What wentwrong?
PANDERING TO SJW AND WOMEN!!111
I just picked up 2 issues of 4001AD and it seemed really cool. What's wrong with Valiant?
They seem alright to me. Their universe is pretty consistent and easy to follow. What's wrong?
>>84367722
just... nothing interesting
Actually nothing went wrong, they're doing a really good job keeping a diverse line-up of titles with high quality writers.
Stuffing the ballot box was a mistake.
>>84367776
>>84367779
they just cracked the top 10 of PUBLISHERS for the first time
they had .75 of last month's dollar share in sales for physical comics.
they need something big to replace X-O Manowar or hope the movie train actually does something for them.
>>84367722
Big two shit that only hipsters like. Literally nothing interesting about them.
Their handling of the Shadowman reboot is a mixed bag. Even the 4001 A.D. one-shot is easily the weakest.
>>84367722
shadowman
>>84367776
>>84367779
They're a literally who company. Their niche is "superheroes in a shared universe"; unfortunately, this niche is already filled by DC and Marvel.
>>84367796
True
>Valiantfags will defend this
>>84367796
Yeah, it's somewhat ironic that Valiant disproportionately dominating the Harvey nominations this year (and last year) has ended up further de-legitimizing the Harvey Awards in the public eye, instead of earning prestige for the publisher. The whole thing looks shady as fuck (not that the Harveys have been all that prestigious in the first place... there have been other years when the Harvey noms have raised more than a few eyebrows). It's funny reading news articles announcing the Harvey noms (such as Heidi McDonald's piece on Comics Beat) with the writers going out of their way to mention that there doesn't seem to be any hard evidence of the Harvey Awards people being paid off by Valiant.
I've got a theory, though. I think the people behind the current Valiant are treating the company like a modern tech start-up. That is, their ultimate end-goal is to inflate the company's perceived value as much as they can before they sell it off, lock, stock, and barrel to a larger corporate entity. Winning a bunch of so-called "industry awards" should help distract potential buyers/investors from the reality that Valiant has less than 1% of the direct market dollar share.
>>84368328
To be honest I doubt the Harvey thing involved bribery, it seems more likely that Valiant told all their employees to vote and (more importantly) which titles to vote for, whereas larger companies almost certainly didn't care.
>>84368446
Either way, it does sour the public perception of the Harvey Awards and gives off the impression that the Harveys are a rinky dink operation. Not that the Eisner Awards are that much better... I personally don't lend a lot of credence to either award-giving body. Seems to me that the nomination and selection process is really about industry politics and insider connections than actual merit, although deserving works and creators do occasionally win (but hey, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, right?).
What first raised my suspicions regarding Valiant and the Harveys were last year's nominations. Jen Van Meter somehow landed on the "Most Promising New Talent" ballot for her work on Valiant's Dr. Mirage comic, when Van Meter had already received multiple Eisner Award nominations during the early/mid 2000s—she was hardly an industry newcomer and was in no way qualified as a "new talent". Van Meter herself was pretty embarrassed by it all and issued a public statement saying that she had nothing to do with the nomination.
There were other somewhat less controversial but no less eyebrow-raising nominations last year, such as three Valiant superhero titles somehow being nominated for "Special Award for Humor in Comics".
Anyway, just like this year, last year's Harvey nomination had some long-time comics industry watchers (such as Heidi McDonald) and comics creators publicly wondering if there was some sort of collusion between Valiant and the Harvey Awards organizers.
I read Doctor Mirage and didn't really like it
>>84368707
Not enough FEELS for you, funfag?
Nothing, honestly. Does the whole superhero thing far better than the big two, and isn't nearly as convoluted as a result. Only capeshit I'll bother to read.
Recs of good Valiant books?
>>84367789
>Lemire
>Kindt
>Venditti
>High quality writers
>>84369024
You seriously claiming Lemire and Kindt aren't great? What a shitter.
>>84369024
Why yes, Lemire and Kindt are very good writers. You forgot Van Lente and Dysart, all very proven strong creators.
>>84369024
>he mostly reads the Big Two
>>84368640
>such as three Valiant superhero titles somehow being nominated for "Special Award for Humor in Comics".
Let's be fair, Archer & Armstrong and Quantum & Woody are very strong humor titles.
