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

[Aomalle27]

Well it's a forum, which is supposed to be a free expression of ideas.

[kinggirlfriend]

I gave Valiant a break for about a month but I finally got around to reading X-O volumes 6 & 7, the Prelude to Armor Hunters and the Armor Hunters X-O issues. Super great stuff! I really loved the ARMOR HUNTERS event. I only have the Bloodshot tie-in left to read. Super excited about all the recent Valiant announcements. X-O has a great line up of artists. Also really looking forward to whatever they do with Shadowman.

As far as diversity goes Valiant is leading the way. The have a bbw headlining a comic, a black Russian, they had a Japanese dude headlining a book for a while. Shadowman had his own book. Dr Mirage. Quantum and Woody, etc. I wouldn't mind seeing Livewire get her own series but that's because the character is so awesome.

[TotalSnorefest]

MODERATOR NOTICE: Please keep the discussion regarding diversity civil and remember to separate between people and their viewpoints. I don't want to stifle a (mostly) constructive and reasoned discussion, but already several people have crossed the line into personal attacks. That is not the way we treat each other at CBR. Consider this a first and only warning for everyone; any further personal attacks will result in temp-bans. Additionally, I will not hesistate to shut a thread down, regardless of size, if people cannot behave themselves during discussions.

The Valiant community on CBR always stands out for its friendly atmosphere, even on hotly debated topics. Don't spoil it.

[Aomalle27]

New to Valiant but have read up a bit about it on wikipedia. How good are say, Unity, Harbinger, Dr. Fate and Shadow Man?

Depends on what you're looking for? Harbinger isn't so much superhero (the 90's VH1 was) but more a thinking man's what if? You suddenly found yourself with telekinetic powers. Bloodshot (at least Swierczinski's run) was a bloody/ramboesque romp; I really enjoyed that. Archer &Armstrong (first run.....VanLent writing) was an excellent/irreverent romp with lots of cheeky sociopolitical context, played with the ideas of secret cults/sects, even featuring a group called the 1%ers. I really loved that run; the new run I just didn't enjoy. Timewalker was another high concept comic; which I thought started great, but faltered at the end, I'm thinking editorial staff let creative know it would have to wrap it up sooner than expected. A great read nonetheless. XO was an excellent book with few misses; man out of time granted almost godlike power via a symbiotic armor. Shadow man just never found it's groove; though the 0 issue and #10 are essential reads. I abhor Quantum & Woody; it's really silly and goofy;but your tastes may be drawn to that; I'd say if you enjoy Archer and Armstrong but wish for more absurdity; give it a try. If A&A isn't your cup of tea then avoid Q&W.

[TheFerg714]

New to Valiant but have read up a bit about it on wikipedia. How good are say, Unity, Harbinger, Dr. Fate and Shadow Man?

Hello! Welcome to our thread! Here's my answer to your conundrums..
Unity- Very hit-or-miss. The first volume is amazing, but it's even better if you had read the first 4 X-O Manowar trades. Vol. 2 is meh, Vol. 3 is really good when read alongside Armor Hunters (big summer 2014 event), but pretty bad without it. Vol. 4 & 5 are solid. And 6 & 7 are not very good at all.

Harbinger- Well, first of all, it's legitimately one of the best runs I've ever read. It's really smart and nicely subverts the X-Men tropes that you would assume would weigh heavy on it's shoulders. It's really a story about Harada vs. Pete Stancheck, and their differing ideologies and views of the world. Harada's definitely the antagonist, but he's not necessarily the bad guy. Highly, HIGHLY recommend seeking out the first volume. You've gotta be able to find it for less than $5 tbh. Vol. 3 connects to the Harbinger Wars event, which is equally amazing.

Dr. Fate- Pretty sure you're talking about Dr. Mirage... If so, I don't really like it. It's slow, meddling, forgetful, and the art is hard to follow. However, a lot of people like it. It's been really well received by the Valiant community as well as the comic community at large.

Shadowman- Highly recommend issue 0 and 10 (seriously, they're weirdly two of the best issues Valiant has ever produced), but the rest of it sucks. If you're really interested, I'd say you should look for a cheap Vol. 1 maybe, but don't expect it to go anywhere good. Ninjak's third volume, Operation: Deadside, stars Shadowman, and it's awesome. You might check that out. Other than that, we will most likely be getting a Shadowman comic within the first half of 2017, and I'm fairly certain Valiant does not want to fail again at one of their most recognizable headliners.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts if you get the chance to check any of these out!

