It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone getting? What are you excited for? Sound off in the comments below. While you wait for shops to open, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
Written by MAX BEMIS Art by NATHAN STOCKMAN Colors by TRIONA FARRELL Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU Cover A by MARCUS TO Cover Bby CHRISTIAN WARD 1:20 Cover by STACEY LEE Preorder Variant Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI Blank Variant Also Available On Sale February 17th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
From the mad minds of international superstar Max Bemis and powerhouse artist Nathan Stockman comes the craziest action book of 2021.
Teenage heartthrob. Feral social icon. Dinosaur hunter? Raised on an uncharted island full of prehistoric dangers, Kevin Sauvage has a taste of home when a mutant dino threat invades England!
Savage #1 debuts on February 17 from writer Max Bemis, artist Nathan Stockman, colorist Triona Farrell, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Published by Valiant, it’s one of the anticipated debuts for 2021. The first issue features covers by Marcus To, Christian Ward, and Stacey Lee.
Teenage heartthrob. Feral social icon. Dinosaur hunter? Born and raised on an uncharted island full of prehistoric dangers, Kevin Sauvage has a taste of home when a mutant dino threat invades England!
What’s that about mutant dinos!? To celebrate the carnage, Valiant is releasing “Creature Feature” variants.
Savage #1: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Savage #2: David Lopez
Savage #3: Paco Diaz
Savage #4: Peach Momoko
Series Editor Heather Antos had this to say:
“Man vs. Beast” is a tale as old as humanity itself – and it’s time to celebrate the beasts of the Faraway in the “Creature Feature” pre-order variant bundle for SAVAGE. Debuting four exclusive and brand-new creature designs by series artist Nate Stockman, artists Giuseppe Camuncoli, Paco Diaz, Peach Momoko, and David Lopez each face-off their skills to tackle these ferocious beasts. As for an added bonus: each of these covers will feature bonus insert bestiary guides that will only be available here!
You can see all for “Creature Feature” variants below with the exclusive debut of issues #3 and #4 by Paco Diaz and Peach Momoko!
To celebrate the upcoming release of Savage #1 (on sale 2/17/21), Valiant Entertainment is offering fans the opportunity to win an original art commission by series artist Nathan Stockman!
The rising star artist is packing the panels of Savage with dinosaur-fighting fun, and now he will create a single character commission (11×17, inks and grey tones) for one very lucky and randomly selected winner.
The giveaway is now accepting entries and will close on Monday, January 11th at 12pm EST. The winner will receive an email reply to their entry no later than 5pm EST that day (1/11/21). Entering is simple. See below for details.
First & Last Name: Shipping Address: Single Character Art Request:
In case it helps, here is an example of how an email entry should look.
Email Subject Line: Art Contest
First & Last Name: Ray Garrison Address: 1234 Dinosaur Dr New York, NY 10001 Single Character Art Request: X-O Manowar
No purchase is necessary to enter and the single character art request does not need to be a Valiant character (though it would be extra cool if it was). The randomly selected winner will be mailed their commission within three months of being selected. Only one entry per person, entries without all of the information filled out will not be valid.
Savage #1brings monster mayhem to comic shops this February.
Hit musician and critically-acclaimed writer Max Bemis and energetic artist Nathan Stockman present Savage, an action-packed adventure that’s loaded with animated artwork, lots of laughs, and a completely unpredictable story.
Kevin Sauvage, aka Savage, grew up on a remote island populated by bloodthirsty dinosaurs and terrifying marauders. The wild child knew only one thing: survival. Now, he’s living in London and has become a breakout viral sensation. As Savage learns to live in his new environment, a taste of home comes to London as dinosaurs invade the city! It’s time for Savage to do what he does best: hunt!
Savage #1 unleashes dinosaur-hunting fun this February 17th, 2021, featuring colors by Triona Farrell, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and covers by Marcus To, Christian Ward, Stacey Lee, and Giuseppe Camuncoli.
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on their Twitter feed to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the Hero Of The Week from four choices – this week, the poll features teams for the first time; Secret Weapons, Psi-Lords, KI:6 and Unity. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more.
Which superhero baseball team would win the World Series: Unity, KI-6, Psi-Lords, or Secret Weapons?
Vote to choose our Hero of the Week team, and make sure to reply with your reasoning (and who you consider part of the team) below!#ValiantAndQuarantine#quaranteam
At Graphic Policy, we’re going to be running a spotlight on the winning character all week through various features depending on the character, but at the very least you’ll see our favorite covers and stories.
