#IReadsYou Review: BLACK TAPE #3

BLACK TAPE #3 (OF 4)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Dan Panosian

ART: Dalibor Talajić

COLORS: Ive Svorcina

LETTERS: Steve Wands

COVER: Dan Panosian

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Johnson; Chris Ferguson; Dan Panosian (B&W)

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2023)

Rated: “Teen+”

Black Tape is a four-issue comic book miniseries from writer Dan Panosian and artist Dalibor Talajić.  Published by AWA Studios, the miniseries follows the widow of a rock'n'roll god who is dealing with her grief, even as dark forces conspire to obtain her late husband's last album, which supposedly has special powers.  Colorist Ive Svorcina and letterer Steve Wands complete the series creative team.

In Black Tape, Jack King, one of the most influential rock 'n roll musicians of all time, suddenly dies on stage.  Jack's mysterious death causes his widow, Cindy, both to grapple with grief and to ask some very important questions.  For instance, was his death an accident or was it something far more sinister?  And now, malevolent people are seeking the master tapes for the album Jack produced shortly before his death.  Entitled “Black Tape,” it just might open a doorway to hell.

As Black Tape #3 opens, Cindy is searching the home she shared with Jack.  With her friend, Deveney, by her side, she hopes to find answers.  Instead, what she finds should not only worry her, but also should make her run away.  But Cindy won't leave, and the party is about to begin.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios' marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  The third PDF received is Black Tape #3.

I have not read the first two issues of Black Tape, but AWA Studios' marketing department has written up some perfectly detailed and aptly intriguing summaries for them.  The publisher certainly knows how to sell Black Tape, and after having just finished my first and only issue, Black Tape #3, I find myself really into the narrative.

Writer Dan Panosian, who is also a hugely talented illustrator and comic book artist, has cast a devilish spell with Black Tape.  In turn, Dalibor Talajić has transformed Panosian's story into powerful comic book and graphical storytelling.  Black Tape looks and feels hoary and diabolical, and Ive Svorcina's colors creates a sense of shifting realities and nightmares.  The cherry on top is Steve Wands' patient and matter-of-fact lettering, which carries this penultimate chapter to its shocking end.

I look forward to the fourth and final issue of this series.  Although I have only read one issue, I think Black Tape will make a … helluva read in trade paperback form.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of fiction about people who sell their souls to the Devil and the subsequent consequences will want some Black Tape.

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/

AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/

AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios

AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Movie Review: SUPERMAN: Red Son

Superman: Red Son (2020)

Running time:  87 minutes(1 hour, 27 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, suggestive material, language, thematic elements and some smoking.
DIRECTOR:  Sam Liu
WRITERS:  J.M. DeMatteis (based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Sam Liu and Amy McKenna
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Register and Bruce Timm
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER:  Frederik Wiedmann  
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Jason Isaacs, Amy Acker, Diedrich Bader, Vanessa Marshall, Phil Morris, Paul Williams, Greg Chun, Phil LeMarr, Jim Meskimen, Sasha Roiz, William Salyers, Roger Craig Smith, Jason Spisak, Tara Strong, Anna Vocino, Jim Ward, Travis Willingham, and Winter Ave Zoli

Superman: Red Son is a 2020 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation and director Sam Liu.  It is the thirty-seventh film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.  The film is based on the 2003, four-issue, comic book miniseries, Superman: Red Son, written by Mark Millar and drawn by Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett.

The traditional origin of Superman is as follows.  A rocket ship from the doomed planet, Krypton, carries baby Kal-El to Earth.  It lands in the United States, specifically in a field near the town of Smallville, Kansas.  Jonathan and Martha Kent find the rocket and Kal-El inside.  They adopt him and name him “Clark Kent,” and Clark grows up to be Superman.  The premise of Superman: Red Son is that the rocket ship landed in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) a.k.a. the Soviet Union.

Superman: Red Son opens in the Soviet Union during the year 1946.  There, we meet a young boy who is being chased by a gang of bullies.  The boy's friend, a young girl named Svetlana, defends him by chasing the bullies away.  The boy reveals to Svetlana that he was not scared of the boys, but that he was instead scared for their safety.  The boy then reveals to Svetlana his superhuman strength and his ability to fly.

In the year 1955, the Soviet Union releases a propaganda film of an alien superhuman under the command of the nation's premiere, Joseph Stalin.  The American media dubs the alien, the “Soviet Superman” (Jason Isaacs).  In the United States, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Jim Meskimen) tasks genius scientist, industrialist, and inventor, Lex Luthor (Diedrich Bader), to develop countermeasures against this Soviet Superman.

After the Soviet Superman prevents a satellite from crashing into the American city of Metropolis, Luthor's wife, Lois Lane Luthor (Amy Acker), secures an interview with him.  Lois uses the interview to reveal to him a top secret document that indicates the horrors Premiere Stalin perpetuates against some citizens of the Soviet Union behind Superman's back.  This leads to changes in the nature of Superman's relationship with the Soviet Union and also with the world at large.  Now, a Cold War between Superman and the United States begins, with Lex guiding the U.S. side.  Can the world survive Superman's goals and Lex Luthor's machinations?

The novelty of Superman: Red Son is that it offers alternate-reality versions of not only Superman, Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane, but also of Batman, the Green Lantern Corps, and Wonder Woman (Vanessa Marshall).  However, the novelty soon wears off, and Superman: Red Son's gimmick grow old and cold rather quickly.

Luckily, Superman, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Wonder Woman are so well-written in terms of personality and character drama that I found myself fascinated by the inter-character relationships involving these four.  Beyond that, I was initially fascinated by the film, but felt less so after the first half hour.

I have never read Mark Millar's original comic book, Superman: Red Son, but I have been planning to for ages, although I keep putting it off.  I am a huge fan of the majority of Millar's comic book output.  Superman: Red Son has its moments, but after seeing it, now, I really need to read the comic book.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Revew: AMERICAN MONSTER #1

AMERICAN MONSTER #1
AFTERSHOCK COMICS – @AfterShockComix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Azzarello
ARTIST: Juan Doe
COLORS: Juan Doe
LETTERS: Juan Doe
COVER: Juan Doe
VARIANT COVERS: Dave Johnson; Alexis Zuritt; Phil Hester
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2016)

For mature readers

American Monster created by Brian Azzarello

Chapter 1: “American Monster”

American Monster is a new ongoing comic book series created and written by Brian Azzarello (DKIII: The Master Race) and drawn by Juan Doe.  The series is set in a small Midwestern town beset by corrupt cops and violent rural gangs and focuses on a mysterious newcomer with mysterious intentions.

American Monster #1 opens at night in a palatial rural estate in the which the inhabitants are about to experience a home invasion.  Meanwhile, a behemoth of a man gets off a bus, seeking food and lodging.  His horribly scarred face spooks the locals, and his taciturn manner makes it difficult for the townsfolk to discover his identity and intentions.

The first time I read Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's seminal crime comic book series, 100 Bullets (DC Comics/Vertigo), I was spellbound.  It was a magical reading experience, and yes, I used the world “magical.”  I read the first two trade paperback collections in one weekend, and I was practically desperate to find individual issues.

I wouldn't call my reading experience with American Monster #1 as magical.  This first issue is intriguing and vague, as are so many first issue these days, whether it be for ongoing titles or miniseries.  American Monster #1 is too dark and brutal to evoke feelings of a face sprinkled by fairy dust.  But I want more American Monster real bad, daddy.  I need my second-issue fix real soon.

Seriously, I think Juan Doe's clean drawing line and stylish, but matter-of-fact storytelling is perfect for bringing this ugly, taxi-to-the-dark-side story that Azzarello is spinning.  This ain't no Dark Knight Bat-guano, fill-the-corporate-coffers comic book.  American Monster promises the real Brian Azzarello, the dangerous storyteller who has just got off the bus in comic book town.

