Showing posts with label Robert Venditti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Venditti. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Review: HAWKMAN #1

HAWKMAN No. 1 (2018)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Robert Venditti
PENCILS: Bryan Hitch
INKS: Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Starkings & Comicraft
EDITOR: Marie Javins
COVER: Bryan Hitch with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Stejpan Sejic
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2018)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Awakening” Part One: “What's Past is Prologue”

Hawkman is a DC Comics superhero.  There are multiple versions of the character, and two of them are the best known.  The first is the “Golden Age” Hawkman, a human archaeologist named Carter Hall, who is the modern-day reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian prince named Khufu.  That character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville and first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published in 1940 by All-American Publications (which eventually entered a merger that would form DC Comics' predecessor, National Periodical Publications).

The second is the alien police officer, Katar Hol, from the planet, Thanagar.  Created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, Hol first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34 (cover dated: March-February 1961).  The common denominator among the various versions of Hawkman is that they wear large, artificial wings, attached to a harness made from the special Nth metal that allows them to fly.

There is a  new comic book series starring the character, entitled Hawkman.  It is written by Robert Venditti; drawn by Bryan Hitch (pencils and inks) and Andrew Currie (inks); colored by Alex Sinclair; and lettered by Starkings & Comicraft.  The series finds Hawkman/Carter Hall trying to unravel the secrets of his many pasts.

Hawkman #1 (“What's Past is Prologue”) finds the superhero Hawkman flying over an island twelve miles south of Santorini, Greece.  Carter Hall is an archaeologist and an explorer of the ancient and unknown, and the greatest unknown seems to be Carter Hall.  Hawkman is searching for a relic, “the Nautilus of Revealment.”  With the help of Madame Xanadu, Carter will use the Nautilus to make discoveries about his reincarnations and surprisingly, to discover something about his fate.

After reading a few pages of Hawkman #1 2018, I was sure that I would not like it, but by the end of the first issue, I was really liking it.  I don't think I need to go through a litany about the creative team.  Robert Venditti is an imaginative writer.  Bryan Hitch is an influential stylist, and inker Andrew Currie usually captures both the power and grace of Hitch's pencil compositions.  Colorist Alex Sinclair is subtly muting his usual vivid coloring here to serve the moodiness of the story.  Starkings & Comicraft's lettering shifts fonts and designs and is excellent... of course.

What really stands out is that Hawkman #1 suggests that Hawkman 2018 is trying for something different.  Like Carter Hall, this new Hawkman comic book will offer a story that is about exploring the ancient and unknown.  There is a sense of mystery and of a little magic.  Venditti and Hitch are trying to do something than can truly be described as different.  I hope...

8 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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Thursday, January 31, 2019

Review: DAMAGE #1

DAMAGE No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

SCRIPT: Robert Venditti
PENCILS: Tony S. Daniel
INKS: Danny Miki
COLORS: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
COVER: Tony S. Daniel and Danny Miki with Tomeu Morey
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (March 2018)

Rated “T+” for Teen Plus

Damage created by Robert Venditti and Tony S. Daniel

“Out of Control” (Part 1): “Let Loose”

DC Comics is launching a new superhero comics initiative, “The New Age of DC Heroes.”  This line of comic books will consist of eight new comic book series:  The Curse of Brimstone, The Immortal Men, New Challengers, Sideways, The Silencer, The Terrifics, The Unexpected, and the subject of this review, Damage.

Damage is written by co-creator Robert Venditti; drawn by co-creator Tony S. Daniel (pencils) and Danny Miki; colored by Tomeu Morey; and lettered by Tom Napolitano.  Damage focuses on a U.S. Army soldier who is turned into a monster destined to be a weapon of mass destruction.

Damage #1 (“Let Loose”) finds Ethan “Elvis” Avery in a state of transformation aboard a plane, the “Stork-1.”  Ethan doesn't want this transformation because he knows that it will turn him into a living, breathing, ticking time bomb – a monster of which he retains no control.  Ethan will only be in this monster form for one hour, but that is more than enough time for the monster to more than earn his moniker, “Damage.”

I am cynical about the launch of new comic book lines, especially when the Direct Market comic book sales are in free fall, as they reportedly were in 2017.  On the other hand, “The New Age of DC Heroes” is designed and illustrated by a “murders row” of accomplished and popular comic book artists, referred to as “DC's Master Class.”  They are Jim Lee, Andy Kubert, John Romita, Jr., Ivan Reis, Kenneth Rocafort, Philip Tan, Ryan Sook, and Damage artist, Tony S. Daniel.

It is the art and graphical storytelling in Damage that makes this comic book worth a look.  Tony S. Daniel's time at DC Comics has seen him become a highly polished artist, who can draw superhero, action, and fight comics that are good enough to put him in the upper echelon.  His inker is Danny Miki who is in his own master class; Miki could probably ink the pencils of people who can barely draw and turn those pencils into something decent.

The art in Damage #1 is more than decent.  Daniel and Miki deliver strong compositions, potent figure drawing, and detailed backgrounds that are superhero comic book eye candy art.  Colorist Tomeu Morey is always putting more bumps-in-the-coloring-hump, and his coloring here is gorgeous.  Letterer Tom Napolitano throws fonts and word bubbles/balloons like furious punches, and the result is a graphics package that will make people buy Damage #1

Conceptually, Damage seems like a blending of Marvel's The Incredible Hulk, Dale Keown's The Pitt, and Tony Daniel's 1990s Image Comics series, The TenthDamage is not groundbreaking, but, as I said, the artists, colorist, and letterer deliver a graphics package that is so visually attractive that even my cynical self wants more.