But Valiant has a lot of great characters, and it’d be a shame to not let you know which stories to read to get to know some of them a little more in case they don’t end up winning the fan vote. This week’s characters are a prime example of this, and the exact reason that we wanted to shine a little light on all four ahead of the week.
Below you’ll find a brief snapshot of the character and a trade paperback to check out, including the blurb from Valiant’s website. For fun, I’ll also note who I think is most likely to win (bear in mind this is being written on Sunday).
Secret Weapons
Who are they? A group of desperate psiots with pretty useless powers who are brought together by Livewire because they have nobody and nothing else.
What should you read?Secret Weapons
The government has dispatched Amanda McKee – the technopath codenamed Livewire – to investigate the ruins of a secret facility formerly run by Toyo Harada, the most powerful telepath on Earth and her former mentor. In his quest for world betterment at any cost, Harada sought out and activated many potential psiots like himself. Those who survived, but whose powers he deemed to have no value to his cause, were hidden away at this installation. But Livewire, having studied Harada’s greatest strengths and learned his deepest weaknesses, senses opportunity where he once saw failure. A young girl who can talk to birds… A boy who can make inanimate objects gently glow… To others, these are expensive disappointments. But, to Livewire, they are secret weapons…in need of a leader. Now, as a mechanized killer called Rex-O seeks to draw them out, Livewire and her new team of cadets will be forced to put their powers into action…in ways they never could have imagined…
What should you read? This one of the best stories to come from Valiant, and is worth checking out whenever you get a chance. There’s a lot of powerful statements about self belief, racism and the abuse of power.
Who are they? Four humans awake in outer space with no memory and discover that they have incredible power. And that they’re also prisoners.
What should you read?Psi-Lords #1-8
Who are the cosmic beings known only as the Psi-Lords? And how will they change the course of the Universe in this brand-new ongoing series?
Four astronauts awake in an otherworldly prison with no memory of how they got there! What is their connection to the Psi-Lords? And how will they escape?
Fred Van Lente is crafting a lively sci-fi mystery, and Renato Guedes’ art is (literally) out of this world.
This is the story of how they lost their humanity.
It’s the only thing you can read, currently, so by default it’s your only choice. The art is utterly phenomenal, but you’ll need to track the floppies.
Who are they? A group of ex MI6 operatives and graduates of the Ninja Programme, the ninjas have been thrust together because of circumstances out of their control. See
What should you read?Killers
Five deadly assassins are recruited into a game of cat and mouse by their former sensei, the mysterious Jonin. Trained to channel their “ki” to perform superhuman feats in the shadow wars between the secret agencies of the world, these agents of death will team up to compete for the ultimate prize…life itself. Brought together to find the secret of immortality, these lethal weapons will have to face a murderous gauntlet and each other in order to win what they desire most.
Who is they? Valiant’s premier super team comprised of some of the most powerful and effective operatives and heroes you’ll ever meet. And a fifty foot robot.
What should you read?
Book Of Death
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
This was my introduction to Gilad Anni Padda and the Unity team. It was also what sold me on the Valiant universe as a whole. Book Of Death is technically a sequel to The Valiant, a book that I’ve recommended already in these weekly columns, and will again, I’m sure. But you don’t need to read that story to enjoy this. You get an immediate sense of what an absolute monster the Eternal Warrior is very early in the series, as well as the team’s fractious relationship with each other. This is a great story in general, and one that should be on your reading list.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on their Twitter feed to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the Hero Of The Week from four choices – this week, the poll features Shadowman, Savage, Punk Mambo and Tama. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more.
Who would win the ultimate game of superhero Hide & Seek… Savage, Shadowman, Tama, or Punk Mambo?
At Graphic Policy, we’re going to be running a spotlight on the winning character all week through various features depending on the character, but at the very least you’ll see our favorite covers and stories.
But Valiant has a lot of great characters, and it’d be a shame to not let you know which stories to read to get to know some of them a little more in case they don’t end up winning the fan vote. This week’s characters are a prime example of this, and the exact reason that we wanted to shine a little light on all four ahead of the week.
Below you’ll find a brief snapshot of the character and a trade paperback to check out, including the blurb from Valiant’s website. For fun, I’ll also note who I think is most likely to win (bear in mind this is being written on Sunday).
Shadowman
Art from the band A Sound Of Thunder’s Tales From The Deadside album
Who is he? Jack Boniface is a man possessed by the Shadowman loa, a legacy that was passed to him from his father. As the Shadowman, Jack and the loa must defend New Orleans from supernatural threats. Shadowman was one of the second round of characters in the original Valiant universe, after Solar, Magnus and Turok, and he made an early appearance in the modern era, too, debuting again late in 2012. I’ve actually read more of the original run of Shadowman than I have the modern comics, and as such a lot of what I know about the character doesn’t really apply here, but across both iterations, Shadowman remains one of the more interesting comic book characters with his ties to voodoo and the afterlife.
