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| The Harbinger co-writer Collin Kelly |
During last weekend's At Home Comic Con, Gregg Katzman from Valiant Comics sat down with Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing to discuss The Harbinger. After the pandemic-imposed delays, both writers were excited that their new series focusing on psiot Peter Stanchek would soon be released.
Although it seems a long time ago now, The Harbinger is set 6-8 months after the events in The Life and Death of Toyo Harada. The world is suffering the aftereffects of the devastation this powerful psiot brought about. Public opinion about psiots has understandably fallen to an all-time low.
Even though Peter Stanchek fought against Toyo Harada, people remember his unbalanced, destructive side. He awakens, scrubbed of his memories, to discover that he is America's Most Wanted.
Instead of showing Peter's telekinesis through levitation and destruction, penciler and inker Robbi Rodriguez invests in detailed design work. Colorist Rico Renzi then attempts to show the power of Peter's mind with his wild palette. According to co-writer Jackson Lanzing, this is a perfect example of the artists' efforts:
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| The Harbinger #1 Cover A by Robbi Rodriguez & Rico Renzi |
Both writers stressed that The Harbinger would feature first appearances for many new characters. Chief among them is Cici, a young woman living in Psiot City. Despite her shock over meeting such a legendary figure, the writers describe her as level-headed. She will become one of Peter's closest friends.
They also mentioned a young disenfranchised man who they described as a human megaphone. (I believe they called him Ago). Apparently, when he speaks, you listen!
You'll also meet some powerful villains. Known as The Warning, they rule Psiot City through fear.
Until now, Peter Stanchek has lived his life in reaction to Toyo Harada. Now, according to co-writer Jackson Lanzing, Peter starts thinking about "what comes after all the smashing." Psiot City need a savior. He'll need to transition from an Anti-Authoritarian into a leader, and think about what he'll leave behind after he's gone.
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| The Harbinger co-writer Jackson Lanzing |
Keep an eye out for the ever-popular Faith Herbert, Jackson warns. When Peter starts thinking about his legacy, and flying around town in a superhero suit, expect her to take note. She may love Peter, as he activated her superpowers in the first place. But all the suffering and deaths Peter caused will also be fresh in her mind.
Perhaps Jackson's comments about Peter dressing up in a superhero suit explain the following two covers.
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| The Harbinger #1 Cover B by Rod Reis |
I wonder if Rod Reis or Damion Scott best captures Peter's new look?
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| The Harbinger #1 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott |
I guess we'll have to wait and see how events play out in upcoming issues. I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the series to launch on October 27th.
Many thanks to co-writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, as well as Gregg Katzman, for this inside-the-writers-room look at the upcoming series. And a big shout out to At Home Comic Con for hosting this fun Valiant Comics panel!
Dragon Dave
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