7 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 for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, January 15, 2018

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 11, 2018

DC COMICS

OCT170362    ANARKY THE COMPLETE COLLECTION TP    $19.99
NOV170223    AQUAMAN #32    $3.99
NOV170224    AQUAMAN #32 VAR ED    $3.99
NOV170233    BATMAN #39    $2.99
NOV170234    BATMAN #39 VAR ED    $2.99
JUL170500    BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY JOHN ROMITA JR    $80.00
NOV170237    BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II #3 (OF 6)    $3.99
NOV170238    BATMAN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II #3 (OF 6) VAR ED    $3.99
NOV178214    BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT #1 (OF 8) 4TH PTG    $3.99
NOV178215    BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT #2 (OF 8) 3RD PTG    $3.99
NOV178093    BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT #3 (OF 8) 2ND PTG    $3.99
NOV170241    BATWOMAN #11    $3.99
NOV170242    BATWOMAN #11 VAR ED    $3.99
NOV170245    BOMBSHELLS UNITED #10    $2.99
OCT170201    DAMAGE #1    $2.99
NOV178094    DARK NIGHTS METAL #1 (OF 6) 3RD PTG    $4.99
NOV178095    DARK NIGHTS METAL #2 (OF 6) 3RD PTG    $3.99
NOV178096    DARK NIGHTS METAL #3 (OF 6) 2ND PTG    $3.99
NOV170341    FUTURE QUEST PRESENTS #6    $3.99
NOV170342    FUTURE QUEST PRESENTS #6 VAR ED    $3.99
OCT170372    GREEN ARROW TP VOL 09 OLD TRICKS    $24.99
NOV170269    GREEN LANTERNS #39    $2.99
NOV170270    GREEN LANTERNS #39 VAR ED    $2.99
NOV170275    HARLEY QUINN #35    $2.99
NOV170276    HARLEY QUINN #35 VAR ED    $2.99
NOV170284    INJUSTICE 2 #18    $2.99
NOV170288    JUSTICE LEAGUE #37    $2.99
NOV170289    JUSTICE LEAGUE #37 VAR ED    $2.99
NOV170301    NIGHTWING #37    $2.99
NOV170302    NIGHTWING #37 VAR ED    $2.99
OCT170361    NIGHTWING TP VOL 04 BLOCKBUSTER (REBIRTH)    $16.99
OCT170376    SUPER POWERS BY JACK KIRBY TP    $39.99
NOV170308    SUPER SONS #12 SONS OF TOMORROW    $3.99
NOV170309    SUPER SONS #12 VAR ED    $3.99
NOV170306    SUPERMAN #39    $2.99
NOV170307    SUPERMAN #39 VAR ED    $2.99
NOV170324    TRINITY #17    $3.99
NOV170325    TRINITY #17 VAR ED    $3.99
NOV170330    WONDER WOMAN CONAN #5 (OF 6)    $3.99
NOV170331    WONDER WOMAN CONAN #5 (OF 6) VAR ED    $3.99

Friday, November 1, 2013

Valiant Comics for November 2013

VALIANT Solicitations for NOVEMBER 2013

UNITY #1
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Pullbox Exclusive Variants by BRYAN HITCH, J.G. JONES, TRAVEL FOREMAN, PAOLO RIVERA and CLAYTON CRAIN
8-Bit Evolution Variant by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Valiant Signature Series Variant by BART SEARS
Variant Cover by NEAL ADAMS
B&W Sketch Variant by NEAL ADAMS
Blank Variant also available
Team USA Luge Variant also available

To kill a king, he has created an army.

The world's most dangerous man, Toyo Harada, has been struck by the one thing he never thought possible – fear. Halfway across the globe, a new power threatens to topple modern civilization and, to preempt the cataclysm that is to come, Harada will unite the most lethal, most volatile, most unforgiving team the world has ever known – UNITY. Their mission: defeat the warrior king armed with the universe's most powerful weapon. Kill X-O Manowar!

Be here when New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Justice League of America, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Justice, Journey into Mystery) launch Valiant's first-ever superteam into the landmark comic book event of the year with an all-new ongoing series in UNITY #1, featuring covers by a murderer's row of comics juggernauts – Doug Braithwaite, JG Jones, Bryan Hitch, Paolo Rivera, Clayton Crain, Travel Foreman, and Neal Adams!

You've heard the buzz, you've seen the reviews. If you still haven't jumped onto Valiant Comics, the time is now! This November, UNITY is the perfect entry point for new readers.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 13th!
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X-O MANOWAR #19 (UNITY TIE-IN)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
Variant Cover by BART SEARS

All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! X-O Manowar goes head-to-head against the forces of UNITY!

Aric of Dacia has fought to reclaim the ancestral lands of the Visigoths – and he has bled for it.  But nothing he has faced before can prepare him for the combined might of UNITY – and the deadly combination of Harada, Ninjak, Eternal Warrior and Livewire! New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern) and Eisner Award winner Cary Nord (X-O Manowar: Planet Death) reunite for a landmark, standalone story arc at the heart of UNITY.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 20th! 
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QUANTUM AND WOODY #5
Written by JAMES ASMUS
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by LEE GARBETT
Variant Cover by DAVID LOPEZ
Variant Cover by MIKE McKONE

All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! All-new…problems?

