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Review: What If? The Complete Collection Vol. 1

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What if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four? What if Captain America survived World War II? What if Rick Jones became the Hulk? Explore these possibilties and more in this collection of the classic series.

What If? The Complete Collection Vol. 1 is by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, Jim Shooter, Don Glut, Scott Shaw, Jack Kirby, Jim Craig, Herb Trimpe, Gil Kane, Frank Robbins, George Tuska, Rock Hoberg, Alan Kupperberg, and Sal Buscema!

Get your copy in comic shops now and book stores on January 29! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Amazon/comiXology/Kindle
TFAW

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
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Flashback Friday Friday Review: Archer & Armstrong #2

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archerandarmstrong2To save all Creation, Archer attempts to assassinate Erica Pierce! But “Mothergod” is beyond harm and she easily thwarts the attack. For this affront, Archer and Armstrong are thrown in the dungeon. When the pair escape, Erica sends her finest warrior, Turok, Dinosaur Hunter, to hunt them down. But, sensing Archer’s inner nobility, Turok spares their lives and forsakes his allegiance to Mothergod.

My experience with Valiant comics in the 90s was scattered and I don’t remember reading this issue before, and in general anything from the Unity event.

Archer & Armstrong #2 was written by Jim Shooter and Barry Windsor-Smith and part of the company-wide crossover from 1992 bringing together Harbinger, Magnus, Rai, Shadowman, Solar, and X-O Manowar. It also introducde new series Archer & Armstrong and Eternal Warrior. The main story involves Mothergod who attempts to rewrite reality bringing together all of these heroes.

So, here I am reading this second issue for an event I don’t remember.

The issue is an interesting one and you can see a lot of what we’ve come to expect with today’s take on these two characters. Armstrong is the long lived partier and Archer is still the religious conservative. This take though has Archer more as a monk than the Christian nut we see in the latest take. It’s a slight difference, but an interesting one to note.

What’s also fun is seeing Turok involved in the series. For those not familiar this version of the Valiant universe featured Gold Key characters like Turok, Magnus, and Solar. Those were comics I remember a bit more and seeing Turok running around with his bow taking on these two added a bit of nostalgia for that take on the character (my first introduction to him).

The story is basically a jail break, nothing much more than that, and the relationship between these two characters that continues to shine. This might be one of the best pairings of characters ever in comics and what works now worked then giving it a bit of a timeless feel to it all.

The art by Barry Windsor-Smith is solid with colors by Maurice Fontenot and inks by Bob Layton. I’m not quite sure how to describe the style but the colors have an almost colored pencil look to it on top of Windsor-Smith’s fantastic pencils. I’ve been a fan of his art for some time, and we can see some of why here.

The issue is being dropped in the middle of a story but I found myself being entertained. There’s enough there that one can enjoy and seeing versions of these characters from 25 years ago kept me pretty entertained. Though it was different, a lot remained the same.

Story: Jim Shooter and Barry Windsor-Smith Art: Barry Windsor-Smith
Ink: Bob Layton Color: Maurice Fontenot
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Read

Barry Windsor-Smith’s Eternal Warrior Charges Into Valiant Masters

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Valiant is proud to announce the upcoming release of Valiant Masters: Eternal Warrior Vol. 1 – The Fist and Steel HC – a new hardcover collection re-presenting the legendary debut of Valiant’s original immortal hero for the first time anywhere!

Arriving in stores this August, the latest Valiant Masters volume presents never-before-collected works by Eisner Award-winner and comics legend Barry Windsor-Smith, alongside all-time classic stories by Jim Shooter, Kevin VanHook, John Dixon and Yvel Guichet – all in a deluxe hardcover format!

For a thousand generations, Gilad Anni-Padda has defended the innocent and dealt out justice as the Eternal Warrior – the undying champion of the Geomancers, the Earth’s chosen Fist and Steel. An unsung veteran of every war ever waged, Gilad’s hard-fought quest from the ancient world to modern day Los Angeles will force him to the forefront of the Valiant Universe – and into a brand new kind of battle alongside the likes of Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, and his own long-lost brother, the one and only Armstrong.

Featuring the Eternal Warrior’s original solo debut by Jim Shooter and John Dixon alongside Barry Windsor-Smith’s classic tales “Time & Space,” “Space & Time” and “The Musketeers!”, this masterfully illustrated epic of the original Valiant Universe collects Eternal Warrior (1992) #1-7 and Archer & Armstrong (1992)/Eternal Warrior (1992) #8.

