Category Archives: Announcements
From April 18th–20th, get the inside track on RAI, ARMOR HUNTERS, THE DELINQUENTS and the rest of Valiant’s power-packed VALIANT FIRST publishing line-up at WonderCon Anaheim 2014!
With special guests including James Asmus (writer – Quantum and Woody, The Delinquents), David Baron (colorist – Archer & Armstrong, Shadowman: End Times), Joshua Dysart (writer – Harbinger, Armor Hunters: Harbinger), and Robert Venditti (writer – Armor Hunters, X-O Manowar), stop by Booth #210/212 inside the Anaheim Convention Center for a weekend packed with special signings, free giveaways, and con-exclusive products you won’t find anywhere else – including the all-new Harbinger #22 “Death of a Renegade” WonderCon Exclusive Variant by red-hot artist Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers, Comeback)!
Limited to 500 copies, this WonderCon-exclusive release captures Valiant’s team of wayward teenage heroes just before they strike out into the pages of the most important Harbinger story ever told in “Death of a Renegade” – an all-new turning point beginning in April’s Harbinger #22 that will see one of the Renegades’ own fall…and change everything that follows in its wake.
Then, join an all-star panel of Valiant creators and staff on Saturday, April 19th at 11:30 AM PST in Room #203 for the VALIANT COMICS: INSIDE VALIANT FIRST panel presentation, spotlighting the biggest wave of must-read releases yet from one of the most acclaimed and in-demand publishers in comics today! What do you read FIRST? All summer long, Valiant will be rocketing to the top of your read pile with VALIANT FIRST – an all-new initiative unleashing a major #1 issue each month from May onward by some of the most talented creators in comics. And, with ARMOR HUNTERS, the Earth-shaking comic book event of 2014, just weeks away, check in here to find out what the future holds for Valiant’s award-winning heroes. Plus: get your first look at all-new news and artwork from RAI, THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE, UNITY, X-O MANOWAR, QUANTUM AND WOODY, HARBINGER, BLOODSHOT, and much more!
We’ll see you at WonderCon!
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VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT – WONDERCON 2014 SIGNING SCHEDULE
BOOTH #210/212
Friday, April 18th:
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Robert Venditti, David Baron
Saturday, April 19th:
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Joshua Dysart
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Robert Venditti
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: James Asmus
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: David Baron
Sunday, April 20th:
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Robert Venditti
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: James Asmus
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: David Baron
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For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
For more information on WonderCon 2014, visit http://www.comic-con.org/wca.
This April, get ready to see Quantum and Woody‘s world famous sidekick, Vincent Van Goat, like you’ve never seen him before – 45 feet tall and straddling the entrance to Chicago’s McCormick Place!
Valiant is proud to announce that it has partnered with ReedPOP to attempt a new world record on site at C2E2 2014 – Chicago’s premier comics and pop culture convention – to claim the title of “world’s largest freestanding goat” just as the convention opens it doors to the public on April 25th, 2014.
“The Goat has been the MVP of Quantum and Woody – and maybe all of Valiant – when it comes to piquing interest and curiosity in new readers,” said James Asmus, writer of Quantum and Woody. “I have no doubt that having to enter the convention by walking beneath the realistic under-side of a giant goat will have lots of new comic fans asking ‘What the [expletive of choice] is this about?’”
“For whatever reason, the fans just can’t get enough Goat. We finally gave in and gave them the Goat #0 origin issue, but that just made it worse. We’ve got dozens of people showing up to our offices each day. They’re getting tattoos. They’re legally changing their names to ‘Vincent Van Goat,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.
“We’re mystified, but we figured, hey, bigger is better right? Hence, the world’s largest freestanding goat was born. Or, rather, will be built. At minimal risk to the surrounding populace. We hope,” added Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
“Valiant is doing what?” said Jennifer Martin, Sales Executive for ReedPOP. “Not only do they not have permission to build whatever this thing is, it sounds incredibly reckless. This is ill-advised on multiple levels, not to mention unsafe.”
