The Harbinger #4 Covers

 

The Harbinger #4 Cover A by Robbi Rodriguez

In The Harbinger #4 Cover A, Robbi Rodriguez shows Peter Stanchek caught up in a web of power woven by The Renegade. It reminds me of those great battles between Harry Potter and his nemesis Lord Voldemort. Amid this psychic maelstrom wrought by these two powerful beings, can either survive?

I must say: it is such a treat to see Valiant Entertainment commission the interior artist to do covers as well. You can be certain that they'll portray events in the stories correctly. It's always neat to see, after they've done twenty interior pages, how they will summon up one unscripted image of their own.

Although he's not credited, I presume interior colorist Rico Renzi colored Robbi Rodriguez's The Harbinger #4 Cover A as well.

The Harbinger #4 Cover B by Claudia Ianniciello

I love how Claudia Ianniciello evokes Peter's battle with his past for her The Harbinger #4 Cover B. Peter has had a contentious relationship with most of the people he's befriended or worked with in the past. As with Cover A, this cover is fully in line with story events.

I always appreciate when a cover isn't just a tantalizing image, but is also true to the story.

The Harbinger #4 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

Finally, Damion Scott's The Harbinger #4 Pre-Order Cover shows us a close-up of The Renegade. As you've no doubt noticed, Damion's representations of story characters is a little different from Robbi Rodriguez's portrayal. But, as with Covers A and B, his cover also relates specifically to story events, and I love how The Renegade is crushing The Harbinger title on this one.

Incidentally, if you've been collected The Harbinger Pre-Order Editions, this is what you'll see if you put issues #1 through #4 together.

 

I wish I could show this larger. Still, isn't it fun?

Dragon Dave

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

The Harbinger #3 Covers

 

The Harbinger #3 Cover A by Robbi Rodriguez

Robbi Rodriguez' stunning Cover A for The Harbinger #3 evokes the jubilant manner in which series colorist Rico Renzi reveals Peter Stanchek's incredible psiot power. The cover also evokes a few panels from this issue's preview pages (see yesterday's post), when Peter realizes that he can search for the super-powered group The Warning by changing the density of the air around him. I'm also rather taken by the after-images of Peter's masked face left in the brightness behind him. 

I'm just not certain how many after-images I'm really seeing. Is there one, or two, or even three? Or are all of them actually something else entirely?

The Harbinger #3 Cover B by Adam Pollina

Adam Pollina's intriguing cover for The Harbinger #3 speaks to the duality of Peter's character. It also reminds us that someone else is running around with Peter's memories. Yet if this is a portrait of Peter Stanchek, no wonder we don't recognize him! 

Is this someone else we have yet to meet? (I'm fairly certain it's not Wolverine). Could it be the Renegade, the man with whom Peter has a running psychic dialogue in these early issues? Or is it in fact a symbolic piece, meant to represent the many natures inside us constantly battling for dominance: the civilized intellectual vs the wild animal vs the raging, carnage-hungry demon?

Peter mentions in this issue that he's always opted for the easy path in the past. He also mentions on the very first page (see yesterday's Preview pages) that his is not a good face. Perhaps Adam's striking image represents the way Peter currently sees himself.

The Harbinger #3 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

Thankfully, Damion Scott's pre-order cover for The Harbinger #3 is a little easier to decipher. It's a group portrait of the super-powered team The Warning. Peter, Cici, and presumably most members of Psiot City see them as villains. But the way writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly have of flipping our perspectives, I wonder if that's how we'll continue to see them as the series progresses.

This time out, the good folks at Valiant Comics aren't just giving Pre-Order readers a few extra pages of content. For the first time ever, they're rewarding their most loyal fans with a connecting cover! Here's how the Pre-Order covers from the first three issues line up.

I can't wait to see how The Harbinger #4 fits into line, and completes this high-energy scene.

If you're not currently a pre-order reader, and don't want to miss out on this unique assemblage, you should definitely hunt around. Some comic shops regularly order extra Pre-Order covers for their customers. 

Many thanks to Robbi Rodriguez, Adam Pollina, and connecting cover artist extraordinaire Damion Scott for their gorgeous and thought-provoking The Harbinger #3 covers!

