Valiant Relaunch

Good man! Yeah they're releasing trades very soon after the arcs complete, usually within 2 or 3 months, which is smart as it opens them up to getting their trades on the shelves of bookstores (which accounts for a large part of the TPB market).

I've been picking up the single issues digitally, but I'll definitely pick up the trades as they're released.
 
DIrishB said:
Good man! Yeah they're releasing trades very soon after the arcs complete, usually within 2 or 3 months, which is smart as it opens them up to getting their trades on the shelves of bookstores (which accounts for a large part of the TPB market).

I've been picking up the single issues digitally, but I'll definitely pick up the trades as they're released.
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Yep. The Harbinger trade came out 1/9 and Bloodshot comes out 2/13 so I'll be getting both of those my next trip to the LCS. Pretty psyched for that.

A&A ships 3/6, the 2nd XO ships 3/27 and Shadowman ships 4/24 according to Valiant's site.
 
mike3717 said:
Yep. The Harbinger trade came out 1/9 and Bloodshot comes out 2/13 so I'll be getting both of those my next trip to the LCS. Pretty psyched for that.

A&A ships 3/6, the 2nd XO ships 3/27 and Shadowman ships 4/24 according to Valiant's site.
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Oh man you're in for a treat. The first arcs of both Harbinger and Bloodshot are good, but the second arcs are even better in my opinion (and they're only halfway through those second arcs). The first issue of Bloodshot is simply badass, hard-hitting, surprising, and a bunch of other awesome adjectives. Harbinger starts a bit slow with the first arc but is intelligently written so it should do a good job keeping you riveted (especially when read all in one go). The second arc picks up the pace a lot.

A&A is just plain fun. I enjoy the humor of it and it does a good job of exploring the past of the Valiant universe (both recent and ancient) through flashbacks. Armstrong is just amazing, and Archer is competently written in the sense that while he doesn't have the almost 10,000 years of history Armstrong does, he grows as an individual both to his exposure to Armstrong's personality and tendencies as well as all the crap they go through. The scathing and thinly veiled social and religious commentary is a lot of fun too (at least for a middling liberal like me).

Shadowman is a bit slow so far, but it's building nicely. And the artwork is gorgeous in my opinion.

XO is a bit formulaic so far, but still an enjoyable read, and I'm interested to see where the whole Planet Death (the third arc that just started) is going and what it'll mean for Aric in terms of character growth. He's still a bit simple, though that does make sense when considering he's a time displaced Visigoth from the 4th century AD, spent years on an alien ship as a slave, and now finds himself in the modern day and all that entails: how much the world has changed, the loss of his wife (initially to the Romans and then to the passage of time), and discovering the Vine (aliens) conspiracy and spies on Earth. I'm eager to see Aric face off against some of the other Valiant heroes like Bloodshot, the Harbingers, or even Armstrong (that'd make for some interesting conversations considering Aric and Armstrong's respective ages, and Armstrong could do a lot in terms of helping Aric come to terms with his past and adapt to the modern world).
 
So the first seven or eight issues of harbinger and bloodshot are on sale on ComiXology right now so I picked them up. I've only read the first three issues of harbinger. Its good, but they did nothing to capture the flavor of Pittsburgh, and if you've ever been here you know its a pretty unique town. I didn't realize Sweizersky wrote bloodshot or I would probably tried it before now, I love his novels.
 
Friday said:
So the first seven or eight issues of harbinger and bloodshot are on sale on ComiXology right now so I picked them up. I've only read the first three issues of harbinger. Its good, but they did nothing to capture the flavor of Pittsburgh, and if you've ever been here you know its a pretty unique town. I didn't realize Sweizersky wrote bloodshot or I would probably tried it before now, I love his novels.
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Looking forward to seeing your opinion once you've read all the issues you've downloaded. As for not capturing Pittsburgh's uniqueness, eh, it's more about the characters than the locations the stories take place in. And I'm loving Bloodshot. If you get the chance give Archer and Armstrong a try, I quite enjoy it. XO and Shadowman are decent, but not as good as the other three in my opinion.
 
