Who is Peter Stancheck? Find out as he faces off against the Renegade one last time in the stunning and thoughtful series finale ofThe 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 series finale of The Harbinger isn’t the drag out smackfest that you’re probably expecting. Oh, there’s definitely some series scrapping going on, but the comic is much more focused on the internal struggle of Peter Stanchek to come to terms with who he was and who he can be. It’s a culmination of the series itself, resulting in an awakening of the character as he’s reinvented into a more traditional superhero (because, being honest, Stanchek was a bit of a dick). If Valiant are intending to present Stanchek as a more clear cut hero with a less questionable past, then they’ve essentially succeeded with The Harbinger; while Stanchek acknowledges his past, he’s not defined by it in the eyes of the other characters (not that he ever was) – but he is trying to do things in a way that is significantly different than before.
It’s a conclusion that does end up somewhat satisfying, though given the publisher’s penchant for not always exploring the results of their limited series over the last couple of years, I’m curious what will come from Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing‘s story.
Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi (artist and colourist respectively) and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou continue to deliver a comic that remains visually exciting, if a touch hectic and confusing at times. There’s a tense oppressiveness to the backgrounds during the comic’s climax, lightening as the night comes to an end and yet never quite losing the tension from the art. It’s an interesting end, and one I’m a fan of.
Kelly, Lanzing et al have been executing this comic on a consistent quality, and The Harbinger #8, the series finale, is no exception to that. The inevitable collected edition is going to be one hell of a story to read all in one go.
Story: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing Art: Robbi Rodriguez Colours: Rico Renzi Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou Story: 8.7 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.6 Recommendation: Buy
Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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 On sale MAY 25th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
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…
They debuted in DC’s Very Merry Multiverse and are appearing in DC Pride 2022, now Teen Justice crosses the DC Multiverse and stars in their own miniseries, Multiversity: Teen Justice! The secrets of Earth-11’s newest heroes and villains unfold in DC’s most exciting new team title by Ivan Cohen, Danny Lore, Marco Failla, Enrica Eren Angiolini, and Carlos M. Mangual!
The incredible debut issue, publishing on June 7, begins with an attack by the H.I.V.E. and ends in the Church of Blood. What is Sister Blood’s true mission among the lost souls of New York City? Can Teen Justice get through their growing pains fast enough to learn the answer in time to stop it? And what role will the mysterious Raven—the brooding hero who has refused to join the team in the past—play in the ultimate battle?
Get a few insights into the Teen Justice team dynamics in their descriptions below:
KID QUICK (Jess Chambers) — they/them/their
AQUAGIRL (Jacqui Hyde) — she/her/hers
KLARIENNE (“the Witch Girl”) — she/her/hers
SUPERGIRL (Laurel Kent) — she/her/hers
ROBIN (Talia Kane) — she/her/hers
TROY (Donald Troy) — he/him/his
RAVEN (real name unknown) — he/him/his
Multiversity: Teen Justice#1features covers by Robbi Rodriguez (main), Stephanie Hans (open-to-order variant), Bengal (1:25 variant), and Failla & Angiolini (1:50 variant), publishes on June 7. As a bonus feature, the team’s introduction story, “To Stop the Star-Conqueress” by Ivan Cohen, Eleonora Carlini, Ulises Arreola and Becca Carey from DC’s Very Merry Multiverse, will be reprinted in this new issue.
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 JONATHAN MARKS BERRAVECHHIA Pre-order Cover by CULLY HAMNER On sale ARPIL 27th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
Enter high-flying hero Faith Herbert! Peter Stanchek’s former teammate and friend flies into Psiot City to find out what’s going on, but the Renegade and his formidable psiots have other plans. This penultimate issue ends with a shocker….
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 MARGUERITE SAUVAGE Pre-order Cover by CASEY PARSONS On sale MARCH 30th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
The war for Chicago begins! It’s FAITH vs THE HARBINGER — PSIOT CITY vs THE RENEGADE — BLAM vs… everyone! Can Peter Stanchek save a city when everyone he knows has their knives at his neck? It might be the end for The Harbinger….
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 MARGUERITE SAUVAGE Pre-order Cover by CASEY PARSONS On sale MARCH 30th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
The war for Chicago begins! It’s FAITH vs THE HARBINGER — PSIOT CITY vs THE RENEGADE — BLAM vs… everyone! Can Peter Stanchek save a city when everyone he knows has their knives at his neck? It might be the end for The Harbinger….
DC is celebrating Pride Month in June with new releases, new trades, and more. The celebration will be available at local comics shops, bookstores, libraries, and beyond this June with more stories, more characters, and more pride than ever. In addition to DC Pride 2022, a new 100+ page Prestige format annual anthology comic, in the coming months DC will also publish a new young adult graphic novel, launch three new comic book series, publish a new Tim Drake special, feature DC Pride variant covers on multiple series, deliver a new slate of books to readers everywhere, and turn a spotlight (the Bat-Signal, too!) on the World’s Greatest Super Heroes.
In the book market and available everywhere books are sold, Galaxy: The Prettiest Star from writer Jadzia Axelrod and artist Jess Taylor will publish on May 17 to introduce entirely new characters to DC’s pantheon of heroes. DC can’t wait for you to meet Taylor, the Galaxy Crowned, and so is delivering Galaxy: The Prettiest Star FCBD Special Edition 2022 #1, a free preview on Free Comic Book Day of the young adult graphic novel about gender identity, romance, and shining as bright as the stars, to your local comics shop on May 7. It takes strength to live as your true self, and one alien princess disguised as a human boy is about to test her power!
