If you missed out on last year's The Harbinger series, the second half came out in trade paperback this week. The Harbinger Book Two collects issues #5-8 of this serial covering the trials and tribulations of people blessed (or cursed) with psychic power. If you missed out on this story, the latter issues, or simply wish to refresh your memory, follow the links below.
All the best, and have a great day!
Like many of you, I enjoyed Valiant's recent Harbinger series. The concept of the Harbingers, which traces its lineage back to the 1990s, is rooted in releasing the untapped powers of the human mind.
Most people have enough trouble coping with the world around them. Throw in vast mental powers, and an inability to block out the thoughts of those around you, and you're asking for trouble.
After working for Valiant as a writer and artist, Bloodshot creator Kevin VanHook transitioned into a successful film career. In addition to writing and directing his own films, he's worked on TV shows and movies, often overseeing the visual effects. He's contributed substantially to two of my favorite films: Olympus Has Fallen and I, Robot.
Recently, Kevin VanHook cited the 1981 film Scanners--in which people struggle to cope with their vast mental powers--as an early influence for his own film career in Hollywood.
Although Jim Shooter and David Lapham are officially credited as the creators of Harbinger, Valiant was very much a team back in the 1990s, and many hands worked on each and every book. So naturally, I had to ask Kevin if he felt Scanners was an influence for the creation of Harbinger.
Like Kevin VanHook, I saw Scanners during its initial theatrical release. Likewise, I found it unique, powerful, and unforgettable. I wonder: might Scanners have also lingered in the back of Jim Shooter and David Lapham's minds?
Dragon Dave
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| Cover by Frank Miller |
Continuing with my Unity event read-through...
The geomancer Geoff interrupts an important admission from Kris Hathaway to ask the team to accompany him to the Lost Land. Soon Peter, Kris, Faith, and Flamingo stand on a hill beside Solar and other Valiant heroes. Then Erica Pierce's forces attack.
Amid the fighting, Peter senses that Solar, Man of the Atom, is dead. The next day, he discovers that Kris is pregnant. But when he asks Geoff to send them back home, the geomancer says that he can't without Solar's help.
Magnus is keen to cut the kids some slack, but Gilad, the Eternal Warrior, sees Peter's request as a betrayal. The team then sit out the fighting for three months, living in seclusion while Kris' pregnancy grows increasingly visible.
As with other Valiant stories written by Jim Shooter, Harbinger #8 makes for a long, exciting, and compelling read. Under artist David Lapham's skilled hand, the bionosaurs have never looked more menacing. Ironically, it is Maria Beccari's coloring that stands out for me most though. The intense light and mix of colors she evokes bring to mind the way colorist Rico Renzi shows Peter and the psiots using their power in Valiant's recent series The Harbinger.
For the first time (for me) in this crossover event, the fight scenes evoke Shadowman's earlier description of the Lost Land as a merger of Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Faith's lighthearted comments--and commentary--keep this story from growing too dark. Still, given the intense nature of this issue, you may wish to take Armstrong's advice, and not drink a six-pack of your favorite beverage before reading Harbinger #8.
Dragon Dave
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| The Harbinger #8 Pre-Order Cover by Caspar Wijngaard |
The Harbinger #8 opens with a montage of images. It can be hard to parse them out. But basically, they signal that all our Psiot City Harbingers have their hands full.
In writer Joshua Dysart's Harbinger series, Peter reached into Kris Hathaway's mind, and made her love him. Her love gave him a moment of completeness and peace in his short, tormented life. But as that wasn't her authentic choice--to become his lover--it didn't last.
We must choose our roles in lives. Our identities.
Now, as the Harbinger and the Renegade face off one final time, each must test their own--their recently discovered--identities. Is that who they truly are?
As the first page montage suggests, there's more than the Harbinger's identity at stake in The Harbinger #8. Peter activated Cici's latent abilities in the previous issue. Ago has all-too-often used his power--as a living loudspeaker--to impose his views on others. Now each must test their own identities too.
Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou helps this process along with his careful shaping, staging, and coloring of dialogue balloons. Colorist Rico Renzi reminds us of how dramatically a colorist can elevate comic art. If penciler and inker Robbi Rodriguez couldn't show us everything he was capable of in the previous issues of this second story arc, he's certainly in top form for this final installment.
Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly leaven big sweeping events with welcome injections of humor.
While bringing back characters Peter Stanchek and Faith Herbert, The Harbinger series ushered in plenty of new ones. Some of these have incredible powers.
Sadly, some we never really got to know all that well. Perhaps characters like the Renegade's friend Thrall, and the members of the Warning, will return in future series.
Personally, I'm wondering if Faith and Blam will return for their own series. They seem to have formed an odd hero/villain relationship.
Most people love Faith for her soft, hug-able side. In The Harbinger, Faith demonstrates she can also be the badass superhero.
