Bloodshot Stocks Up

 

Yes!

Never fear, Valiant fans.

I'm preparing for next year's big adventure!

 

 

Let's see. 

Free Comic Book Day happens in January, right?

 

Related Links

The Year of Valiant 2022 FCBD Special

X-O Manowar in Contemporary Ukraine

X-O Manowar #1 Cover A by Christian Ward

 

In early 2020, our hero Aric of Dacia attempted to settle a long-running conflict in the Ukraine. The way writer Dennis Hopeless Hallum introduced the conflict in X-O Manowar #1, I expected him to introduce us to the realities of life in the Ukraine. There was some precedent for such an expectation, as author Jorge Gonzalez touched on the conflict between Russia and Afghanistan in the first series of X-O Manowar #23, back in December 1993.

 

X-O Manowar Vol 1 #23

 

Of course, you never know which way a story will go, and in no way should this post be considered a criticism of Dennis Hopeless Hallum's series. But Aric's venture into the Ukraine, amid a fight with Russia and a civil war conflict (which Wikipedia refers to as the War in Donbas) aroused my interest in the conflict.

Here's a reminder of Aric's first involvement in the conflict from Dennis Hopeless Hallum's X-O Manowar #1. Enjoy!

 

Despite the warlord Yakiov leaving the Ukraine, nothing seems to have changed there, or been decided one way or other, since the Dennis' first issue hit comic shops last year. According to a recent news report on the current situation in the Ukraine from Politico.com, this ongoing conflict has killed 14,000 people, and displaced more than 730,000. Reporter David M. Herszenhorn, Politico's chief Brussels correspondent, shares some fascinating insights from residents and soldiers there.

If you'd like to read the report, follow the link below. Many thanks to reporter David M. Herszenhorn, and the good folks at Politico.com, for sharing this close up view of conditions in contemporary Ukraine with us.

Dragon Dave

Related Links

Politico Report on Russian Involvement in the Ukraine

Summary of X-O Manowar Vol 1 #23

Shadowman #5 Color Previews

 

Shadowman #5 Pre-Order Cover by Adam Pollina

Recently, Valiant Entertainment has given fans an unprecedented glimpse into Shadowman #5. First, they shared two five-page Black & White previews featuring Pedro Andreo's penciling and inking in The Harbinger #2 and #3, as well as X-O Manowar #8 and #9. Two days ago, the good folks at Valiant released three more pages on Twitter, this time colored and lettered.  

As penciler and inker Pedro Andreo said on Twitter, colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Clayton Cowles are on fire! (Hopefully, both have plenty of water on hand nearby).

I don't know how these colored and lettered pages factor in with the earlier black and white previews, but they feature Shadowman fighting zombies, which is always good horror fun. Enjoy!

I must admit, I was so taken with Jon Davis-Hunt's penciling and inking in issues #1-4, that when he left Shadowman, I felt a terrible sense of loss. But Pedro's penciling and inking in issue #5 is absolutely spellbinding!

Shadowman's commentary suggests that Jack may pick up a few human travelers in this next story arc. It also hints at some of the worldbuilding that supports this series. You can tell Cullen took the time to construct a solid foundation upon which to build his stories. 

But then, what else would you expect from a bestselling author?

 

I may not be a big horror fan, but I'm enormously impressed with this new color preview of Shadowman #5. I suspect I'll be counting the days until Shadowman #5 arrives in stores on January 19, 2022. 

Wait, that's twenty-one days away? However will I cope until then?

Dragon Dave

Shadowman #5 Black & White Previews Part 2

 

Shadowman #5 Cover B by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia

As I mentioned in Part 1, while Shadowman penciler and inker Jon Davis-Hunt is moving over to Valiant's upcoming Bloodshot series, former Bloodshot artist Pedro Andreo is switching gears to work on Shadowman. Shadowman #5 will kick off author Cullen Bunn's Deadside War story arc. If Pedro's unlettered, uncolored penciled and inked pages are anything to go by, the series is about to get even more spellbinding than before.