[This comic book also includes a preview of the comic book, “Strayer #1,” by writer Justin Jordan and artist Juan Gedeon.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: PLASTIC MAN #1

PLASTIC MAN No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Gail Simone
ART: Adriana Melo
COLORS: Kelly Fitzpatrick
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Kristy Quinn
COVER: Aaron Lopresti
VARIANT COVER: Amanda Conner with Dave Johnson
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2018)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Plastic Man created by Jack Cole

Plastic Man is a DC Comics superhero, but the character was originally the property of now-defunct publisher, Quality Comics.  Plastic Man was created by cartoonist, Jack Cole, and first appeared in Quality's Police Comics #1 (cover dated: August 1941).  One of the first characters to incorporate humor in superhero comics storytelling, Plastic Man was a criminal named Patrick “Eel” O'Brian, a criminal who was part of a burglary ring.

During a heist, Eel was exposed to a chemical that entered his bloodstream and caused a radical physical change.  Eel's body now had all of the properties of rubber, and he could stretch, bounce, and mold his body into any shape.  Eel created a red, black, and yellow (later red and yellow) rubber costume and began capturing criminals as the superhero, Plastic Man.

Plastic Man and his origin are the subjects of a new six-issue comic book miniseries from DC Comics.  Plastic Man is written by Gail Simone; drawn by Adriana Melo; colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick; and lettered by Simon Bowland.

Plastic Man #1 opens with petty thug Eel O'Brian getting a beating from three fellow thugs:  Sammy “Suitcase” Mizzola (the ringleader), “Brutal” Benny Turlin, and “Dizzy” Darren Fitzroy.  Eel is angry that he did not get a cut of a recent burglary and that a security guard was killed, but something has changed since the burglary.  Eel is supposed to be dead, and coming back from the dead has angered Sammy.  What Sammy doesn't know is that Eel has come back really different.  He's Plastic Man!  But even Eel himself is in for a shock about what actually happened that night of the burglary.

Over its 80-plus years of existence, DC Comics, in its various incarnations, has gobbled up a number of characters that did not originate with it.  The publisher really has not done much with some of those characters, except make them lesser than the original incarnations.  Shazam/Captain Marvel is one of them.  Plastic Man is another.

I think Kyle Baker, who wrote and drew 20 issues of a Plastic Man (2004-2006) for DC, is one of the few comics creators that have captured the craziness and surrealism of Jack Cole's original Plastic Man comics. [Cole's Plastic Man comics are worth your efforts to find them in reprint or archival form.]  Gail Simone and Adriana Melo are not among them.

That's okay, really.  Plastic Man 2018 is an attempt to normalize an abnormal character so that it fits in with the uniformity of the “DC Universe.”  Simone drains Plastic Man of his inherent zaniness, and the art team of illustrator Adriana Melo and colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick bleeds the graphical wackiness and color right out of the character.  Even Simon Bowland's lettering comes across as mechanical, although it isn't.  This work is not bad; individually, the contributors deliver the inoffensively average.

The result is a professionally produced comic book that is the reading equivalent of a cauliflower and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread with the crust removed.  Flavorless Flav!

5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE JETSONS #1

THE JETSONS No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Jimmy Palmiotti
ART: Pier Brito
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVER: Dave Johnson
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Meet the Jetsons”

“The Jetsons” was an animated situation comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera.  It originally aired during prime time from September 1962, to March 1963 for 24 episodes on ABC.  “The Jetsons” titular family was Hanna-Barbera's Space Age counterpart to “The Flintstones,” a TV series in which the family lives in a Stone Age-like world.  The Jetsons live in the futurist Orbit City, where the buildings hover far above the surface of Earth.

The family was George Jetson (the main character), a loving family man; Jane Jetson, George's wife, mother of their two children, and a homemaker; Judy Angela Jetson, their 16-year-old daughter and a high school student; Elroy Jetson, their highly-intelligent six and a half year old son.  The lead cast also included Rosie, the Jetsons' household robot, whom the family loves and will not replace although she is an outdated model.  Astro is the Jetsons' family dog and is Elroy's best buddy and one of George's best pals.

DC Comics has been reinventing and re-imagining classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoons in new comic book series since early 2016, the best example being Scooby Apocalypse, which is “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” with a sci-fi, monster apocalyptic twist.  “The Jetsons” are re-imagined in the new six-issue miniseries, The Jetsons.  It is written by Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Pier Brito; colored by Alex Sinclair; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.

The Jetsons #1 opens in a post-apocalyptic world.  The family is still comprised of George Jetson; his boy, Elroy; daughter, Judy; and Jane, his wife.  And their home is still located in a city that floats above the surface, but in this alternate Jetsons scenario, the surface of the Earth is entirely water.  Jane is no longer a homemaker, she is a scientist and she has bad news about the fate of the planet for her fellow scientists at the International Space Station.  This scenario also presents Elroy as older, and he and his friend, Lake Cogswell, are about to start something big.

Although this version of “The Jetsons,” is set in a darker, apocalyptic world, writer Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Pier Brito present a bright and colorful future that is closer to the future scenarios presented in DC Comics titles in the 1960s and 1970s.  Alex Sinclair's colors accentuate this hopeful future of helpful technology that makes that aftermath of “extinction level events” and apocalypse quite livable.

The Jetsons is similar in tone to the settings of the happy 1950s to early 1960s family sitcoms that are now a staple of digital sub-channels like MeTV and AntennaTV.  Apparently, the nuclear family can survive decades (and centuries) of social change, societal upheaval, and the end-of-the-world.  In the end, the nuclear family rocks the casbah and the apocalypse.  And, if the first issue is any indication, those pesky brown people and darkies still barely register (although there are hints of things ominous beneath the waves and in the past).

Still, The Jetsons is an enjoyable read.  I have learned not to expect much from DC's Hanna-Barbera reboots/re-imaginations, and that makes it easier to separate the good, the bad, and the ugly and to also appreciate the really good.  So far, The Jetsons are good enough to earn a second look.

6 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: JIMMY'S BASTARDS #2

JIMMY'S BASTARDS No. 2
AFTERSHOCK COMICS – @AfterShockComix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Garth Ennis
ARTIST: Russ Braun
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Rob Steen
COVER: Dave Johnson
22pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Mature Readers

Created by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun

“Ninety-Nine Percent”

Jimmy's Bastards is a new comic book series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Russ Braun.  Ennis is known for the seminal DC Comics/Vertigo title, Preacher, and for his work on such titles as The Punisher and his controversial creator-owned title, The Boys.  Braun is known for his work on Vertigo titles like Fables, Fairest, and Jack of Fables.  John Kalisz as colorist and Rob Steen as letterer are Ennis and Braun's collaborators on this series.

Jimmy's Bastards focuses on James “Jimmy” Regent, Great Britain's number one super-spy.  He has all the intrigue and adventure he can handle, and he has a license to shoot whomever he likes.  Jimmy has a veritable legion of beautiful and willing women, but his new partner, Nancy McEwan, isn't sold on his charms, though.  Their is also a new threat mounting against Jimmy.

Jimmy's Bastards #2 (“Ninety-Nine Percent”) is enjoying a round of golf with Sir X of MI6 and not-so-much enjoying a round of golf with X's son, Rupert.  Suddenly, there is an attack from Jerry Fokker's crew, but there is something strange about this racist group this time around.  Nancy thinks there is a larger conspiracy.  Maybe, they are both missing the big picture.

After reading the first issue, I thought that the central premise of Jimmy's Bastards was ripe with possibilities.  However, I did not like Jimmy Regent the character, although I think that he is supposed to be a likable unlikable rogue.  Still, he barely registered to me as a character, but he registers, now.

After reading Jimmy's Bastards #2, I find everything about this series more likable.  I think that Jimmy and the conspirators who want to kill him are a lot of cads and clowns, but they will yield comedy gold.  I expect Nancy McEwan to play the straight woman to this mess of idiots.  Now, I am having fun reading this comic book and can't wait for the third issue.

