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

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

April 2024 books: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/blee...solicitations/


The Darques return and more.

I'm fond of the mystic corner so I'll check it out.

I'm hoping Valiant can spotlight some new creations when it's more stable.

[Captain Craig]

Very stoked about all the April solicits but most especially The Darques!

[Captain Craig]

X-O Manowar: Unconqured #6

Becky Cloonan wraps up her initial arc with Aric. I had thought this was going to be a one off type story. However as it ends Aric and Co. are now set up to try and take down the Novus Romanus(aka Roman Empire 2.0) across the galaxy. Which to me now feels a bit like she is riffing the back half of the Venditti run from 2012 title. That was Aric on a planet taking out a world dictatorial force. The Noonan take is more of multiple star systems, perhaps a comparison to something like Skull or Kree empires is more fitting.

X-O returns in May.

[Captain Craig]

Am I the last one, the Highlander of this boards Valiant readership?

Alien Books has the VU back on track. Getting it out of the one a month publishing fiasco and hopefully behind the scenes allowing DMG to settle some financials.
You really should check out Valiantines One-Shot.
ValiantinesOneShot.jpg

These four stories all share a narrative backdrop surrounding Aric/XO.
There are no less than 2 status quo shake ups which one would not expect in a one shot. Personally I thought the tales would just be glorified filler.

Have folks been put off by the price point? Which I get that. The creeping cost of Marvel/DC monthlies has had me continue to cut back there.
However, Valiant needs the support and now that the stories are again out they are proving worth the time(and money).

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Am I the last one, the Highlander of this boards Valiant readership?

Alien Books has the VU back on track. Getting it out of the one a month publishing fiasco and hopefully behind the scenes allowing DMG to settle some financials.
You really should check out Valiantines One-Shot.
ValiantinesOneShot.jpg

These four stories all share a narrative backdrop surrounding Aric/XO.
There are no less than 2 status quo shake ups which one would not expect in a one shot. Personally I thought the tales would just be glorified filler.

Have folks been put off by the price point? Which I get that. The creeping cost of Marvel/DC monthlies has had me continue to cut back there.
However, Valiant needs the support and now that the stories are again out they are proving worth the time(and money).

I was a more casual fan that fell off once or twice. I'm more into indie comics this year so I might check the Valiantines One-Shot. I can't find it digitally so it would be a while.

There isn't a whole lot of news to get excited by and other companies took over the zeitgeist.

[Captain Craig]

There isn't a whole lot of news to get excited by and other companies took over the zeitgeist.

What companies and books? My budget only allows for so much these days which means exploring newer independent universes isn't what it once was for me.
I had my favorite Indy U titles/universes once upon a time.
Ultraverse
Image 90s superheroes
Dark Horse - Comics Greatest World with Ghost, X, King Snake, Barb Wire etc then the relaunch a decade ago with Captain Midnight.
Archies Dark Circle - Shield, Fox, The Hood

Valiant stayed my #1 Indy superhero U though.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Radiant Black and the Massive verse titles are my favorite.



Ghost machine is a new imprint at Image Comics I'm interested in.

[Yohei72]

Am I the last one, the Highlander of this boards Valiant readership?

Alien Books has the VU back on track. Getting it out of the one a month publishing fiasco and hopefully behind the scenes allowing DMG to settle some financials.
You really should check out Valiantines One-Shot.
ValiantinesOneShot.jpg

These four stories all share a narrative backdrop surrounding Aric/XO.
There are no less than 2 status quo shake ups which one would not expect in a one shot. Personally I thought the tales would just be glorified filler.

Have folks been put off by the price point? Which I get that. The creeping cost of Marvel/DC monthlies has had me continue to cut back there.
However, Valiant needs the support and now that the stories are again out they are proving worth the time(and money).

I was quite into Valiant for a while back in the Dinesh era. They set a really high standard. Joshua Dysart's Harbinger and Imperium are collectively a masterpiece, the most underappreciated superhero comics I've ever read. Robert Venditti's XO Manowar and Matt Kindt's Ninjak were delightful too, and Fred van Lente's Archer & Armstrong was a unique satirical take on the genre with lots of contemporary political jabs of the kind you don't get much in mainstream superhero comics.

