X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 Pre-Order Edition

 

Co-writer Michael W. Conrad welcomes you to the Pre-Order section of X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 with an essay that outlines his and Becky Cloonan's approach to the series. You'll also find the covers for the next three Pre-Order editions, and learn why Valiant commissioned the artists. Additionally, there's a preview of X-O Manowar Unconquered #4. 

My favorite extra is the retro cover. In addition to being the co-creator of Bloodshot, Kevin VanHook also served as the editor on 90s X-O Manowar. He may only have been credited with overseeing the series for an issue or two, but I suspect he had input on everything Valiant produced back in those halcyon days.

All hail Kevin VanHook! 

Rock on, retro covers!

Long live Aric of Dacia, X-O Manowar!

X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 Preview

 

 

It's Aric of Dacia versus THYRA ANTIUS in X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3!

The battle you've all been waiting for is finally upon us! X-O MANOWAR versus the rogue Novus Romanus warrior TYHRA ANTIUS in a battle for SHANHARA! Plus a trek deep into the bowels of the Novus Romanus flagship reveals the dark secrets of the imperial plots of the intergalactic empire! Who, or what, is The Engine? Find out more in X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3!

And now, here's a sneak preview, courtesy of the great folks at Valiant Entertainment. 

Read the rest tomorrow, when you battle past the hordes at your local comic shop, and demand your copy of X-O Manowar Unconquered #3!

And now, as always, kneel before the all-conquering blurb! 

All hail the mighty blurb!

X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3
Written by BECKY CLOONAN and MICHAEL W. CONRAD
Art by LIAM SHARP
Letters by TROY PETERI
Cover A by LIAM SHARP
Cover B by DAVID RUBIN
Pre-order Cover by KEVIN VANHOOK WITH ANDREW DALHOUSE

New intergalactic threat Novus Romanus holds a weakened Aric of Dacia captive. Will our hero survive combat with one of the fiercest and most brash of the Novus Romanus warriors– Thyra Antius in her very own T-O Armor?

On sale May 24th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

 

Read my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

When Valiant First Unleashed Bloodshot

 

When China first unleashed Covid-19 on the world two years ago, many comic shops closed their doors. Diamond (our sole distributor back then) wasn't even delivering comics to shops. So the good folks at Valiant Entertainment delivered a Mothergod-load of free digital comics to keep all of us comic readers in contented Unity.

Among those comics were the 1990s Eternal Warrior #4. In Kevin VanHook's story, the Bloodshot co-creator takes us back to China in 210 B.C. Gilad Anni-Padda, or the Eternal Warrior, helps prevent General Cheng from placing a puppet ruler on the throne. The captured general, who Gilad describes as pure evil, vows that they will meet again.

 

The story then moves to June 1992, when Gilad once more faces Cheng. It seems that Cheng's evil is such that death cannot contain him. Whenever he dies, he is soon reborn. 

Regardless of what name he goes by, Cheng is another Eternal Warrior.

 

How many times might Gilad have fought Cheng? Perhaps, after dispatching the druglord, Gilad ponders this mystery in the weeks following. That is, until he meets another man who, aided by nanites, cannot die.

In other words, yet another Eternal Warrior!

 

Today is the last day your local comic store can order Bloodshot Unleashed #1 until Diamond delivers it to the stores. Today is the last day to signal that you want Valiant Entertainment to continue publishing stories about all their eternal warriors. Today is your last opportunity to thank them for their kindness to us during the initial Covid-19 shutdown, by helping the first four issues of this new series sell really well.

Oh, and in case you need any further incentive, Bloodshot Unleashed readers have this to look forward to. That's right: Aric of Dacia, aka X-O Manowar, will be paying our man Bloodshot a visit. Now if that isn't something to look forward to, I don't know what is!

Dragon Dave

Kevin VanHook: An Influential Film

 

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

Wondercon 2018 & 2019 Highlights

 

 

I enjoyed this year's virtual Wondercon, and want to thank the organizers for putting on the event. Still, there's nothing like attending a convention. So while I wait for the good folks at Valiant Entertainment to send me the review package for Savage #3, I thought I'd share a few highlights from previous Wondercons.

Bat in the Sun released their short film. "Ninjak Vs. The Valiant Universe" in 2018. Writer and Director Aaron Schoenke showed clips from his upcoming movie, and told a little about the difficulties of mounting such a production.

