then Ninjak, then Ivar. If it wasn't for Roku's issue, I think Ninjak and Bloodshot would still be neck and neck.

Now that the uneven Eternal Warrior isn't in their lineup OR the horrid Quantum&Woody I think the line is the strongest it's been since VEI launched in summer of 2012.
There really isn't a widespread feeling of a consistently bad book that I've detected so far this year among discussions.

There was a large amount disappointed in Shadowman and then Q&W during 2013. This bled into the uneven short lived Eternal Warrior series in 2014.
I'm not sensing any large discontent with any one title in VALIANT's output currently through 2015. Some nitpicks on some issues but nothing overly disparaged.

Yea, Valiant has been killing it lately. Valiant Next has really set a new standard. However, Unity has been severely disappointing, and although issue 3 was better, Dead Drop was a let-down too. Still, though, pound for pound no one compares (including Valiant's past)

Anyone check out the Reading Valiant column on Bleeding cool? The head guy is reading through all the titles in their release order each month, so X-O #1 was last month, X-O #2 and Harbinger #1 is this month. Interesting to look back on these issues several years later. I recall some folks referring to the titles as "90ish" or "dude bro" (whatever that means), and I am just not seeing that in these first few issues. Curious to know what you other readers think.

I'm excited to read this, but using the words "90ish" and "dudebro" make me want to stay far away. First of all, I'm not even sure what dudebro means. Secondly, I don't think those words apply to VEI at all.

[TheFerg714]

Holy crap, this writing is f**king atrocious. This the actual article in full (italics are my words, bolded are f**k-ups):

Okay, so Valiant Entertainment are big news. They have very high sales-per-comic, have big Chinese money, actually funded films on the way, and are kicking off their future with this month’s Book Of Death. I’ve read a number of Valiant books over the last three years since the current reboot, but I haven’t read them all. Until now.

This column will attempt to report on a month’s worth of Valiant comics eh time. so I’ll read them as they were published, in an intermingled fashion.

Which makes the first time the simplest – with X-O Manowar #1 by Robert Venditti and Cary Nord. And it starts with a timeline graph. Someone likes Jonathan Hickman…

Star Wars-style we start with two soldiers running across a hill before we see the battle, Visigoths Vs. Romans that that are just a small part of. (Wtf?) And we meet King Alaric forced to sound the Visigth retreat against superior firepower, and Aric who doesn’t see this as an actual command. And a later skirmish see the Visigoths mistaking an alien landing crew as Romans and attack. I can see their point. Alien children re left as cuckoos and slaves are taken. But we disover the alien empire has troubles of it’s own regarding the wielding of a certain armoured weapon.

The parallels between the aliens and the Romans are clear, even in their choice of outfts. To the Visigoths, to Aric, they are both invaders with superior technology. doing the kind of things invaders do. Retribution must be taken, attack must be made and to hell with the odds. There are principles at stake and that is true the universe over. (I mean, really...)

And that’s what this comic does most successfully, Nord’s art at home in both worlds and successfully carrying the themes of one world over to another, so human or alien, (comma should go after 'so' and before 'human') Aric can see them the same and react in the same fashion. One of anger, purpose, duty and indefatigability. (Seriously.. WTF!?)

It that way it mirrors many classic science fiction tales from Buck Rogers to Flash Gordon to Planet Of The Apes, someone taken out out of their time and place to somewhere so very different, yet using their standard modes of action to these new challenges and proving successful, while they stay (initially) unchanged….

There’s also a sense of scale and world building here. So many superhero universes were made up on the hoof. Here, Valiant Entertainment has the template of the old universe to build upon, and so can lay the groundwork for something more complex and planned for from the beginning.

And I’m going to watch it happen.

Yup. That's the last Bleeding Cool article I ever read.

EDIT: I did it... I read the next article... It was just as bad. F**k this guy, and f**k Bleeding Cool. Thanks for putting any effort at all into the best publisher out there right now.

[harashkupo]

I'm excited to read this, but using the words "90ish" and "dudebro" make me want to stay far away. First of all, I'm not even sure what dudebro means. Secondly, I don't think those words apply to VEI at all.

Don't worry, 90's was used once in a comment on the bottom referring to an old cover and nothing involving the word dudebro. There are two articles and both are decent as long as you don't dwell on the need of a good proofreading.

Dudebro - aka tool or douche. A male exhibiting assoholic tendencies most often associated with a fraternity. Can be seen wearing a 'popped collar' shirt or side ways trucker hat.

[xMatt]

Don't worry, 90's was used once in a comment on the bottom referring to an old cover and nothing involving the word dudebro. There are two articles and both are decent as long as you don't dwell on the need of a good proofreading.

Dudebro - aka tool or douche. A male exhibiting assoholic tendencies most often associated with a fraternity. Can be seen wearing a 'popped collar' shirt or side ways trucker hat.

I feel like this is an attitude indicative of a lot of non-casual readers, though. They see a cover or some pages of preview art and immediately pass it off as "dudebro" or "she's wearing a slutty outfit" or "this is for kids". It's detrimental to the industry and a shame to see that online comic sites are participating in it. Especially with something like that (terrible) Bleeding Cool article. Seriously, how are they even a thing? They're so incompetent.

Is there a dedicated Valiant website? I've seen that a few posters here have podcasts and things like that, which is great.

[harashkupo]

I feel like this is an attitude indicative of a lot of non-casual readers, though. They see a cover or some pages of preview art and immediately pass it off as "dudebro" or "she's wearing a slutty outfit" or "this is for kids". It's detrimental to the industry and a shame to see that online comic sites are participating in it. Especially with something like that (terrible) Bleeding Cool article. Seriously, how are they even a thing? They're so incompetent.

Is there a dedicated Valiant website? I've seen that a few posters here have podcasts and things like that, which is great.

The only sites I can think of are valiantfans.com and valiantcentral.com. When it comes to Bleedingcool I just completely ignore it. I honestly have zero interest in that site leaving me with this and comcivine.