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

[TheFerg714]

I hope the Aliveside has a different name in the story because the Aliveside doesn't have the same ring as the Deadside to me.

lol Aliveside sounds about as bad as 'nomag' from Fantastic Beasts.

EDIT: Ok, wow, I usually just skim these interviews, but one of Kindt's first sentences has got me really intrigued:

I was writing all this really dark stuff with these twisted characters and I got to thinking, why is this always the case? Not just in the Deadside or in the Valiant Universe, but just comics in general. We always get to see the dark places, the underworld and that kind of thing. But we rarely, if ever, do we get to see the flipside. If there’s a Hell, then there should be a Heaven, right? If there’s a Deadside – then there should be an… Aliveside.

That sounds amazing! What a great idea!

[harashkupo]

i don't know if it's been mentioned but X-O made the top 20 in March. Placing 12th with 60,524 issues. That has to be the most impressive showing since the VEI re-launch.

Major kudos.

[TheFerg714]

i don't know if it's been mentioned but X-O made the top 20 in March. Placing 12th with 60,524 issues. That has to be the most impressive showing since the VEI re-launch.

Major kudos.

Holy crap that's amazing news!! And it totally deserves it! God damn it, if it wasn't for that bulls*** $10 Spider-Man issue, X-Men Prime, and the soon-to-be-forgotten Iron Fist 1, X-O would've made the top 10. Maybe people are finally starting to pay attention. With the star power of Eric Heisserer and Jeff Lemire, Secret Weapons and Bloodshot Salvation might have a chance at selling crazy well too.
EDIT: I'm very interested to see how well the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th issues do.

[kinggirlfriend]

Read BLOODSHOT Volume 2: THE RISE AND THE FALL. Really liked it. Kinda wish I read this and volume 1 before I read HARBINGER WARS. In retrospect Bloodshot was the lead-in title of that crossover, not Harbinger. Loved all the stuff with the kids and Gamma. Good creepy stuff. I got volume 4 and volume 6 sitting here waiting next.

[JediKage]

lol Aliveside sounds about as bad as 'nomag' from Fantastic Beasts.

EDIT: Ok, wow, I usually just skim these interviews, but one of Kindt's first sentences has got me really intrigued:

That sounds amazing! What a great idea!

Didn't Master Darque slaughter one of those alivesides?

[Captain Craig]

Holy crap that's amazing news!! And it totally deserves it! God damn it, if it wasn't for that bulls*** $10 Spider-Man issue, X-Men Prime, and the soon-to-be-forgotten Iron Fist 1, X-O would've made the top 10. Maybe people are finally starting to pay attention. With the star power of Eric Heisserer and Jeff Lemire, Secret Weapons and Bloodshot Salvation might have a chance at selling crazy well too.
EDIT: I'm very interested to see how well the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th issues do.

I'm also very glad XO #1 placed so high.
However, if experience has shown me anything about issues AFTER the #1, regardless of publisher, it's to expect a drop-off. If XO can stay in the top 75 for issue #2 I'll be impressed.

[TheFerg714]

I'm also very glad XO #1 placed so high.
However, if experience has shown me anything about issues AFTER the #1, regardless of publisher, it's to expect a drop-off. If XO can stay in the top 75 for issue #2 I'll be impressed.

Yea I'm well aware of this phenomenon but I'm wondering how well their strategy of three-issue arcs (followed by a trade immediately the next month) and preorder editions helped. I think it's a fantastic idea and will probably (hopefully) bring in a few thousand extra readers on issues 4, 7, and 11 (and 10).

[kinggirlfriend]

http://www.newsarama.com/33996-upcom...ajor-hero.html

Not really anything we don't already know, but there it is.

[kinggirlfriend]

http://www.comicsbeat.com/valiant-to...ing-1-tribute/

[scribbleMind]

Yeah, advertising the dying thing just doesn't work for me. Most of the major valiant heroes are actually pretty safe. X-O is safe. I'm fairly certain Shadowman is safe. Bloodshot is safe. Quantum and Woody are safe cause they have a tv show to synergize with. Rai is safe. Ninjak is probably safe. Two of the Anni-Paddi brothers are immortal and it doesn't matter if Ivar dies because it won't prevent him from popping up due to his non-linear timeline, this only leaves Archer and Harbinger members as the only MAJOR valiant heroes, as such, anything les would feel like a cop out. Plus, it would just be more effective story-wise if they did it without advertising it.