Eric and Woody have had their lives turned upside down. What do you do when the most annoying person in your life is also the only thing keeping you alive? You move in with him! And his goat. And his barely legal clone girlfriend. Besides, every team of heroes needs a secret headquarters…and this one has a slightly used hot tub. Plus: Quantum meets his first true super-villain!

Attention fans and retailers: Look for the Quantum and Woody Vol. 1 TPB in stores the same day! Intro priced at only $9.99!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 6th! 
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ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #15
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by MICHAEL WALSH

WARNING: This is no longer a (FINGER QUOTES) "fun" comic.

Now that the Sect Civil War has begun, it is now a (FINGER QUOTES) "grim" and (FINGER QUOTES) "gritty" work of (REAL QUOTES) "sequential literature" with blood and headshots and naughty words (like "H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS") and if you squint real hard at the backgrounds, maybe boobies.

In this particular issue that will change the Valiant Universe forever*, the man now calling himself Dark Archer (NOTE TONAL SHIFT) must find his former partner Armstrong so they can reunite to stop the aforementioned Sect Civil War.

And there are almost no fart jokes.

Okay, one.

(* FOREVER = APPROX. 20 MINUTES)

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 13th! 
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SHADOWMAN #12
Written by ALES KOT, CHRISTOPHER SEBELA, and NEIL DVORAK
Art by CLAYTON CRAIN, MICO SUAYAN, and NEIL DVORAK
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
Variant Cover by KEKAI KOTAKI

An all-star anthology of Shadowman tales from the Deadside and beyond!

Superstar artist Clayton Crain and a stellar roster of all-star creators bring you not one, not two, but three chilling Shadowman stories. Ales Kot (Suicide Squad, Zero), Christopher Sebela (Captain Marvel, Screamland), and Neil Dvorak (Easy Pieces) push the outer bounds of the world of Shadowman further than ever before! 

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 6th!
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ETERNAL WARRIOR #3
Written by GREG PAK
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover by J.G. JONES
Variant Cover by RILEY ROSSMO

Save the Wizard!

Hungry for glory as the new Fist and Steel, the Eternal Warrior's daughter Xaran has started a war between the mysterious Houses that rule the world. Now, as Gilad struggles to contain his daughter's savage nature, two generations of Eternal Warrior race after the answers that lie between science and myth, rumor and legend, conquest and defeat.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 20th! 
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BLOODSHOT AND H.A.R.D. CORPS #16
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE & JOSHUA DYSART
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by CHRISCROSS

Sometimes gunslingers go out the hard way.

H.A.R.D. Corps has just experienced its first fatality. Bloodshot is severely weakened. He and Charlie are at each other’s throats. And the new rookies are a mess. It would be suicide to take on Harada now…so that’s exactly what they’ll do.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 20th! 
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HARBINGER #18
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by BARRY KITSON
Cover by MICHAEL WALSH
Variant Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON

Nothing is what it seems when hyper-psychics go to war.

Scattered across their own mental landscapes, each one of the remaining Renegades must quest to unite with the others or be lost forever inside themselves. It will take courage, strength, imagination and an unwavering belief in one another if they're going to discover the dark truth behind their Perfect Day.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 13th! 
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QUANTUM AND WOODY VOL. 1: THE WORLD'S WORST SUPERHERO TEAM TPB
Written by JAMES ASMUS
Art by TOM FOWLER
Cover by RYAN SOOK

Those guys are the worst.

Once upon a time, Eric and Woody Henderson were inseparable. Adopted brothers. Best friends. Brilliant minds. Years later, they are estranged siblings, petty rivals, and washed-up failures. But when their father’s murder leads them into the throes of a life-altering scientific accident, Eric and Woody will find themselves with a whole new purpose – and a perfectly legitimate reason to wear costumes and fight crime. Go big or go home, folks! Quantum and Woody are coming! (And, yes, there is a goat too.)

Collecting QUANTUM AND WOODY #1-4 by creators James Asmus (Thief of Thieves) and Tom Fowler (Hulk: Season One), start reading here to jump into the action-packed, zeitgeist-shredding exploitation stunt comic that Comic Book Resources calls "yet another critically acclaimed hit for Valiant Comics."

$9.99/T+/112 pgs.
TRADE PAPERBACK
ISBN: 978-1-939346-18-6
ON SALE NOVEMBER 6th! 
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HARBINGER DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS, TREVOR HAIRSINE, MICO SUAYAN, BARRY KITSON, PHIL BRIONES, LEE GARBETT, PERE PEREZ, and MATTHEW CLARK
Cover by MICO SUAYAN

An oversized, deluxe hardcover collecting the landmark first year of Harbinger in the Valiant Universe!

Outside the law. Inside your head. You've never met a team of super-powered teenagers quite like the Renegades. Skipping across the country in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, psionically-powered teenager Peter Stanchek only has one option left – run. But he won't have to go it alone. As the shadowy corporation known as the Harbinger Foundation draws close on all sides, Peter will have to find and recruit other unique individuals like himself… other troubled, immensely powerful youths with abilities beyond their control. Their mission? Bring the fight back to the Harbinger Foundation's founder Toyo Harada – and dismantle his global empire brick by brick…

Collecting the sold-out HARBINGER #0-14, the Harbinger Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 HC also comes jam-packed with more than 20 pages of never-before-seen art and extras, direct from the Valiant vaults.