VALIANT MASTERS: ETERNAL WARRIOR VOL. 1 – THE FIST AND STEEL HC
Written by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JIM SHOOTER and KEVIN VANHOOK
Art by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JOHN DIXON and YVEL GUICHET
Cover by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH
ISBN: 978-1-939346-06-3
$24.99/T+/186 pgs.

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Valiant Masters: Shadowman Spotlights Ditko, Englehart, Hall, Lapham, Shooter, and More!

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This May, a new day is dawning for Valiant‘s original defender of the New Orleans night! Valiant is proud to announce the upcoming release of Valiant Masters: Shadowman Vol. 1 – Spirits Within – the first-ever deluxe hardcover collection featuring the origin and debut solo adventures of Shadowman in the original Valiant Universe!

Jack Boniface nearly died one night – attacked by something out of a nightmare. But since that terrifying experience something has changed. Now, when darkness falls, a feeling comes over him, an urge to destroy the demons that would defile his night. Wild, reckless, and hell-bent on eliminating evil in all its forms, Jack is now his city’s new protector – the nocturnal avenger simply called Shadowman.

Featuring appearances by X-O Manowar, Archer & Armstrong and more of the Valiant Universe’s greatest heroes, Valiant Masters: Shadowman Vol. 1 – Spirits Within also brings together classic work from a who’s who of comics luminaries, including Steve Ditko, Steve Englehart, Bob Hall, David Lapham, Bob Layton, Jim Shooter and many more!

Re-presenting Shadowman (1992) #0-7 and material from Darque Passages (1994) #1, this latest addition to the Valiant Masters line of hardcovers is essential reading for the any fan of the Valiant Universe – past or present.

VALIANT MASTERS: SHADOWMAN VOL. 1 – SPIRITS WITHIN HC
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART, BOB HALL, JIM SHOOTER and More
Art by STEVE DITKO, BOB HALL, DAVID LAPHAM, DON PERLIN and More
Cover by DAVID LAPHAM
$24.99/T+/184 pgs.
ON SALE THIS MAY!

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Valiant Masters: Ninjak Fights Its Way to 200 Pages!

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Valiant has announced that the first-ever hardcover collection of Mark Moretti and Joe Quesada‘s Ninjak is getting even bigger! Now clocking in at 200 pages, Valiant Masters: Ninjak Vol. 1 – Black Water collects the definitive origin and debut solo adventure of super-spy Colin King’s masked alter ego – plus an exclusive compendium of more than than a dozen rare and never-before-seen Joe Quesada pencils and process art direct from the Valiant vaults! Re-presenting Ninjak (1994) #1-6, #0, and #00, get ready for an unparalleled look inside the series that sent shockwaves through the original Valiant Universe!

Codenamed Ninjak, Colin King is gifted with a brilliant mind and lethal training in the world’s most dangerous fighting techniques. Both will be put to the ultimate test as he is drawn into a globe-spanning mission to apprehend Dr. Silk, mastermind of the WEBNET terror network, before the mysterious weapon known as “Black Water” goes online. From the British Isles to the land of the Rising Sun, Ninjak is about to leave an indelible imprint on the Valiant Universe – or die trying.

And for an exclusive look inside this collection, pick up the Valiant Masters: 2013 FCBD Showcase Edition – in finer comic shops everywhere this Free Comic Book Day!

VALIANT MASTERS: NINJAK VOL. 1 – BLACK WATER HC (DEC121275)
Written by MARK MORETTI
Art by JOE QUESADA, MARK MORETTI and More
Cover by JOE QUESADA
$24.99/Rated T+/184 pgs.
Collecting NINJAK (1994) #1-4, #0, and #00
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-7-1
ON SALE 2/27/13 (FOC 2/11/13)

VALIANT MASTERS: 2013 FCBD SHOWCASE EDITION (JAN130050)
Written by MARK MORETTI, JIM SHOOTER, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and MORE
Art by DAVID LAPHAM, BOB LAYTON, JOE QUESADA, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and MORE
Cover by BARRY WINDSOR SMITH
FREE/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 5/4/13 (FOC 2/18/13)

FCBD_MASTERS_CVR VM_NINJAK_001_001 VM_NINJAK_001_002 VM_NINJAK_001_FINAL-COVER

Valiant Joins Free Comic Book Day 2013 with Harbinger Wars and Valiant Masters

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Valiant‘s greatest heroes of past and present will be turning out in force on Saturday, May 4th for Free Comic Book Day 2013! Valiant has announced not one, but TWO special releases for next year’s Free Comic Book Day, featuring some of comics’ brightest talents and two generations of fan favorite superheroes.