Ultimately, The Harbinger #8 leaves us loving all our heroes a little more. While we wait for future series involving Valiant's psiot community, it suggests what their individual futures might hold.
The satisfying end to this series leaves us wondering if psiots will gain more acceptance from mainstream society. As for now...
Farewell Ago, Baxter, and Cici, and Faith. Farewell, Peter Stanchek.
Farewell, The Harbinger.
Come back soon.
Dragon Dave
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| The Harbinger #8 Cover A by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ |
Interior artist Robbi Rodriguez may have displeased some fans with his unconventional portrayal of Peter Stanchek's world in The Harbinger. But whatever you think of his Manga-style penciling and inking, you have to admire his productivity. Not only has Robbi drawn all eight issues for this uninterrupted monthly run, but he has also contributed a cover for every installment of the series.
I wonder: can any other recent artist make a similar claim?
Additionally, Robbi's covers always portray events that actually occur in the issue. In his final one for The Harbinger, he portrays Peter's final fight with his ultimate nemesis the Renegade. In many ways, this has been the theme of this series, that the biggest enemy we will ever face is...
Ourselves.
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| The Harbinger #8 Cover B by ZU ORZU |
Zu Orzu has created some impressive covers for Valiant, including his fan-voted "Best Of Year" X-O Manowar cover for Exchange Collectibles. For this final issue of The Harbinger, Zu contributes a beautiful portrait of Faith Herbert. This seems perfectly fitting, as she's been the big guest-star of the second story arc.
Additionally, she's probably the most famous Harbinger of them all. Her name has graced the title of more series than any other character. Plus, she's had two Young Adult novels written about her. Everyone loves Faith. (Even George Michael).
Can a Faith Herbert movie be in the cards?
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| The Harbinger #8 Pre-order Cover by CASPAR WIJNGAARD |
Caspar Wijngaard helped launch Valiant's recent Ninjak #1 with his old-school Cover B. Now he helps round off The Harbinger with a Pre-Order Cover featuring Peter and his crew. They're all there--Faith, Baxter, Ago, and Cici. These are the Harbingers who have supported Peter personally, while also protecting the residents of Psiot City. They look good together, don't they?
The splash of purple in the background reminds me of the way Cici painted the Harbinger logo on Peter's new jacket. Another nice touch is that Peter and Cici both have glowing white eyes to suggest that they're calling on their psiot powers. Of the group, Peter is the longest-activated psiot, while Cici is just discovering what she can do. But it's a part of who they are now, like it or not.
I suppose that's the theme of this series, isn't it? That we should really, actually like ourselves. What a thought!
Dragon Dave
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| The Harbinger #8 Cover A by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ |
Who
is Peter Stancheck? Find out as he faces off against THE RENEGADE one
last time in the stunning and thoughtful series finale of THE HARBINGER.
Faith, Ago, and CiCi battle for the heart of Psiot City against the army
of newly activated Psiots while Peter stares down his greatest fears
and doubts. Only one Peter can remain when the dust settles -- but which
one will it be? Find out in THE HARBINGER #8!
THE HARBINGER #8 is co-written by COLLIN KELLY and JACKSON LANZING (Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, Batman Beyond: Neo Year), features art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (Spider-Gwen, Batgirl), colors by RICO RENZI (Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU (X-O MANOWAR, The Blue Flame), and covers by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (Cover A), ZU ORZU (Cover B), and CASPAR WIJNGAARD (PreOrder Cover).
And now, six preview pages to enjoy from the good folks at Valiant HQ!
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Page 1 |
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Pages 2 & 3 |
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Page 2 |
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Page 3 |
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Page 4 |
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Page 5 |
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| The Harbinger #8 Preview Page 6 |
Details, details...
THE HARBINGER #8
Written by COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING
Art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Colors by RICO RENZI
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
Cover A by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Cover B by ZU ORZU
Pre-order Cover by CASPAR WIJNGAARD
Psiot City is at war!
A version of Peter Stanchek stands on both sides of the battle. It’s Harbinger vs. Renegade in the grand finale of THE HARBINGER, and only one version of Peter can remain…
On sale MAY 25th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
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| The Harbinger #7 Cover B by JONATHAN MARKS BERRAVECHHIA |
When last we tuned in, Peter Stanchek was falling through the sky, shot through the head by the evil flimflam Blam with his wicked Psiot gun. And this right after he and Faith have resolved his differences, and agreed to work together to take down the ravaging Renegade. So what happens next, hungry Harbinger fans? Is this the end of Peter Stanchek? Is Psiot City doomed?
Piece together what clues you may, from these preview pages (one a double-page spread) from Valiant Entertainment...
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| Preview Page 1 |
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| Preview Page 2 |
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| Preview Page 3 |
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| Preview Pages 4 and 5 |
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| Preview Page 4 |
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| Preview Page 5 |
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| Preview Page 6 |
Blam's laughter echoes over the raging storm, and the Renegade's declaration of war. With Valiant's announcement that this is the penultimate chapter of this sizzling series, surely Peter Stanchek is dead, and any slight hope for Psiot City resides with Faith, young Ago, and Cici.