$39.99/T+/384 pgs.
OVERSIZED HARDCOVER
ISBN: 978-1-939346-13-1
ON SALE NOVEMBER 13th!
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VALIANT MASTERS: RAI VOL. 1 – FROM HONOR TO STRENGTH HC
Written by DAVID MICHELINIE
Art by JOE ST. PIERRE, PETER GRAU, and SAL VELLUTO
Cover by JOE ST. PIERRE

The legendary future of the Valiant Universe – back in print after 20 years!

4001 A.D. - Tohru Nakadai is the 42nd Rai, the spirit guardian of Japan. Infused with the energy of his ancestors and dedicated to the way of the samurai, Rai is sworn to the service of Grandmother – the personified artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan. For forty generations Grandmother's benevolent dominion has endured, but in the wake of her sudden disappearance, Rai will become all that stands between his nation and all-out chaos. As humanist factions war with mechanist loyalists for control of the future, the masterless Tohru is about to become the first Rai that must choose for himself how best to defend his people, his family, and his honor.

Collecting RAI (1992) #1-8 in a deluxe hardcover format for the first time anywhere, revisit the future of the original Valiant Universe with Rai’s critically acclaimed, highly sought-after adventures from legendary creators David Michelinie (Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man), Joe St. Pierre (Spider-Man 2099), Peter Grau (Titans) and Sal Velluto (Bloodshot)!

$24.99/T+/184 pgs.
HARDCOVER
ISBN: 978-1-939346-07-0
ON SALE NOVEMBER 27th!




Thursday, August 8, 2013

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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!


Saturday, June 1, 2013

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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

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!
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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!
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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!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

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!

Friday, February 1, 2013

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

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Valiant Comics Offers Six Releases for December 2012

VALIANT Solicitations For DECEMBER 2012

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #5
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Interlocking Variants by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

ALL-NEW ARC! Not even time itself can escape the Eternal Warrior!

No one in the Valiant Universe is more terrifying, more dangerous or more experienced in the art of war than the undying Eternal Warrior. After thousands of years on the battlefield, he's a master of strategy and weaponry, an unrelenting force of nature capable of dismantling entire armies with little effort and less conscience. His brother Armstrong, on the other hand, likes to read poetry and drink beer. Maybe that's why they had such a bad falling out? But now — after years apart — the Eternal Warrior has a new mission: destroy young Obadiah Archer, Armstrong's best-est new buddy and teammate in the war against The Sect. And, like it or not, Valiant’s history-smashing adventure duo will soon feel the wrath of the Eternal Warrior’s fist and steel.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE DECEMBER 12th!

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BLOODSHOT #6
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Variant Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE

What dark secret connects Project Rising Spirit and Toyo Harada’s Harbinger Foundation?

Bloodshot is the creation of Project Rising Spirit, and for years they’ve loaned him out to the U.S. government for the kinds of insane, blood-splattered missions that only a nanite-enhanced commando could possibly survive. But those will be nothing compared to the horrors that await him inside the heavily fortified walls of PRS itself, whose subterranean levels are populated by failed “projects” that kill and maim for fun. And God help anyone who dares pry open the doors to the “nursery”…

If you’ve been hesitating, waiting for the right moment to jump on board Bloodshot – the series Robot 6/Comic Book Resources calls “simply mind bending” – here’s that moment! After this issue, there might not be too many characters left alive…

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE DECEMBER 12th!

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HARBINGER #7
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by PHIL BRIONES
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Flamingo Variant by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

Charlene Dupre feels like she's been on fire since the day she was born.

Too hot to handle, abused and misused, she's turned to a dead-end life on the sleazy side of the New Orleans streets. But when Peter and his strange band of teenagers with wondrous powers walk into the strip club where she works, Charlene discovers the heat that's been burning her up inside is the only thing that can set her free. Meanwhile, Project Rising Spirit closes in on Peter Stanchek, the most dangerous boy in the world. Vengeance, acceptance and fire. Meet the next member of the Harbinger Resistance as “Renegades” begins a brand new chapter!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE DECEMBER 19th!

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SHADOWMAN #2
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

Shadowman's first night on the job may just be his last.

Jack Boniface has become the next Shadowman, which would be great if he had any idea what he was doing. But he doesn't and he's out of time. Master Darque has dispatched the terrifying Mr. Twist to destroy Jack, and the demonic creature is tearing through half of the Big Easy in search of his prey. If the Abettors — the mysterious organization that's spent hundreds of years protecting New Orleans — can reach Jack first, he's got an outside shot at making it through the night. Find out if he'll live to see tomorrow when the return of the legendary Shadowman continues this December!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE DECEMBER 5th!

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X-O MANOWAR #8
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Variant Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE

X-O Manowar and Ninjak unearth The Vine’s ultimate endgame!

Deep within the halls of the MI-6, a sinister plot by The Vine’s alien agents is about to come to fruition. Their goal? Wipe humanity off the map – beginning with X-O Manowar. To get the job done, The Vine has enlisted Ninjak, the world’s most lethal assassin, but by doing so, they may have sealed their own fate. What began as a war between two men must become an uneasy truce…or Earth will fall. Betrayal, death, and a changing of the guard await in this explosive conclusion to the smash hit arc establishing X-O Manowar in the Valiant Universe.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE DECEMBER 19th!

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X-O MANOWAR VOL. 1: BY THE SWORD TPB
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by ESAD RIBIC

Special introductory price! Jump on board the year’s hottest super-hero series for only $9.99!