Here's five more beautiful Black & White preview pages from Shadowman #5, courtesy of the good folks at Valiant Entertainment. Enjoy!

Shadowman #5 Black & White Preview Page 6

Shadowman #5 Black & White Preview Page 7

Shadowman #5 Black & White Preview Page 8

Shadowman #5 Black & White Preview Page 9

Shadowman #5 Black & White Preview Page 10

By the way, I should add that the page designations are mine, not Valiant's. So you'll have to wait until Wednesday, January 19, 2022, to see if these are the actual first ten pages of Shadowman #5. In the meantime, if you'd like to see these Black & White preview pages without the Valiant watermark, you'll find them inside The Harbinger #3 and X-O Manowar #9.

Make sure to reserve your copy of Shadowman #5 with your local comic shop. This series looks like it's really picking up scream!

Dragon Dave

Shadowman #5 Black & White Previews Part 1

 

Shadowman #5 Cover A by Jon Davis-Hunt

While writer Cullen Bunn continues to spin stories about our favorite Deadside hero in Shadowman #5, dynamic Bloodshot artist Pedro Andreo takes over the penciling and inking chores. Here's a few fabulous Black & White preview pages from the new issue, out Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Enjoy!

Shadowman #5 Preview Page 1

Shadowman #5 Preview Pages 2 & 3

Shadowman #5 Preview Page 2

Shadowman #5 Preview Page 3

Shadowman #5 Preview Page 4

Shadowman #5 Preview Page 5

Pretty hot stuff, right? Incidentally, if you loved the masterful Jon Davis-Hunt's penciling and inking in Shadowman #1-4, you'll see him back in action soon. He'll be working alongside writer Deniz Camp on Bloodshot. That's right: Valiant's Bloodshot & Shadowman artists are switching series! Hoo-yeah!

By the way, if you'd like to see Pedro's great unlettered, uncolored artwork, you can find these preview pages without the Valiant watermark in the back of The Harbinger #2 and X-O Manowar #8. Want to learn more about Jon Davis-Hunt's upcoming Bloodshot story? Follow the link at the bottom of this post.

Dragon Dave

Related Links:

The Year of Valiant 2022 FCBD Special

X-O Manowar #4 Covers Part 2

 

X-O Manowar #4 Sword of Shanhara Cover by Michael Walsh

Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon, Georges Melies' 1902 movie "A Trip to the Moon," and Belgian cartoonist Herge's 1953 stories about the intrepid reporter Tin Tin in Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon, give us just a small taste of how long mankind has yearned to visit Earth's closest neighbor. One of the most beloved of the photographs taken by the Apollo astronauts shows the Earth rising above the surface of the moon. Canadian artist Michael Walsh taps into our eternal fascination--the link between our planet and its moon--in his Sword of Shanhara cover for X-O Manowar #4.

I love the purple sheen he gives to the cover, the way he incorporates Earth into the title, and the flaming sword Aric holds. Is Aric hovering above the moon, or merely taking a giant leap in the one-sixth Earth gravity? Either way, I love the way Aric is gazing upon Earth. Even with his back to us, something about his body language suggests a real love for his homeworld, and a longing to return.

These Sword of Shanhara covers were a really nice way for Valiant to celebrate the return of X-O Manowar to comic book shops. They were retailer incentive covers though, so there's fewer of them out there. Still, this one would make a fine addition to your collection, wouldn't it?

X-O Manowar #4 Pre-Order Cover by Jim Towe & Nick Filardi

I fing the way Aric rushes headlong toward us in Jim Towe's cover quite intriguing. The way Aric is hurtling along, you would thing he'd be flying. Yet he seems to be running, his feet digging into the concrete, his face only a couple feet off the pavement. 

The background intrigues as well. Notice the crazy angle at which the buildings are tilted. And what about the flaming car with its passenger-side wheels off the ground? Or how about the car immediately behind Aric, which looks as if its front end is almost touching the pavement?

