New To You Comics: ‘The Valiant’ From Valiant Entertainment

With the future of the comics industry still in flux, Brendan Allen and I are taking the opportunity to introduce each other to comics that the other might not have read. I’m more of a capes, laser guns and swords guy, while Brendan loves dark magic, criminals and things that go bump in the night. For my choice this week, I get to introduce Brendan to the wonderful world of crossover events, but we also talk about one of my favorite publishers!

Though Valiant has been around since the 90’s, the company shut down for several years. Then new ownership brought their IP’s back with a relaunch in 2012, and the company has been one of the most consistent since then. In 2015, the company hit what has been their high point since their return, and it started with The Valiant by Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Paolo Rivera, Joe Rivera and Dave Lanphear.

The Valiant is the story of the Immortal Enemy and the Eternal Warrior, two enemies that have battled for millenia over the life of the Geomancer. This time though, the war takes place in the modern day, where Gilad Anni-Pada has allies as fantastic as he is. Yet this war may have a much higher cost than any hero in the Valiant Universe could predict.

Tony Thornley: Hey Brendan! So it’s about time that I introduced you to the modern staple of comics – the event crossover. Now I understand you’ve read Marvel’s Civil War, but that’s about it?

Brendan Allen: Most of the crossover stuff I’ve read beyond Civil War are properties that absolutely DO NOT exist in the same universes, but were thrown together for the novelty. Batman/TMNT, He-Man/Thundercats, Bubba Ho-Tep/Army of Darkness… That kind of stuff. 

TT: Makes sense. I love the Valiant Universe though. In opinion, it’s probably the most consistent shared universe in comics today. This series is one of the stories that I like to point people to when they’re interested in Valiant. It’s not just a solid superhero action story, but Kindt and Lemire give a great meta commentary on superheroes and the illusion of change. What did you think?

BA: This is another one of those cases where I think there is just so much material, it’s hard to figure out where to jump on. I’ve covered the Eternal Warrior/Geomancer before, but I wasn’t really clear how that story fit into the bigger picture, with Bloodshot, Archer and Armstrong, Ninjak, XO Man-O-War… This crossover mini is a decent primer. Gives a little taste of the big ongoing titles. It’s as good a place as any to dive into Valiant.

TT: Yeah. It gave you just enough to get everyone’s deal, but it’s also firmly a Bloodshot/Eternal Warrior story. Plus, I absolutely loved the villain here. The Immortal Enemy/Mister Flay is one of the creepiest supervillains I’ve run into and I’m not sure if it’s more because of the art or how he’s written.

BA: Oh yeah. Super creepy. There’s this kind of Highlander vibe where the Warrior and the Enemy keep meeting and doing battle in different periods. The design of Mr. Flay really presents him as an unbeatable force, this truly horrifying beastly entity. Lemire and Kindt did their part, and then Rivera takes the ball and runs it in. 

TT: Paolo Rivera is a big change from a lot of superhero stories, which is why I think he works so well. He kind of takes the story in a horror story direction, but he has a great grasp on the action. But like I said, it’s very different stylistically from other superhero books, especially the ones I’ve introduced to you to so far.

BA: Rivera’s style is striking, and fits both the action and supernatural elements well. There’s a really nice balance between mundane and supernatural elements. Like, you almost forget about the weird stuff until it pops back up again. 

TT: What did you think?

BA: Like I said, I’m not super familiar with the Valiant Universe. I have covered a couple of these ongoing titles before. I’ve done a Geomancer book and an XO Manowar series. They’re such different stories, I never would have linked them into the same universe. 

TT: That’s exactly the problem with shared universe events, even with one executed as well as this one.

BA: I guess on some level, you really just have to commit and pick a spot to jump in. This book puts all the major players in the same places at the same times, so there’s at least some context for how their stories relate to each other, but I think a reader with no previous experience in at least a couple of these stories might have a little bit of a hard time finding their way around. I did like it. I’m still fuzzy on a lot of the details, but it’s got a lot of the marks I look for in new books. 

TT: Awesome, I think it’s one of the best events that’s been published, and I’m glad you dug it. So what do we have up next?

BA: The next book we’ll be hitting is an early Donny Cates collaboration called Buzzkill. Technically a superhero gig, but a very different take on a well worn trope. 

TT: Awesome! Looking forward to it!

We’d like to ask, on behalf of our friends and colleagues that own and are employed by comic shops, that you first try to get these books at your local shop. This is a very uncertain time for owners, employees, and their families. Show some love for your community and friends by buying from your regular shop when possible and safe.

If your local comic store is temporarily closed, not offering safe curbside pick up or mail order, or is out of stock on this title, Valiant has a digital version of The Valiant currently on Comixology or included as a part of Comixology Unlimited.