The beginning of the all-new Valiant Universe starts here! Aric of Dacia is a brash warrior and heir to the throne of the Visigoth people. He has lived his life under the heel of the Roman Empire, but now a far more terrible enemy has come to subjugate him. Taken from his home and family, Aric is enslaved aboard a starship belonging to a brutal race of alien colonizers known as The Vine. If he is to have any hope of escaping and returning to Earth, he will have to steal the Vine’s most powerful weapon – a sentient suit of indestructible armor - and become X-O Manowar!

This volume collects the first four issues of the acclaimed, breakout series by New York Times best-selling author Robert Venditti (The Surrogates, The Homeland Directive) and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan)!

$9.99/Rated T+/112 pgs.
ISBN: 9780979640940
ON SALE DECEMBER 5th!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Top Shelf Annual $3 Sale Has Started

THE 2012 TOP SHELF MASSIVE $3 SALE

For the next two weeks -- thru Friday September 28th -- Top Shelf (@topshelfcomix) is having its annual $3 web sale. When you visit the site, you'll find 170 graphic novels and comics on sale -- with over 100 titles marked down to just $3 & $1! Each year we use these funds to help clear the decks on our current amazing releases, and “kick start” a full rollout for next year. So, thank you in advance for your support, as we wouldn’t be here without you!

To go directly to the list of items on sale at the Top Shelf website, just click here: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals

But here are a few sample sale items:

-- Slashed Prices: The Underwater Welder, Lost Dogs, League 2009/1969, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: From Hell, Blankets (HC&SC), Carnet de Voyage, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: Wizzywig, Lovely Horrible Stuff, Any Empire, Clumsy, and

more!

-- Slashed Prices: Chester 5000, SuperF*ckers, Moving Pictures, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: Alec, American Elf, The Ticking, Far Arden, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: Owly, Korgi, Johnny Boo, Dragon Puncher, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Ax, Lucille, Undeleted Scenes, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Gingerbread Girl, The Homeland Directive, Liar’s Kiss, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Incredible Change-Bots, Night Animals, Underwire, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Voice of the Fire, The Playwright, Fingerprints, and more!

-- $3 Titles: BB Wolf, Three Fingers, The Surrogates (V1&V2), and more!

-- $3 Titles: Pirate Penguin, Okie Dokie Donuts, Pinky & Stinky, Yam, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Sulk (Vols 1, 2, & 3), SuperF*ckers #1-#4, and more!

-- $1 Titles: The Surrogates #1-#5, The Sketchbook Diaries #1-#4, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Lower Regions, Feeble Attempts, Conversations #1 & #2, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Comic Diorama, The Man Who Loved Breasts, Doublecross, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Tales of the Great Unspoken, Black Ghost Apple Factory, Dang!, and

more!

-- $1 Titles: Mephisto & The Empty Box, Hey Mister, Yearbook Stores,and more!

**********************

Please note that Top Shelf accepts PayPal (as well as Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover -- all secure), and that this sale is good for retailers as well (and comic book shops will get their wholesale discount on top of these sale prices).

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Valiant Comics Debuts "Shadowman" in November 2012

VALIANT Solicitations For NOVEMBER 2012

SHADOWMAN #1

Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
"Blackout" Pullbox Exclusive Variant by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Covers by DAVE JOHNSON and BILL SIENKIEWICZ

The next epic expansion of the Valiant Universe starts this November in a new ongoing series by comics superstar Patrick Zircher (Captain America, Thor: Ages of Thunder) and Harvey Award nominee Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Team 7)!

There’s 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?

The rebirth of a Valiant icon starts right here when Shadowman strikes this November!

$3.99 US/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 7th!

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ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #4

Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by JASON PEARSON
Variant Cover by JUAN DOE

Archer & Armstrong make their last stand against The Sect high in the Himalayas!

Every clan of The Sect has gathered together for the first time in millennia to harness the unthinkable, sanity-shattering destruction of the mythical Book. But one piece is still missing - and Obadiah Archer has it! If he turns it over, The Sect will give him back his family. If he refuses, the man called Armstrong dies! PLUS: The true nature of Archer's powers revealed! AND, on top of everything else, witness the debut of the Valiant Universe's next superstar hero – only in this issue!

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 14th!

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BLOODSHOT #5

Written by DUANE SWIERZCYSNKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Variant Cover by MANUEL GARCIA

ALL-NEW ARC! Before Bloodshot, who was Raymond Garrison?

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, Dr. Emmanuel Kuretich –‑and he’s just struck a devil’s bargain with Bloodshot. “Destroy your creators and I’ll reveal everything.” Well, almost everything…

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 14th!

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HARBINGER #6

Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by PHIL BRIONES
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Variant Cover by MATTHEW CLARK

ALL-NEW ARC! From out of the ashes – ­RENEGADES!

After a crushing defeat at the hands of his would-be mentor, Peter Stanchek lies critically wounded and the only person who can save him is the person that hates him the most – his childhood love Kris Hathaway. As Harada’s Eggbreaker strike force closes in, the helpless Peter wonders if he is going to find forgiveness at Kris’s door –‑or unbridled vengeance. But when Faith returns as the superhero she’s always dreamed of being, the game is going to change for everyone involved…‑

As the most daring series in comics enters its staggering second act,‑fi nd out why this is the book that Comic Book Resources says “feels new in a way that few comics about characters with superpowers manage these days.”

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 21st!

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X-O MANOWAR #7

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE

X-O Manowar vs. Ninjak. To the victor – Earth!

