LET'S TALK: Valiant

[the1captain]

One bad side affect of waiting for the price drop and then catching up is I'm currently 3 episodes behind on the great OTV podcast!

Quick! To the listenerie!

Glad you like it, thanks

Was going to start to catch up this week. Then Marvel broke Comixology so who knows when I'll get to read my Valiant books.

[Perry]

Post deleted by me.
Move along ... nothing to see here.

[SpideySavestheDay]

While I'm disappointed with Zircher leaving Shadowman for Suicide Squad, I wonder whether this is a situation of the big leagues (DC & Marvel) pulling talent up from the minors (everyone else)?

Looking over Zircher's wikipedia page, he never seems to stay too long at any one title (21 issues with Cable & Deadpool). Was Valiant using him to jump start this series?

[Perry]

While I'm disappointed with Zircher leaving Shadowman for Suicide Squad, I wonder whether this is a situation of the big leagues (DC & Marvel) pulling talent up from the minors (everyone else)?

Not sure that is the case as according to Zirch, he is "still working with" Valiant in some capacity. Not sure how. He will be missed on SHADOWMAN however.

[the1captain]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/04/12/ ... rchandise/

Valiant is going to start putting out some merch. Looking forward to seeing what comes out.

[HipHopHead]

The first merch will be available via Dynamic Forces and is an X-O Manowar litho for retail price of $49.99.

[BadDeacon]

The first merch will be available via Dynamic Forces and is an X-O Manowar litho for retail price of $49.99.

Reading between the lines of the legal fight for the Trademarks that Valiant went through with Valiant Intellectual Properties (VIP), this is pretty interesting.

It's been heavily speculated that VIP was a dummy corporation for Dynamic Forces. They have pursued this approach with other trademarks, so it seems to fit their M.O.

[the1captain]

Do not click on this link if you don't want to be spoiled. It has images from the upcoming free comic book day. There is a lot to be excited about. Including an image on the back of the book that will excite long time Valiant fans.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/04/25/ ... -spoilers/

[HipHopHead]

Do not click on this link if you don't want to be spoiled. It has images from the upcoming free comic book day. There is a lot to be excited about. Including an image on the back of the book that will excite long time Valiant fans.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/04/25/ ... -spoilers/

WOW!!!

[Perry]

Valiant may have finally lost me just a little with

PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:

the new ETERNAL WARRIOR title. Only reason I am really getting A&A is the bundle deal through DCBS (though it is slowly wearing me down and I'm starting to enjoy it more ) so a title in that fashion doesn't make me feel the need to buy it, but man am I all over that NINJAK!!!! Also, as a newbie to this universe (avoided 90's comics like Herpes, so I missed the initial run of Valiant) I am very interested to see what H.A.R.D CORPS is all about, though I know a little.

I must honestly say, that my only true gripe about this universe, and it is just a personal gripe ... and a small one at that because they are doing so much right ... is I don't feel a good villain/antagonist has presented himself/herself yet. Not knocking the ones out there, I like Harada and peaked by the prospect of Master Darque, but to me there hasn't been, a Dr. Doom, a Magneto, a Galactus, a Thulsa Doom or even a Lex Luther type. One that really just grabbed me and make me go "Oooohhhh". Although so far I guess you can relate Harada to Magneto.

Maybe it's just still (relatively) early in the stories or perhaps, and more likely, its just me.

[SpideySavestheDay]

I must honestly say, that my only true gripe about this universe, and it is just a personal gripe ... and a small one at that because they are doing so much right ... is I don't feel a good villain/antagonist has presented himself/herself yet. Not knocking the ones out there, I like Harada and peaked by the prospect of Master Darque, but to me there hasn't been, a Dr. Doom, a Magneto, a Galactus, a Thulsa Doom or even a Lex Luther type. One that really just grabbed me and make me go "Oooohhhh". Although so far I guess you can relate Harada to Magneto.

Maybe it's just still (relatively) early in the stories or perhaps, and more likely, its just me.

Good point especially with DC's next promotion of 'villians month' (confirmed?). Where are the arch-nemesis's? The bigger than-life villians?

[BadDeacon]

I must honestly say, that my only true gripe about this universe, and it is just a personal gripe ... and a small one at that because they are doing so much right ... is I don't feel a good villain/antagonist has presented himself/herself yet. Not knocking the ones out there, I like Harada and peaked by the prospect of Master Darque, but to me there hasn't been, a Dr. Doom, a Magneto, a Galactus, a Thulsa Doom or even a Lex Luther type. One that really just grabbed me and make me go "Oooohhhh". Although so far I guess you can relate Harada to Magneto.

Maybe it's just still (relatively) early in the stories or perhaps, and more likely, its just me.

This was a bit of the case with the original Valiant.

For a while, Master Darque became the biggest villain and threat in the Valiant Universe, and I'd love to see him emerge as a big giant threat to everyone.

After that, Harada was the biggest villain, and he was always ambiguous in the original, and this new version of Harada is even more ambiguous as to whether he is a villain or not.

The original Valiant had Mothergod, aka Erica Pierce, and she was the villain of Unity, but she was primarily based on the Solar mythos, so it would be hard for her to return.

We've got the Vine, but they seem confined to X-O, and the 1%/Dominion/Null in Archer & Armstrong don't seem quite so ominous.

[BobBretall]

Veeeerrrrrry interesting......coming out of Harbinger Wars, with issue #14, Bloodshot becomes "Bloodshot & H.A.R.D. Corps #14"...

http://www.newsarama.com/17760-bloodsho ... -wars.html

I absolutely love the fact that they are not rebooting to a new #1.

BRAVO Valiant!

[the1captain]

Veeeerrrrrry interesting......coming out of Harbinger Wars, with issue #14, Bloodshot becomes "Bloodshot & H.A.R.D. Corps #14"...

http://www.newsarama.com/17760-bloodsho ... -wars.html

I absolutely love the fact that they are not rebooting to a new #1.

BRAVO Valiant!

Quality doesn't need a gimmick to sell. A new #1 coming off just over a year since the series began would have done more damage to the brand than a slight bump in a #1 would have given.

[Perry]

I am scared why they had to do this to begin with. Was this a planned "merging" or were sales so low they had to blend the title? One thing that scares me about Valiant sticking around, is no-one seems to know if sales of ... say 9K will be good enough for this company to remain viable.

Especially now that they are starting to (possibly) expand with two more titles this summer. That will cause some buyers to drop certain titles and thus lessening sales further. For example, I will be stopping my "Valiant bundle" through DCBS as I am not interested in the ETERNAL WARRIOR title, if that will be a solo title (though I like Pak as the writer) and I have always been less than thrilled with ARCHER & ARMSTRONG (though the quality is superb).

Now while I will continue with the BLOODSHOT title, and they will be gaining me as a reader of the new NINJAK title (if that is another additional title, of course) they are losing me on A&A. If more buyers are like me, how far can sales drop before that title is gone? Is this why Bloodshot has this supporting cast now? (Yes, I do realize Bloodshot and H.A.R.D Corps do work well together and separate, they could be deemed too redundant)

With DC and Marvel, we know, for the most part, the magic "in jeopardy" number for sales, but for Valiant ... I have no idea. I hope their titles can be profitable at their current low sales numbers, and I certainly wish more people would jump on this fantastic company and increase these sales numbers, but as it stands I just don't know.