Valiant Comics has announced a new initiative entitled “Valiant First.” From May until September, Valiant will be releasing a new #1 beginning with Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain’s new series “Rai,” and end with Jen Van Meter and Roberto De La Torre’s “The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage.” While almost all the other Valiant ongoings will continue, “Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps” will be coming to an end in May. The idea behind the initiative is to give readers who haven’t yet read any Valiant to start picking up their books with the thought that it would be the first book you read every week, hence the double meaning behind “Valiant First.” But what about the books themselves? Luckily Valiant has given details on all their upcoming series, starting with their first new title “Rai.”
“Rai” is Matt Kindt’s first ongoing with the company and sees a Japanese warrior sent into the far future to fight the evils that befall the 40th century. In their press release, Valiant describes the series:
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….”
The second book, debuting in June will be “Armor Hunters #1”. “Armor Hunters” is an 18-part story that ties into Unity, X-O Manowar and the rest of the Valiant Universe and will also be the focus of July’s two new titles “Armor Hunters: Bloodshot #1” and “Armor Hunters: Harbinger #1.” The story follows an alien invasion that has come to take out X-O Manowar and all the heroes of the Valiant Universe. The two tie-in titles are currently one shots, with the former being Valiant’s way of transitioning “Bloodshot and H.A.R.D Corps” into the Armor Hunters series after its conclusion. Valiant describes the series:
“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.”
“Armor Hunters” will be done by Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite, “Bloodshot” by Joe Harris and Trevor Hairsine, and “Harbinger” by Joshua Dysart and Robert Gill.
August brings the “World’s Worst Team-Up” with “The Delinquents #1,” which features Quantum and Woody (with The Goat) teaming up with Archer and Armstrong to go on adventures. In an interview with CBR, Valiant editor Walter Simons described how the two teams came together and what brought about this team-up:
“After we launched Quantum and Woody, we knew that sometime in the future both Quantum & Woody and Archer & Armstrong had to meet up with each other. It had a very natural feel, so when we talked to the guys about it (James Asmus and Fred Van Lente), they both responded really well to it. Having Fred and James write a comedy series featuring Archer & Armstrong and Quantum & Woody is a little bit of a dream project. So I’m super pumped up about it.”
The final title of “Valiant First” is “The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage,” Valiant’s first female-led series. Described as a supernatural romance, it follows the aforementioned Doctor Mirage as she journeys into the abyss to find her dead husband. Valiant describes the series:
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.
So what do you think of “Valiant First?” Any of the titles stick out to you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