>>84368829
Bloodshot Reborn
Rai
Ninjak
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior
Dysart's whole Harbinger saga (Harbinger - Harbinger Omegas - Imperium) to be followed up by Gen Zero and Renegades
>>84369262
>>84368829
Man, I was just thinking about current titles. Archer & Armstrong by Van Lente might be one of the best things he's ever done, wonderfully planned out, strong character beats and comedic moments, and just an all around good comic you'll come away from laughing and thinking.
>>84368640
>had already received multiple Eisner Award nominations during the early/mid 2000s
That's very suspicious
>issued a public statement saying that she had nothing to do with the nomination.
That's hilarious
>>84368764
>Does the whole superhero thing far better than the big two, and isn't nearly as convoluted as a result.
This is simply not true
>>84369262
>to be followed up by Gen Zero and Renegades
That's not Dysart's saga though. Which is bullshit. He should be the one writing Renegades an not some literal who hack.
>>84369324
Sure it is. DC and Marvel are both bloated as fuck now, between multiple reboots, crossover events, and new characters taking over for the old. It's so fucking boring at this point.
>>84367722
>wrong
Claiming they wouldn't do crossover events, but then doing them anyway.
>>84369331
>He should be the one writing Renegades an not some literal who hack.
>shitting on A&A writer
>>84369335
Valiant is also pretty convulated, just look at Eternal Warrior. The difference is that it's got less books as history and is also the perfect company for hipsters to support while reading capeshit.
>>84369352
He wrote that. damn, renegades is definitely going to be shit
>>84369262
Thanks
>>84367722
Their fans are the worst.
>>84369331
Reading through all the interviews related to the title, the guy knows what he wants to do and I really like what is planned.
>I'm going to try to explore some pretty serious themes here…but it's me, so there's going to be a pretty healthy level of crazy. I mean, it's not going to be a comedy, but there will be some strange and light-hearted moments mixed in with the melodrama and (if I may use my favorite expression stolen from a Stephen Malkmus album) real emotional trash… At one point in my pitch I used the phrase "Jack Kirby's 'Trainspotting,'" which may sum it up pretty well.
Also, I tweeted at Dinesh and he said Dysart is not done with Harbinger at all, and will be doing something more with Harada to be announced in a bit. Likely the Psi-Lords title they teased in their FCBD issue.
>>84369361
Nope, not convoluted at all. Every single arc is written with the intention of being readily available to someone as a jumping-on point. And it works, they've done a strong job of keeping their stories continuous, but not continuity-heavy and providing the reader will all they need.
Remember, while they do have a shared universe, it's more of a shared universe of various different genre-fiction titles, rather than a bunch of interrelated capes. Lots of separate corners with plenty of room to play around in without stepping on toes.
>>84367722
If it's not DC and Marvel it's not worth reading. Seriously comic fans are fucking awful
>>84369383
This, Valiant fags are so fucking elitist.
>>84369189
>>84369237
You just have lower standards
>>84369250
I've read his creator work as well. Lemire's good, but nowhere near where you Valiantfags claim him to be.
How does Valiant manage to stay afloat with an overall of 5k copies of their comic books sold monthly? Are they fueled by liberal hipsterism?
>>84369416
Valiantfags are like people who think they have high standards for eating at Popeye's rather than KFC.
>>84369391
Good to see Dysart in charge of Harada. But he should also be doing Peter's story instea f some new guy. This is why I like to mainly stick to indies
>>84369436
No idea. Comics are really fucked up. The big 2 have 70% of the market, Image has about 10% and then there's 13 other companies fighting over scraps. Seriously, who the fuck is buying from Zenoscope?
>>84369391
nah eternal warrior is messy as fuck, all 4 of his appearances (unity, EW, WOTEW, A&A) are inconsistent with each other in some way
>>84369505
>implying it's not TLK alone that keeps them afloat
Archer & Armstrong is pretty good. The rest is just okay.
Faith is way overrated. It's above-average at best. I think people are just clinging to the idea of a fat woman as a superhero
So is Valiant just capes for people who are scared by continuity? Are they worth reading though? Is it more like 80s and 90s Vertigo?
>>84369262
>>84369331
dysart is writing psi-lords bruhs, it's basically harbinger 4001. a follow up of sorts to this
>>84369346
This. I jumped in the new valliant because of this claim, i stopped and then was wishing to come back and then saw all the mess with the event and crossovers...fuck valiant.