[Agent Z]

Greetings, AgentZ! I'll give you a ranking of the titles you asked about, best to worst:

Harbinger - Amazing series. I'd say it's a tie between Harbinger and Archer & Armstrong as the best of the initial Valiant launch titles from 2012. Definitely worth a purchase... maybe even get the first couple of trades to start... heck, if you're feeling super ambitious, buy the first two trades and the Harbinger Wars deluxe hardcover. You won't regret it.
Doctor Mirage - I think that's what you meant. Strong first mini that further fleshes out the supernatural side of the Valiant U, slightly weaker second mini.
Unity - I discussed the highs and lows of this series in a post a few days ago... definite mixed bag that starts soooooo strong and really sputters out at the end. Pity. Great concept.
Shadowman - Sadly, the ups were infrequent, and the downs were way down for this series. The first arc was good, and then everything stumbles from there. Not certain why, but I'd wager it was a disconnect amongst the creative team at fault. It did produce two of the consistently highest regarded issues for VEI, #0 and #10. Hopefully all is not lost for the character... plans are obviously in place, and the most recent issue of Ninjak points to some activity in the very near future.

Depends on what you're looking for? Harbinger isn't so much superhero (the 90's VH1 was) but more a thinking man's what if? You suddenly found yourself with telekinetic powers. Bloodshot (at least Swierczinski's run) was a bloody/ramboesque romp; I really enjoyed that. Archer &Armstrong (first run.....VanLent writing) was an excellent/irreverent romp with lots of cheeky sociopolitical context, played with the ideas of secret cults/sects, even featuring a group called the 1%ers. I really loved that run; the new run I just didn't enjoy. Timewalker was another high concept comic; which I thought started great, but faltered at the end, I'm thinking editorial staff let creative know it would have to wrap it up sooner than expected. A great read nonetheless. XO was an excellent book with few misses; man out of time granted almost godlike power via a symbiotic armor. Shadow man just never found it's groove; though the 0 issue and #10 are essential reads. I abhor Quantum & Woody; it's really silly and goofy;but your tastes may be drawn to that; I'd say if you enjoy Archer and Armstrong but wish for more absurdity; give it a try. If A&A isn't your cup of tea then avoid Q&W.

Hello! Welcome to our thread! Here's my answer to your conundrums..
Unity- Very hit-or-miss. The first volume is amazing, but it's even better if you had read the first 4 X-O Manowar trades. Vol. 2 is meh, Vol. 3 is really good when read alongside Armor Hunters (big summer 2014 event), but pretty bad without it. Vol. 4 & 5 are solid. And 6 & 7 are not very good at all.

Harbinger- Well, first of all, it's legitimately one of the best runs I've ever read. It's really smart and nicely subverts the X-Men tropes that you would assume would weigh heavy on it's shoulders. It's really a story about Harada vs. Pete Stancheck, and their differing ideologies and views of the world. Harada's definitely the antagonist, but he's not necessarily the bad guy. Highly, HIGHLY recommend seeking out the first volume. You've gotta be able to find it for less than $5 tbh. Vol. 3 connects to the Harbinger Wars event, which is equally amazing.

Dr. Fate- Pretty sure you're talking about Dr. Mirage... If so, I don't really like it. It's slow, meddling, forgetful, and the art is hard to follow. However, a lot of people like it. It's been really well received by the Valiant community as well as the comic community at large.

Shadowman- Highly recommend issue 0 and 10 (seriously, they're weirdly two of the best issues Valiant has ever produced), but the rest of it sucks. If you're really interested, I'd say you should look for a cheap Vol. 1 maybe, but don't expect it to go anywhere good. Ninjak's third volume, Operation: Deadside, stars Shadowman, and it's awesome. You might check that out. Other than that, we will most likely be getting a Shadowman comic within the first half of 2017, and I'm fairly certain Valiant does not want to fail again at one of their most recognizable headliners.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts if you get the chance to check any of these out!

Thanks for the replies. I’ll see if I can get these and give my thoughts.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

http://www.newsarama.com/32387-valia...ed-legend.html

Just confirmation of Red legend... a new character appearing in Divinity 3.

[ksbord]

http://www.newsarama.com/32387-valia...ed-legend.html

Just confirmation of Red legend... a new character appearing in Divinity 3.