Under the strict observation of Valiant interns, the volunteer G.O.A.T. squad (the Giant Organizational Assembly Team) will begin work today on the 45 foot tall by 25 foot wide effigy dedicated to the greatness of the world’s worst superhero team and their square-pupiled partner-in-crime. A standard size representation of Quantum and Woody, with accompanying banana, will also be provided for scale.
But Quantum and Woody fans rejoice – Valiant isn’t stopping there! Not only will the sculpture qualify as the largest goat ever erected in the history of human civilization, but it will also double as a fully functioning piñata to be stuffed with comics, candy, fireworks…and even smaller goat piñatas.
To be constructed with materials including discount-quality chicken wire, pipefittings, and kerosene-soaked human hair, Valiant’s project managers expect the project to be completed in just under three weeks with a minimal loss of human life. The record-setting goat will be displayed for all three days of C2E2, culminating with Sunday’s “Valiant First Piñata Party,” during which attending fans will be equipped with official Goat bludgeoning rods. The first fan to successfully penetrate the artificial beast’s incredibly flammable hide and unearth the goodies inside will be offered up in tribute to the gods of retailer ordering practices.
Parking is expected to be difficult. In the event of lightning, maintain a minimum safe distance and shelter in place.
Reading the complete text of this announcement qualifies as a legal waiver for any and all immediate and/or longterm bodily harm and/or property damage that may result from contact with said sculpture. Enjoy the show!
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
Valiant is proud to announce that both X-O MANOWAR #23 and X-O MANOWAR #24 – featuring the landmark PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS, Valiant’s summer 2014 crossover event – have both completely sold out at the distributor level and will soon return to store shelves with new covers featuring the stunning interior art of red-hot rising star Diego Bernard (Red Lanterns, Eternal Warrior)!
“Diego Bernard is a phenomenal new talent, and he’s delivering some truly mind-blowing work on PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS. He’s dedicated to X-O Manowar for the long haul and, with his first issues rocketing into a lightning-fast sell-out, this is a perfect opportunity to showcase his jaw-dropping interiors with new covers for X-O MANOWAR #23 and X-O MANOWAR #24,” said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons.
Written by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern, The Flash) with art by Bernard, the road to the Valiant event of 2014 begins right here in PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS as X-O Manowar hurtles toward his first epic confrontation with the galaxy’s most feared team of hunter-killers. For eons, one threat above all others has brought pain and strife down upon civilizations across the universe – the X-O Manowar armor. And now X-O Manowar has come to Earth. What will follow in its wake? Only the creature called Malgam knows the truth…and, before the ARMOR HUNTERS strike this June, Aric of Dacia is about to be forced into a brutal confrontation with the deadly legacy behind the universe’s most powerful weapon.
“The fact that we’re seeing such high demand for ARMOR HUNTERS-related titles months before the event launches in full this June – and even before X-O MANOWAR #24 has arrived in stores – is an excellent indication that Valiant’s upcoming crossover will be the event to watch this summer. These two prelude issues are an indispensable introduction to the action-packed blockbuster of a story that Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite have in store,” said Hunter Gorinson, Valiant’s Director of Marketing, Communications, and Digital Media. “Combine those facts with Diego Bernard’s incredible artwork, and you can see why PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS is a pivotal turning point for one of Valiant’s flagship series.”
Picking up out of the pages of X-O MANOWAR #23 and X-O MANOWAR #24, New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite unleash the first issue of 2014’s must-read crossover event this June in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4). Then, Valiant’s biggest heroes launch the resistance against the world’s first full-scale cosmic threat with new arcs beginning in UNITY #8 and X-O MANOWAR #26 in June; and ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 (of 3) and ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 (of 3) beginning in July!
Don’t miss the opening salvo of the cataclysm that is to come right here with the X-O MANOWAR #23 SECOND PRINTING and X-O MANOWAR #24 SECOND PRINTING – featuring new covers from Valiant’s next heat-seeking superstar Diego Bernard! Start reading here to find out why PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS is a comic book milestone in the making:
“The fact that this is only the prelude to the Armor Hunters storyline is very good news. If things start off this awesome, they can only get better.” – IGN
“✮✮✮✮✮… X-O Manowar always pushes forward towards something greater and that’s what makes this just not a top book at Valiant, but also a top book in comics in general. This next arc kicks off with a bang…” – Comic Vine
“Armor Hunters is the next big thing at Valiant… I can dig that for sure.” – Multiversity Comics
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
X-O MANOWAR #23 SECOND PRINTING (PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by DIEGO BERNARD (FEB148213)
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 4/16/14 (FOC –3/31/14)
X-O MANOWAR #24 SECOND PRINTING (PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by DIEGO BERNARD
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 5/21/14 (FOC –4/28/14)
X-O MANOWAR #25 (ARMOR HUNTERS PRELUDE)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI with TOM FOWLER, JUSTIN JORDAN, and Many More!