Dragon Dave

The Harbinger #2 Spotlight: Lettering

 

The Harbinger #2 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

A running thread through The Harbinger series, or at least issues #1 and #2 so far, is a psychic communication between Peter Stanchek and another powerful psiot. At times, it feels as if two sides of Peter's mind are talking to each other. Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou differentiates the two parts of this psychic dialogue with these rounded red and blue narrative boxes.

Their space age-y appearance reminds me of something you'd see on a Star Trek TV series. Then again, the second pilot of the original Star Trek series (and the first to feature Captain Kirk) spotlighted the dangers to humanity if one's psychic potential was realized.

As if the fight we see on the second and third page of this issue isn't violent enough, Hassan enhances it with these rather inelegant sound effects. They remind me of the graphiti, and the wild colors, that enliven Psiot City.

The sound effects also remind me of the sound effects Hassan used in flashbacks to Troy Whitaker's university years in X-O Manowar.

Generally, Hassan conveys the spoken word in yellow dialogue bubbles in The Harbinger. I find the way he presents the word "die" in yellow, with a hint of something above it on the upper left, and staged within an empty panel rather interesting.

What do you think he's trying to convey here?

At least there's no mystery to what the cat's saying as Peter cuddles it. Even if we have trouble relating to Peter Stanchek, we can all relate to how this cat is feeling.

As always, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou enlivens the chaos of Peter's life, and the battles in Psiot City, with his thoughtful and energetic lettering. If you don't read The Harbinger #2, and savor his contributions, you're really missing out.

Dragon Dave

Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing on The Harbinger #1

 

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:

 

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.

 

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.

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover B by Rod Reis

I wonder if Rod Reis or Damion Scott best captures Peter's new look?

 

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

Extended Preview: The Harbinger #1

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover A by Robbi Rodriguez

 

Can't wait for The Harbinger to arrive? Need to see more of the fantastic first issue? The good folks at Valiant Comics have you covered!

 

Peter Stanchek - one of the most powerful psiots on the planet, gifted with immense telepathic and telekinetic abilities - will journey from being the most feared man in the world to becoming one of its greatest protectors. In this extended preview readers will witness how the world views Peter, a display of his incredible powers, and be introduced to Psiot City.

 

 

Here's a larger, split-up version of that final two-page layout.

THE HARBINGER #1 is co-written by COLLIN KELLY and JACKSON LANZING (Kang The Conqueror, Batman: Urban Legends), features art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (Spider-Gwen, Batgirl), colors by RICO RENZI (Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), and letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU (X-O MANOWAR, The Blue Flame).

 

Here's another look at those cover options (all of them gorgeous).

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover B by Rod Reis

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover C by Cris Delara

 

 

The Harbinger #1 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

And don't forget that specialty metal cover, limited to comic shops that order 250 copies of The Harbinger.

The Harbinger #1 Retailer Incentive by Robbi Rodriguez & Travis Escarfullery

Oh, and don't forget there's also a blank cover available for those budding artists out there, or those who want their favorite artist to give them a specially commissioned cover.

Pre-order THE HARBINGER #1 at your local comic store by October 4th. THE HARBINGER #1 goes on sale October 27th. Contact your local comic book store for more information about ordering.

 

I'm really looking forward to this new series. Please join me in welcoming in this bold new era of The Harbinger!

Dragon Dave

The Harbinger #1: All The Covers & Why You Need Them

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover A by Robbi Rodriguez

The man formerly known as Peter Stanchek no longer wears the Harbinger garb he and his fellow Renegades once stole from Toyo Harada's organization. The fact that he's wearing it on this cover seems an homage to the rich history of the series. With this cover, interior artist Robbi Rodriguez portrays the frenetic action in the early half of this issue, as well as Peter's struggle to cope with the unique mental powers he rediscovers.

The Harbinger #1 Cover B by Rod Reis

I don't remember this psiot clad in Harbinger garb from the issue. But then, so much goes on in any Valiant comic these days, that it's easy to miss things. This is especially true of The Harbinger #1, which introduces us to the man once known as Peter, the young lady who calls herself Cici, and a group of very strange-looking people who terrorize Psiot City.

As Cici explains in the middle portion of this issue, the sectioned-off area of the city is peopled by psiots, and those identified for their potential psychic abilities. Perhaps the gentleman hovering above the streets represents a former member of Toyo Harada's worldwide operation, who now keeps the peace for whatever government rules this psiot enclave.