Does the white on the ground before and to either side of Aric suggest snow? Do the white-out conditions behind Aric suggest a blizzard. Or is that the backwash of air displaced by Aric's Shanhara-enhanced running? North Carolina colorist Nick Filardi may live a world away from Michigan-based penciler and inker Jim Towe, yet they've joined forces remotely to create an incredibly intriguing cover. 

While neither cover seems to directly relate to Aric's battle with the Ukrainian warlord Yakiov in X-O Manowar #4, both suggest their own stories. Perhaps Valiant Comics should commission Michael Walsh, Jim Towe, and Nick Filardi to write one-shot issues about the events behind these covers. I'd be interested in reading them, wouldn't you?

Dragon Dave

Season's Greetings

 

As you prepare for the day ahead

And lay out a festive table

Art by Tyler Kirkham & Arif Prianto

Thank You 

for reading my blog this year. 

 

I hope you've found my posts enlightening

and fun.

 

 

I wish you the happiest of holidays, and a healthy and prosperous 2022!

Dragon Dave

The Harbinger #3 Review

 

The Harbinger #3 Cover B by Adam Pollina

Many publishers don't do much with their title pages. Some even fill up two full pages with author and artist credits, and a brief synopsis. Valiant Entertainment, on the other hand, works hard to make every page count. 

That includes their title pages. I won't reiterate all the little artistic touches they used to create a beautiful inside front cover last issue, but I will say that they've made at least two changes for The Harbinger #3. One references an important theme. The other announces Peter Stanchek's mission for this issue.

He intends to take on the superteam known as The Warning. He intends to rescue Ago, a young psiot they kidnapped, before they can harm him.

But first, it's time for a new image. A new identity that won't drag down Peter with the baggage that normally follows him, wherever he goes. He wants to become known for the good he intends to do in the future, not the wrongs he's committed in the past.

Cici aids him in this. The young woman with psiot powers that have not yet been activated. She--alongside Peter--suffered from an attack by The Warning in The Harbinger #1. 

So Peter's doing this for her too.

Cici, young Ago, and every denizen of Psiot City--activated or unpowered. All their lives hang in the balance. Can Peter control his incredible powers, and unleash them only in a controlled manner to protect them?

The stakes couldn't be higher as Peter flies above Chicago. With his incredible psiot power, he could listen in on every inhabitant's thoughts, in order to detect Ago's location. The old Peter Stanchek would have chosen that path.

 

In the Valiant universe, there's a technology called HARD Corps. It refers to how the military used technology to imbue soldiers with certain psiot abilities for limited periods. You can learn more about them in the first series of Bloodshot produced by Valiant Entertainment, as well as the miniseries Harbinger Wars.

Peter has recognized that The Warning employs HARD Corps technology. So he finds a way to tune into it, to find the group's location. As per usual, this involves the dizzying--but ever impressive--talents of letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly have a mission in The Harbinger #3: to reform Peter Stanchek, while forcing him to confront the mistakes of his past. One mistake was in his handling of the super-villain Toyo Harada. As Peter ruminates in this issue, he could have handled those confrontations--particularly the first one--far better.

It not only matters that you win a battle, he now realizes. It also matters how you win it.

Colorist Rico Renzi colors this issue so brightly and powerfully that it's easy to miss out on all the detail that penciler and inker Robbi Rodriguez builds into each panel. Yet it's all there, if you look at the artwork long and hard enough. 

It may take you a few read-throughs to notice all the members of The Warning in the panel below, but they're all doing something in reaction to Peter. Some publishers would make this a two-page spread. But the battle at The Warning's stronghold is made all the more intense because each and every panel is filled with action, dialogue, and thought-provoking drama.

The Harbinger #3 is many things. A five-minute read, it is not.

Now, if only Robbi Rodriguez would concentrate on one page at a time, instead of tracking the panels horizontally across two pages! But that's a personal preference, and a small quibble. That is, assuming Valiant doesn't staple the extra Pre-Order Edition pages smack in the middle of his two-page layouts.

