Freezasaurus
Member
I really enjoyed Valiant's Nintendo books when I was a kid.
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Valiant Comics (Beginner's Guide) |OT| Out of the trash bin and into your hands.
- Thread starter LaunchpadMcQ
- Start date
I really enjoyed Valiant's Nintendo books when I was a kid.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
ROAD TO RAPTURE SALE ON COMIXOLOGY
** recommended for newcomers
BUNDLES
NINJAK #1-25 - $19.99**
SHADOWMAN #0-16 + SHADOWMAN: END TIMES #1-3 - $15.99
INDIVIDUAL ISSUES - $0.99 EACH
THE VALIANT #1-4**
UNITY #1-7
X-O MANOWAR (2012) #5-8
BOOK OF DEATH #1-4**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF BLOODSHOT**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF HARBINGER**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF NINJAK**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF X-O MANOWAR**
COLLECTED EDITIONS
These are more expensive that just buying the individual issues listed above. They have extra art in the back, but personally, don't think it's worth it. These also include some trades from old Valiant before the current universe.
Link to full sale page
RECOMMENDATIONS
I highly recommend The Valiant. It's the best entry point into the universe. At $3.96 for the 4 issues, it's a steal; Lemire and Kindt wrote the hell out of that book, and Rivera's art is mind-boggling. After that, I'd recommend Book of Death; it's a pseudo-sequel to The Valiant. This has four tie-ins; they are optional reading, but they are each standalone tales that require no context and are easy to pick up, even if you don't read Book of Death.
If you're after an longer series run, I recommend the Ninjak bundle. It's a fun espionage book that can be pretty weighty at times. At $19.99, you get 25 out of a total 27 issues. Reading this run will
Unity #1-4 are hard to recommend because you pretty much have to read it with the X-O Manowar issues it crosses over with. Unity #5-7 are their own smaller arc; it reads well on its own, if you're interested in a team book.
X-O Manowar #5-8 is Ninjak's first appearance in the new Valiant universe and reads well on its own.
Shadowman is the rockiest series on sale here. I would only recommend #0-10. Everything after is really hit or miss, with a lot of miss.
** recommended for newcomers
BUNDLES
NINJAK #1-25 - $19.99**
SHADOWMAN #0-16 + SHADOWMAN: END TIMES #1-3 - $15.99
INDIVIDUAL ISSUES - $0.99 EACH
THE VALIANT #1-4**
UNITY #1-7
X-O MANOWAR (2012) #5-8
BOOK OF DEATH #1-4**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF BLOODSHOT**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF HARBINGER**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF NINJAK**
BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF X-O MANOWAR**
COLLECTED EDITIONS
These are more expensive that just buying the individual issues listed above. They have extra art in the back, but personally, don't think it's worth it. These also include some trades from old Valiant before the current universe.
Link to full sale page
RECOMMENDATIONS
I highly recommend The Valiant. It's the best entry point into the universe. At $3.96 for the 4 issues, it's a steal; Lemire and Kindt wrote the hell out of that book, and Rivera's art is mind-boggling. After that, I'd recommend Book of Death; it's a pseudo-sequel to The Valiant. This has four tie-ins; they are optional reading, but they are each standalone tales that require no context and are easy to pick up, even if you don't read Book of Death.
If you're after an longer series run, I recommend the Ninjak bundle. It's a fun espionage book that can be pretty weighty at times. At $19.99, you get 25 out of a total 27 issues. Reading this run will
Unity #1-4 are hard to recommend because you pretty much have to read it with the X-O Manowar issues it crosses over with. Unity #5-7 are their own smaller arc; it reads well on its own, if you're interested in a team book.
X-O Manowar #5-8 is Ninjak's first appearance in the new Valiant universe and reads well on its own.
Shadowman is the rockiest series on sale here. I would only recommend #0-10. Everything after is really hit or miss, with a lot of miss.
is there a nice sense of a 'story ending' at 26?
Dr. Benton Quest
Banned
How communist is divinity?
What do you mean exactly?
Honestly personally for me i imagine there is only one story arc in Ninjak when he went into i think it was called the dead zone whatever it's that will be relevant
Though can't be sure unless i research details
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
Yes. It's a complete run. 27 teases some new stuff for the next series, but 26 is Kindt's bow on top.
Not so much. Dude just wants to live in peace. It's his cosmonaut colleagues who are the problem...
Unlikely. They'll catch you up, and there's only one thing you have to know from the third arc of Ninjak (they will likely tell you that too). It's that
Ninjak and Punk Mambo extracted Shadowman from the Deadside and he's been in MI6 custody.