Agents of the alien race known as The Vine have been living in secret among us for centuries and now they’ve just been activated for one final mission – purge the Earth of all human life! An invasion fleet is on its way and the only weapon in existence powerful enough to defeat it is the X-O Manowar armor. But first, Aric of Dacia must survive his latest encounter with Ninjak, the covert operative and master weapons specialist charged with taking him down. The stakes are raised and revelations abound in the latest issue of the smash hit series that has IGN declaring, “This is X-O Manowar done for this generation...and it is awesome.”

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE NOVEMBER 21st!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Valiant Comics Offers 5 Releases in October 2012

VALIANT Solicitations For OCTOBER 2012

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #3
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Character Design Cover by DAVID AJA

Fnord!

Those email forwards Grandma sends you? ALL TRUE. Every lurid cover of every supermarket tabloid? ALL TRUE. That impossible-to-read GeoCities site rambling on about truthers, birthers and black ops alien greys working for the U.N.? ALL TRUE. The Sect has dragged a curtain of confusion across the inner workings of your world, but fear not, the conspiracy-busters Archer & Armstrong are here to deliver Truth in the form of ass-kicking! (And ass-kicking in the form of ass-kicking.) Our heroes' newfound friendship will face its greatest test as they battle The Sisters of Perpetual Darkness – the Nunjas ("ninja" + "nun") who guard Rome’s blasphemous secrets. Obadiah Archer thought he had been betrayed by his family before, but nothing can prepare him for this!

Also: the existence of God will be proven for all time. Or disproven. One of the two.
$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE OCTOBER 10th

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BLOODSHOT #4
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Character Design Cover by DAVID AJA

They call you Project Bloodshot, but you had a real name once.

You were born, raised, maybe even loved. And at some point, some evil bastards filled your head with dozens of false memories to motivate you, restrain you, control you. And oh, what they made you do in the name of national security… But what if one of those memories wasn’t false? What if you had a real wife and a child somewhere in the world who thought you were dead? Wouldn’t you go through seven kinds of violent hell to find them? Congrats. Your wish is about to be granted…

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE OCTOBER 10th

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HARBINGER #5
Written by JOSH DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Character Design Cover by DAVID AJA

Toyo Harada and Peter Stanchek. Master and apprentice. Creator and destroyer. Alpha and omega.

Humanity’s most powerful psionic, Pete Stanchek, has been run to ground. His few friends and family are gone. He is loved is by no one. At the nadir of his brief, 18-year existence, he has been drugged, deceived and deluded by a corporate master. But now he’s finally had enough. Tonight, the human race will find out exactly how powerful he is. Tonight, the boy who has nothing will go to war against the man who has everything. And soon the Valiant Universe will discover that anything can end – even the world.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE OCTOBER 17th

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X-O MANOWAR #6
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Variant Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Character Design Cover by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC

Ninjak vs. X-O Manowar: Round II!

Aric of Dacia has bonded with the most powerful weapon in the universe, but his command of the sentient X-O Manowar armor will lead him to cross swords with Ninjak, the world’s most skilled weapons specialist. Hired by members of The Vine hidden deep within Earth’s governments, Ninjak has been sent to bring back the Manowar armor at any cost. It’s raw power versus stealth and cunning in the second installment of the espionage-edged thriller that pits two of Valiant’s most popular heroes against each other – to the death.

$3.99/Rated T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE OCTOBER 17th

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VALIANT MASTERS: BLOODSHOT VOL. 1 HC
BLOOD OF THE MACHINE
Written by Kevin VanHook
Art by Don Perlin, Andrew Wendel and Ted Halsted
Cover by Barry Windsor-Smith

The first in an all-new library of Valiant classics!

Collected for the first time anywhere, the best-selling title of the 90s is back! Re-presenting the first arc of his original adventures in the VH1 Valiant Universe, Bloodshot comes armed to the teeth with bullets, nanites – and questions. With all of New York as his battlefield, Bloodshot wages a one-man war for the secrets to his past. But with the whole of New York’s mafia underground hot on his tail, he’ll soon realize that some questions are better left unanswered! With appearances from Ninjak, Eternal Warrior, Rai and more, no fan can miss this essential piece of Valiant history! Collecting BLOODSHOT (1994) #1-8 and featuring AN ALL-NEW, NEVER–BEFORE-SEEN STORY by the original creative team of Kevin VanHook and Don Perlin.

$24.99/Rated T+/200 pgs.
ON SALE OCTOBER 24th

Friday, June 22, 2012

Valiant Comics Offers Four Titles for September 2012

VALIANT Solicitations For SEPTEMBER 2012

X-O MANOWAR #5
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by PHILIP TAN
Interlocking Variants by PATRICK ZIRCHER

All new arc! X-O Manowar vs. Ninjak!

Jump on board the smash hit series of the summer as two legends of the Valiant Universe collide for the first time! The X-O Manowar armor has fallen to Earth... and now the world's most lethal intelligence agent has a new target. But who is the operative known only as Ninjak? And who – or what – has marked Aric of Dacia for death by his blade? Find out as the all-new Ninjak makes his shocking first appearance – and cuts his way to the forefront of the Valiant Universe.

$3.99/ T +/32 pgs.
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 12th!
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HARBINGER #4
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS & LEWIS LAROSA
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE

School is out. Of control.

Inside the Harbinger Foundation, Peter Stanchek thought he would finally find freedom. Instead, he found a prison of his own design. As Peter begins to yearn for the comforts of his old life, he’s about to discover that leaving Harada’s program isn’t easy – it’s impossible. As rebellion brews among his pupils, Harada must ask himself: has he been building an ally in Peter all this time – or the perfect enemy?