Alas, poor Peter, I knew him well. (At least the part of him that was good...)
A psychic storm blows The Harbinger #7 into your local comic shop this Wednesday, April 27!
Dragon Dave
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| The Harbinger #7 Cover A by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ |
Series artist Robbi Rodriguez does his usual stunning job providing Cover A's here. He showcases the issue's major players, with Peter Stanchek in the center. At the same time, he upgrades his portrayal of the characters: particularly Cici and Ago.
Now, if only he could have fit The Renegade in somewhere...
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| The Harbinger #7 Cover B by JONATHAN MARKS BERRAVECHHIA |
Jonathan Marks Berravechhia provides a rather offbeat image of Peter holding back a raging storm. Unlike Robbi, Jonathan showcases Peter's ultimate opponent, the puppetmaster who currently holds Psiot City in his power. Despite the chaos, Peter fights to maintain control of the situation, while the Renegade crouches beneath, waiting to see if his hated enemy will fall.
At least, I think that's the Renegade crouched beneath Peter...
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| The Harbinger #7 Pre-order Cover by CULLY HAMNER |
Cully Hamner provides the final cover for this issue with his 3D Coming At Ya cover. It shows Peter summoning a vortex in the background. In through this dimensional portal fly all manner of tools, weapons, and detritus. Is he hurling them at the Renegade? I wonder...
Say, is that the Eternal Warrior's axe in the background? Is that a British lamppost hurtling from the vortex? I wonder if Gilad Anni-Padda and Colin King may be stopping by Psiot City soon? After Peter's confrontation with Faith in The Harbinger #5 and #6, that's a battle I'd love to see!
Dragon Dave
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| The Harbinger #6 Cover B by Marguerite Sauvage |
In The Harbinger #6, writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly argue that Peter Stanchek was the instigator of many of the problems that befell the former Harbinger Renegades team. Or at least the narrator does. While long-term fans would argue that's a simplistic way of summarizing past events, it's worth pointing out that the first story arc was largely narrated by The Renegade, a being who...
Um, anyone want to summarize him for me?
Please?
Well, let's just say he's not a charter member of the Peter Stanchek Fan Club.
In any case, Faith certainly is not the fun-loving, naively optimistic gal from those early days. But then, she's been through some hard times, and trauma has a way of rewriting one's view of history.
At least she hasn't lost her charmingly geeky way of seeing the world.
Artist Robbi Rodriguez and colorist Rico Renzi still find new ways of showing Peter Stanchek using his psiot power.
While his depictions of Peter, Cici, Young Ago and the rest of his characters are spot on, at times Robbi seems to struggle to capture Faith. Still, I can live with the way he draws her. I particularly like the panel below.
The writers (or the narrator) lay on the theme of this series heavily in their narrative boxes, drawn in edgy, jagged form by letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. I think my discomfort with Peter and Faith's reunion stems from a fact that they allude to here: that psiots like Peter and Faith are--and have always been--underdogs. When you're standing up alone against superior forces, it's inevitable that you'll lose. And of course, when you lose, it's easy to blame others for not being there, or not being strong enough, or...
"Hey, we lost. It must be your fault!"
If Faith still carries issues from her Harbinger Renegades days, it's nice to see Young Ago and Cici standing resolutely beside Peter. Both exhibit maturity beyond their years. Young Ago in particular takes it upon himself to counsel those whom their new opponent, The Renegade, has scarred.
Ago and Cici don't exactly welcome Faith with open arms, as you'll see when you read the issue. The Renegade will also make an appearance, in a very cool way.
And occasionally, Rico Renzi reminds us that a colorist can transform a moment in a way that no amount of words or drawn lines ever could.
As for Blam, a former member of The Warning, he's still around too. After an allusion to "Batman Vs Superman" early in the issue, he's reminding me a little too much of The Joker. Personally, I'm not sure the Valiant universe needs a flamboyant villain like The Joker. Still, he's a good match for Peter Stanchek and Faith in this issue, at least in thematic terms.
Heroes and villains may not win every battle, but the great ones stick around, and make their presence felt again and again and again.
As a middle chapter, The Harbinger #6 builds upon last issue's return of Faith and Blam, reflects upon the trauma inherent in pursuing one's mission in life, and reveals how evil never takes a holiday. The past may be littered with mistakes, and the way ahead may look harder than ever to navigate. Yet the struggle to achieve one's ambition, fulfill one's purpose, and find meaning always go on.
In short, The Harbinger #6 serves as a satisfying second course in this new, second story arc. Yet my stomach rumbles, and my taste buds are tantalized. I look forward to what Valiant serves up next.
Dragon Dave