I found the first one disappointingly non-commie on the surface, but looking back, in a more abstract sense, it's a sympathetic look at the communist ethos in a Cold War context.
Like, the core conflict (externally) is a Western hegemony trying to destroy a "utopia" created by a Russia simply because they fear change. Of course, the quality of that utopia is an open question, so there's nuance there.
When you read it from that angle it makes for an interesting story. I'm curious what the writer's politics are and if it was intentional.
I haven't read either sequel yet though.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
That's quite an interesting take. I'll have to reread that because I was also lukewarm on the first series. The sequels are much more upfront.
Brianimaniac
Banned
Fucking sales. I'm not even caught up on my beloved Tomasi/Gleason Superman and here I am reading Valiant comics.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
I'm in the same boat, actually. Love Superman, but I fell behind a few issues and now it's a large investment to catch up
Brianimaniac
Banned
I would rather be reading a couple extra DC things instead of Secret Empire and Cap, but it's such a mine field of spoilers out there for Secret Empire that I have to keep up on that if I don't want it ruined.I'm in the same boat, actually. Love Superman, but I fell behind a few issues and now it's a large investment to catch up
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
Yeah, I actually really understand that
pseudocaesar
Member
I'll chime in to say that X-O Manowar is freaking amazing.
Freezasaurus
Member
Previous run or the new series that just started? I've only read the new one and it has been brilliant so far.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
Both, really lol
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
They are all really good but Fall of Harbinger is a revelation
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
It's never too late! Plenty of good places to start
Read the 90's Valiant, but recently discovered the relaunch and was blown away (look for them on the Comicblitz app). Read XOM, Harbinger, Imperium, Ninjak, the Valiant, Bloodshoot, and Archer and Armstrong, and I didn't think there was a single weak title among these. Imperium especially, it makes me wonder why there was never a "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" ongoing series in Marvel that dealt only with the X-villains.
I like how the characters seem like they were actually made for today's audience and made to exist in the modern day, as opposed to taking costumed character concepts from the 40's and trying to make them fit into the present day.
I like how the characters seem like they were actually made for today's audience and made to exist in the modern day, as opposed to taking costumed character concepts from the 40's and trying to make them fit into the present day.
i think you might consider starting with harbinger
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
No, just in the first XO arc.
Gone through and love Harbinger - just never really got around to Imperium
oh man I read me some Valiant comics and I got some issues lol.
First is A&A. The previous Van Lente run was amazing! Heck, the og Barry Windsor Smith stuff was amazing too! (I never finished once he stopped writing... I really should one day).
So A&A... I really liked this series too! It was awesome how it somehow managed to tell like 3 different stories all at the same time and tie them all up at the end, but that's the problem with it... it ended! Shoulda kept going on imo.
Generation Zero. Spoilers, but there's one issue in this series where one of the characters get shot up to pieces! Yet in the very next episode, she's all good and the plot point is that ANOTHER one of their members was the actual person who was injured. Now in a coma, they have to go into her mind to do whoknows and then in the final 2 or 3 issues, one of the characters, Gamete, mysteriously disappears for the rest of the run!!!
Lastly, Harbinger. Yo Valiant, I mailed you my coupons and a $10 check!!! When you gonna cash that?!?!?! I want my #0 issue so I can sell it on ebay for a profit!! (or at least assurance that I will receive it).
and completely unrelated, but I posted this in the regular comics thread before and probably nobody bothered to listen so here goes in this thread:
the Fred Van Lente run on Magnus Robot Fighter (Dynamite comics) is VERY good! Read it, because I really hope more people do. This dude always writes some of the best action / comedy books for Valiant so I highly recommend checking out his run on a pseudo-Valiant project.
the rest of the Gold Key stuff Dynamite did was above average to weird to bad, but Magnus at least should not be ignored.
First is A&A. The previous Van Lente run was amazing! Heck, the og Barry Windsor Smith stuff was amazing too! (I never finished once he stopped writing... I really should one day).
So A&A... I really liked this series too! It was awesome how it somehow managed to tell like 3 different stories all at the same time and tie them all up at the end, but that's the problem with it... it ended! Shoulda kept going on imo.