DC Pride 2022, containing all-new stories spotlighting LGBTQIA+ fan-favorites, is DC’s annual Pride-themed anthology comic. The 104-page Prestige format comic, publishing on May 31, will have an introduction by activist, actress, and real-life superhero Nicole Maines (including a teaser for her upcoming DC project!) and will feature a main cover by Phil Jimenez and Arif Prianto, an open-to-order wraparound variant cover by Joshua “Sway” Swaby, and a 1:25 variant cover by Jen Bartel. The DC Pride 2022 creative teams, and the characters they’re developing stories for, include:
Alysia Yeoh and Batgirl by Jadzia Axelrod and Lynne Yoshii
Aquaman/Jackson Hyde by Alyssa Wong and W. Scott Forbes
Green Lantern/Jo Mullein by Tini Howard and Evan Cagle
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy by Dani Fernandez and Zoe Thorogood
The Ray by Greg Lockard and Giulio Macaione
Superman/Jon Kent by Devin Grayson and Nick Robles
Tim Drake by Travis G. Moore
and more to come!
DC’s Pride anthology comic will also include contributions from J. Bone, Ro Stein and Ted Brandt, Samantha Dodge, Brittney Williams, and others; and new pinups by P. Craig Russell, J.J. Kirby, and more. With over 100 pages of original stories and content, DC Pride 2022 celebrates the strength and courage it takes to be a DC Super Hero.
But DC’s Pride plans aren’t limited to June! In addition to DC Pride 2022, the following comics will launch during Pride Month and continue through the year:
Poison Ivy, by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, with covers by Jessica Fong (main), Warren Louw (open-to-order variant and 1:100 foil variant), Nick Robles (1:25 variant), Frank Cho (1:50 variant), and Dan Mora (team variant), launches on June 7. In her new series, Ivy leaves Gotham City and sets out to complete her greatest work—a gift to the world that will heal the damage humanity has dealt to it! DC is proud to present the unbelievable next chapter in Poison Ivy’s ever-growing library in a six-issue story arc by the incredible creative team of G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara.
Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, a new series by Stephanie Williams, Alitha Martinez, and Mark Morales, with covers by Khary Randolph (main), Jae Lee (open-to-order variant), and Alitha Martinez (1:25 variant), debuts on June 7. Taking place right after the Nubia: Coronation Special, a second miniseries for the fan-favorite Amazon begins! You won’t want to miss the exciting new adventures of the one true queen, brought to you by the creative team behind Nubia & the Amazons—writer Stephanie Williams and artist Alitha Martinez! Williams, Martinez, and Morales’s new series is planned for four issues.
DC Pride: Tim Drake Special, by Meghan Fitzmartin, Belén Ortega, and Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque, with covers by Ortega (main) and Travis Moore (open-to-order variant), collects the breakout story from Batman: Urban Legends in one volume for the very first time! This 64-page one-shot comic arriving on June 14 also features a brand-new story that sees Tim teaming up with his former Young Justice teammates and the Batgirls! Tim Drake’s 2022 path starts here!
Multiversity: Teen Justiceby Ivan Cohen, Danny Lore, Marco Failla, and Enrica Eren Angiolini, with covers by Robbi Rodriguez (main), Stephanie Hans (open-to-order variant), Bengal (1:25 variant), and Failla (1:50 variant), features Kid Quick—the Future State Flash—and the other young heroes of Earth-11. Launching on June 7, the secrets of Earth-11’s newest heroes and villains unfold in DC’s most exciting new team title! And what role will the mysterious Raven—the brooding hero who has refused to join the team in the past—play in the brand-new series? Cohen, Lore, Failla, and Angiolini’s new series is planned for six issues.
Throughout DC’s line of monthly comics, DC’s 2022 Pride-themed variant covers will feature artwork by Amy Reeder (Batman #124), David Talaski (Superman: Son of Kal-El #12), Derek Charm (Action Comics #1044), Joe Phillips (Aquamen #5), Kevin Wada (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #1), Kris Anka (Poison Ivy #1), Nick Robles (Nightwing #93), Nicole Goux (Wonder Woman #788), Olivier Coipel (Harley Quinn #16), Stephen Byrne (Multiversity: Teen Justice #1), and more.
New DC books arriving in the coming months to add to your TBR piles, pull lists, DC Pride book clubs, in-store Pride displays, and to share with friends on TikTok will include:
DC Pride 2021 (4/26)
Galaxy: The Prettiest Star (5/17)
Crush & Lobo (5/17)
Midnighter: The Complete Collection (5/24)
Aquaman: The Becoming (5/24)
Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 2 (5/24)
Superman: Son of Kal-El Vol. 1: The Truth (5/31)
DC Poster Portfolio: DC Pride (5/31)
Doom Patrol by Rachel Pollack Omnibus (7/5)
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour Vol. 1 (8/30)
DC’s award-winning backlist of bestselling titles featuring LGBTQIA+ characters can be purchased everywhere books are sold:
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 ISAAC GOODHART Pre-order Connecting Cover by IBRAHIM MOUSTAFA On sale FEBRUARY 23rd | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
Peter tries to protect Psiot City and encounters a terrifying nightmare monster that seems hauntingly familiar.
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 CLAUDIA IANNICIELLO Pre-order Connecting Cover by DAMION SCOTT On sale JANUARY 26th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
It’s the Harbinger vs. the Renegade. Peter confronts his past, but will it destroy him in the process?
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 CLAUDIA IANNICIELLO Pre-order Connecting Cover by DAMION SCOTT On sale JANUARY 26th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
It’s the Harbinger vs. the Renegade. Peter confronts his past, but will it destroy him in the process?