DIrishB said:
Looking forward to seeing your opinion once you've read all the issues you've downloaded. As for not capturing Pittsburgh's uniqueness, eh, it's more about the characters than the locations the stories take place in. And I'm loving Bloodshot. If you get the chance give Archer and Armstrong a try, I quite enjoy it. XO and Shadowman are decent, but not as good as the other three in my opinion.
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Well, you should understand that Pittsburgh is full of dinosaurs.

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And isn't really set up like most cities due to all the rivers.

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And don't even get me started on the verbal tics of the region. Yinzers are scary man.

I guess it comes down to how I don't think you should use an area for your setting unless you're going to leverage it properly. They didn't here and thanks to that I was much happier once we left Pittsburgh.

The series is pretty good. I don't think I'm going to follow it at $3.99 a pop and even after the drop digital issues are still $2.99, which is more than I like to pay for whats a back issue at that point. The "digital exclusives" in them do nothing for me either. I love how everything fits together though. Both Harbinger and Bloodshot stand on their own but also connect in their... i guess infrastructure in ways that are good and organic. I'll be getting these whenever they go on sale on ComiXology. I'm really looking forward to Archer and Armstrong after reading the previews.
 
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Finally got my trades this weekend. So far I have read the first trade (first 4 issues) of XO, Harbinger, Bloodshot and A&A. If I had to rank them I would say that Bloodshot hands down is the best so far. XO, A&A and Harbinger were also very good. Just not as good imo. I like Harbinger but I literally found myself wondering who to root for through this whole thing. Pete is the most unsympathetic hero I have read in a while and genuinely unlikeable. A&A was great. Looking forward to XO book 2 and Shadowman.
 
Friday said:
Well, you should understand that Pittsburgh is full of dinosaurs.

And isn't really set up like most cities due to all the rivers.

And don't even get me started on the verbal tics of the region. Yinzers are scary man.
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Dinosaurs you say? Well, point made, good sir, point made.

I guess it comes down to how I don't think you should use an area for your setting unless you're going to leverage it properly. They didn't here and thanks to that I was much happier once we left Pittsburgh.

The series is pretty good. I don't think I'm going to follow it at $3.99 a pop and even after the drop digital issues are still $2.99, which is more than I like to pay for whats a back issue at that point. The "digital exclusives" in them do nothing for me either. I love how everything fits together though. Both Harbinger and Bloodshot stand on their own but also connect in their... i guess infrastructure in ways that are good and organic. I'll be getting these whenever they go on sale on ComiXology. I'm really looking forward to Archer and Armstrong after reading the previews.
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Archer and Armstrong really is great fun. The first issue alone and the gags in the theme park are pretty funny.

mike3717 said:
Finally got my trades this weekend. So far I have read the first trade (first 4 issues) of XO, Harbinger, Bloodshot and A&A. If I had to rank them I would say that Bloodshot hands down is the best so far. XO, A&A and Harbinger were also very good. Just not as good imo. I like Harbinger but I literally found myself wondering who to root for through this whole thing. Pete is the most unsympathetic hero I have read in a while and genuinely unlikeable. A&A was great. Looking forward to XO book 2 and Shadowman.
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Agree that Peter is hard to root for in the early issues, but by the second arc you find yourself doing exactly that. It's a pretty seamless and not entirely gradual transition, but works well. All part of the character's arc, I suppose.
 
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So I'm all caught up on my Valiant issues, and nothing's changed. These books are all fantastic. If you haven't given these a try, pick up the first volumes of the TPB collections and give them a read, or just the single issues, or download them through an app. They're awesome.

Harbinger Wars just began and I like that there's a certain weight to this crossover. It does seem that by the final issue the status quo will change significantly (though to say there is a status quo isn't entirely accurate), and have lasting effects on the ongoing books.

With all the great reviews these books keep getting from just about every comic review site out there, you should be ashamed of yourself for not having given these a chance yet.


Also, according to Valiant's FCBD preview:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/04/25/valiants-plans-for-christmas-potential-spoilers/

We'll be seeing Bloodshot relabeled as Bloodshot & H.A.R.D. Corps starting in September, as well as a #0 issue for Bloodshot. We'll also see Ninjak returning (likely as a guest star in one of the existing ongoing titles before he gets his own book), and Eternal Warrior will get his own book this summer. Also, looks like Unity will be another crossover spinning out of XO Manowar, which will start in Winter.

I'm loving this comic universe.
 