 

 

Along the way, Peter will muse upon the mistakes of his youth. He will wonder about the rightness of the actions he takes--that he deems necessary--to rescue young Ago. He will worry how others will perceive his actions, and what he can do to become a leader in Psiot City.

Can he communicate essential truths? Can he rally people to his cause? Can he become someone viewed as good and responsible by many, instead of just a few?

The Harbinger #3 is not just a rejuvenation of Peter Stanchek. It's a celebration of the entire Harbinger franchise. It doesn't get bogged down with the protagonists' infighting. Nor does it dwell on all the little differences and irritants can break up a group of likeable heroes.

Let television dwell on all the defects in basically good people that can only serve to hurt each other. Let The Harbinger series continue to amaze, delight, and inspire us with all that we can achieve, if we choose to act responsibly, and for the good of all.

Dragon Dave

P.S. The Harbinger #3 is currently available digitally, or at your local comic shop.

Upcoming Series: Armorclads

 

THE FUTURE OF THE VALIANT UNIVERSE BEGINS HERE

Join the battle to restore the flame of honor, justice and order.

Valiant Entertainment is proud to showcase ARMORCLADS, an epic boundary breaking new series announced exclusively in the all-new official Valiant Discord.

 

 

ARMORCLADS introduces a grand sci-fi rebellion waged with advanced mechs, promising to uncover long buried secrets of the Valiant Universe and fulfill a destiny defined by legacy.

As a debut announcement for the first members to join the official Valiant Discord server, ARMORCLADS ushers in an ambitious future with a focus on community. This revelatory reveal emphasizes Valiant’s commitment to connect with fans in ways never seen before and it’s just the beginning.

 

 

ARMORCLADS is a blockbuster series about the everyday champion. The highly anticipated Year of Valiant delivers the first new launch with ARMORCLADS #1 set to release on March 23rd, 2022 created by JJ O’Connor and co-written by O’Connor and Brian Buccallato, with cinematic art by Manuel Garcia, colors by Rex Lokus and letters by Dave Sharpe, featuring covers by Bagus Hutomo, Kael Ngu and Marco Mastrazzo.

To learn about ARMORCLADS, the future of the Valiant Universe introducing the groundbreaking metaverse and so much more, join the official Valiant Discord today! 

 

 

ARMORCLADS #1

Written by JJ O’Connor and Brian Buccellato
Art by Manuel Garcia
Colors by Rex Lokus
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover A by Bagus Hutomo
Cover B by Marco Mastrazzo
Spot Color Variant by Bagus Hutomo
Preorder Cover by Kael Ngu
1/250 Distressed Metal Variant by Livio Romandelli
On sale 3/23/22
Available for preorder now

 

 

 A BRAND NEW CORNER OF THE VALIANT UNIVERSE 

In a different solar system, advanced mechs known as Armorclads fight wars and build worlds. Genetically engineered workers on Xeru use construction-class mechs to mine a valuable mineral called The Pure. When one of their own is killed and their world is thrown into chaos, the workers defy their oppressors… and may discover a mystery dating back centuries that could change the world – as long as they band together.

 

 

Wow, I can't wait to read this! If this were any hotter, your screen would burst into flames!

As always, many thanks to the good folks at Valiant Entertainment for sharing this exciting news with us.

Dragon Dave

 

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About DMG Entertainment

DMG Entertainment is a global media and entertainment company based in Beverly Hills, CA. Founded by Dan Mintz, the company portfolio has grown to include diverse holdings across film, television, comic book publishing, gaming, and location-based entertainment. Operating as both a production and distribution entity, DMG Entertainment is best known for films such as Looper and Iron Man 3 and the #1 box-office release of Bloodshot feature starring Vin Diesel.

 

About Valiant Entertainment

Valiant Entertainment, a subsidiary of DMG Entertainment, founded by Dan Mintz, is a leading character-based entertainment company that owns and controls the third most extensive library of superheroes behind Marvel and DC. With more than 80 million issues sold and a library of over 2,000 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Archer & Armstrong, and many more, Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of the comic book medium. For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and ValiantEntertainment.com. For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.