$3.99/ T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 12th!
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ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #2
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by ARTURO LOZZI
Variant Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER

In the Valiant Universe, even secrets have secrets. Have you heard the one about The Michelangelo Code?

Inside a Masonic crypt beneath Wall Street, The 1% engineer a financial apocalypse that will save the dollar, but could destroy the world. Within the secret archives of the Vatican, The Spirituali shelter a secret that could crack history in half. And – in a bar somewhere – Archer & Armstrong are all that stands between the ancient conspiracy that binds these two group together. But can Archer survive a terrible betrayal from his own family – and the shocking revelation of Armstrong's closest ally? Get ready for a spreadsheet-shattering, kung-fu gripping action epic that will set the Valiant Universe aflame!

$3.99/ T +/32 pgs.
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 5th!
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BLOODSHOT #3
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA & ARTURO LOZZI
Cover by ESAD RIBIC
Variant Cover by ARTURO LOZZI

Heroes aren’t born. They’re built.

You have no name, just a project designation. They call you Bloodshot, but the voices inside your head call you “daddy, “sir,” “commander,” “comrade” – whatever it takes to motivate you to get the job done. But after so many missions and so many lives, you’re finally ready to confront your handlers at Project Rising Spirit and find out who you really are. You’d better move quickly though, because your former masters don’t like it when a billion-dollar weapons project decides to go rogue. Can you discover the truth before their next deadly mind wipe takes you off the board for good? Let’s hope so…because everyone inside you is counting on it.

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

Saturday, May 5, 2012

ComiXology to Offer New and Classic Valiant Comics

VALIANT AND COMIXOLOGY ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

All-New Upcoming Valiant Titles To Be Available Same Day As Print

Get X-0 Manowar #1 Digitally Today At ComiXology.com

Classic Valiant Titles Also Available Today!

Valiant Entertainment is proud to announce that it has reached an exclusive digital comics distribution agreement with comiXology, the world's largest digital comics platform available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web with over 60 million comic and graphic novel downloads to date.

Beginning May 2nd with the release of the all-new X-O Manowar #1 by New York Times best-selling author Robert Venditti (The Surrogates) and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan), comiXology will offer same-day as print digital releases for all of Valiant's upcoming titles. Additionally, Valiant's expansive back catalog of classic content will also be exclusively available via comiXology.

"There's tremendous excitement around Valiant's return, and they're bringing with them one of the greatest libraries of comic characters and stories in comics," said comiXology CEO and co-Founder David Steinberger. "We couldn't be more proud to partner with Valiant in the digital marketplace. We're sure to see the original Valiant fans energized by making these great comics available across the globe, while also bringing in a whole new generation of readers."

Set for a much anticipated summer 2012 relaunch, Valiant will soon return with four new series, all of which will debut as same-day as print digital releases on comiXology - X-O Manowar #1 on sale today, Harbinger #1 on June 6th, Bloodshot #1 on July 11th, and Archer & Armstrong #1 on August 8th.

Moreover, in conjunction with the today's release of X-O Manowar #1, comiXology is adding the first-ever digital editions of three classic storylines from Valiant's vast archive of best-selling comics to comiXology's library of more than 20,000 issues:

X-O Manowar (1992) #0-6 by Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, Barry Windsor-Smith & Joe Quesada


Harbinger (1992) #0-6 by Jim Shooter & David Lapham


Bloodshot (1993) #0-4 by Kevin VanHook & Don Perlin

"For the first time, through comiXology's platform, Valiant Comics will be available anywhere in the world," said Valiant CEO Jason Kothari. "With Valiant's return now in full effect with today's release of X-O Manowar #1, the timing couldn't be better to remind people once again of the incredible characters and stories that made Valiant a household name."

As part of the exclusive agreement, Valiant Entertainment titles will also be available through comiXology's Digital Retailer Storefront program. This enables retailers to sell Valiant's digital comics through their own website while comic book fans can purchase digital comics from their local comic store's digital storefront with a portion of each purchase going directly to the retailer.

Future digital releases on comiXology will delve deeper into the Valiant catalog, and feature classic series including Archer & Armstrong, Rai, Ninjak, Shadowman, Eternal Warrior, and Quantum & Woody.

In the meantime, today fans everywhere can now add all-new Valiant material to their digital comics libraries with X-O Manowar #1, from writer Robert Venditti and artist Cary Nord, available now on the Comics by comiXology platform - available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web.


About Valiant Entertainment
Valiant Entertainment is a character-based publishing and licensing company that owns and controls some of the most cherished comic characters ever created across all media worldwide. Since their creation in 1989, Valiant characters have sold 80 million comic books and have been the basis of a number of successful video game franchises. Valiant's extensive library includes over 1,500 characters, such as X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, and Ninjak. Visit www.valiantentertainment.com.

About comiXology
Founded in 2007 with the mission of bringing comics to people everywhere, comiXology - in just five short years - has revolutionized the comic book and graphic novel world. From creating the industry leading platform for digital comics to tools and services for brick and mortar retailers, comiXology has lead the charge in exposing new audiences to the rich history and culture of comic books. With the development of the Comics by comiXology digital comics platform - available across iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web - comiXology provides the easiest way worldwide for people to enjoy comics at just the click of a button! Regularly ranking as the top grossing iPad app in the entire iTunes App Store, Comics by comiXology was recently selected as a preloaded app on Amazon's Kindle Fire. Providing digital comics across multiple platforms, comiXology will not stop until everyone on the face of the earth has been turned into a comic book fan.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

"X-O Manowar" Returns May 2, 2012

VALIANT Launches X-O MANOWAR With NYT Bestseller VENDITTI & Eisner Winner NORD

On May 2nd, New York Times best-selling author Robert Venditti (The Surrogates, The Homeland Directive) and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan) launch X-O Manowar #1, the debut issue of the all-new Valiant Universe!