First up, the critically acclaimed, best-selling comics launch of the decade throws it into high gear with the VALIANT 2013: Harbinger Wars FCBD Special! Test your mettle with an exclusive look inside Harbinger Wars – the blistering conflict between Bloodshot and Harbinger that will crack the Valiant Universe in half. Plus – who will stand to oppose X-O Manowar on Planet Death? What adventure lies beyond the horizon for Archer & Armstrong? Who is the true heir to the legacy of the Shadowman? And what top-secret projects could possibly be coming next? Featuring the art of Patrick Zircher, Cary Nord, Trevor Hairsine, Clayton Crain, Marko Djurdjevic and more, everything you need to know about the Valiant Universe in 2013 happens right here this Free Comic Book Day!

Then, dive deep into the greatest stories of the original Valiant Universe – remastered and collected together for the first time anywhere – with the Valiant Masters: 2013 Showcase Edition! Relive the best-selling adventures of Valiant’s definitive heroes – Ninjak, Shadowman, Eternal Warrior and more – in this special FCBD release previewing the next year’s worth of Valiant Masters hardcover collections. Featuring all-time classic work by some of comics’ most celebrated creators, including Jim Shooter, Joe Quesada, Barry Windsor-Smith, David Lapham, Bob Layton and more, this is the perfect opportunity to discover how the Valiant Universe created a new generation of comics fans and became the stuff of legend.

The best of the Valiant Universe, yesterday and tomorrow – coming this Free Comic Book Day to a retailer near you!

For more information, visit FreeComicBookDay.com and ValiantUniverse.com

VALIANT 2013: HARBINGER WARS FCBD SPECIAL 
Written by JOSHUA DYSART, JUSTIN JORDAN, DUANE SWIERCZYSNKI, FRED VAN LENTE, ROBERT VENDITTI, and PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art by KHARI EVANS, TREVOR HAIRSINE, CLAYTON HENRY, CARY NORD, PATRICK ZIRCHER, and MORE
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
T+/32 pgs.

VALIANT MASTERS: 2013 SHOWCASE EDITION
Written by MARK MORETTI, JIM SHOOTER, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and MORE
Art by DAVID LAPHAM, BOB LAYTON, JOE QUESADA, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and MORE
Cover by BARRY WINDSOR SMITH
T+/32 pgs.

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Valiant And Comixology Announce Exclusive Digital Distribution Agreement

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VALIANT AND COMIXOLOGY ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

All-New Upcoming Valiant Titles To Be Available Same Day As Print
Get X-0 Manowar #1 Digitally Today At ComiXology.com
Classic Valiant Titles Also Available Today!

May 2nd, 2012 – New York, NY — Valiant Entertainment is proud to announce that it has reached an exclusive digital comics distribution agreement with comiXology, the world’s largest digital comics platform available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web with over 60 million comic and graphic novel downloads to date.

Beginning today with the release of the all-new X-O Manowar #1 by New York Times best-selling author Robert Venditti (The Surrogates) and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan), comiXology will offer same-day as print digital releases for all of Valiant’s upcoming titles.  Additionally, Valiant’s expansive back catalog of classic content will also be exclusively available via comiXology.

“There’s tremendous excitement around Valiant’s return, and they’re bringing with them one of the greatest libraries of characters and stories in comics,” said comiXology CEO and co-Founder David Steinberger. “We couldn’t be more proud to partner with Valiant in the digital marketplace. We’re sure to see the original Valiant fans energized by making these great comics available across the globe, while also bringing in a whole new generation of readers.”

Set for a much anticipated summer 2012 relaunch, Valiant will soon return with four new series, all of which will debut as same-day as print digital releases on comiXology — X-O Manowar #1 on sale today, Harbinger #1 on June 6th, Bloodshot #1 on July 11th, and Archer & Armstrong #1 on August 8th.

Moreover, in conjunction with the today’s release of X-O Manowar #1, comiXology is adding the first-ever digital editions of three classic storylines from Valiant’s vast archive of best-selling comics to comiXology’s library of more than 20,000 issues:

  • X-O Manowar (1992) #0-6 by Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, Barry Windsor-Smith & Joe Quesada
  • Harbinger (1992) #0-6 by Jim Shooter & David Lapham
  • Bloodshot (1993) #0-4 by Kevin VanHook & Don Perlin

“For the first time, through comiXology’s platform, Valiant Comics will be available anywhere in the world,” said Valiant CEO Jason Kothari. “With Valiant’s return now in full effect with today’s release of X-O Manowar #1, the timing couldn’t be better to remind people once again of the incredible characters and stories that made Valiant a household name.”