>>84369436
they got a 7 figure investment from a big chinese company to help them develop properties for movies, bloodshot and harbinger are already being adapted
>>84369700
>So is Valiant just capes for people who are scared by continuity
Good luck reading valiant now, it is nearly more complicated than marvel and dc united.
>>84369715
But that was shit
>>84369700
>So is Valiant just capes for people who are scared by continuity
You're saying this like DC and Marvel have continuity that makes any sense. Is the Punisher still a Vietnam vet? He's awfully spry for a guy who should be in his mid sixties by now
>>84369700
if anything its the best capes for people who like continuity because you could easily read the whole universe in a couple of months. every story stands alone, but it still feels like a universe and, apart from a handful of low-selling minis, every story has long term ramifications. An early X-O Manowar story ended with a ring of space debris around the earth that is still there in current stories, there are a lot of slow-burning background plots across multiple titles like harada's space elevator, the nergal cult and the launch of new japan / the age of the sentient cities too
>>84369444
Best description I've ever heard for them
>>84369735
are you joking, it was gorgeous and very well written
>>84369752
I didn't like it, desu. Harada's Utopia means that he won't be there to see it? Lame.
>>84369738
Eh, I was just asking since most people recommend Valiant for capes done right without a convulted continuity. I've only read Ivar the time walker and found it good, but not great.
>>84369741
i mean just look at the current arc of X-O Manowar.
it has bad guys that have been built up since 2013 in planet death, as well as Trill who only recently returned after his first appearance (also 2013), the priest from the first issue is back and has been a regular supporting cast member, colonel capshaw who came in after the unity event is still a proper supporting cast member, aric is still leading the visigoth tribe he found in 2013, the armorines are back after the suits first appeared in about 2014.
but you could still pick it up along with the annual they put out a month before as a lead-in and understand the story without reading 46 other issues
>>84369775
>but you could still pick it up along with the annual they put out a month before as a lead-in and understand the story without reading 46 other issues
What a good jumping-on point.
>>84369767
?
he had his utopia at the start and lived in it for decades, then went away to not destroy it, at the end him and peter destroy most of harada's society.
>>84369024
Venditti is actually pretty good in Valiant. God knows why he churns out shit in DC.
>>84369775
>Venditti
Wait, the guy who turned GL and Flash into steaming piles of shit? Yeah I'm keeping my money
>>84369841
Did that post have anything to do with what i said or did you just feel the need to be a little bit edgy
>>84367722
Giving Vendetti the keys to X-O and Eternal Warrior for one thing. Vendetti's X-O was good up until the end of the Planet Death arc then it just became a directionless mess, which sums up a lot of early nu-Valiant
>>84369952
Honestly its been since that Vine Imperative arc, but there was a rough patch in the middle with armorines and a couple of other boring arcs and filler issues. Exodus was really fucking tense and good in particular.
>>84369775
>but you could still pick it up along with the annual they put out a month before as a lead-in and understand the story without reading 46 other issues
You can do this for most marvel/DC books desu
>>84369794
>>84369752
I'm really happy that Valiant started getting unique looking artists. For a while at the beginning everything was in a really samey generic cape house style (except Q&W, that has always looked great).
>>84367722
I liked bloodshot reborn
>>84367722
they allow faith of the harbingers to be fat.
>fat people should be punished not the subject of humanizing propaganda.
It's already hitting the same problem as Marvel's Ultimate universe: After being created to be an alternative to the convoluted and lengthy continuity of Marvel and DC, it started as a fun way to get in on the ground floor of a new comic universe, but it is rapidly hitting the saturation point where new readers will look at all the reading required to catch up and throw their hands up.
I've readed almost everything Valiant has published, and it feels pretty great to read about characters specifically created for a shared universe, because the events really make sense.
Still, there are some mediocre books and 1 or 2 awful releases (fucking Milligan ruined my Shadowman).
Anyway, Harada is probably the best character on the capeshit world.
Some essential recs
>Imperium
>Divinity
>Rai
>The Valiant
>>84367722
Between original Valiant and Acclaim, every incarnation took existing titles and added their own new titles to the lineup. Valiant 2012 has not done this aside from a mini or two and thus the universe feels a bit stale and boring.
>>84374385
Daily reminder that Faith posts erotic fanfiction on Reddit.
I really need to catch up on Harbinger
Thanks for reminding me guys