I heartily recommend Jimmy's Bastards to Garth Ennis fans.  I think that he is going to deliver his usual bucket of blood, and artist Russ Braun seems like the perfect artist (this time around) to bring that bucket to comic book life.

7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: JIMMY'S BASTARDS #1

JIMMY'S BASTARDS No. 1
AFTERSHOCK COMICS – @AfterShockComix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Garth Ennis
ARTIST: Russ Braun
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Rob Steen
COVERS: Dave Johnson (A); Russ Braun with John Kalisz (B)
VARIANT COVERS: Terry Dodson with Rachel Dodson; Cully Hamner; Andrew Robinson; Mike Booth with Elizabeth Torque
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Mature Readers

Created by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun

“Get Daddy”

Jimmy's Bastards is a new comic book series from writer Garth Ennis and artist Russ Braun.  Ennis is known for the seminal DC Comics/Vertigo title, Preacher, and for his work on such titles as The Punisher and his controversial creator-owned title, The Boys.  Braun is known for his work on Vertigo titles like Fables, Fairest, and Jack of Fables.  On Jimmy's Bastards, John Kalisz is colorist and Rob Steen is letterer.

Jimmy's Bastards #1 (“Get Daddy”) introduces James “Jimmy” Regent, who is Great Britain's number one super-spy.  He has all the intrigue and adventure he can handle, and he has a license to shoot whomever he likes.  Jimmy can also perform whatever sexual acts he wishes on a veritable legion of beautiful and willing women.  His new partner, Nancy McEwan, isn't sold on his charms, though.  It turns out that she isn't the only one not so impressed with Jimmy.  Their is a new threat mounting against him and it is more personal than he can imagine.

I think that the central premise of Jimmy's Bastards is ripe with possibilities, but I don't like Jimmy Regent.  I think that he is supposed to be unlikable, but to me, he barely registers as a character.  Obviously, we will learn more about Jimmy in future issues (I hope).  I think that Nancy McEwan has more potential than Jimmy, but there will probably be some violence done to her in the end, ruining her full development.

I recommend Jimmy's Bastards to Garth Ennis fans, especially because I think the adversaries in this series will yield great fun.  Obviously, the second issue will reveal even more about this narrative than the first issue does.

[This comic book includes a six-page preview of Unholy Grail by Cullen Bunn and Miriko Colak.]

6.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BULLSEYE #1

BULLSEYE No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Ed Brisson; Marv Wolfman
ART: Guillermo Sanna; Alec Morgan
COLORS: Miroslav Mrva; Frank Martin
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Dave Johnson
VARIANT COVERS: Tim Bradstreet; Marco Checchetto; John Tyler Christopher; Bill Sienkiewicz; Chris Stevens; Skottie Young
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Parental Advisory

“The Colombian Connection” Part 1

Bullseye is a Marvel Comics supervillain.  The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Romita, Sr. and first appeared in Daredevil #131 (cover dated: March 1976).  Bullseye is an assassin and he is best known for his personal vendetta against the superhero Daredevil.  Bullseye does not have super-powers but he can turn almost any object into a lethal weapon.

Bullseye is the new comic book miniseries starring this popular villain.  It is written by Ed Brisson; drawn by Guillermo Sanna; colored by Miroslav Mrva; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Bullseye #1 opens to find the titular villain/anti-hero active again after being alive, dead, and imprisoned again and again.  Now, he is at the Houghton Residence in Long Island, New York fulfilling an assassination contract.  But, man!  Bullseye is hoping that his next assignment yields both a high body count and buckets of blood.  Desperate gangster Raph Losani may offer that, but a desperate widow just wants to count one body.

Recently, I reviewed the first issue of Kingpin, another comic book seemingly spun out of the world of Marvel Comics' Daredevil.  I was harsh in my review, but not because I thought the writer (Matthew Rosenberg) and the artist (Ben Torres) lacked talent (Rosenberg) or potential (Torres).  The problem is the fact that these two delivered substandard work and the fact that Marvel Comics would consider such unprofessional material worth publishing and charging readers $3.99 to read.

Bullseye #1 suffers from the same problem of a lack of professionalism.  The story and script that Ed Brisson offers is just lazy hackwork that mimics better storytelling.  The casual depiction of Bullseye's murderous rampages is not imaginative or smart, but it is unimaginative and stupid.  Frank Miller did not create Bullseye, but during his 1980s run on Daredevil, he certainly defined the character, making him the kind of dangerous and alluring villain that becomes timeless.  Here, Bullseye's violence seems as if Brisson took the clever violence of Mark Millar's comic books and turned that into filler material because Brisson could not think of anything else to do with it.

I think artist Guillerma Sanna has a lot of potential, but in Bullseye #1 he draws as if he should still be toiling in the world of micro press black and white comic books.  Everything here looks as if Sanna is simply mimicking (badly) other artists' (good) work; Chris Samnee and Eduardo Risso, come to mind.

There is a backup story by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Alec Morgan, “If I Tell You...” that takes some of the sour out of the main story.  It makes me wonder why Wolfman isn't writing this miniseries.  Is it because he is “too old” and “passè?”  I don't doubt that he would not write as bad a script as Ed Brisson wrote, even if he kept the overall plot.  I also like Alec Morgan's Eduardo Risso-like art.  Why isn't he drawing the main story!?

I am not recommending this, nor do I intend to read another issue.  But I might change my mind...

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: LUCIFER #1

LUCIFER No. 1
DC COMICS/Vertigo – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Holly Black
ART: Lee Garbett
COLORS: Antonio Fabela
LETTERS: Todd Klein
COVER: Dave Johnson
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Suggested for mature readers

Based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg

Cold Heaven Part One: “Prodigal Sons”

DC Comics' version of Lucifer Morningstar was created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Keith and first appeared in The Sandman #4 (cover dated:  April 1989).  Lucifer was a supporting character, and later, was the star of his own ongoing series (Lucifer, 2000 to 2006), entirely written by Mike Carey.

DC Comic's Vertigo returns the character to regular comic books with the new ongoing series, Lucifer.  This series is written by Holly Black; drawn by Lee Garbett; colored by Antonio Fabela; and lettered by Todd Klein.

Lucifer #1 (“Prodigal Sons”) opens in Los Angeles, California, 2015.  Lucifer is back, and he immediately opens a new hangout for his kind of people, called the “Ex Lux.”  Meanwhile, semi-fallen angel, Gabriel, is dragged back to Silver City in Heaven, where his brother makes him an offer.  He's not the only one not happy by the return of Lucifer.

Sometimes, I can't help but write a short review, which has garnered me a complaint or two, so here goes.  Lucifer is mildly entertaining.  Its imagination exists at a bare minimum.  I may read the second issue out of mild curiosity.  Surely, Vertigo can do better than this.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

Review: STAR-LORD #1

STAR-LORD No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Sam Humphries
PENCILS: Javier Garron
COLORS: Antonio Fabela with Frank D'Armata
LETTERS: VC’s Joe Caramagna
COVER: Dave Johnson
VARIANT COVERS: Yasmine Putri; Tradd Moore; Val Staples (Hip-Hop Variant)
28pp, Color, $3.99 (January 2016)

Rated “T”

Year One, Chapter One: “Free Falling”

Star-Lord a/k/a Peter Quill is a Marvel Comics superhero and science fiction character.  Star-Lord was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Steve Gan and first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 (cover dated: January 1976).  Quill is the son of a human mother and an alien father, and he assumes the mantle of Star-Lord, an interplanetary policeman.