Be interested to see if/how she becomes a part of the mainstream Valiant Universe post-Stalinverse. Maybe like how Ninjak appears to remember the "normal" world during Stalinverse, maybe Red Legend will be in the normal world as the only one remembering Stalinverse.

[scribbleMind]

Good week, for me at least. I remember being interested in Britannia, but not excited. I certainly am now. It really didn't go in the Scooby-Doo inspired direction I expected it to.

Eternal Warrior ended in more of a whimper than a bang. Again, I have to reiterate the fact that this is the only book (FLV's Archer and Armstrong/ Ivar Timewalker, but those were simply moments of enjoyable family disfunction) that made me legitimately like and care about the character, so kudos for that. My one fault with this arc is that it just seemed waaay to easy, and doesn't really up the anti on the elements it brought back from the first arc. The previous arc, imo, is definitely the highlight of the series. I guess with this Venditti has finally worked himself out of Valiant like Dysart before him, until further notice. Shame, he did great work here. Far better, imo, than any of the stuff he's doing at DC, but I get it. Who can pass on those toys?

[sifighter]

Be interested to see if/how she becomes a part of the mainstream Valiant Universe post-Stalinverse. Maybe like how Ninjak appears to remember the "normal" world during Stalinverse, maybe Red Legend will be in the normal world as the only one remembering Stalinverse.

That would be a very interesting twist if that happened.

[Dreaded Porcupine]

Going to give Armor Hunters Deluxe Edition a try. Ordered it from Amazon. Marvel is not doing it for me anymore. I have been getting into DC Rebirth and more Independants lately. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I've always been mostly into team books.

[ksbord]

Going to give Armor Hunters Deluxe Edition a try. Ordered it from Amazon. Marvel is not doing it for me anymore. I have been getting into DC Rebirth and more Independants lately. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I've always been mostly into team books.

Harbinger might be your jam. Though maybe pricey, vol 1 & 2 read well together, and the Harbinger Wars deluxe hardcover (which contains the Harbinger War miniseries, vol 3 of Harbinger, and vol. 3 of Bloodshot) is the icing and cherry on top.

[keeen]

Article here at CBR:

http://www.cbr.com/valiant-introduci...omic-book-day/

Interesting... this one mentions War Mother in the list of characters... hmmm...

I started another thread for this article if anyone wants to comment over there:

http://community.comicbookresources....-FCBD-Offering

I'm insanely pumped to hear that Lemire will continue with Bloodshot.

However, I didn't see anything about Archer & Armstrong anywhere... Am I trippin?

The hollywoodreporter article doesn't mention Rai, War Mother, or Archer & Armstrong, whereas the cbr article does.

Altogether I'm pretty excited about that list to titles, assuming that some will be ongoing series. Don't know anything about PsiLords or Secret Weapons, but it seems like people like the concepts.

[keeen]

Good week, for me at least. I remember being interested in Britannia, but not excited. I certainly am now. It really didn't go in the Scooby-Doo inspired direction I expected it to.

Eternal Warrior ended in more of a whimper than a bang. Again, I have to reiterate the fact that this is the only book (FLV's Archer and Armstrong/ Ivar Timewalker, but those were simply moments of enjoyable family disfunction) that made me legitimately like and care about the character, so kudos for that. My one fault with this arc is that it just seemed waaay to easy, and doesn't really up the anti on the elements it brought back from the first arc. The previous arc, imo, is definitely the highlight of the series. I guess with this Venditti has finally worked himself out of Valiant like Dysart before him, until further notice. Shame, he did great work here. Far better, imo, than any of the stuff he's doing at DC, but I get it. Who can pass on those toys?

I'm just now reading volume 2, and I agree that this series, thus far, has really made me care about his character. This is one of my favorite Valiant series, so far, so I hope it doesn't end with too much of a whimper.

That sounds like pretty bad news with Venditti apparently not having anything else lined up with valiant. I didn't see his name on the FCBD promos.

[Dreaded Porcupine]

Harbinger might be your jam. Though maybe pricey, vol 1 & 2 read well together, and the Harbinger Wars deluxe hardcover (which contains the Harbinger War miniseries, vol 3 of Harbinger, and vol. 3 of Bloodshot) is the icing and cherry on top.

Thanks. I got an Amazon gift card from santa so after Armor Hunters I might give it a whirl.