The Harbinger #1 Cover C by Cris Delara

Cris Delara's Cover C portrays Peter's new friend, and the bond that quickly forms between them. Everyone else may be afraid of Peter, due to the things they've heard he's done in the past, but Cici isn't. She welcomes Peter into her world, and willingly shares her resources and knowledge with him.

I look forward to seeing how their relationship may develop as the series continues. As Peter has the ability to activate latent psiots, I can't help wondering if he will unlock Cici's mental powers in later issues.

The Harbinger #1 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

Not all is peace and love in this new world the psiots have created. Cut off from traditional law enforcement, a nefarious gang terrorizes its citizens. The isolated and ruined nature of their enclave, and the criminals who arise to impose their will on others, reminds me of John Carpenter's classic film "Escape From New York." 

So does the man flying through the city, seemingly tossing aside cars and even city buses in his wake, represent someone who preys on his fellow psiots, or someone charged with protecting them? There's so much is going on in this cover that it's hard to tell. I guess I need to read The Harbinger #1 again, and study this cover more closely, once it arrives in my comic shop next month. 

Wow! Four beautiful covers. Four compelling images that tell their own stories. So many great choices for The Harbinger #1. How could anyone, with or without mental superpowers, possibly choose between them?

Dragon Dave

The Harbinger #1 Covers & Preview

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover A by Robbi Rodriguez

The Harbinger was announced last October. Finally, the series' arrival in on the horizon. Better yet, you can order it through the Previews system, or your local store.

Here's a look at the available covers, as well as the preview Black & White (& Blue) artwork. Enjoy!

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover B by Rod Reis

Ahead of the feature film that’s in development at Paramount, Valiant Entertainment is incredibly proud to reveal the vivid new direction that will kick off next summer with THE HARBINGER #1.

Co-written by JACKSON LANZING and COLLIN KELLY (Green Arrow, Gotham City Garage) and featuring art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (Spider-Gwen, Batgirl), the upcoming series introduces new readers to Peter Stanchek, the most powerful telepath on the planet, and the sole being capable of activating powers in others like him. THE HARBINGER will trace Peter's path from the most feared man in the world to one of its greatest protectors. This character-driven journey will introduce new allies, new villains, new costumes, and a new meaning for the title of Harbinger.

 

 

The Harbinger #1 Cover C by Cris Delara

 

Despite having immense superpowers, Collin believes that Peter's story is incredibly human and reminds us that we always have the potential to be better. "Like many of us, Peter has made mistakes. People have been hurt. We have no interest in ignoring that part of the character's history." The co-writer added, "By acknowledging those mistakes and taking responsibility for them, Peter will become the person – and the hero – he has always had the potential to be. Peter Stanchek will be more than a hero; he will be a harbinger for the world we want to see."

"THE HARBINGER is the next big step forward in the Valiant Universe and Peter Stanchek's promised rebirth as a hero, a leader, and a revolutionary," said Jackson. "It's unapologetic in its politics, diverse in its cast, and intimate in its drama. Collin and I love to tell stories that balance character deconstruction and social analysis, and there's no one in comics who needs a little deconstruction and social awareness more than Peter."

 

The Harbinger #1 Pre-Order Cover by Damion Scott

"When Collin, Jackson, and I first started mapping out this project, we weren’t expecting the themes we are tackling to be as relevant in our own lives as they have become," stated Robbi. "As we see everyone facing more each day, people can feel a change is coming. It makes it all the more fitting that it’s called 'Harbinger', the herald of change." 

 

 

And now, here's those glorious preview pages from artist Robbi Rodriguez:

 

 

 

For the last two years, I've been reading "Star Trek Year Five" from IDW. I can attest that Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, who have acted as "Show Runners," and have written some of the issues, have kept that series on track. True to the TV original series, they've maintained a consistently entertaining series that, with the publication of issue #23, has me wishing for many more issues. 

This experience, compounded by a comment from a retailer who has seen much more of The Harbinger than this short preview, and attests that it captures the spirit of Joshua Dysart's original Harbinger series, has left me anxious to see more of Lanzing, Kelly, & Rodriguez's effort. Order your favorite cover this month, and mark down The Harbinger #1 launch date of October 27, 2021 on your calendars.

Oh, and don't forget to stop by your local comic shop this Saturday, August 14, 2021, to pick up the Valiant FCBD Special. The issue will include a preview of The Harbinger (hopefully colored and lettered pages). 

Dragon Dave

P.S. A Blank Cover and a 1:250 variant by Robbi Rodriguez will also be available.