After the success of Marvel Studios’ 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord became a star.  Last year, he even got his first solo comic book series, entitled Legendary Star-Lord.  With the arrival of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” comes another Star-Lord solo series.  The new Star-Lord is also written by Sam Humphries, but this time it is drawn by Javier Garron.  It is colored by Antonio Fabela with Frank D'Armata , and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Star-Lord #1 (“Free Falling”) opens with a flashback and then moves on to a NASA operations launch facility in Long Beach, California.  It is the site of the Asterion One Program, a project to train young astronauts who will be the first humans to colonize another planet.  There, we find 18-year-old Peter Quill, who is about to fail out of the program.  He isn't a popular guy, but what his distractors don't realize is that young Peter is the one person who can actually figure out how to crack the faster-than-light warp drive on an alien ship.

I read a few issues of Legendary Star-Lord, the previous Star-Lord comic book, and I enjoyed the story and scripting of series writer, Sam Humphries.  He has a knack for this character and plays up Peter Quill's most endearing traits.  Quill is a cocky underdog, a rogue with a heart of gold, and a never-say-die good guy.  Quill is Harrison Ford's two most famous movie roles, Han Solo and Indiana Jones, rolled into one.

In this new series, Humphries goes back to the beginnings of young Peter Quill's star-faring escapades.  This could have been yet another “year one” ripoff story, but Humphries offers Peter Quill's personality from several angles:  the good, the bad, and the cocky.  And every bit of it is engaging.

I don't want to give short-shrift to series artist, Javier Garron, who ably replaces Paco Medina from the previous series.  Garron's storytelling is good, and his graphic style is just right for this sci-fi, outer-space adventure comedy.  I think I'll come back for more, and I recommend this to fans of Guardians of the Galaxy, the comic books and the movie.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Review: DOCTOR STRANGE #1

DOCTOR STRANGE (2015) No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Jason Aaron
PENCILS: Chris Bachalo
INKS: Tim Townsend, Al Vey, and Mark Irwin
COLORS: Chris Bachalo
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend
VARIANT COVERS: Neal Adams; John Tyler Christopher; Juan Doe; Eric Henderson; Dave Johnson; Kevin Nowlan; Jakub Rebelka; Skottie Young; Allen Lee Hansard with Mary Cahela and Judy Stephens
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Rated T+

Doctor Strange created by Steve Ditko

“The Way of the Weird”

Doctor Strange is a Marvel Comics superhero character.  Doctor Strange first appeared in Strange Tales #110 (cover dated:  July 1963) and was created by artist Steve Ditko, although Marvel Comics also recognizes Stan Lee as the character's co-creator.

Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange is a brilliant, but egotistical neurosurgeon who only cares about using his career and talents to become wealthy.  A car accident severely damages his hands, ending his ability to perform surgery.  His pride causes him to lose everything, but his encounter with the Ancient One changes him.  Doctor Strange becomes the “Sorcerer Supreme,” the “Master of the Mystic Arts,” who is the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats from wherever they may come.

As part of the “All-New All-Different Marvel” initiative, Marvel Comics is launching a new Doctor Strange comic book series.  The new series is written by Jason Aaron; drawn and colored by Chris Bachalo, with inking by Tim Townsend, Al Vey and Mark Irwin; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Doctor Strange #1 (“The Way of the Weird”) with Strange battling possession in the Netherworld.  After a day of battling soul-eaters and a psychic-leech, Strange sees a pattern.  Something bad is coming.  Plus, Strange meets Doctor Voodoo, Shaman, and the Scarlet Witch.

I am intrigued by some of the elements presented in this new series, but I don't know that this is a title that I would buy every month.  If you have ever seen Chris Bachalo's art, and you have because he has been a Marvel Comics stable pony for over a decade, then, this comic book will look familiar to you.  Maybe some of it looks like Bachalo's work on Neil Gaiman's Death comic book miniseries.  Anyway, I can't recommend this, not because it is bad, but because I don't see myself being a regular reader of this new Doctor Strange.  So why should I suggest that you be?

Now, there is also a five-age epilogue written by Aaron and drawn by the great Kevin Nowlan (who also draws one of this #1 issue's variant covers).  For a long time, Nolan has been known as a comic book artist's artist, and Nowlan's five pages are worth every penny of this book's cover price.  I will come back to this title if there is more Nowlan.

[This volume includes a bonus story written by Jason Aaron; drawn and colored by Kevin Nowlan; and lettered by VC's Cory Petit.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 8, 2015

DC COMICS

FEB150241     ARROW SEASON 2.5 #7     $2.99
FEB150276     ASTRO CITY #22     $3.99
JAN150399     ASTRO CITY FAMILY ALBUM TP NEW ED     $16.99
FEB150236     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT #2     $3.99
FEB150280     COFFIN HILL #17 (MR)     $2.99
FEB150137     CONVERGENCE #1     $4.99
FEB150154     CONVERGENCE ATOM #1     $3.99
FEB150156     CONVERGENCE BATGIRL #1     $3.99
FEB150158     CONVERGENCE BATMAN & ROBIN #1     $3.99
FEB150160     CONVERGENCE HARLEY QUINN #1     $3.99
FEB150162     CONVERGENCE JUSTICE LEAGUE #1     $3.99
FEB150164     CONVERGENCE NIGHTWING ORACLE #1     $3.99
FEB150166     CONVERGENCE QUESTION #1     $3.99
FEB150168     CONVERGENCE SPEED FORCE #1     $3.99
FEB150170     CONVERGENCE SUPERMAN #1     $3.99
FEB150172     CONVERGENCE TITANS #1     $3.99
JAN150379     DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR TP VOL 01 ASSASSINS     $19.99
FEB150279     FABLES THE WOLF AMONG US #4 (MR)     $3.99
DEC140380     HARLEY QUINN HC VOL 02 POWER OUTAGE (N52)     $24.99
JAN150369     HARLEY QUINN TP VOL 01 HOT IN THE CITY (N52)     $16.99
JAN158262     MORTAL KOMBAT X #1 3RD PTG (MR)     $3.99
FEB150246     MORTAL KOMBAT X #5 (MR)     $3.99
JAN150383     MORTAL KOMBAT X TP VOL 01 (MR)     $14.99
NOV140312     ORION BY WALTER SIMONSON OMNIBUS HC     $75.00
FEB150270     SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #56     $2.99
DEC140392     SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 01     $14.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES
OCT140410     ARROW STATUE     $124.95
OCT140417     BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY DAVE JOHNSON     $79.95
OCT140413     FLASH ACTION FIGURE     $24.95
NOV140357     SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY SEAN CHEEKS GALLOWAY     $79.95

I Reads You Review: SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Scott Snyder
PENCILS: Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen
INKS: Scott Williams
COLORS: Alex Sinclair, John Kalisz
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
COVER: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Lee, Bruce Timm, Dave Johnson, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Neal Adams, Jerry Ordway, Dan Jurgens, Lee Bermejo, Brett Booth
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2013)

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Last year, DC Comics unleashed a new ongoing Superman comic book series to coincide with the release of Man of Steel, the 2013 relaunch of the Superman film franchise.  Superman Unchained is from burning-hot writer Scott Snyder and superstar-for-over-two-decades artist Jim Lee with his longtime inker, Scott Williams.

Superman Unchained #1 (“The Leap”) opens with a brief (kind of) prologue that takes place in Nagasaki, Japan on April 9th, 1945.  We move to the present (which seems like a near-future) and find Superman trying to stop a space station called the Lighthouse from causing an epic catastrophe when it crashes to Earth.

Superman has suspects for the Lighthouse event, which include Lex Luthor (on his way to prison) and a cyber terrorist group known as Ascension.  The Man of Steel is probably wrong on his suspects, and there is a lot that he doesn’t know.  But Superman doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.

Superman Unchained #1 is one busy comic book.  Scott Snyder, obviously in love with his dialogue, packs this first issue with so much talk and exposition.  This first issue is like a box of “Raisin Bran” (or one of its knock-offs) infested with raisins – just too much of a good thing.  The story is a slick piece of sci-fi-lite, complete with digital displays and shiny tech.  The story, however, doesn’t really get hot until the last page of “The Leap.”  Of note, there is also a two-page epilogue drawn by Dustin Nguyen.