"Cary is knocking it out of the park with this book. His pages look incredible and Rob's pitch is one of the best I've ever read," said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons. "These guys are putting together a remarkable #1 issue."

Born into battle and raised under the oppressive thumb of the Roman Empire, Aric of Dacia is a beloved figure among his men and a leader of the Visigoth people. But when he's taken prisoner after a brutal encounter with an alien strike force, he must capture the X-O Manowar armor - the most powerful weapon in the universe - if he's to save his family and return to his people. But when he arrives he finds 1,600 years have passed and the most primitive man on Earth - a man out of time - now wields a weapon capable of incalculable destruction

"Some may consider him a barbarian, but Aric is a seasoned battlefield tactician and a warrior capable of taking down some of the world's greatest adversaries with only his wits and a broadsword," said Venditti. "So what happens when you hand this so-called primitive the universe's most powerful weapon and drop him in the modern day? It's a recipe for one of the most compelling action stories you'll see on the stands in 2012."

"I'm having a blast working on X-O Manowar," added Nord. "I've tackled warring barbarian hordes, alien armadas and destroyed pretty much everything in between. This is going to be an epic in every sense of the word."

During X-O Manowar's initial run, the smash hit series sold over 8 million copies and featured work from a distinguished roster of comics luminaries including current Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, and comics legends Barry Windsor-Smith and Bob Layton.

"Powerful storytelling has been our first priority since day one and, together, Rob and Cary are proving to be a truly visceral combination," said Valiant Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani. "Together, their work on X-O Manowar is defining the size, scope and intensity of the Valiant Universe."

"X-O Manowar was one of the many reasons that Valiant became a legend in its time," added Valiant CEO Jason Kothari. "This is an all-time classic character and we have big plans not just for him, but the rest of the Valiant Universe."

X-O MANOWAR #1
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Covers by ESAD RIBIC & CARY NORD
ON SALE MAY 2nd!


About Valiant Entertainment
Valiant Entertainment is a character-based publishing and licensing company that owns and controls some of the most cherished comic characters ever created across all media worldwide. Since their creation in 1989, Valiant characters have sold 80 million comic books and have been the basis of a number of successful video game franchises. Valiant's extensive library includes over 1,500 characters, such as X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Ninjak and Archer & Armstrong.

Visit: ValiantUniverse.com
www.facebook.com/ValiantComics
www.twitter.com/ValiantComics

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Review: THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE (OGN)

THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
WRITER: Robert Venditti
ARTIST: Mike Huddleston
LETTERS: Sean Konot
ISBN: 978-1-60309-024-7; paperback
144pp, B&W, $14.95 U.S.

Rating: Young Adult (13+)

Robert Venditti is a comic book writer and graphic novelist best known for The Surrogates (2005-06), drawn by Brett Weldele. The miniseries, which was collected as a trade paperback, was adapted into a 2009 Bruce Willis movie, Surrogates.

Venditti’s new graphic novel is The Homeland Directive and is drawn by Mike Huddleston. A comic book artist, illustrator, and concept designer, Huddleston has drawn for DC Comics (Harley Quinn and Gen13) and created The Coffin with Phil Hester.

The central character of The Homeland Directive graphic novel is Dr. Laura Regan, a researcher for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) and one of the world’s foremost authorities on viral and bacteriological studies. She is one of the good people, but after her research partner is murdered, Laura finds herself accused of the crime and on the run. Unbeknownst to Laura, she is at the heart of a vast and deadly conspiracy, and a shadowy assassin, who uses several identities, is assigned to kill her.

Luckily, Laura gets her own shining knights in the form of three rogue federal agents: Nathan Pollack of the FBI, Gene Robillard of the U.S. Secret Service, and Theodore “Ted” Wychek of the Bureau of Consumer Advocacy (BOCA). Can Laura expose a sinister plot before law enforcement, deadly mercenaries, and a government team of cyber-detective eliminate her?

Even without the science fiction, futurist, and allegorical elements that he used in The Surrogates, Robert Venditti has written a riveting cautionary tale full of omens and portents about the day after tomorrow. The Homeland Directive is in the vein of classic conspiracy thriller movies (like The Parallax View), and is also a witty twist on the bodyguard story.

For all its action movie/suspense thriller theatrics, The Homeland Directive is more than just eye-candy thrills. It certainly is addictive; I could only stop reading it once, and that was because I had an errand to do. It is a page-turner just as stimulating as a summer potboiler novel, but it is more than mere stimulation. The Homeland Directive is practically a screaming tract about the dangers of technology and about how personal privacy and national security are threats to one another. How do you balance the two? Can you balance the two? This graphic novel is not paranoid. It’s worried.

Artist Mike Huddleston does more than just tell the story. Combining graphic design, cut-and-paste, and drawing, Huddleston creates a world that seems disjointed, although it is one that is supposed to be more connected because of technology. The environments in this story are well lit, but there are shadowy plots and adversaries everywhere. Huddleston calms the story’s fast (even manic) pace and reveals what Venditti crafted underneath the fast-moving set pieces of this story: a cautionary tale about the ever-hungry, ever-expanding Big Brother.

The Homeland Directive is one of 2011’s best graphic novels.

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