Art by DIEGO BERNARD, SEAN CHEN, TOM FOWLER, BRYAN HITCH, J.G. JONES, BARRY KITSON, CARY NORD, RAFER ROBERTS, ANDY RUNTON, and Many More!
Cover by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC and BRYAN HITCH (MAR141400/MAR141401)
Armors Variant by ARTURO LOZZI (MAR141402)
Throwback Variant by SEAN CHEN (MAR141403)
Variant Cover by TERRY DODSON (MAR141404)
$4.99/T+/48 pgs.
ON SALE 5/21/14 (FOC – 4/28/14)
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by JORGE MOLINA*
Character Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Artist Variant by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Blank Cover also available
CHROMIUM EDITION: $5.99/STANDARD EDITION: $3.99/T+/48 pgs.
ON SALE 6/11/14 (FOC – 5/19/14)
*RETAILERS BE ADVISED: Due to the lead time needed to produce chromium, Armor Hunters Chromium Editions will be available in robust but limited quantities set prior to solicitation, and orders may be allocated.
Valiant is proud to debut the official video trailer for RAI #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage)! Now set to arrive in stores on April 30th – one week earlier than previously solicited, and just in time for Free Comic Book Day 2014 – discover the world of 41st century Japan with an all-new vision of the future unlike anything you’ve seen before!
The year is 4001 A.D. – led by the artificial intelligence called “Father,” the island nation of Japan has expanded out of the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it has fallen to one solitary guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire – the mysterious folk hero known as Rai. They say he can appear out of nowhere. They say he is a spirit…the ghost of Japan. But when the first murder in a thousand years threatens to topple Father’s benevolent reign, Rai will be forced to confront the true face of a nation transformed…and his own long-lost humanity…
On April 30th, Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain’s one-of-a-kind adventure proves that there is nothing else in comics like RAI! Contact your local retailer to pre-order your copy today, and look for the RAI #1 PLUS EDITION – featuring 15+ pages of all-new, in-story content that won’t be collected for the trade and limited to initial orders – in stores the same day!
This summer, there’s six new reasons to read VALIANT FIRST! Beginning with RAI #1, look for a major new #1 release from VALIANT FIRST each month – and a brand new reason to jump on board the most acclaimed publishing line in comics today:
- MAY: RAI #1 by Matt Kindt & Clayton Crain
- JUNE: ARMOR HUNTERS #1 by Robert Venditti & Doug Braithwaite
- JULY: ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 by Joe Harris & Trevor Hairsine
- JULY: ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 by Joshua Dysart & Robert Gill
- AUGUST: THE DELINQUENTS #1 by Fred Van Lente, James Asmus & Kano
- SEPTEMBER: THE DEATH–DEFYING DR. MIRAGE #1 by Jen Van Meter & Roberto de la Torre
For a sneak peek inside each monumental VALIANT FIRST release, look for the ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL – featuring previews of RAI #1, ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4), X-O MANOWAR #24 (PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS), and much more – available at participating Free Comic Book Day retailers everywhere on May 3rd, 2014!
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
For more information on Free Comic Book Day, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.
RAI #1 (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CLAYTON CRAIN
Cover A by CLAYTON CRAIN (MAR141386)
Cover B by BRYAN HITCH (MAR141387)
Cover C by STEPHEN SEGOVIA (MAR141388)
Cover D by RAUL ALLEN (MAR141389)
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS (MAR141392)
Variant Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE (MAR141393)
Variant Cover by DAVID AJA & RAUL ALLEN (MAR141394)
Blank Cover also available (MAR141390)
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 4/30/14 (FOC – 4/7/14)
RAI #1 PLUS EDITION* (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
$4.99/T+/48 pgs.