Speaking of busy, that’s Jim Lee’s pencils.  Lee draws so much anemic line work and so many scritchy-scratch lines that we should be thankful for Scott Williams ability to rein in Lee’s excesses and eccentricities.  As usual, Alex Sinclair’s colors turn the art into comic book eye candy.  I have to admit that I’ll be back for future issues.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Valiant Comics for August 2013

VALIANT Solicitations for AUGUST 2013

BLOODSHOT #0
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CHRISCROSS
Cover by DAVE BULLOCK (JUN131317)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by MATT KINDT (JUN131318)
Wraparound Gatefold Variant by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO (JUN131319)

Discover the declassified secret history of Project Rising Spirit’s Bloodshot program and its most successful soldier – as told by superstar creator Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, Justice League of America) and fan favorite artist ChrisCross (Superman/Batman)!

From the darkest days of World War II and Korea, and through the hell of Vietnam and Afghanistan, Bloodshot's origin leaves a bloody trail of discarded lives and forgotten families. But which memories are real? Which families? Which children? Is Bloodshot many men...or no man at all? Is he simply a soulless killing machine or something more? Who is responsible? And why have they engineered the most dangerous weapon ever conceived by man? This issue holds the answers…but also reveals that we may have been asking the wrong questions all along…

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 21st!
--

HARBINGER #15
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art & Cover by BARRY KITSON (JUN131326)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE (JUN131327)
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS (JUN131328)
Variant Cover by RIAN HUGHES (JUN131329)

HARBINGER WARS AFTERMATH!

ALL-NEW ARC, ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT!

In the wake of Harbinger Wars, start reading here as Joshua Dysart and new series artist Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man, FF) begin the next year of Harbinger with a mind-bending trip to the outer limits of the Valiant Universe!

It’s been a brutal few months for Peter Stanchek and the Renegades, culminating in the harrowing events – and losses – of the Harbinger Wars.  But now the members of the team have woken up to the Best. Day. Ever. As Lou Reed sang, it’s just a perfect day, problems left all alone. But for Peter Stanchek – a kid who deserves a good day – something seems off…like all is not what it seems…

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 14th!
--

QUANTUM AND WOODY #2
Written by JAMES AMSUS
Art by TOM FOWLER
Cover by RYAN SOOK (JUN131320)
Variant Cover by TOM FOWLER (JUN131321)
Variant Cover by RIAN HUGHES (JUN131322)

Off to a bad start!

Eric and Woody Henderson have accidentally blown up their father’s life’s work – and themselves along with it! Now, as their bizarre new superpowers begin to manifest, will they be able to outmaneuver the squad of trigger-happy cops that think Eric and Woody are to blame for their dad’s murder? Plus! The mysterious cabal targeting the world’s worst superhero team only gets creepier. Seriously, it's like an iceberg of creepy. Only 10 percent is showing! And Quantum and Woody are about to crash right the %$!@ into it!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 7th!
--

X-O MANOWAR #16
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (JUN131323)
Variant Cover by DAVE BULLOCK (JUN131324)

Old soldiers, new enemies.

X-O Manowar and the Eternal Warrior. Once they were brothers-in-arms, comrades sworn to the same cause. But now they find themselves on opposing sides of a battle for the very fate of civilization itself. Aric of Dacia, and the immense power that he wields, have the potential to the plunge the world into a new era of war, and the only man who can broker a world peace also happens its to be its most fearsome warrior. But can Gilad settle this conflict with words rather than weapons? And does he know how? As the world watches, two of Valiant’s most fearsome heroes will meet once again – and the outcome of their latest clash will decide the fate of us all.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 21st!
--

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #12
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by PERE PEREZ
Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO (JUN131332)
Variant Cover by JUAN DOE (JUN131333)

Caught in the jaws of the Faraway!

General Redacted has laid claim to the greatest secret in a time-lost dimension that’s practically built on ‘em. Must be a doozy, huh? Well, it’s big enough that Redacted and his army of alien greys are laying waste to anyone and anything that approaches their occupied lands of the Faraway. Now, it’s down to Archer & Armstrong to run the greatest infiltration/liberation/inebriation mission history has ever known, which would be a cakewalk if its wasn’t for all the UFOs, hostile natives and, of course, the dinosaurs. Yup, could definitely do without those dinosaurs.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 14th!
--

SHADOWMAN #9
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by NEIL EDWARDS
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON (JUN131330)
Variant Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON (JUN131331)

The deepest cut of all.

Jack suffers a devastating betrayal as Master Darque's ultimate plan stands revealed. Now, with the Brethren on the verge of wiping out Dox and the Abettors and the Deadside threatening to explode into our world, Jack will have to call on everything he's got to stop them…or lose everything trying.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 7th!
--

X-O MANOWAR VOL. 3: PLANET DEATH TPB (JUN131325)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD and TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN

The invasion is here – and X-O Manowar is the invader! From superstar creators Robert Venditti, Cary Nord and Trevor Hairsine, jump on board one of the year’s most ambitious series as X-O Manowar ignites an interstellar war and changes the landscape of the Valiant Universe forever!

Aric of Dacia, a fifth century Visigoth armed with the universe’s most powerful weapon, is all that stands between the Earth and all-out annihilation at the hands of the alien race that abducted him from his own time. Now, the day of Aric’s reckoning has finally come. As his Visigoth forefathers sacked Rome, Aric will take the battle directly to his oppressors on the Vine homeworld of Loam. He will decimate their armies, he will level their cities – and he will not stop until the whole of their empire is reduced to ash. This is PLANET DEATH!

Collecting the complete PLANET DEATH saga from X-O MANOWAR #9-14 by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern, The Surrogates) and superstar artists Cary Nord (Conan) and Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis), start reading here to find out why X-O Manowar's one-man revenge mission has IGN declaring "X-O Manowar still kicks butt. Bring on Planet Death."

"Downright amazing." - Comic Vine

"Venditti continues to execute his vision with deadly precision. Everyone should be on board…" - Bloody Disgusting

Collecting X-O MANOWAR #9-14
ISBN: 978-1-939346-08-7

$14.99/T+/144 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 21st!
--

VALIANT MASTERS: ETERNAL WARRIOR VOL. 1 – THE FIST AND STEEL HC (JUN131334)
Written by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JIM SHOOTER and KEVIN VANHOOK
Art by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JOHN DIXON and YVEL GUICHET
Cover by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH

For a thousand generations, Gilad Anni-Padda has defended the innocent and dealt out justice as the Eternal Warrior – the undying champion of the Geomancers, the Earth’s chosen Fist and Steel. An unsung veteran of every war ever waged, Gilad’s hard-fought quest from the ancient world to modern day Los Angeles is about to force him to the forefront of the Valiant Universe – and into a brand new kind of battle alongside the likes of Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, and his own long-lost brother, Armstrong.

Featuring never-before-collected work by Eisner Award-winning comics legend Barry Windsor-Smith, along with all-time classic stories by Jim Shooter, Kevin VanHook, John Dixon and more, this Valiant Masters volume re-presents Eternal Warrior (1992) #1-7 and Archer & Armstrong (1992)/Eternal Warrior (1992) #8.

Collecting Eternal Warrior (1992) #1-7, Archer & Armstrong (1992)/Eternal Warrior (1992) #8.
ISBN: 978-1-939346-06-3

$24.99/T+/186 pgs.
ON SALE AUGUST 28th!

Valiant Comics Shipping in June 2013

VALIANT Solicitations for JUNE 2013

HARBINGER WARS #3 (of 4)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART & DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (APR131270)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE (APR131271)
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS (APR131272)
Variant Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (APR131273)

Introducing…H.A.R.D. Corps!