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So as usual I'm really enjoying everything Valiant is putting out, and apparently most others reading their stuff are as well. Go to Amazon and look up any of the new VEI collections of the modern titles (not the old 90's stuff) and its all rated 5 stars by reviewers, with the only exception being Shadowman Vol. 1 which got 4 1/2 stars.

Not understanding why more of my fellow forum posters haven't given these a try. They're fantastic. A nice and noticeable difference from the big two and their uninspired (for the most part) mirror image titles.

Seriously, read Harbinger. Download it to try it out if you don't want to spend the money...I bet once you've read the first arc you'll happily spend the money. The trades are $9-12 on Amazon, so even those are affordable and packed with great stuff.

Harbinger, Archer and Armstrong, X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and soon Quantum and Woody! and Eternal Warrior, as well as the current crossover mini Harbinger Wars.

It's good stuff, folks. Get on the bandwagon.
 
Just read the new XO Manowar and Shadowman issues, as well as the first issue of Quantum and Woody.

Really enjoyed XO, had a great but subtle connection back to the first issue involving Eternal Warrior (not subtle in terms of the current issue, but when first reading the first issue it definitely is). Looking forward to seeing how Aric's return to Earth with the kidnapped Visigoths will play out. Conflict to be sure, and it'll be interesting to see what other Valiant characters he ends up crossing paths with in the near future (especially given the upcoming Unity crossover mini).

Shadowman is picking up nicely. It's probably my least favorite of the Valiant relaunch titles, but the dark artwork and storyline are still solid. With him going to the Deadside to confront Darque, next issue will be exciting.

Quantum and Woody was funny, but otherwise kind of "meh". Archer & Armstrong does the humor angle much better and more intelligently tongue in cheek, and combined with the Indiana Jones like adventure and historical flashbacks, is a much more satisfying title in terms of both story, characterization, and use of humor. Still, the Q&W weekly series releases they had on IGN leading up to the first issues release were over all wickedly funny, which shows me the writer has a decent sense of humor that'll be utilized better in future issues, now that most of the setups and introductions are out of the way. Overall a still enjoyable read.

Looking forward to this month's Archer & Armstrong. Also looking forward to Harbinger and Bloodshot, as well as the final issue of Harbinger Wars, to see how that wraps up and sets in motion the Unity event later this year.
 
DIrishB said:
Just read the new XO Manowar and Shadowman issues, as well as the first issue of Quantum and Woody.

Really enjoyed XO, had a great but subtle connection back to the first issue involving Eternal Warrior (not subtle in terms of the current issue, but when first reading the first issue it definitely is). Looking forward to seeing how Aric's return to Earth with the kidnapped Visigoths will play out. Conflict to be sure, and it'll be interesting to see what other Valiant characters he ends up crossing paths with in the near future (especially given the upcoming Unity crossover mini).

Shadowman is picking up nicely. It's probably my least favorite of the Valiant relaunch titles, but the dark artwork and storyline are still solid. With him going to the Deadside to confront Darque, next issue will be exciting.

Quantum and Woody was funny, but otherwise kind of "meh". Archer & Armstrong does the humor angle much better and more intelligently tongue in cheek, and combined with the Indiana Jones like adventure and historical flashbacks, is a much more satisfying title in terms of both story, characterization, and use of humor. Still, the Q&W weekly series releases they had on IGN leading up to the first issues release were over all wickedly funny, which shows me the writer has a decent sense of humor that'll be utilized better in future issues, now that most of the setups and introductions are out of the way. Overall a still enjoyable read.

Looking forward to this month's Archer & Armstrong. Also looking forward to Harbinger and Bloodshot, as well as the final issue of Harbinger Wars, to see how that wraps up and sets in motion the Unity event later this year.
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I have been getting the trades as they come out so I have read the first 2 of XO, Bloodshot and Harbinger. All very good. I'm looking forward to the next A&A and Shadowman. The previews for the Eternal Warrior series also has me pretty pumped. Not so much for Q&W. I like A&A and Shadowman the best so far. Bloodshot is also very good. Although it does kind of seem like every issue is an excuse to see how much they can obliterate him and have him put himself back together again.
 
mike3717 said:
I have been getting the trades as they come out so I have read the first 2 of XO, Bloodshot and Harbinger. All very good. I'm looking forward to the next A&A and Shadowman. The previews for the Eternal Warrior series also has me pretty pumped. Not so much for Q&W. I like A&A and Shadowman the best so far. Bloodshot is also very good. Although it does kind of seem like every issue is an excuse to see how much they can obliterate him and have him put himself back together again.
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Well said.