ON SALE 4/30/14 (FOC – 4/7/14)
*For Valiant’s dedicated pullbox subscription customers, celebrate the launch of VALIANT FIRST with a special expanded edition of RAI #1, featuring 16 extra pages of in-story bonus features and dedicated looks inside the world of 4001 A.D. that won’t be collected for the trade paperback!
Valiant is proud to announce that RAI #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new ongoing series from superstar creators Matt Kindt (Unity, Justice League of America) and Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage), and the launch title of the VALIANT FIRST publishing initiative – will be hitting stores one week early on April 30th, just in time for Free Comic Book Day 2014!
“Free Comic Book Day has been a major component of Valiant’s success since our return, and we always like to make sure that our retail partners are adequately equipped for the single biggest day of foot traffic in stores across the world,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce. “Moving the release of Rai #1 up to April 30th is the perfect way to ensure that local comic shops shops can get the jump on the launch of the Valiant First initiative, and introduce as many fans as possible to the stunning world of 41st century Japan as realized by two of the most phenomenally talented creators working in comics today.”
This summer, Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain’s one-of-a-kind adventure proves that there is nothing else in comics like RAI! The year is 4001 A.D. – led by the artificial intelligence called “Father,” the island nation of Japan has expanded out of the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it has fallen to one solitary guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire – the mysterious folk hero known as Rai. They say he can appear out of nowhere. They say he is a spirit…the ghost of Japan. But when the first murder in a thousand years threatens to topple Father’s benevolent reign, Rai will be forced to confront the true face of a nation transformed…and his own long-lost humanity…
What do you read first? Throughout 2014, VALIANT FIRST will be rocketing to the top of your read pile with a major #1 issue debut monthly by some of the most talented creators in comics. Each month, Valiant is committed to delivering compelling and accessible new entry points to its award-winning publishing line – all while releasing no more than nine core titles per month by the end of the year. A combination of new ongoing titles, unprecedented crossover collisions, and high-profile mini-series, these are the titles that will have you reading Valiant FIRST when you head home from the comic shop –and it all begins on April 30th with RAI #1 by superstar creators Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain! Contact your local retailer to pre-order your copy today!
Also hitting on Free Comic Book Day, get a sneak inside the far-flung world of 4001 A.D. in the pages of Valiant’s ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL – also featuring an advance look inside the launch of VALIANT FIRST‘s colossal summer crossover event ARMOR HUNTERS!
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
For more information on Free Comic Book Day, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.
RAI #1 (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CLAYTON CRAIN
Cover A by CLAYTON CRAIN (MAR141386)
Cover B by BRYAN HITCH (MAR141387)
Cover C by STEPHEN SEGOVIA (MAR141388)
Cover D by RAUL ALLEN (MAR141389)
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS (MAR141392)
Variant Cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE (MAR141393)
Variant Cover by DAVID AJA & RAUL ALLEN (MAR141394)
Blank Cover also available (MAR141390)
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 4/30/14 (FOC – 4/7/14)
RAI #1 PLUS EDITION* (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
$4.99/T+/48 pgs.
ON SALE 4/30/14 (FOC – 4/7/14)
*For Valiant’s dedicated pullbox subscription customers, celebrate the launch of VALIANT FIRST with a special expanded edition of RAI #1, featuring 16 extra pages of in-story bonus features and dedicated looks inside the world of 4001 A.D. that won’t be collected for the trade paperback!
Valiant Entertainment is proud to announce that it has partnered with Catalyst Game Labs to produce role-playing and tabletop games featuring Valiant’s award-winning library of comic book superheroes. The partnership will lead off in mid-2014 with the release of the Valiant Universe RPG—Valiant’s first-ever role-playing game, designed for the Cue System (the Origins and ENnie awards-nominated system first published in Catalyst’s 1950s Rockets/Rayguns/Robots RPG, Cosmic Patrol). Subsequent releases, spotlighting a wide array of Valiant properties, will follow in 2015 and beyond.