Las Vegas is burning, and the situation on the ground is about to go from bad to worse. With the firefight between the Harbinger Foundation, Bloodshot and the Renegades spiraling out of control, Project Rising Spirit has only one desperate option left to prevent the conflagration from spreading. It's time to bring the deep-black weapons development project – designation H.A.R.D. Corps – back online. But are they a scalpel or a sledgehammer? And can they be trusted with the enormous power they wield? What happens in Vegas may just destroy the rest of the Valiant Universe!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JUNE 12th!
--

HARBINGER #13 (HARBINGER WARS)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (APR131274)
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS (APR131276)
8-Bit Variant also available (APR131275)

HARBINGER WARS tie-in! The Renegades vs. Bloodshot!

At last, the battle you've been waiting for! But the Harbinger hunter called Bloodshot is a much more dangerous – and much more clever – foe than Peter Stanchek and the Renegades ever could have anticipated. Plus: what is the secret of Toyo Harada's first Harbinger War?

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JUNE 19th!
--

BLOODSHOT #12 (HARBINGER WARS)
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by BARRY KITSON
Cover by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY (APR131277)
Variant Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (APR131279)
8-Bit Variant also available (APR131278)

HARBINGER WARS tie-in! It's payback time!

After Dr. Emanuel Kuretich freed Bloodshot from Project Rising Spirit, he promised Bloodshot that the answers to his identity would be found inside PRS' secret Nevada facility. He lied. Instead, Bloodshot discovered two dozen super-powered psiot children – children that Kuretich then manipulated him into setting free. Now that the kids are out and have ignited a Harbinger War in the middle of the Vegas strip, Bloodshot is all that stands between them and the opposing forces of Toyo Harada and Peter Stanchek. But Bloodshot hasn't forgotten about Kuretich. And he's about to reap his revenge.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JUNE 19th!
--

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #10
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by PERE PEREZ
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY (APR131281)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by JUAN DOE (APR131282)
Variant Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON (APR131284)
8-Bit Variant also available (APR131283)

ALL-NEW ARC! Archer and Armstrong and Aliens. Oh my!

Mary-Maria, Archer's arch-nemesis/love interest/adopted sister is back, ready to take over The Sect – by any means necessary. And what better way to seize control of the secret society of secret societies than by unlocking their most secretive of secrets on the secretest place on Earth? And who but the Valiant Universe's premiere team of conspiracy-busters can possibly stop her? Just when you thought this book couldn't get any weirder, Archer & Armstrong storm Area 51…and things get weirder still!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JUNE 5th!
--

X-O MANOWAR #14
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI (APR131288)
8-Bit Variant also available (APR131289)

He has conquered. He has killed. But can he reign over PLANET DEATH?

Aric of Dacia came to Loam to exact his revenge against the alien race that captured and tortured his people. Now, Aric must make a choice that will affect both him and the future of the Valiant Universe forever. Don’t miss the jaw-dropping conclusion of PLANET DEATH and this monumental moment for the ongoing saga of X-O Manowar!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JUNE 26th!
--

SHADOWMAN #7
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by NEIL EDWARDS
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (APR131285)
Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON (APR131287)
8-Bit Variant also available (APR131286)

There’s a dark light dawning over New Orleans.

Doctor Mirage talks to the dead. And right now, the dead are screaming, caught between the sinister will of Master Darque and the power of Baron Samedi. Will Shadowman and Mirage be able to defeat them both, or will New Orleans fall to the dead?

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JUNE 5th!
--

BLOODSHOT VOL. 2: THE RISE & THE FALL TPB
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA, ARTURO LOZZI & MATTHEW CLARK
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI (APR131280)

Assault on Project Rising Spirit!

Bloodshot is finally free of the memories that have haunted him since his awakening – but now even greater mysteries remain. Who was he before he was transformed into a walking weapon of mass destruction? And does he have a real family out there somewhere? Unfortunately, the only man with the answers is the former mastermind of Project Rising Spirit, the quasi-governmental science division that created him – and he’s just struck a devil’s bargain with Bloodshot. “Destroy your creators and I’ll reveal everything.” Well, almost everything…

Collecting BLOODSHOT #5-9 by acclaimed writer Duane Swierczynski (Birds of Prey) and artists Manuel Garcia (Black Widow), Arturo Lozzi (Immortal Weapons), and Matthew Clark (Avenging Spider-Man), Bloodshot's brutal, bullet-riddled tour of duty through the Valiant Universe continues right here in the second shock-inducing volume of the series that Complex calls "hard and heavy with each issue."

“A damn fine read…” – Ain’t It Cool News

“Beautiful… Bloodshot has proven its mastery.” – PopMatters

$14.99/T+/128 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-939346-03-2
Collecting BLOODSHOT #5-9
ON SALE JUNE 26th!

Valiant Comics Shipping in May 2013

VALIANT Solicitations for MAY 2013

HARBINGER WARS #2 (of 4)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART & DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art & Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by LEWIS LAROSA
Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Variant Cover by STEPHANE PERGER

The HARBINGER WARS heat up Las Vegas!

After decades of secret conflict, Toyo Harada has managed in one fell swoop to cripple Project Rising Spirit through the masterful manipulation of key players in the Valiant Universe. Now he wants the psiot children Bloodshot rescued from the bowels of a nightmarish PRS facility. Too bad. This rogue band of super-powered escapees have begun to call themselves GENERATION ZERO and they've declared a war of their own. First strike: Vegas, baby! And while PRS fashions a radical plan for getting the kids back, Peter Stanchek and the Renegades are following visions right into the heart of the Harbinger Wars.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MAY 1st!
--

HARBINGER #12 (HARBINGER WARS)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by AMY REEDER
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS

HARBINGER WARS: HARBINGER continues here!

Battle weary, the Renegades follow Peter Stanchek's strange dreams and visions into the Southwest American desert, unsure of what exactly they'll find. Under the duress of constant conflict, and led by the words of the Bleeding Monk – who bleeds but does not die – our band of teens begins to fray, barely even a cohesive group by the time they reach Las Vegas, Nevada – now rechristened "Psiot Nation." Here Peter and his crew come face to face with the Harbingers who have escaped from Project Rising Spirit’s prison…Harbingers who call themselves GENERATION ZERO.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MAY 8th!
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BLOODSHOT #11 (HARBINGER WARS)
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by BARRY KITSON
Cover by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY
Variant Cover by MATTHEW CLARK

HARBINGER WARS: BLOODSHOT continues here!

Everyone says they want what's best for the children... but Bloodshot's the only one who’s willing to fight for it. After a lifetime of lies, destruction and pain, he's vowed to use his extraordinary abilities to do one simple thing: keep these kids alive, even if they’re terrified of him. The war for GENERATION ZERO, however, has been waging longer than Bloodshot realizes. And what can one soldier do when he's up against two powerful, secret armies?

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MAY 15th!
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X-O MANOWAR #13 (PLANET DEATH)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Variant Cover by RYAN SOOK

Part III of the explosive PLANET DEATH mega-event!

Aric discovers the Vine he intends conquer aren’t the only race on planet Loam, but will these surprise inhabitants offer him refuge or rivalry? Meanwhile, the Vine leaders plan their most devastating attack yet, one that will push the X-O Manowar armor to its limits and beyond. The stakes are raised and the table set for the epic battle from which no one—human or Vine—will emerge unchanged.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MAY 15th!
--

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #0
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art & Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by LEE GARBETT
Wraparound Gatefold Variant by TOM FOWLER

The true story of the Epic (Fail) of Giglamesh!