 

Aaron Schoenke

In addition to his father, the composer of film score, he also brought along three of the principle actors.

 

Kevin Porter

Kevin Porter kept us entertained with stories from the set and his effervescent humor. Such was his zeal to play Armstrong that he put on a significant amount of weight so he could truly embody that happy hero.

 

Derek Theler

Derek Theler played Aric of Dacia, also known as mighty X-O Manowar. It sounded as though some of the fight scenes he was in got a little rough. It's a good thing he's a big and strong: he could take anything the other actors (not professional stunt-people) unexpectedly dished out.

 

Michael Rowe

Naturally, the star of the event was Michael Rowe, who played Ninjak. Given all the fight scenes he filmed, he shared that he took his cues from music. He regarded each move as a beat of music. As filming progressed, this allowed him to perform more beats, or moves, in a single take.

Have you watched "Ninjak Vs. The Valiant Universe" yet? If not, why not? It's freely available all over the internet, particularly on Youtube, and well worth a viewing. Okay, several viewings.

 

Greg Pak

 

At the 2019 Wondercon event, I was able to meet Planet Hulk writer Greg Pak. Valiant readers will remember him from the Eternal Warrior series he wrote. He told me he'd happily return to Valiant again to write another series, if the opportunity arose.

 

Vita Ayala

It helps to break the ice with someone if you're attending with popular friends. I enjoyed chatting with Vita Ayala, author of the recent Livewire series. While meeting Archer and Faith, she gladly discussed the mythology behind her first story arc with me.

 

Joshua Dysart

Writer Joshua Dysart also enjoyed catching up with Faith and Archer. He ought to, after doing such a bang-up job on Harbinger and Imperium. In a panel, he mentioned he had traveled to Europe while crafting his six-issue story The Life And Death Of Toyo Harada. Such was his dedication to his storytelling that he worked side-by-side there with the artist.

 

with Lysa Hawkins & Mel Caylo

One of my fondest memories is catching up with then-Marketing Director Mel Caylo, and meeting incoming editor Lysa Hawkins. Lysa has gone on to become a Senior Editor at Valiant, and has overseen the recent Bloodshot and Rai series. I can't wait to see her Ninjak series, when it finally arrives.

Soon, please, soon!

 

Kevin VanHook

Last but certainly not least, it was great to meet Kevin VanHook, one of the creators of Bloodshot. He shared lots of insights into the creation of his famous character, as well as his experiences at Valiant in the 1990s. He's since gone on to work in the film industry, not only as a director but also in Special Effects.

There are many more memories I could have shared with you, but this gives you a taste of how special the 2018 and 2019 Wondercons were. I hope you had a chance to view the Shadowman panel from this year's virtual event. If not, it should still be up at Wondercon's Youtube channel. Check it out: it was a lot of fun!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot #7 Fully Loaded Edition

I may have missed out on seeing "Bloodshot" in the theaters, but I'm glad Covid couldn't stop this "Bloodshot #7 Fully Loaded Edition" from coming out. I really enjoyed Kevin VanHook's essay on the origins of his famous character. It's hard to imagine an era in which comics from independent publishers like Valiant could sell more than a million copies of a single issue, let alone that some of the Marvel, DC, and Image releases sold several times that. 

 

 

 

His essay also contrasts the creators' thoughts behind Bloodshot and Rai: one a man enhanced by machines, the other a machine enhanced with humanity. Today, we may not be as fascinated with the idea of bionics, cybernetics, and nanotechnology enhancing our bodies as we were back then, but at least '90s superheroes like Bloodshot are still around to entertain us. Many thanks to Valiant Comics for putting out this special edition!

Oh, and just for fun, in case you're curious as to the rest of this week's pickups, here's a look:

Aside from Bloodshot, the rest were Free Comic Book Day releases, $1 books, and $5 trades. It was a fine day indeed at the comics shops.

Dragon Dave

P.S. I'll return to my Bloodshot Reread series as soon as I can.

Kevin VanHook on Bloodshot and Persistence

Author Kevin VanHook and Editor Lysa Hawkins

Kevin VanHook is a soft-spoken, unassuming man. Yet in the 1990s, he co-created Bloodshot, one of the most unique characters in comics, with Bob Layton and Don Perlin. Last year, in the run-up to Valiant Entertainment's new Bloodshot series, and the movie starring Vin Diesel, he participated in the Bloodshot 101 panel at Wondercon.