The edge between superhero and villain has never been sharper. In the Valiant Universe RPG, players will immerse themselves in a dark and gritty world where every mission and every battle has deadly consequences. Whether playing X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman or even the all-powerful Toyo Harada—or any of dozens of characters—Valiant’s most fearless heroes will unite for the first time in a roleplaying game, allowing you to join their stories and create new ones! Whether you’re a longtime fan or brand new to the Valiant Universe, this is the only source you’ll need to bring Valiant’s leading characters to life in a fantastic superheroes setting!
“This is really a dream come true,” said Randall N. Bills, Managing Developer for Catalyst Game Labs. “I’ve always been a comics fan—as are most of Catalyst’ employees—and getting the chance to publish great games within a fantastic comics universe is spectacular. The fact that it’s Valiant, with its brilliant combination of heroic action and gritty realism, makes this all the more enjoyable.”
Valiant is a leading character-based entertainment company with a library of over 1,750 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman and many more. Established in 1989, Valiant has sold over 80 million comic books, and today its characters continue to be forged in publishing, licensing, film, video games, and beyond. Since its summer 2012 relaunch, Valiant has returned to the fore as one of the most highly regarded publishers in comics, winning a 2012 Diamond Gem Award for Comic Book Publisher of the Year. Just last month, the publisher announced Valiant First—a brand new publishing initiative primed to unleash a major #1 new series debut monthly throughout 2014, beginning in May with RAI #1—the first issue of an all-new ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt with fully painted interiors by superstar artist Clayton Crain.
“Catalyst is exceptional at what they do, and we couldn’t be happier to be working with a games publisher of their caliber on Valiant’s very first RPG. With such a skilled an enthusiastic team at the helm, we have every faith that Valiant’s first foray into the world of role-play and tabletop gaming will live up to the expectations of our fans around the world,” said Russell A. Brown, Valiant’s President of Consumer Products, Promotions & Ad Sales. “Catalyst is dedicated to doing these characters justice, and we look forward to giving our biggest heroes the gaming debut they deserve when the Valiant Universe RPG arrives later this year.”
Look to www.catalystgamelabs.com in the future for more details surrounding these coming games!
For more information on Valiant’s award-winning library of characters,
visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
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About Catalyst Game Labs
Catalyst Game Labs is dedicated to producing high quality games and fiction that mesh sophisticated game mechanics with dynamic universes-all presented in a form that allows beginning players and long-time veterans to easily jump into our games and fiction readers to enjoy our stories even if they don’t know the games.
Catalyst Game Labs is an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC, which specializes in electronic publishing of professional fiction. This allows Catalyst to participate in a synergy that melds printed gaming material and fiction with all the benefits of electronic interfaces and online communities, creating a whole-package experience for any type of player or reader. Find Catalyst Game Labs online at www.catalystgamelabs.com.
This summer, Valiant is kicking its colossal, 18-part ARMOR HUNTERS crossover event to high gear with five wraparound Chromium covers in June and July!
Featuring art by an outstanding array of superstar talents – including Jorge Molina, Mico Suayan, Clayton Crain, Philip Tan, and Lewis LaRosa – each Chromium-wrapped ARMOR HUNTERS issue represents an all-new jumping-on point for Valiant’s star-studded crossover epic.
Valiant will offer qualifying retailers worldwide the chance to “unlock Chromium” with five specially manufactured, limited edition Chromium covers for Armor Hunters #1 (of 4), Unity #8, and X-O Manowar #26 in June; and Armor Hunters: Bloodshot #1 (of 3) and Armor Hunters: Harbinger #1 (of 3) in July. Non-chromium standard editions of all five titles will also be offered for sale.
Contact your local retailer to pre-order your ARMOR HUNTERS Chromium Editions today…and ensure that you get the full, armor-plated experience of the biggest Valiant event ever!
“Valiant introduced Chromium to comics and we won a slew of innovation awards for Joe Quesada’s beautiful Chromium cover to the original X-O Manowar #0. We’ve received countless requests to bring Chromium back since our return in 2012, but wanted to wait until we had a story that justified its return. Now, with Armor Hunters, we have that story. In the wake of the announcement of Valiant First and Rai #1, the timing couldn’t be better to launch our biggest crossover event yet with the armor-plated opening salvo it deserves,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.