As part of the exclusive agreement, Valiant Entertainment titles will also be available through comiXology’s Digital Retailer Storefront program. This enables retailers to sell Valiant’s digital comics through their own website while comic book fans can purchase digital comics from their local comic store’s digital storefront with a portion of each purchase going directly to the retailer.

Future digital releases on comiXology will delve deeper into the Valiant catalog, and feature classic series including Archer & Armstrong, Rai, Ninjak, Shadowman, Eternal Warrior, and Quantum & Woody.

In the meantime, today fans everywhere can now add all-new Valiant material to their digital comics libraries with X-O Manowar #1, from writer Robert Venditti and artist Cary Nord, available now on the Comics by comiXology platform — available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web.

About Valiant Entertainment
Valiant Entertainment is a character-based publishing and licensing company that owns and controls some of the most cherished comic characters ever created across all media worldwide. Since their creation in 1989, Valiant characters have sold 80 million comic books and have been the basis of a number of successful video game franchises. Valiant’s extensive library includes over 1,500 characters, such as X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, and Ninjak. Visit www.valiantentertainment.com.

About comiXology
Founded in 2007 with the mission of bringing comics to people everywhere, comiXology — in just five short years — has revolutionized the comic book and graphic novel world. From creating the industry leading platform for digital comics to tools and services for brick and mortar retailers, comiXology has lead the charge in exposing new audiences to the rich history and culture of comic books. With the development of the Comics by comiXology digital comics platform — available across iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and the Web — comiXology provides the easiest way worldwide for people to enjoy comics at just the click of a button! Regularly ranking as the top grossing iPad app in the entire iTunes App Store, Comics by comiXology was recently selected as a preloaded app on Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Providing digital comics across multiple platforms, comiXology will not stop until everyone on the face of the earth has been turned into a comic book fan.

Dark Horse To Debut Turok At San Diego Comic-Con!

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Official Press Release

DARK HORSE TO UNVEIL THE FIRST LOOK AT TUROK, SON OF STONE®, AT COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL!

CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND NEW GOLD KEY LINE ANNOUNCED

JULY 21, SAN DIEGO, CA–Building on the success of the Dark Horse Gold Key line, today the Company announced that it would provide the comic world with the very first look at the highly-anticipated Turok, Son of Stone®, comic at this week’s Comic-Con International 2010 in San Diego, CA.  News of the line was first announced at Comic Con International 2009, and fans have been anxiously awaiting details ever since.

Perhaps the best-known character in the iconic Gold Key line, Turok has been highly visible in the public eye in recent years, following its incredibly successful video game franchise, as well as the acclaimed feature length animated, Turok: Son of Stone.

Now, Turok returns to the comic book world helmed by comic book veteran, Jim Shooter, with art by Eduardo Francisco (Mass Effect: Incursion), and incredible covers by Raymond Swanland (Magnus: Robot Fighter, Aliens vs. Predator), arriving in your local comic shop this October.

“Turok was one of my favorite comics in my youth,” said Mike Richardson, president of Dark Horse Comics. “We’re having great fun re-imagining the series with Jim and we are building up to some great surprises for those familiar with the character as well as new readers.”

“One continuum over from ours, Earth is still in its Cretaceous Period,” Jim Shooter explained. “However, a drifting rift in spacetime is sweeping things from anywhen here to there. It’s a dangerous place. How strong, how tough, how smart would you have to be to survive, to thrive, to become a force to be reckoned with? This is a story about about a fearless man who will find a way. I love this series.”

Fans are encouraged to attend the Dark Horse publishing panel on Friday, July 23rd at 11:30am in Room 3, for exclusive news on Turok, and rest of the Gold Key titles.

About Turok®

An original comic book hero, Turok® is best known today for a successful video game franchise boasting more than five million units sold since the first game was introduced in the 1990s. The legend of the brave and ruthless dinosaur-hunter has lived on for more than thirty years in comic book series from Dell Comics, Gold Key Comics and Valiant. Anthologies of the original classic comics are now available from Dark Horse Comics.

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists.  In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and bestselling prose author, Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, their highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Tim Burton,  Serenity and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

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