By Todd Allen

Word on the street was that DC and Marvel were starting to throttle back on the exclusive deals.  The biggest names would still be exclusive, but as deals were expiring a lot of people you’d normally expect to be on an exclusive would be freeing up.  And, of course, exclusive were more about not working at about DC and Marvel at the same same time than they were about being truly exclusive.  Plenty of them had an out to do a creator-owned book at someplace like Image or Oni.

Ironically, as DC and Marvel pull back from exclusives, the newly revived Valiant throws their hat into the exclusivity arena.  Today, they announce Cary Nord as their first exclusive signing.  Nord has mostly worked for Marvel and Dark Horse over the years.  He’s probably best known for pairing with Kurt Busiek and reviving Conan at Dark Horse as one of the most popular indie books of the time.

Does this mean exclusivity wars aren’t being scaled back?  It’s a bit too early to say.  This is just one signing, but historically, Crossgen really raised the exclusivity stakes, not quite 15 years ago.

Official PR, followed by some art:

CARY NORD Signs As VALIANT’s First Exclusive Creator
Valiant is proud to announce that Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord has signed on to become the publisher’s first exclusive creator. Nord will be making his Valiant Comics debut alongside New York Times best-selling author Robert Venditti in X-O Manowar #1 — a landmark 40-page issue that launches Valiant’s return to comic shops on May 2nd.
“It’s been immensely exciting working on X-O Manowar,” said Nord. “I’m having a great time working with this character and this team. The chance to help define the Valiant Universe was one that was just too good to pass up.”
With over two decades of industry experience, Nord has contributed to some of the most popular series in comics, including Daredevil and Action Comics, and has collaborated with some of the industry’s preeminent talents. With writer Kurt Busiek, Nord forged an Eisner Award-winning run on Dark Horse’s Conan.
This May, Nord tackles the return of another comic book icon with X-O Manowar #1 — the first issue of a new ongoing series that will cement the foundations of the Valiant Universe — and spotlight the visceral action and dynamic storytelling that have made him a fan favorite artist around the world.
“Cary is a tremendous talent and his work on X-O Manowar has elicited an off-the-charts response from fans and retailers. We’re extraordinarily happy to have him on board for the long haul,” said Executive Editor Warren Simons. “We’re dedicated to bringing excellence with our comics month in and month out, and Cary has already proven himself to be a true visionary in designing the new direction of the Valiant Universe with X-O Manowar.”
Get your first look at Nord’s spectacular work on X-O Manowar #1 when the Summer of Valiant begins on May 2nd! And don’t forget to ask your local retailer about the X-O Manowar #1 exclusive Pullbox and QR Voice variant covers. Visit www.ValiantUniverse.com for more information and news on all of Valiant’s summer titles –Harbinger #1 in June, Bloodshot #1 in July, and Archer & Armstrong #1 in August.
X-O MANOWAR #1 – ON SALE MAY 2nd!
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by ESAD RIBIC (MAR121221)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CARY NORD (MAR121222)
Variant Cover by DAVID AJA (MAR121223)
QR Voice Variant by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC (MAR121224)
$3.99/Rated T+/40 pgs.
X-O MANOWAR #2 – ON SALE JUNE 6th!
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC (APR121257)
Variant Cover by ARTURO LOZZI (APR121258)
$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.

1 COMMENT

  2. Wow … that is some fantastic looking art! Is it for X-O Manowar? It looks more like it belongs in Conan or 300.

    I ask because I know nothing about X-O Manowar!

  4. Cary’s pencils are gorgeous–I’ve seen them up close–and he’s complemented beautifully by the inks here by Stefano Gaudiano. Stefano beautifies everything he touches, and he’s the kind of inker pencilers dream of working with.

  5. That does look nice, but I thought Nord was of the mind he didn’t want to work with any inkers anymore, and to just have colorists work straight from his pencils?

    I’m not complaining mind you…

  6. Not sure about his preferences in the past, but I know that those pages were inked by Stefano and his studio-mate Brian Thies. I saw a couple of them in progress on the table.

  7. The main character was, assuming the origin stays close, a Visgoth fighting Romans before he got the XO armor so the style of 300 or Conan should fit intially in the book.

  8. Concur with all on how beautiful this is. Really hope the coloring compliments this and doesn’t contrast or cover up the great level of detail.