“This is bigger and bolder than anything we’ve done before. With Armor Hunters, Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite are laying down what could quite possibly be the most ambitious, most high stakes, most consequence-filled story in Valiant’s history. We’re going to be equally bold with our marketing and sales, and the first of those initiatives is Chromium. It’s a story-centric enhancement that reaches right back to Valiant’s roots and we’re proud to be able to offer these five Armor Hunters Chromium Editions as on-the-shelf items for excited fans across the world,” said Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
Retailers will be eligible to “unlock Chromium” based on their orders of Armor Hunters #1 (of 4), Unity #8, X-O Manowar #26, Armor Hunters: Bloodshot #1 (of 3), and Armor Hunters: Harbinger #1 (of 3). After “unlocking” each separate title, qualifying retailers may order as many Chromium editions of the corresponding title as they like. Retailers be advised: due to the lead time needed to manufacture this special cover process, print runs for all five Armor Hunters Chromium editions have already been set. Supplies are robust but limited, and allocations may occur. If allocations do occur, they will be made based on initial orders.
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ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by JORGE MOLINA
Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Blank Cover also available
A relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the X-O Manowar armor and all like it – have found finally their last target. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
In the tradition of the universe-shaking HARBINGER WARS, Valiant’s biggest heroes begin the fight for the summer’s blockbuster 18-issue crossover event right here in Armor Hunters #1 (of 4) – and then launch the resistance against the world’s first full-scale cosmic threat in Unity #8 and X-O Manowar #26 in June; and Armor Hunters: Bloodshot #1 (of 3) and Armor Hunters: Harbinger #1 (of 3) in July!
CHROM: $5.99/T+/32 pgs.
REG: $3.99/T+/32 pgs.
COMING IN JUNE!
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UNITY #8
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by MICO SUAYAN
Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
When an ultra-powerful threat from deep space begins brutalizing Earth, humanity’s first response is – who else? – the fearless team of heroes, soldiers, and short fuses called Unity! Now it’s down to Ninjak, Eternal Warrior and Livewire – plus some special surprise recruits – to lead the assault on the Armor Hunters’ first wave…even if they die trying!
CHROM: $5.99/T+/32 pgs.
REG: $3.99/T+/32 pgs.
COMING IN JUNE!
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X-O MANOWAR #26
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DIEGO BERNARD
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by CLAYTON CRAIN
Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
What is the X-O Manowar armor? And who before Aric of Dacia dared to wield its incalculable power? The ARMOR HUNTERS hold the key to the armor’s untold history and – one way or another – they crush anything that dares threaten their secret.
CHROM: $5.99/T+/32 pgs.
REG: $3.99/T+/32 pgs.
COMING IN JUNE!
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ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 (of 3)
Written by JOE HARRIS
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by PHILIP TAN
Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
The most dangerous weapon in the Valiant Universe has come in from the cold. With Earth under siege by the Armor Hunters, Bloodshot is the only thing standing between the destruction of the extraterrestrial intelligence agency known as MERO and the liberation of one of the Armor Hunters’ own.
CHROM: $5.99/T+/32 pgs.
REG: $3.99/T+/32 pgs.
COMING IN JULY!
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ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 (of 3)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by ROBERT GILL
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by LEWIS LAROSA
Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Because you demanded it! Out of the ashes of Harbinger Wars, the volatile psiot strike force known as Generation Zero step into their very first adventure – and right into the crosshairs of the Armor Hunters!
CHROM: $5.99/T+/32 pgs.
REG: $3.99/T+/32 pgs.
COMING IN JULY!
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
In support of the Valiant First publishing initiative, Valiant is proud to announce the Valiant First Pullbox Preview – a brand new wave of promotional preview books shipping from March to August to Valiant’s top 500 retail partners worldwide! Valiant’s Pullbox Preview editions will come bundled in shrink-wrapped packages of 20, and can be distributed to comic shop patrons and pullbox subscribers. Valiant will also be making additional bundles available to retailers for reorder via Diamond.
