Valiant comics

[HarryTrotter]

Im not gonna go in depth explaining every character.Im just gonna say Valiant is great and if your not reading it,your not doing yourself a favor.Creative teams are great.Jeff Lemire and Peter Milligan,just to name a few.Valiant verse is different from others.The story advances,there is character development and laws of physics apply.Events are great,and really make you want to read more.Harbinger wars,Armor Hunters and The Valiant were all great and had lasting effects on the world and characters.Im really hyped for Book of the Dead.
Also another unique thing is that there is a main villain for the whole verse.Hes overshadowed by cosmic and supernatural threats occasionally,but you feel his presence in EVERY BOOK.

[HarryTrotter]

Book of Death #1 Thats how you start an event comic! That was GREAT!The villain behind the crisis is not reveled,but I do have a few guesses.Actually just one. 

[JeyNyce]

I was reading Valiant when they first came out.  Harbinger was my all time favorite book.  I don't know what's going on now, but I heard that they did a Marvel/DC and rebooted the whole universe.  I did pick up Rai and Bloodshot.  How are the rest of the series?

[HarryTrotter]

I was reading Valiant when they first came out.  Harbinger was my all time favorite book.  I don't know what's going on now, but I heard that they did a Marvel/DC and rebooted the whole universe.  I did pick up Rai and Bloodshot.  How are the rest of the series?

Short answer: GREAT.
Longer answer:
Harbinger deserves its praise,definitely.Mostly because of Toyo Harada,who is one of the best villains in comics.It examines the differences between him and Peter.

Shadowman If you like occult themes or Peter Milligan,then you have to read it.There is a demon made out of guts.. nuff said.

Divinity is a 4-issue series worth mentioning.A Soviet astronaut returns to Earth after many year with reality altering powers.This isn't like Fantastic Four.AT ALL.

Unity Valiants super-team.Also personal favorite.They are actually more like a SWAT team then superhero team.Faith had issues with that.At first they are just like co-workers,but they eventually develop into friends and team-mates.Its really interesting to see that progress.

Doctor Mirage,Ivar,Timewalker,Ninjak and Eternal warrior I could all sort as good,but kinda second tear to some others.

X-O Manowar Again,great book.Likable characters(even the armor),awesome villains,mindblowing action.And the main character really goes thru a lott of development.You just dont see that any more in superhero comics.#38 is probably the coolest wedding EVER.Everyone comes,even Bloodshot.And its not interrupted in any way.No super-villain attack or anything.Again,its awesome,so read it.

I didnt read some others,so I cant comment on them.But I heard very good things about them.

[kkhohoho]

So I've finally decided to start checking the new Valiant out, starting with Harbinger vol.1 and... my gosh, this is freaking amazing. The art's alright, but the story and writing get top priority here, and they're brilliant. Rather than being derivative of other companies and titles, (aside from just a touch of X-Men DNA, if that,) Harbringer has it's own unique characters and ideas, and it goes in directions you don't always see from The Big Two.(TM.)  The only thing I could say against this comic is that, at least at this point, it's not really a Superhero comic. It's not about a hero in a bright costume going out and fighting bad guys, which is the norm for the genre. It's about a scared, confused, and ticked off teen trying to make his way in a world that seems to be completely against him. It's more general Science Fiction than Super Heroes at this point, but it does what it does pretty darn well, so I'm okay with that. In any case, I've got around 40 other Valiant TP's from the library sitting around, so I'm definitely going to check the rest of them out.

That said, I've also read some of the old Valiant universe, and it's interesting to see the differences between the storytelling in those old comics and the storytelling being done in the new ones. In the new comics, it takes 5 issues to explain Peter's situation, get him acquainted with Harada, and get Peter on the run from Harada, but in the old Valiant universe, it only take one single issue to set all of that up. Now, from a purely story-telling standpoint, the new Harbinger does a better job of it. The various aspects of the story and the characters get more time to be fleshed out, and new characters are introduced that weren't there in the original volume. But from a comic-buyer's perspective, the old volume is the better one, as you get the most important points wrapped up in a single issue as opposed to waiting 5 months to get to the same basic conclusion. I didn't have a problem with the new Harbinger because I read it in a trade, but if I were picking this up on an issue-by-issue basis, I might not have liked this comic so much, simply because it would have felt like it would take forever to get anywhere compared to the old volume.