Original series artist and Harbinger Wars superstar Clayton Henry returns to tell a tale of the early days of the man known as Armstrong! How early? How's ancient Ur sound? For the first time, the 100% true story behind the Epic of Gilgamesh can be told… A tale of three warrior brothers, the Anni-Padda – or as you may know them, ARMSTRONG, the ETERNAL WARRIOR and TIMEWALKER – on a quest to the mysterious Faraway to bring back its immortal Boon. What they find is a lost land full of danger, excitement – and the greatest secret of the Valiant Universe! Plus: this issue tees up the next arc of A&A, beginning this June in issue #10!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MAY 8th!
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SHADOWMAN #0
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by KHARI EVANS
Wraparound Gatefold Variant by LEWIS LAROSA

The end has always been near.

Twenty five years ago, Josiah Boniface was the Shadowman, and he had more problems than simply Master Darque: things from beyond are trying to eat the world, the police are trying to send him to jail and now he's got to rescue Helena LeBretton from a murderous cult, whether she likes it or not.

A special standalone issue featuring art by comics superstar Trevor Hairsine, go back to the beginning to discover why this is the series IGN calls “all kinds of great” right here in Shadowman #0!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MAY 1st!
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ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: X-O MANOWAR #1
ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: HARBINGER #1
ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: BLOODSHOT #1
ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1
ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: SHADOWMAN #1
ONE DOLLAR DEBUT: WAVE ONE (BUNDLE)

On May 1st, jump into all of Valiant’s ongoing series for only a dollar apiece!

Just in time for Valiant’s one-year anniversary and Free Comic Book Day 2013, Valiant is proud to announce a new line of reprints, re-presenting the sold-out first issue debuts of the series that launched the all-new Valiant Universe.

And try all five at once with the One Dollar Debut: Wave One bundle – a shrink-wrapped package containing all five #1 issues for only $4.95!

“We’ve been yelling from rooftops about how good this Valiant relaunch has been, so now’s the time to jump on board.” – MTV Geek

“The Valiant Entertainment relaunch is one of the best things to happen to superhero comics for a while." – Comic Book Resources

“Every book in Valiant's relaunched comic line is a really great comic book." – IGN

“Valiant means business…” – iFanboy

$1.00 each/T+/32 pgs. each
ON SALE MAY 1st!
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HARBINGER VOL. 2: RENEGADES TPB

Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by PHIL BRIONES, MATTHEW CLARK, KHARI EVANS, LEE GARBETT, BARRY KITSON and PERE PEREZ
Cover by MICO SUAYAN

Outside the law. Inside your head. Welcome to the Renegades.

Battered and broken after his escape from the Harbinger Foundation, telekinetic teenager Peter Stanchek only has one option left – run. But he won’t have to go it alone. Crisscrossing America with the only two people he can trust, Peter will have to activate a new team of super-powered recruits before Toyo Harada and his Harbinger shock troops can reach them first. Peter Stanchek. Zephyr. Kris. Flamingo. You’ve never met a team of super-powered teenagers quite like the Renegades. And, together, they’ll dismantle Harada’s global empire one brick at a time.

Collecting HARBINGER #6-10 by New York Times best-selling author Joshua Dysart and an all-star cast of comics’ top artistic talents, get ready for the second stunning volume of the series Ain't It Cool News calls "simply astonishing."

“Four words, ladies and gentlemen: Read this book NOW.” – Ain’t It Cool News
“A superb level of awesomeness.” – IGN

$14.99/T+/128 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-939346-02-5
ON SALE MAY 22nd!
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VALIANT MASTERS: SHADOWMAN VOL. 1 - SPIRITS WITHIN HC
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART, BOB HALL, BOB LAYTON, JIM SHOOTER and More
Art by STEVE DITKO, BOB HALL, DAVID LAPHAM, DON PERLIN and More
Cover by DAVID LAPHAM

A deluxe hardcover collecting Shadowman’s legendary first appearance in the original Valiant Universe – featuring classic work by Steve Ditko, Steve Englehart, Bob Hall, David Lapham, Jim Shooter and more!

Jack Boniface nearly died one night – attacked by something out of a nightmare. But since that terrifying experience something has changed. Now, when darkness falls, a feeling comes over him, an urge to destroy the demons that would defile the New Orleans night. Wild, reckless, and hell-bent on eliminating evil in all its forms, Jack is now his city’s new protector – the nocturnal avenger simply called Shadowman.

This Valiant Masters volume collects SHADOWMAN (1992) #0-7 and material from DARQUE PASSAGES (1994) #1.

$24.99/T+/184 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-939346-01-8
ON SALE MAY 29th!

Comic Book Review: JUPITER'S LEGACY #1

JUPITER'S LEGACY #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

CREATORS: Mark Millar and Frank Quitely
WRITER: Mark Millar
ARTIST/COVER: Frank Quitely
COLORS/LETTERS: Peter Doherty
VARIANT COVERS: Bryan Hitch, Dave Johnson, Phil Noto, J. Scott Campbell, Christian Ward
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2013)

There is a new comic book series from superstar writer, Mark Millar, the creator of Kick-Ass and Wanted, both of which were adapted into films. It is entitled Jupiter’s Legacy, part of his “Millarworld” line, and Millar’s co-creator is artist Frank Quitely. The series focuses on the children of the world’s first superheroes and their struggles to live up to a legacy that is practically poisonous to the new generation.

Jupiter’s Legacy #1 opens in 1932 in Morocco. The story’s first focus is Sheldon Sampson, the heir to a fortune wiped out during the Wall Street crash of 1929. He has convinced his friends to follow him on a journey to a place he has seen only in his dreams. Called The Island, Sampson believes that the place will offer gifts that can save the United States of America, which is in the midst of the Great Depression.

A little over 80 years later, the great superheroes have achieved even greater things, but there is trouble. The world’s first superheroes have grown old, and their children cannot live up to their parents’ remarkable legacies.

I enjoyed reading Jupiter’s Legacy #1, but I cannot really render a final or whole judgment after reading one issue. That’s the curse of modern comics storytelling. A scant twenty pages of text plus decompression – spreading a storyline over four to six issues (if not more) and that combination forms a truncated chapter, if not a woefully incomplete episode.

I will say that there are some interesting ideas here. As intriguing as this take on superheroes is, Millar’s allusions to the current real world political and financial climate are the most attention grabbing material. Millar draws parallels between the 21st century and the 1920s and 30s in a brash way – as if to say that he does not care whether anyone agrees or disagrees to any extent.

Jupiter’s Legacy is not Frank Quitely’s best work, although, as usual, it is more attention-grabbing than the work of most other artists. For me, the best of Quitely remains New X-Men. Still, Quitely’s visual style is so unique and iconoclastic that I’d be interested in his art even if he were only producing still-life drawings for an extension course at the local junior college. Plus, Quitely’s compositions for Jupiter’s Legacy give off an unsettling vibe. Something bad is coming, and Quitely does something bad quite well.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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Valiant Comics for April 2013

Solicitations for APRIL 2013

HARBINGER WARS #1 (of 4)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART & DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Variant Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER

“Do you know where the children are?”

HARBINGER WARS, Valiant’s first family crossover event, begins here! A decades-old secret is about to put BLOODSHOT and HARBINGER on an inescapable collision course – and, soon, the most powerful forces in the Valiant Universe will be drawn into a battle without sides, without rules, and without mercy.

•Two dozen undisciplined, untested and untrained superhuman children have just escaped from a top-secret research facility and into the world.

•When Bloodshot, Toyo Harada and Peter Stanchek join the chase, will the Valiant Universe be ready for its first all-out superhuman showdown?

•Start reading here for a high-stakes tale that will put Valiant’s greatest heroes to the ultimate test!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE APRIL 3rd!
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HARBINGER #11 (HARBINGER WARS)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art & Cover by KHARI EVANS
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER

“Your system has failed us. Now we must build our own.”

All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! HARBINGER WARS continues in a standalone, four-part arc of HARBINGER, featuring the return of original series artist Khari Evans (Carbon Grey)!

•The world has just become a much bigger, much more dangerous place for Peter Stanchek and the Renegades…

•How will they react to the revelation of Project Rising Spirit’s secret mission and the harbinger hunter known as Bloodshot?

