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

[kinggirlfriend]

FALL 2016 Collected Editions Catalog

http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.co...alogID=3980720

[harashkupo]

I agree with thewarning about being able to skip Harbinger without being lost. I'll only add that if you start Imperium then pick up the 3 parter Harbinger Omegas that bridges Imperium and the Harbinger series. The story sets the stage and it's just so damn cool.

[ksbord]

So far I've mostly stuck to a smaller corner of the Valiant Universe, The Eternal Brothers, Bloodshot, Ninjak and DR Mirage. I'm feeling the itch to expand to more titles. I really like Doug Braithwaite's work and see that he did the first Volume of UNITY and IMPERIUM. My question is, do I need to read anything before UNITY? I guess I've mostly avoided X-O and HARBINGER because there seems to be so much of both. But they also seem to be the anchors of the Valiant Universe. For IMPERIUM do I need to read all of HARBINGER or is OMEGAS sufficient? I guess I already realize the answers to both is "yes read everything!" LOL, but time and money, etc......

Adding on to what thewarning was suggesting with Unity, I'd say - for the "deluxe" reading experience - you'll want to read X-O vol. 1-4 and Harbinger vol. 1-4 prior. X-O vol. 4 leads right into Unity vol. 1, and the implication is that Unity vol. 1 takes place between Harby vol. 4 and 5. On top of that, X-O vol. 5 crosses over with Unity vol. 1.

Of course, then you're getting perilously close to Armor Hunters territory. Start saving your pennies for the deluxe version...

[kinggirlfriend]

Haha that's exactly what I was afraid of! I mean I WANT to read all of that, too badly. Man, I gotta pace myself.

[Inhuman X]

I agree with thewarning about being able to skip Harbinger without being lost. I'll only add that if you start Imperium then pick up the 3 parter Harbinger Omegas that bridges Imperium and the Harbinger series. The story sets the stage and it's just so damn cool.

If she is getting into Imperium, I would start with harbinger Wars, then hit Harbinger Omegas, and then dive headlong into Imperium.

[harashkupo]

If she is getting into Imperium, I would start with harbinger Wars, then hit Harbinger Omegas, and then dive headlong into Imperium.

Not that I don't think HW is awesome, but why would it be a must read before Imperium?

[TheFerg714]

So far I've mostly stuck to a smaller corner of the Valiant Universe, The Eternal Brothers, Bloodshot, Ninjak and DR Mirage. I'm feeling the itch to expand to more titles. I really like Doug Braithwaite's work and see that he did the first Volume of UNITY and IMPERIUM. My question is, do I need to read anything before UNITY? I guess I've mostly avoided X-O and HARBINGER because there seems to be so much of both. But they also seem to be the anchors of the Valiant Universe. For IMPERIUM do I need to read all of HARBINGER or is OMEGAS sufficient? I guess I already realize the answers to both is "yes read everything!" LOL, but time and money, etc......

If you're looking for more Braithwaite and more of the Valiant U, for the love of god, go read Unity Vol. 1 right now. It ties into X-O, so reading the first 4 volumes beforehand would definitely add to it, but it's really not that necessary. In fact, it'll probably make you want to go back and read X-O and Harbinger. Thewarning is not kidding when he says that it doesn't get any better than the first volume (although for my money, Vol. 3-5 are pretty great too), but you should definitely still check it out. For me, (after Millar's The Ultimates) it's the best superhero comic story I've ever read. For more Braithwaite, you should check out the Bloodshot one-shot for 4001 AD. It's pretty great and picks up right after the end of the BoD tie-in. I'd like to recommend you read Armor Hunters, but honestly, you probably need to have read all of X-O and Unity Vol. 1 (and probably all of Harbinger too, if you plan on reading every tie-in) before doing that.

I know you've gotten some differing opinions on the subject, but I would very strongly recommend you not skip Harbinger. It is just fantastic, and adds a lot of back story to Imperium. Like everyone else has said, it's not completely necessary, but you would have a much better experience reading all of it. Harbinger was essentially Josh Dysart's "Chapter 1" to an ongoing, massive psiot story he has planned. I know Dougie's great, but trust me, you will not regret spending any money on Harbinger. Even if it takes longer than you would've liked to arrive at Braithwaite's tenure on Imperium, I would still say you should start at Harbinger Vol. 1, and go from there. I'm honestly surprised that everyone's just telling you to jump in at Omegas. I know they all adore Harbinger just as much as I do. Even if Imperium might be a little better, it's not by much.

Thesis statement: Go buy Unity Vol. 1, Harbinger Vol. 1, and 4001 AD: Bloodshot right now. That's only $24 cover price. You can probably find it all for about $14.