Regardless, this is still amazing, and I'm definitely going to read more. And since Valiant's getting it's own Cinematic Universe, who knows? Maybe one day, the Big Two can become the Big Three. At the least, it's certainly better than a lot of the stuff the current Big Two ™ are putting out right now, that's for sure.

[HarryTrotter]

Harbinger is good,even thou I found the main group a bit hard to like at times.Toyo Harada makes up for all of that.Current happenings in Imperium are mind-blowing.When you finish Harbinger,be sure to continue with Imperium. 
Anyhow,I have to recommend X-O Manowar.It is freaking brilliant.Great character development,great cast,action and story are off the charts.In an age where the Big Two are aping each-other to infinity,its great to see so much originality in Valiant.And just wait till you reach any of the Events.Those are amazing,ALL of them. 

[kkhohoho]

So I've read through the first two volumes of Bloodshot, and although the name itself sounded like a bad 90's anti-hero, (which makes sense considering what decade the character first debuted,) the comics themselves were pretty darn good, though they've got me to thinking. As I'm reading more and more Valiant, I'm beginning to a get a sense of just what they're about compared to Marvel or DC. DC is the people we look up to or admire: Larger than life characters often with god-like powers (ala Superman,) or attributes, (ala Batman,) who tend to be paragons of heroic values, and even when they aren't, they still try their best to live up to those values, even if it can be hard to do so. (Ala Wally.) Whereas Marvel is the people we can relate to, but also can still look up to; people who, like Spiderman, tend to make more irresponsible or questionable choices than some of DC's heroes, but still ultimately do the right thing. They're still heroic enough that we can look up to them, but are also relatable enough to believe that we could be them. Of course, there are exceptions on either side, with Captain America for Marvel and the Doom Patrol for DC being two of the biggest examples, but I think that's largely what these two companies respectively stand for.

Valiant is, quite simply, the people we are. Rather than being icons or archtypes like DC, or somewhat flawed but usually still fairly heroic characters like Marvel, Valiant consists of people who, while still overall trying to do what they think is right, can also be more morally ambiguous at times than either Marvel or DC's heroes tend to be, and it can be argued if some of these characters are even true heroes in the common sense of the word. But at the same time, neither are these people callous a-holes, because that's what they are: People. Neither completely good or completely bad, they make just as many shaky decisions as your typical human being in the real world does, and in so doing become even more relatable and human than Marvel's heroes, but at the same time, you occasionally wonder if they can even be called 'heroes'. Then again, if I want a more traditional Superhero book, I can always go to Marvel or DC, and I suppose that's Valiant's strength; that it doesn't do what either of the big two are doing, and instead has created something all it's own. I still like it for what it is, but I can see how some people could be turned off by it. That said it's still fresh, new, and exciting, and I think when that first Bloodshot movie finally rolls around, it's going to be a welcome breath of fresh air in a market that some people are considering too much of the same. Simply put, Valiant is far from traditional, but that's why it's so darn good.

Also, I'm going to be freaking ticked if Gamma doesn't show up in the Bloodshot movie. Evil superpowered nannies need to show up more often in Superhero stories.

[HarryTrotter]

Biggest strenght of Valiant is that it manages to be fairly realistic without being cynical.Heroes arent exactly Justice League,but they arent drunk jerks like Ultimates either.
Unity is basicly a SWAT team working for MI6.And there not giant-gun-wielding anti-heroes,but if their life is in danger,they will kill.
Thou,I have to admit,the writers did fail geography a few times,but thats not a unique problem.

[HarryTrotter]

I just thought to share a new poster.Its pretty awessome.

[JeyNyce]

I guess it is safe to say that you guys are reading The book of Death?

[HarryTrotter]

Book of Death is a great event. 
#2 is very strong.And I did guess who the villain was. 