While Kevin started drawing comics early on, he really wanted to make his mark by writing them. He worked at the 1980s indie phenom Pacific Comics, and later at another independent powerhouse, Eclipse Comics. Frustratingly, every time he came close to writing a story, each company shut down, and he had to find other employment. He started at Valiant in 1992 as the Production Manager. This time, he was given the opportunity to co-create and write the character Bloodshot. 

While Kevin VanHook's early career is a study in persistence, it also underlines the need to spot the right opportunity. With the fall of the Soviet Union, and the resultant decline in military funding, Kevin noticed the emerging biotech field. In particular, he drew inspiration from nanotechnology, which scientists were studying to treat disease and extend the Human lifespan. Following the first Gulf War (Operation Desert Shield), he wondered if soldiers who marched onto future battlefields might be enhanced with nanotechnology. 

Alongside his idea of utilizing nanotechnology to create the ultimate soldier, Kevin VanHook decided to enrich his creation further. He didn't want Bloodshot to spend all his time on foreign soil. He wanted Bloodshot to spend time in the United States too. So he decided to utilize the mafia in Bloodshot's world. Doing so was potentially dangerous, as Stan Lee had purportedly received death threats for Marvel's portrayal of the Punisher battling the mafia. But Kevin took a chance, wanting to enrich his character, and make Bloodshot as relevant as he could to the 90s audience.

Co-creators Bob Layton and Kevin VanHook, with star Vin Diesel, and Valiant Entertainment executive Dinesh Shamdasani

Thanks to clever marketing, and the early use of a chromium cover, Valiant's first issue of Bloodshot sold over one million copies. Initial artist Don Perlin drew almost faster than Kevin could write scripts. Kevin even took to his sketch pad at times. Readers demanded more, and Kevin and Valiant fed their hunger. Thanks to their imagination and hard work, Bloodshot remained a stalwart character of Valiant in the 90s. Thus, when Valiant Entertainment brought these classic characters back to comics in 2012, Bloodshot again proved a bestselling title.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic drastically shorted its big screen release, fans responded positively to the portrayal of Vin Diesel as Bloodshot. Sony took note, and rushed the movie to digital. A full home video release will follow. And, of course, the Bloodshot comics will continue.

Bloodshot lives and breathes with a life of its own, and his legacy seems assured. But our nanite-enhanced hero would never have been born, had Kevin VanHook not persisted in his quest to write comics, and had he not enriched the character with sufficient uniqueness and originality. Well done, Kevin VanHook. Bloodshot fans everywhere salute you!

Dragon Dave

The Bloodshot Project: Part 6

A while ago, I picked up these lights at a home improvement store. In addition to glowing white, green, and blue, they glow red. The perfect color for Bloodshot!

Nonetheless, doing this hurt.

 

I glued Bloodshot to the first backer board before cutting out the circle in the backer board. I repeated these steps for the second backer board. Hopefully, the additional layers will help protect my Bloodshot standee/wall-hanger against damage. They'll definitely help hold the Defiant light, which is much thicker and heavier than the foamboard.

Note: Open heart surgery make Hulk angry!

I glued up semicircular supports for the Defiant light using foam board scraps, and taped on a cover to hold it in. I dislike using the tape, so when I think of better way to hold in the light, I'll upgrade my light holder.

By the way, you did know that Jim Shooter, who started Valiant, also started a company called Defiant, right? (Yes, of course you did).
 

Finally, my Bloodshot standee is finished! (The light glows red, really). Hopefully, he does justice to Vin Diesel, who loved the character so much he convinced Sony to make the movie, as well as my Facebook friend Kevin VanHook, who helped create Bloodshot, and wrote many of Bloodshot's early stories.

By the way, you did know that Kevin VanHook also served as editor for X-O Manowar Volume 1 Issues 11-15, didn't you? (Yes, of course you did.)
 

So there Bloodshot is, standing guard for us. He'll guide our steps at night, thanks to a nifty timer, as well as the included remote control.

Now I think I'll sit back, turn on the TV, and watch Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel again. You did know that I bought it on digital, and really love the movie, didn't you? 

Yes, of course you did.


Dragon Dave