Generation Zero. Spoilers, but there's one issue in this series where one of the characters get shot up to pieces! Yet in the very next episode, she's all good and the plot point is that ANOTHER one of their members was the actual person who was injured. Now in a coma, they have to go into her mind to do whoknows
and then in the final 2 or 3 issues, one of the characters, Gamete, mysteriously disappears for the rest of the run!!!Lastly, Harbinger. Yo Valiant, I mailed you my coupons and a $10 check!!! When you gonna cash that?!?!?! I want my #0 issue so I can sell it on ebay for a profit!! (or at least assurance that I will receive it).
and completely unrelated, but I posted this in the regular comics thread before and probably nobody bothered to listen so here goes in this thread:
the Fred Van Lente run on Magnus Robot Fighter (Dynamite comics) is VERY good! Read it, because I really hope more people do. This dude always writes some of the best action / comedy books for Valiant so I highly recommend checking out his run on a pseudo-Valiant project.
the rest of the Gold Key stuff Dynamite did was above average to weird to bad, but Magnus at least should not be ignored.
Freezasaurus
Member
I'm re-reading the 4001AD: War Mother one-shot because it was so god damn good. Was that the character's only appearance so far?
Donniewahlberg
Banned
I'm going to legit actually go in on Valiant starting this week. Quick Q though. I can't be bothered drip buying each book in publication order unless it is extremely necessary (which it doesn't seem to be) so the plan is just to buy in runs eg the harbinger run, the Bloodshot Reborn, Ninjak run etc and just read them like that and puzzle how they all fit together as I go.
I've got a pretty good general understanding of publication buttttt are any of the act 4 onwards runs materially impacted by Book Of Death, to the point I would want to read that before reading say book 3 or Bloodshot or Ninjak, or something? Stalinverse, 4001 AD and so on seem so contained it's not a big deal outside of the book they literally deal on (Divinity, Rai), Book Of Death it's pretty clear not to read Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior until I've read but is that the only logical thing to keep in mind?
I've got a pretty good general understanding of publication buttttt are any of the act 4 onwards runs materially impacted by Book Of Death, to the point I would want to read that before reading say book 3 or Bloodshot or Ninjak, or something? Stalinverse, 4001 AD and so on seem so contained it's not a big deal outside of the book they literally deal on (Divinity, Rai), Book Of Death it's pretty clear not to read Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior until I've read but is that the only logical thing to keep in mind?
Launchpad has better memory than me but i don't think so because the focus of that event was on the Eternal Warrior and i don't think it affects the books you are going to read especially Bloodshot and Ninjak should be accessible, remember to get the Valiant if you haven't
Donniewahlberg
Banned
Oh yea sorry I will be picking up The Valiant haha if I don't do Harbinger first, that will be at the top of whatever I do go for's pile. Cheers, that's cool then, I'm pretty clear otherwise. Basically my plan is just to pick it up in runs and sort the cross overs into the most sensible place. Book of death and wrath, Rai and 4001 ad, Divinity and Stalin verse, and just start to chip away slowly like that
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
oh man I read me some Valiant comics and I got some issues lol.
First is A&A. The previous Van Lente run was amazing! Heck, the og Barry Windsor Smith stuff was amazing too! (I never finished once he stopped writing... I really should one day).
So A&A... I really liked this series too! It was awesome how it somehow managed to tell like 3 different stories all at the same time and tie them all up at the end, but that's the problem with it... it ended! Shoulda kept going on imo.
Generation Zero. Spoilers, but there's one issue in this series where one of the characters get shot up to pieces! Yet in the very next episode, she's all good and the plot point is that ANOTHER one of their members was the actual person who was injured. Now in a coma, they have to go into her mind to do whoknows
Lastly, Harbinger. Yo Valiant, I mailed you my coupons and a $10 check!!! When you gonna cash that?!?!?! I want my #0 issue so I can sell it on ebay for a profit!! (or at least assurance that I will receive it).
and completely unrelated, but I posted this in the regular comics thread before and probably nobody bothered to listen so here goes in this thread:
the Fred Van Lente run on Magnus Robot Fighter (Dynamite comics) is VERY good! Read it, because I really hope more people do. This dude always writes some of the best action / comedy books for Valiant so I highly recommend checking out his run on a pseudo-Valiant project.
the rest of the Gold Key stuff Dynamite did was above average to weird to bad, but Magnus at least should not be ignored.
Glad you're enjoying! I wasn't too hot on A&A, but I want to give it another chance and finish it this time.
I also own Magnus, but haven't read it. I've bought most of Dynamite's Gold Key stuff except Spektor which I heard was pretty bad.
She appears in Book of Death in the background of a splash page. That's pretty much it. She didn't even get a name until the 4001 AD one-shot was announced. Apparently, she's been alive for a long time, though.