[HarryTrotter]

Fall of Ninjak wasnt as devastating as Fall of Bloodshot,but it was still sad.It really sets things up for Rai.

In an interesting twist Legends of Geomancer is a limited series that is REALLY limited.
http://io9.com/valiant-wants-as-few-people-as-possible-to-read-its-new-1698968339
Numbers are limited(and cost around 30-40$ online) and it will NEVER be collected.Basically Valiant wants it to be read by as few people as possible.I kinda doubt that will happen in this age of scanners.

[JeyNyce]

As a collector, that book will be worth a few hundred dollars.  I've heard that comic shops had to order 25 copies of Book of Death in order to get just one copy of  Legends of Geomancer.  My LCS only ordered between 10-15 issues.

[HarryTrotter]

As a collector, that book will be worth a few hundred dollars.  I've heard that comic shops had to order 25 copies of Book of Death in order to get just one copy of  Legends of Geomancer.  My LCS only ordered between 10-15 issues.

BoD issues were fully returnable,so some shops ordered a lot just to get the Legends.Thats the theory Iv heard.
A rare case where you can say "instant collectors item" unironically. 
Really cant wait for the rest of Book of Death.Once you realize THIS is actually how it will end and there is no way to change the events,it gets a bit depressing.

[HarryTrotter]

Book of deaths is over,and it was great.One of the best events of the  decade.For once I have to say: Wish we had more tie ins.

[HarryTrotter]

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/nov/19/faith-is-a-superhero-drawn-from-real-life
Faith is getting her own series.Im probably the only person who found her annoying btw.Im more interested in what title will replace Unity when it ends after issue 25.
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #1 recaps a bit of the latest event so its perfect for newcomers.Seriously,you have no excuse for avoiding Valiant.

[JeyNyce]

I'm guessing it's because of the change of time, that now Faith is becoming so popular.  I liked her during the first run of Harbinger

[HarryTrotter]

I actually found her constant SF references to be annoying honesty.But I had that problem with a lot of Harbinger cast.
Im loving Imperium thou.I havent see anything like it since Black Ring story in Action comics.Ok,its not really similar but I have to compare it to something.Which is actually what I could say about a everything Valiant.Is Harbinger similar to X-men?Only at first.And I guess Unity has some basic similarities to Avengers or JLA.
Ninjak #9 will have him travelling to Deadside.And yes,Shadowman will be back.

[JeyNyce]

This is cute

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/11/19/valiant-unveils-more-cgc-variant-covers-by-clayton-henry/

[HarryTrotter]

Unity #25 The best superhero team book of the this decade is over.Final issue could have been a bit more serious,but it wasnt bad.Ok,it was hilarious.
-Quantum and Woody movie?Maybe in Phase 3 of our movie universe.
-People just dont know about you,and those who do say you were better in the 90's. 
Now we only have the best villain team book - Imperium.But I am going to miss Unity.

[HarryTrotter]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/exclusive-rais-rebellion-leads-kindt-crain-to-valiants-2016-event
After they all died;Valiant heroes are going to the future.Well,immortal one anyway.Next summer event is 4001 AD.Rai goes up against Father.There is one event Im actually excited about.

[Silver Shocker]

There are free Valiant comics on Comixology right now. #1 of the 90's runs of Archer and Armstrong, X-O Manowar, and Harbinger, as well as Valiant Universe Handbook 2015.

[HarryTrotter]

http://comicsalliance.com/valiant-summit-2016-announcements/
We got a Faith ongoing,Generation Zero,new Harbinger series(drawn by Darick Robertson,which is a bit odd),Savage,which is something with dinosaurs but not Turok.And Britania,which follows a Roman detective in ancient Britania.Northlanders had a similar arc.And Divinity 3:Stalinverse.

[HarryTrotter]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/07/05/valiant-has-more-harvey-awards-nominations-than-marvel-dc-dark-horse-image-boom-and-idw-put-together/
Fun Fact: Valiant has more Harvey Award nominations then everyone else put together.