I'm also looking forward to Eternal Warrior. I think it'll have a nice Highlander vibe, set in present day but exploring his life through flashbacks.

Quantum & Woody isn't really my cup of tea so far after the first issue. I'm going to stick with it and see how the first arc shapes up. It's got some funny bits, but honestly I find A&A much better in terms of humor.

And yes, Bloodshot certainly does get pushed to his limits far too often. I'm hoping that might be changed up a bit after Harbinger Wars once he becomes leader of the HARD Corps. He is essentially a combination of Punisher with Wolverine's powers (minus claws), so I don't mind it too much, but you're right, it is kind of a bit much only a year or so in. I still enjoy it though, after A&A and Harbinger it's probably an easy #3.

I'm also looking forward to the Bloodshot #0 issue next month, hoping it gives at least a little bit of reliable info on his past. While I like the mystery aspect, the best mysteries are uncovered a bit at a time, so I'm hoping they intelligently unveil shreds of info that help him discover who he was, without being an overdrawn cocktease that takes forever to figure out.

I'm psyched for Unity though. I like how they've tied in Harbinger Wars crossover with Harbinger and Bloodshot, and really looking forward to seeing how they tie all the titles into that crossover.
 
DIrishB said:
Well said.

I'm also looking forward to Eternal Warrior. I think it'll have a nice Highlander vibe, set in present day but exploring his life through flashbacks.
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The original was one of my favorites. And I like what they have shown of this so far.

DIrishB said:
Quantum & Woody isn't really my cup of tea so far after the first issue. I'm going to stick with it and see how the first arc shapes up. It's got some funny bits, but honestly I find A&A much better in terms of humor.
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Yeah I'll prob check out the first trade just for sh*ts and giggles and see where it goes but honestly I have no real drive to read it.

DIrishB said:
And yes, Bloodshot certainly does get pushed to his limits far too often. I'm hoping that might be changed up a bit after Harbinger Wars once he becomes leader of the HARD Corps. He is essentially a combination of Punisher with Wolverine's powers (minus claws), so I don't mind it too much, but you're right, it is kind of a bit much only a year or so in. I still enjoy it though, after A&A and Harbinger it's probably an easy #3.

I'm also looking forward to the Bloodshot #0 issue next month, hoping it gives at least a little bit of reliable info on his past. While I like the mystery aspect, the best mysteries are uncovered a bit at a time, so I'm hoping they intelligently unveil shreds of info that help him discover who he was, without being an overdrawn cocktease that takes forever to figure out.
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I agree. I like it well enough. The thing is they aren't even subtle about it. You KNOW he is about to get destroyed pages before it happens. And it seems to happen every issue. But so far it hasn't really detracted from the quality of the story too much. I do agree they need to get past the mystery. Don't repeat the debacle that was Wolverine's origin.

DIrishB said:
I'm psyched for Unity though. I like how they've tied in Harbinger Wars crossover with Harbinger and Bloodshot, and really looking forward to seeing how they tie all the titles into that crossover.
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I haven't even heard of this yet. But cool. Since I'm trade waiting I am sort of looking forward to getting to Harbinger War still.
 
I never read the original Valiant, but Unity was a major crossover between the titles and well liked by most old school fans.

Recent rumors suggest this version of Unity will be an ongoing title which basically serves as Valiant's version of Justice League or the Avengers, a team book with the big names teaming up or going up against one another for various reasons. We'll see, I'm sure some info about it will be released at SDCC.
 
DIrishB said:
I never read the original Valiant, but Unity was a major crossover between the titles and well liked by most old school fans.

Recent rumors suggest this version of Unity will be an ongoing title which basically serves as Valiant's version of Justice League or the Avengers, a team book with the big names teaming up or going up against one another for various reasons. We'll see, I'm sure some info about it will be released at SDCC.
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Oh yeah I read the original. I just was unaware there was a new one planned.

Zombipanda said:
Hahaha.

No one cares!
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You get used to it
 
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