[Inhuman X]

Not that I don't think HW is awesome, but why would it be a must read before Imperium?

In a nutshell, Harbinger Wars directly set up Imperium as a series that needed to happen where Omegas is simply the prelude. In Harbinger Wars, Peter Stanchek and friends reveal Harada's machinations to the world turning him into the most wanted man in history. He can no longer hide in the shadows and has to move from a subtle plan of changing the world quietly through the system to all out war in order to accomplish his ends as a result. Without HW, I would not have understood why things were playing out as they did in the series.

[harashkupo]

In a nutshell, Harbinger Wars directly set up Imperium as a series that needed to happen where Omegas is simply the prelude. In Harbinger Wars, Peter Stanchek and friends reveal Harada's machinations to the world turning him into the most wanted man in history. He can no longer hide in the shadows and has to move from a subtle plan of changing the world quietly through the system to all out war in order to accomplish his ends as a result. Without HW, I would not have understood why things were playing out as they did in the series.

Ooooh, you're talking about Death of a Renegade and I agree.

[Inhuman X]

Ooooh, you're talking about Death of a Renegade and I agree.

I bought Harbinger Wars as a collected edition so it had everything in it and I think of it that way when talking about the event. So I get where we are confused.

[Captain Craig]

FALL 2016 Collected Editions Catalog

http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.co...alogID=3980720

Was anticipating the following Deluxes, glad to know they are solicited!!
Dr. Mirage: it says 272 pages, that has to be both 5 issue mini's, yes?
Bloodshot Reborn Deluxe vol.1

Surprised Divinity II isn't getting the hardcover treatment like D1 got.

[keeen]

Alright I've got an obscure question that could probably best be answered with Google, but hey, this is the place to talk Valiant..

So I re-read Dead Drop, which I still don't hate, but I'm not trying to open that can of worms.

I really liked the Beta-Max character who I thought was pretty well-characterized as a somewhat naive do-gooder, not to mention a funny kind of why-hasn't-anyone-done-that-before concept. Does that character appear ANYWHERE else in Valiant?

[ksbord]

Alright I've got an obscure question that could probably best be answered with Google, but hey, this is the place to talk Valiant..

So I re-read Dead Drop, which I still don't hate, but I'm not trying to open that can of worms.

I really liked the Beta-Max character who I thought was pretty well-characterized as a somewhat naive do-gooder, not to mention a funny kind of why-hasn't-anyone-done-that-before concept. Does that character appear ANYWHERE else in Valiant?

Beta-Max is a character from Quantum & Woody, which is a series that doesn't get talked about much round these parts. I think you'll find a variety of opinions on why that is. There were 12 issues, a giant sized special and then the mini-series "Quantum & Woody Must Die"

[Frogtown]

FALL 2016 Collected Editions Catalog

http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.co...alogID=3980720

Not sure if they usually list them in them in the these catalogs but I'd really love it if they reprinted the Archer and Armstrong Vol. 1 Deluxe. I'm pretty positive they did ones for the first volumes of X-O Manowar and Harbinger.

[TheFerg714]

Alright I've got an obscure question that could probably best be answered with Google, but hey, this is the place to talk Valiant..

So I re-read Dead Drop, which I still don't hate, but I'm not trying to open that can of worms.

I really liked the Beta-Max character who I thought was pretty well-characterized as a somewhat naive do-gooder, not to mention a funny kind of why-hasn't-anyone-done-that-before concept. Does that character appear ANYWHERE else in Valiant?

Well first of all, I'm really not sure what you see in Dead Drop. I surprisingly really enjoyed issue 3, the Beta-Max issue, but besides that, it was pretty awful. Archer and Aric's characterization are way off, and the story really doesn't bring anything interesting to the table (although the art was admittedly gorgeous).
With that being said, Beta-Max appears in Quantum & Woody. I can't remember which exact issues, but if you liked Dead Drop in the slightest, you'll probably enjoy Q&W. It's not all bad, like a lot of us make it out to be. I really enjoyed the first volume, the Goat #0 issue, and the Valiant-Sized Q&W Special. Go ahead and check out the first volume for $10. I think you'll probably enjoy it.

Not sure if they usually list them in them in the these catalogs but I'd really love it if they reprinted the Archer and Armstrong Vol. 1 Deluxe. I'm pretty positive they did ones for the first volumes of X-O Manowar and Harbinger.

I bought the A&A Deluxe Vol. 1 for like $10 at Half-Price Books. They totally didn't realize that it had been discontinued.

EDIT: Now that X-O is ending, I expect we'll start to see some omnibus editions of the original 4 series.