Hitting stores on March 12th alongside Unity #5, the first Pullbox Preview edition will feature a fully lettered preview of Rai #1 by superstar creators Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain, plus the first look at master storyteller Doug Braithwaite’s stunning interior pencil art for Armor Hunters #1 (of 4), a complete checklist reading order for the entire 18-part Armor Hunters crossover event, and much more!
“Over the course of the past two years, Valiant has made it our mission to arm our retail partners with some of the very best promotional tools and incentives in the business. Now, with the highly anticipated Valiant First rollout set to begin this May with Rai #1, Valiant is redoubling its efforts yet again with the new Pullbox Preview program. Beginning this March, fans can head to their local retailer each month and pick up the first of many all-new, free looks inside the biggest Valiant releases of the year with our new Pullbox Preview promotional comics,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.
What do you read first? Throughout 2014, Valiant will be rocketing to the top of your read pile with a major #1 issue debut monthly by some of the most talented creators in comics. Each month, Valiant is committed to delivering compelling and accessible new entry points to its award-winning publishing line – all while releasing no more than nine core titles per month by the end of the year. A combination of new ongoing titles, unprecedented crossover collisions, and high-profile mini-series, these are the titles that will have you reading Valiant FIRST when you head home from the comic shop!
MAY
RAI #1 by Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT) & Clayton Crain (X-Force)
JUNE
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 by Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Green Lantern) & Doug Braithwaite (Unity, Justice)
JULY
ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 by Joe Harris (X-Files: Season 10) & Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis)
JULY
ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 by Joshua Dysart (Harbinger Wars) & Robert Gill (Batgirl)
AUGUST
THE DELINQUENTS #1 by Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies), James Asmus (Thief of Thieves) & Kano (Gotham Central)
SEPTEMBER
THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE #1 by Jen Van Meter (Hopeless Savages) & Roberto de la Torre (Daredevil)
Head to your local comics retailer this March to get your first look at the landmark comics initiative of 2014 in the pages of the Valiant First Pullbox Preview – featuring an advance preview of Rai #1 by Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain! And look for subsequent issues spotlighting Valiant First’s most important releases to arrive each and every month.
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter , on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
X-O, X-O
Your Pals at Valiant Entertainment!
Card Design by Kalman Andrasofszky
In 2014, when you reach for your weekly comics stack, you’ll be reading VALIANT FIRST!
Enter VALIANT FIRST, a brand new publishing initiative primed to unleash a major #1 new series debut monthly throughout 2014, beginning this May with RAI #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) with fully painted interiors by superstar artist Clayton Crain (X-Force)!
An astonishing new vision of the future! The year’s biggest, most ambitious crossover event! The worst team-up in history! And an epic tale of love and high adventure! Valiant’s next phase begins this May with VALIANT FIRST!
“The defining goal of VALIANT FIRST is to give readers clear and accessible jumping-on points into Valiant’s award-winning publishing line,” said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons. “Over the past two years, Valiant’s approach to the craft and business of comics has been widely imitated throughout the industry. We’re incredibly flattered by that fact, but we also see it as a challenge. Our response is to raise the bar even higher. We’ve been building momentum with a slew of awards and the best reviewed line of books on the market – but 2014 is where you’ll see us double our game without doubling the size of our publishing line.”
“The VALIANT FIRST line-up was very specifically chosen, and will continue our ‘slow and steady’ approach to growth. You won’t see Valiant putting out more than nine core titles a month in 2014. We’re focused on quality over quantity, and we’ll be working hard to make sure that every VALIANT FIRST book is as good as anything else in the industry. You only have to look at the first wave of VALIANT FIRST titles to see that commitment – books like RAI #1 and ARMOR HUNTERS #1 are going to state our ambition with a vengeance,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.
Each month, VALIANT FIRST will debut an all-new series by some of the premier storytellers in comics today with new #1 issues featuring Valiant’s biggest, brashest and boldest characters.
RAI #1 (May)
Written by Matt Kindt (Unity, Mind MGMT); Art by Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage)
A VALIANT FIRST ongoing series! Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain are about to prove that there is nothing else in comics like RAI!
