Valiant have absolutely blitzed it today, announcing a new initiative which will see a new series launch every month right through until September. Amongst the announcements are a Quantum & Woody/Archer & Armstrong crossover, and new books by Jen Van Meter, Matt Kindt, Doug Braithwaite, Joe Harris, Roberto De La Torre and Clayton Crain.
This is an initiative called Valiant First, with the idea being that the company launch a series of issue #1 comics this year, which will also be the very first comic you read from your weekly pile. It’s a big initiative, and raises the number of ongoing Valiant series dramatically.
May’s new series will be Rai, by Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain
As teased in his interview on The Beat last week, Matt Kindt will be launching the first ongoing series of Valiant First, Rai. Following the Japanese hero in the far-flung future, the series is painted by Clayton Crain, who has been working with Valiant for a number of years now. Valiant describe it thus:
In the far future of 4001 A.D., Japan is a single endless city-state, governed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and policed by an army of just one – the mysterious Rai, spirit guardian of the rising sun. But, soon, a single bullet will shatter the peace it has taken 2,000 years to secure…
June’s new series will be Armor Hunters by Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite
An event miniseries which will cross over X-O Manowar with the rest of the Valiant Universe. An 18-part storyline, this will cross over into Unity and X-O Manowar as part of a big crossover, which will also feature a number of tie-ins showing how the other Valiant characters cope with the threat of an alien invasion.
A relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the X-O Manowar armor and all like it – have found finally their last target. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
July will launch Armor Hunters: Bloodshot by Joe Harris and Trevor Hairsine
as well as Armor Hunters: Harbinger by Joshua Dysart and Robert Gill
Two one-shot issues which tie in to the main Armor Hunters storyline. In particular, the Harbinger issue will bring back the Generation Zero characters, see in the Harbinger War storyline.
August’s new series will be The Delinquents by Fred Van Lente, James Asmus and KANO
A crossover storyline we’ve all been waiting to happen. Archer, Armstrong, Quantum and Woody – and a goat – getting drunk, switching partners, fighting off conspiracies and probably contributing what will be the World’s Worst Crossover Team of all time.
September’s new series will be The Death-Defying Dr Mirage, by Jen Van Meter and Roberto De La Torre
The final of Valiant’s announcements, and their first story with a female lead. This will be a love story, according to Valiant, with a supernatural overtone. After a tragedy snatched Dr Mirage’s husband Hwen away from her, she journeys into Deadside in order to try and fight to get him back.
World-renowned parapsychologist Dr. Mirage and her husband Hwen were madly, deeply, stuff-of-legends in love – until the day a tragic accident stole Hwen away. Now, Dr, Mirage will have to use every ounce of her training and talents in the mystic arts to do the one thing Hwen taught her never to do – journey across the realms of Deadside and bring her love back to the land of the living.
This all marks the biggest Valiant announcement since the company first formed. It looks as though they have two new ongoing series here, being added to their slate, alongside a number of crossovers and tie-ins and events. Several of these look really interesting indeed
So no date yet for the Priest/Bright original Quantum and Woody book?
Rai and Dr. Mirage seem to be more characters dredged up from the old ’90s line, but is this Armor Hunters book finally something original from Valiant Entertainment?
am i the only one bothered by the “rising sun” flag emblazoned on rai’s chest? the very symbol of the atrocities committed by the japanese empire during WWII? to put it into context, imagine a futuristic german superhero character with the nazi swastika on his torso…
The original version of Rai was an all-white body with just the red circle on his chest, a design essentially identical to Bloodshot. It’s worth noting that Valiant put out Rai first and had the Japanese flag design because Rai was Japan’s national hero in the Magnus Robot Fighter future setting.
Bloodshot looked like Rai in original Valiant because of plot reasons: his blood was used to give Rai his powers or something like that.
VEI has likely done this redesign so that they keep Rai’s look and differentiate his appearance from Bloodshot’s. I don’t think there’s any kind of political statement behind it.
I am getting worried about Valiant. It feels to me like too many books trying to interconnect too much for too small of an audience.
“I am getting worried about Valiant. It feels to me like too many books trying to interconnect too much for too small of an audience.”
Remember what happened with CrossGen?
This reminds me of what happened with them…and remember how that turned out. :-(
Comments are closed.