Book of Death doesn't impact any other series. I've actually noticed something else Valiant has been doing - if an event affects a character in some way, it gets spun off into a new book. They don't mess with series that are ongoing when the event ends on anything past a mention, if that. So, from The Valiant, you get Bloodshot Reborn. From Book of Death, you get Wrath of the Eternal Warrior. From Rapture, you get Ninja-K and Shadowman (next year).
Idk Faith (who is valiants Ms Marvel)
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
They don't really have a Harley-like character. Faith is the one that sells the books, though.
Donniewahlberg
Banned
Yea definitely, it makes things really manageable to split into chunks when looking to jump in..
...which I have! I grabbed the Valiant and Lemire's Bloodshot Reborn run right through to the end of Bloodshot USA, so I am firmly right in there now, a whole run crossed off the list. Really looking forward to actually reading some of this stuff. Of course, cheers to the awesome OT for making that path an easy easy one. Next up I'll do another chunk, probably Harbingers, then maybe Ninjak. I'm going to have to clear a shelf....
Will Valiant High be collected eventually btw? Or do "comixology originals" stay digital?
Vic_Viper
Member
Just started reading Ninjak (2015) last night and holy crap is that first issue really good. I know Clay Mann was only on the first few issues but man is his art amazing in it too. Between him and Paolo Rivera, Valiant had some of the best artists in the industry. Really wish they had stayed longer than 4 issues though. I mean neither of them work on books anymore accept for covers here and there.
What do I absolutely need to read before Ninjak? What comes before the ongoing that is pretty much needed? Should I read the X-O arc Enter Ninjak? Are there any events other than Harbinger Wars that come before the ongoing?
What about Bloodshot Reborn? Should I read the Bloodshot Ongoing and then The Valiant before Reborn? I already know im going to finish the Valiant before starting Reborn but is there anything else I should probably read just to get a good idea as to what has been going on with him before the Reborn stuff?
Ive also heard really great things about Eternal Warrior but it doesnt look like Valiant is ever going to give him a Deluxe Edition. Where does his ongoing start? Pretty sure im going to read the Book of Death, 4001, and Divinity also.
What do I absolutely need to read before Ninjak? What comes before the ongoing that is pretty much needed? Should I read the X-O arc Enter Ninjak? Are there any events other than Harbinger Wars that come before the ongoing?
What about Bloodshot Reborn? Should I read the Bloodshot Ongoing and then The Valiant before Reborn? I already know im going to finish the Valiant before starting Reborn but is there anything else I should probably read just to get a good idea as to what has been going on with him before the Reborn stuff?
Ive also heard really great things about Eternal Warrior but it doesnt look like Valiant is ever going to give him a Deluxe Edition. Where does his ongoing start? Pretty sure im going to read the Book of Death, 4001, and Divinity also.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
No idea on whether the CMX originals will be collected. It's only Valiant High so far and that hasn't ended yet.
"Enter Ninjak" was Ninjak's introduction to the Valiant universe, and it's a good story. Probably best to read the first volume of X-O at that point since it's an entry-priced one, then volume 2 for "Enter Ninjak". Unity is where you'd want to go to get a lot more of him, though; he features heavily and it's also written by Kindt. I've included reading info for that one in the second post. Harbinger Wars didn't involve Ninjak, only Harbinger and Bloodshot. The Valiant is the only one that directly precedes Ninjak in anyway (and by that I just mean he's in it and does stuff).
Bloodshot Reborn can be read on its own, or with The Valiant just before it. The first Bloodshot series is kind of meh and I recommend only reading it if you absolutely want more of the guy. There's not a lot that changes from Bloodshot #1 to the last issue. The Valiant onward are where things really take off for the character, though he was involved in Harbinger Wars (but that's more of a Harbinger event overall).
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior is the only EW series I'd recommend. There may be a deluxe on the horizon, but the series only ended a few months ago and they take awhile to get the hardcovers out. Your last three choices are great.
Hope that helps and let me know if you have more specific questions.
Freezasaurus
Member
So were they just sitting around one day trying to brainstorm new characters before deciding to just browse existing panels for something they could use? :3
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
Worse. They worked her in there, didn't even give her a name, and months later started hyping her up as being "spun out of Book of Death!" and nobody had a clue who the hell she was. Then she turned out to be awesome. It was the perfect troll
Freezasaurus
Member
Proof that all you need to start with is a decent character design.
LaunchpadMcQ
Banned
Rapture #1 is a great jumping on point for new reads. X-O Manowar #3 is the finale of an arc, and so is Valiant High #4, so those are less recommended unless you're willing to catch up. Valiant High #1-3 are also available for $.99 until May 28, and they are available through Comixology Unlimited