Nothing I read afterwards was really satisfying, although I don't expect everything to rise to that level, and I hopped off the train a few years ago. I haven't heard anything recently that has filled me with an urge to re-enlist, especially as I'm reducing my monthly purchases across the board for money and time reasons. Although some of the XO Manowar runs since have sounded intriguing, and I plan to check those out sometime.

[Captain Craig]

I was quite into Valiant for a while back in the Dinesh era. They set a really high standard. Joshua Dysart's Harbinger and Imperium are collectively a masterpiece, the most underappreciated superhero comics I've ever read. Robert Venditti's XO Manowar and Matt Kindt's Ninjak were delightful too, and Fred van Lente's Archer & Armstrong was a unique satirical take on the genre with lots of contemporary political jabs of the kind you don't get much in mainstream superhero comics.

Nothing I read afterwards was really satisfying, although I don't expect everything to rise to that level, and I hopped off the train a few years ago. I haven't heard anything recently that has filled me with an urge to re-enlist, especially as I'm reducing my monthly purchases across the board for money and time reasons. Although some of the XO Manowar runs since have sounded intriguing, and I plan to check those out sometime.

Yeah, Dinesh era from 2012-2018 are solid. When DMG took over it went down and Covid happened it all but sank the ship.
DMG finally outsourced the characters to Alien Books last Spring. Everything shut down for about 8months while they reorganized and now real traction is occurring.

Re: X-O Manowar post Dinesh
I'd avoid the 9 issue Dennis Hopeless series. It reads like fan fiction from someone who thinks Aric/Shanhara = Tony Stark/Jarvis and Aric is just all wrong character wise.

The current Unconquered from Becky Cloonan is solid and she will continue the story in May. Not sure if it'll be an issue #7 or X-O: (insert subtitle) as followup.

[Yohei72]

I'll be glad if your predictions about the future of Valiant come true. I'll certainly be watching. But if they can't get Dysart back at least sometimes, that'll definitely lessen my interest, and from what I've found out recently about the bad blood there, it doesn't seem likely.

What do you think of Matt Kindt's X-O Manowar run? I heard good things about that.

[Shadowras]

What companies and books? My budget only allows for so much these days which means exploring newer independent universes isn't what it once was for me.
I had my favorite Indy U titles/universes once upon a time.
Ultraverse
Image 90s superheroes
Dark Horse - Comics Greatest World with Ghost, X, King Snake, Barb Wire etc then the relaunch a decade ago with Captain Midnight.
Archies Dark Circle - Shield, Fox, The Hood

Valiant stayed my #1 Indy superhero U though.

Valiant used to be my favorite small universe too, the last Shadowman series was the last book I bought from them.
Right now I'm reading:
Energon universe- Image/Sky bound
New Ultimates- Marvel
Youneek(African heroes)- Dark horse
Plan to sample some Ghost machine books as well.

[Captain Craig]

What do you think of Matt Kindt's X-O Manowar run? I heard good things about that.

This is a good run and solid follow-up to Venditti's run.
The Dennis Hopeless run, volume 5 2020, is really the stinker run since the VEI rebirth in 2012.

I may pick up Ghost Machine. I read Geiger some years back in tpb, picked it up for $5 at a show. Red Coat looks interesting.
Post IDW I'm giving TF a rest, I did read the issue #1 but will TPB wait this.
Never been a fan of Marvels Ultimates line so that is a pass.
I'll have to look up Youneek, not heard of that.

[Shadowras]

Valiant May 2024: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/vali...-rai-valiants/




The Faraway returns in the Valiants, and Ivar returns in X-O, very interesting stuff here.

[Captain Craig]

Livewire back in a book with some development time = win
Rai is back = love love Rai super win
Faith isn't in my top 10 of characters but I will read it as I have her other series. Her face on the cover seems off and inconsistent to me with other artists.

[newparisian]

Any chance of the Dinesh era getting the omnibus treatment? Large swaths of those OHCs are out of print.