•Find out in PART ONE of HARBINGER WARS: HARBINGER!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE APRIL 10th!
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BLOODSHOT #10 (HARBINGER WARS)
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by BARRY KITSON
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CLAYTON HENRY
Wraparound Variant by LEWIS LAROSA

“Hitting the target is more important than who pulls the trigger.”

All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! HARBINGER WARS continues in a standalone, four-part arc of BLOODSHOT, featuring comics legend Barry Kitson (Fantastic Four)!

•Bloodshot has banded together with Project Rising Sprit’s most dangerous escapees.

•Can he shape them into a force for good – or are they too far gone?

•Find out in PART ONE of HARBINGER WARS: BLOODSHOT!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE APRIL 17th!
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X-O MANOWAR #12
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by JUAN DOE

What lurks beneath the surface of PLANET DEATH?

Aric of Dacia has taken his one-man war to the Vine’s homeworld, Loam, and is using their own X-O Manowar armor to wage it. Finding an ally in the unlikeliest of places, Aric will discover that his mission to reduce Loam to ash will come with a high price. Past, present, and future are about to collide, and if Aric isn’t careful, he will be the common thread that undoes them all.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE APRIL 17th!
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ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #9
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art & Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY

It’s all over for the Eternal Warrior!

Gilad and Armstrong must set aside their sibling rivalry long enough to defeat the deadly new champion of The Null... ARCHER! It's win or go home (i.e. "die") as "Wrath of the Eternal Warrior" reaches its bone-crushing conclusion!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE APRIL 10th!
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SHADOWMAN #6
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

The dead rising are rising in New Orleans.

The Deadside is spreading throughout the city, while a sinister new menace gathers an army that can't be killed. Meanwhile, Jack is about to discover that his Shadowman powers are as much a curse as a blessing.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE APRIL 3rd!
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SHADOWMAN VOL. 1: BIRTH RITES TPB
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER

There are a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true.

As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must embrace the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But is the mantle of Shadowman a blessing or a curse? And what is the true cost of his otherworldly power?

From rising star Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode) and comics superstar Patrick Zircher (Captain America, Hulk), this volume collects SHADOWMAN #1-4.

“It's simply stunning… ‘Shadowman’ is another awesome notch in the belt of Valiant.” – IGN

“Jordan and Zircher have given us a winner with ‘Shadowman.’" – Comic Book Resources

$14.99/T+/112 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-939346-00-1
ON SALE APRIL 24th!

Valiant Comics for February 2013

VALIANT Solicitations for FEBRUARY 2013
(subject to change, of course)

HARBINGER #0
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art & Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CLAYTON HENRY & CLAYTON CRAIN
Wraparound Gatefold Variant by LEWIS LAROSA

Rise to power!

Toyo Harada, CEO of Harada Global Conglomerates and the most potent known psionic in the world, has a vision for the perfect future. A vision he will realize with or without the consent of the rest of humanity. In order to achieve it, he’s built a private army of super-powered hyper-telekinetics within the Harbinger Foundation. But who was Harada before he became the world’s most powerful man? And what are the origins of his vast ambitions? Don’t miss those answers and more in this special standalone issue that will define the future of the Valiant Universe.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 6th
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X-O MANOWAR #10
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Variant Cover by CARY NORD

Planet Death looms! A new X-O Manowar rises! And nothing can stop what's coming.

With the Vine invasion fleet waiting in orbit, Aric of Dacia is forced into the one battle he never wanted, against the strongest, most horrifying opponent he’s ever faced. This adversary doesn’t want the X-O Manowar armor. It doesn’t want Earth. It only wants Aric — dead. The winner will hold the fate of everyone – human and Vine – in the palm of his hand. Because before this fight is over, the armor will reveal that it wields far more destructive potential than anyone could have possibly imagined. Robert Venditti and Trevor Hairsine conclude the two-part prelude that sets the stage for the epic war everything has been building up to. X-O Manowar is going home!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 20th
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BLOODSHOT #8
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Variant Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE & CLAYTON CRAIN

CHAINSAW EAT BLOODSHOT!

Bloodshot may be the best, but he wasn't the first. Bloodshot is taking his revenge on Project Rising Spirit—the secret quasi-government experimental division that created him — one body at a time. But nothing could have prepared him for what's waiting for him inside the Nursery. Deep underground, get ready to go to war with the band of misfit killers that Bloodshot used to call brothers-in-arms. Cleaner. Recon. Point. Gunner. Team: CHAINSAW is reporting for duty, sir!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRAURY 13th
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ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #7
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art & Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY

Who shoots The Shootist?!

What would an Eternal Warrior be without an immortal enemy? For centuries, The Shootist – the Sect's most feared assassin – has been a pivotal player in world events. Now he has Archer & Armstrong in his sights! With Gilad and the new Geomancer's help, can they stop the man who only fires shots heard 'round the world?

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 13th
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HARBINGER #9
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by MATTHEW CLARK
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS

Nothing can bring her down.

She's the light in the dark. The soul of a rising resistance movement. Here now, for the first time, is the story of Zephyr (aka Faith Herbert… but shhh don't tell anyone)! As danger closes in on all sides, Faith must begin the trials and tribulations of being the Valiant Universe's first real-life superhero. Learn the secret potential of her powers and the truth about her time at the Harbinger Foundation, then follow her into battle to save the other Renegades. Look, up in the air! It's a bird, it's a plane... it's freakin' Zephyr!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 20th
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SHADOWMAN #4
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

All hell breaks loose.

Shadowman and the monstrous Mr. Twist battle to the death! Everything is at stake for Jack, Dox, and Alyssa – and for the world as they know it – because if Twist succeeds, then Master Darque will walk the earth once more.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE FEBRUARY 6th
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BLOODSHOT VOL. 1: SETTING THE WORLD ON FIRE TPB
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA & ARTURO LOZZI
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI

Every mission is a suicide mission.

Your name is Angelo Mortalli. Your brother is trapped behind enemy lines and on the verge of — no. That’s not right. Your name is Raymond Garrison. You’ve retired from the dangers of the field, but a desperate plea from your oldest friend plunges you into a vicious firefight that — no. That’s not right, either. You are Bloodshot. You are the shade of gray that freedom requires. The perfect confluence of military necessity and cutting-edge technology. A walking WikiLeaks. A reservoir of dirty secrets that could set the world on fire. And you’ve just been captured.

Collecting BLOODSHOT #1-4 (2012) by best-selling writer Duane Swierczynski and acclaimed artists Manuel Garcia & Arturo Lozzi, find out why this is the series that has IGN proclaiming “Valiant is quickly becoming the publisher to beat.”

$14.99/Rated T+/128 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-6-4
ON SALE FEBRUARY 6th
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VALIANT MASTERS: NINJAK VOL. 1 – BLACK WATER HC
Written by MARK MORETTI
Art by JOE QUESADA & MARK MORETTI
Cover by JOE QUESADA

Collected for the very first time – Ninjak’s solo debut in the original Valiant Universe by Mark Moretti (Bloodshot) & comics icon Joe Quesada (Daredevil, Amazing Spider-Man)!

Colin King – sophisticated British playboy by day, elite super-spy by night! Codenamed Ninjak, King is gifted with a brilliant mind and lethal training in the world’s most dangerous fighting techniques. Both will be put to the ultimate test as he is drawn into globe-spanning mission to apprehend Dr. Silk, mastermind of the WEBNET terror network, before the mysterious weapon known as “Black Water” goes online. From the British Isles to the land of the Rising Sun, Ninjak will leave an indelible imprint on the Valiant Universe – or die trying. Collecting NINJAK (1994) #1-6, #0, and #00 and featuring special, rarely seen sketches and process art from the Valiant vault!

$24.99/Rated T+/184pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-7-1
ON SALE FEBRUARY 27th