The Harbinger #3 Coloring

 

The Harbinger #3 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

In Valiant's new series The Harbinger, colorist Rico Renzi shows us what our world must look like through the eyes of someone who can see, hear, and feel far more than the average person. Peter Stanchek's world was always more vibrant than ours, which is why he had so much difficulty coping with it. All that input, assaulting him constantly, made him want to dull his senses with illegal drugs.

Thankfully, he's charting a better path now. Rico shows us how alive Peter's world seems to him, now that the troubled psiot has dedicated himself to coping with who and what he is. Look how vibrant Psiot City and Chicago appears in The Harbinger #3, as Peter flies overhead in search of Young Ago.

The colors Rico has chosen for this next panel are incredibly beautiful. The purple sky shows off well against Peter's new red, yellow, and blue uniform. Notice also how, when Peter changes the density of the air around him, the wispy and cloudy air takes on the yellow energy arcing from his eyes. 

Of course, the yellow energy and cloudy, wispy air complement the stripe Cici has painted onto his jacket.

The way Rico colors this next luminous page (half of a jaw-dropping two-page spread) makes me think of all the lights glowing and streaming from the planet-wide city of Coruscant. It also could be a huge city resting on the bottom of the ocean. But no: it's Chicago through Peter Stanchek's eyes.

Amazing!

And then there's that inset close-up of Peter's face, with the neon red background. The clash between the two panels really pops.

BOOM!

Incidentally, Valiant Comics has recently achieved some incredible color-magic. Working with the printing houses, the pages of their recent comics show the coloring-- such as Rico Renzi's--more powerfully than ever. If you haven't picked up an issue recently, check out the last few issues of Ninjak, X-O Manowar and The Harbinger. You'll find the colors on each page deeper and richer, more immersive, and far more sumptuous than just a few months ago.

Such dedication to producing quality comics demonstrates a commitment to producing great stories, and sensitivity to reader feedback. On behalf of all the readers and fans, allow me to say a very big thank you, Valiant Comics!

Dragon Dave