In the far future of 4001 A.D., Japan is a single endless city-state, governed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and policed by an army of just one – the mysterious Rai, spirit guardian of the rising sun. But, soon, a single bullet will shatter the peace it has taken 2,000 years to secure…
•
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (June)
Written by Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Green Lantern); Art by Doug Braithwaite (Unity, Justice)
A Valiant Universe crossover event! This summer, Earth will be the greatest hunt of all when VALIANT FIRST unleashes the first issue of 2014′s must-read mini-series event!
A relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the X-O Manowar armor and all like it – have found finally their last target. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
In the tradition of the universe-changing HARBINGER WARS, Valiant’s biggest heroes launch into the summer’s blockbuster 18-issue crossover event right here in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 – and then take the fight to the world’s first full-scale cosmic threat with new arcs of UNITY and X-O MANOWAR beginning in June, and ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT and ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER beginning in July!
•
ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 (July)
Written by Joe Harris (The X-Files: Season 10); Art by Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis)
The most dangerous weapon in the Valiant Universe has come in from the cold. With Earth under siege by the Armor Hunters, Bloodshot is the only thing standing between the destruction of the extraterrestrial intelligence agency known as MERO and the liberation of one of the Armor Hunters’ own.
•
ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 (July)
Written by Joshua Dysart (Harbinger Wars); Art by Robert Gill (Batgirl)
Because you demanded it! Out of the ashes of Harbinger Wars, the volatile psiot strike force known as Generation Zero step into their very first adventure – and right into the crosshairs of the Armor Hunters!
•
THE DELINQUENTS #1 (August)
Written by Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies) & James Asmus (Thief of Thieves); Art by Kano (Gotham Central)
It’s the world’s worst team-up when Archer & Armstrong meet Quantum and Woody! We apologize in advance for what can only be described as a swashbuckling, conspiracy-smashing, partner-trading, goat-fueled race across the USA!
•
THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE #1 (September)
Written by Jen Van Meter (Hopeless Savages); Art by Roberto de la Torre (Daredevil)
World-renowned parapsychologist Dr. Mirage and her husband Hwen were madly, deeply, stuff-of-legends in love – until the day a tragic accident stole Hwen away. Now, Dr, Mirage will have to use every ounce of her training and talents in the mystic arts to do the one thing Hwen taught her never to do – journey across the realms of Deadside and bring her love back to the land of the living.
“VALIANT FIRST came out of something fascinating that we’ve heard over and over again from our fans and retail partners. Not only did they tell us that they were now buying Valiant books as ferociously as the mainstays of the industry, but that the books they were most excited for, the books they reached for first were Valiant,” said Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
“With VALIANT FIRST, we’re committing to telling even better stories in 2014 and helping even more fans get Valiant titles into their comic stack. With an exciting line-up of new series and creative talent backing us up, VALIANT FIRST is all about making sure that when fans consider the best comics on the market today, they think of VALIANT FIRST.”
In the coming weeks, Valiant will also be announcing a number of sales incentives and promotional offerings – the largest in Valiant’s history – for comic shops worldwide to coincide with the launch of each VALIANT FIRST title.
“Over the next year, we’ll be working one-on-one with retailers to put our books in customer hands, and to generate new fans with each release. Already, we’re planning to introduce an expansive array of sales incentives, returnability offerings, and promotional materials. Look for details to follow as VALIANT FIRST hits the ground running,” said Hunter Gorinson, Valiant’s Director of Marketing, Communications & Digital Media.
For sneak peeks inside each monumental VALIANT FIRST release, follow VALIANT FIRST on Tumblr at ValiantFirst.tumblr.com for exclusive looks at costume designs, in-process artwork, and more top secret snippets from Valiant HQ!
In 2014, when you’re looking for the most exciting books on the stands, look for VALIANT FIRST!
For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com.
For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.
RAI #1
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
COMING IN MAY!
ARMOR HUNTERS #1
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover by JORGE MOLINA
COMING IN JUNE!
ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1
Written by JOE HARRIS
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover by PHILIP TAN
COMING IN JULY!
ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by ROBERT GILL
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA
COMING IN JULY!
THE DELINQUENTS #1
Written by FRED VAN LENTE & JAMES ASMUS
Art by KANO
Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
COMING IN AUGUST!
THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE #1
Written by JEN VAN METER
Art by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN
COMING IN SEPTEMBER!