[TheFerg714]

Yeah, advertising the dying thing just doesn't work for me. Most of the major valiant heroes are actually pretty safe. X-O is safe. I'm fairly certain Shadowman is safe. Bloodshot is safe. Quantum and Woody are safe cause they have a tv show to synergize with. Rai is safe. Ninjak is probably safe. Two of the Anni-Paddi brothers are immortal and it doesn't matter if Ivar dies because it won't prevent him from popping up due to his non-linear timeline, this only leaves Archer and Harbinger members as the only MAJOR valiant heroes, as such, anything les would feel like a cop out. Plus, it would just be more effective story-wise if they did it without advertising it.

I think the advertising kind of has to be done... Bottom line.. promoting a big death in a comic helps it sell. That's just a fact. As long as the story's good, I couldn't care less.

On the topic of who is biting the bullet, I don't think any of those characters are even in the running. Imo, the only characters that could possibly die are the characters featured on the Khari Evans artwork: Renegades, Imperium, Livewire, every other psiot, etc. However, all of the Renegades are proven to have survived past 2017. I would be fairly disappointed if they broke their own rules just for shock value.

[scribbleMind]

I agree. I'm not deducting "points" because they're doing what everyone else does, but I definitely would have given them points if it was actually left as a surprise.
And yeah, I don't think most of the people I listed are going to die either, but those are the characters I would define as "major." If someone for Hard Corpse dies, they are, ultimately, just a bunch of supporting characters. They never branched out enough to be considered major. If any of the Gen Zero kids died, I still wouldn't consider them major characters. The Renegades are major together, but not quite equal apart. If Torque died I'm not sure how many people would ultimately be that upset about it compared to if Ninjak died. Really, it's just the phrasing. It makes me think that they're promising something bigger than they can deliver. I'm expecting a "Death of a Renegade" sorta death as opposed to a character that defines one of Valiant's cornerstones. But again, like you said, it's mostly just advertising.

[TheFerg714]

I agree. I'm not deducting "points" because they're doing what everyone else does, but I definitely would have given them points if it was actually left as a surprise.

Totes.

And yeah, I don't think most of the people I listed are going to die either, but those are the characters I would define as "major." If someone for Hard Corpse dies, they are, ultimately, just a bunch of supporting characters. They never branched out enough to be considered major. If any of the Gen Zero kids died, I still wouldn't consider them major characters. The Renegades are major together, but not quite equal apart. If Torque died I'm not sure how many people would ultimately be that upset about it compared to if Ninjak died. Really, it's just the phrasing. It makes me think that they're promising something bigger than they can deliver. I'm expecting a "Death of a Renegade" sorta death as opposed to a character that defines one of Valiant's cornerstones. But again, like you said, it's mostly just advertising.

What about Gravedog and Palmer? I would call both of them major characters.

I would be super sad if Sunlight on Snow died...

EDIT: That was supposed to be a gif... :/

[scribbleMind]

I don't consider either of them a major character because they don't have that many appearances. Gravedog is ultimately a goon, as interesting as he can be, he's hasn't accomplished much and is far away from being an underling that could really be considered a major character, like Sabretooth. Some people might not care for me calling Sabretooth an underling, and they'd be in their right, absolutely, due to how he has evolved as a character. Gravedog is not there yet.

Palmer is in a similar situation. Part of the issue is that the Corps is expendable by nature, so the effects of all of their deaths is lessened because it's sold as a bit of an inevitability. But mostly, he has accomplished little and isn't used often enough to be considered a major character to me. He could get there, but he isn't there yet, so if he dies...I'd care more than Gravedog but mostly I'd say it was a huge waste of a character who could have been major. Granted, both Gravedog and Palmer are major characters compared to the Armorines. Typing that sentence made me laugh out loud. That how minor the Armorines are.

Now, Sunlight on Snow, I do consider him a major character because imo he was the primary pov character in Imperium. He was the one the readers relate to and saw the events through, and he built the road to the final arc of that book. Even if, by my predefined criticisms, he doesn't count, it would certainly make me sad for him as a character, but also because it would be the death of one of Dysart's most endearing gifts to Valiant, and through Valiant, us. Even though...well...we know what happens in Rai.

[kinggirlfriend]

I understand from a marketing perspective why they're telegraphing the death but it would work a lot better as a surprise.

Now as for who it will be? I'm thinking Gravedog, Palmer or one of the Gen Zero kids. Most everyone else is either too insignificant or already has ties to the future via Rai or the Book of Death. Sunlight On Snow, Faith or Animalia would hurt the most. LV-99 and Angela Peace seem like they still have too much story to tell. Harbinger already lost Flamingo, I'd be surprised if they kill off Torque too. And yeah the rest of the HARD Corps are too insignificant. Killing one of the Gen Zero kids is my bet, the shock of killing a kid would be a big shake up for Peter and Harada. Plus they're Psiots. The Imperium characters and Hard Corps characters aren't.