What should you read?Shadowman: Birth Rites
There are a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true.
As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must embrace the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But is the mantle of Shadowman a blessing or a curse? And what is the true cost of his otherworldly power?
I don’t remember whether this was the first story I read with Shadowman in it or not, but it is the one that helped me understand the most about the character’s origins in the modern Valiant era, and so it’s fitting that this is the place you should start reading, as well.
Who is he? The fifteen year old son of a young couple marooned on an island with Dinosaurs, he was born on the island. His parents eventually succumb to the island’s inhabitants (this isn’t a spoiler – that story is told in flashbacks that weave in with the main story where it’s established early that Savage is alone). Think a modern reinterpretation of Tarzan and the Swiss Family Robinson, but with Velociraptors.
What should you read?Savage.
Fifteen years ago, the world’s most famous soccer star and his former supermodel wife –pregnant with their unborn child – disappeared without a trace. The world believes they are dead… But, in reality, their private jet crash-landed on a mysterious, unknown island ruled by prehistoric creatures from another time…
This is the story of how they lost their humanity.
It’s the only thing you can read, currently, so by default it’s your only choice. The art is utterly phenomenal, and the story is compelling.
Who is she? A sarcastic biting magician in the vein of John Constantine, Punk Mambo has very few figs to give about anybody. Her complete disregard for authority is fitting given the character’s name, and as such she works incredibly well against characters with a more straightforward motivation seen in books like Rapture or her self titled miniseries.
What should you read?Ninjak: Operation Deadside
Of all the characters in today’s poll, Punk Mambo is the one who hasn’t had that many appearances I’ve actually read. She first appeared in Shadowman #13, which is a series I haven’t even come close to finishing yet (I’ve got the first eight issues, so haven’t seen her introduction). My introduction to the character came in the story I’m going to recommend to you; Ninjak: Operation Deadside. Watching Punk Mambo and Ninjak interact with each other is one of the absolute highlights of the story as she ends up being the foil to everything Ninjak says and does. It was this story that got me hooked on the character, so I’m hoping you’ll have the same result.
Who is she? The Earth’s voice, Tama is the latest in a long line of Geomancers; powerful mystics who can communicate with the Earth itself. The Geomancers have been guarded and trained by the Eternal Warrior for thousands of years as they navigate a world that they often weren’t expecting to be thrust into.
What should you read?
Book Of Death
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
This was my introduction to Gilad Anni Padda and the Geomancer Tama. It was also what sold me on the Valiant universe as a whole. Book Of Death is technically a sequel to The Valiant, a book that I’ve recommended already in these weekly columns, and will again if Tama wins the week. But you don’t need to read that story to enjoy this. You get an immediate sense of what an absolute monster the Eternal Warrior is very early in the series as he faces down Valiant’s premiere super team, Unity, entirely alone. But you also see how the relationship between Gilad and Tama evolves over the course of the story; we haven’t seen a lot of books featuring these two characters together, but what we have seen always ranks highly for me because of their relationship – and that begins here.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Critically-acclaimed writer Max Bemis and energetic artist Nathan Stockman present a thrilling new series that’s packed with over-the-top action, animated artwork, and a massively entertaining and totally unpredictable story!
Kevin Sauvage, aka Savage, grew up on a remote island populated by bloodthirsty dinosaurs and terrifying marauders. The wild child knew only one thing: survival. Now, he’s living in London and has become a breakout viral sensation. As Savage learns to live in his new environment, a taste of home comes to London as dinosaurs invade the city! It’s time for Savage to do what he does best: hunt!
The dinosaur-hunting fun begins in Savage #1on June 17th, 2020, featuring colors by Brian Reber, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and covers by Marcus To, Christian Ward, Stacey Lee, and Giuseppe Camuncoli.
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Joe
Top Pick: Animosity #5 (Aftershock) – This is one of the best comics to come out in the last year. It’s consistent, interesting, emotional, and just everything I want in a story. I never know where the series is headed next and that is what keeps me coming back.
The Wild Storm #1 (DC Comics) – WildStorm returns! And Warren Ellis returns with it. I am excited to see what Ellis does with this grittier new and seemingly more grounded approach to some of my favorite characters. It sounds perfect for fans, both old and new.
Super Sons #1 (DC Comics) – Holy cow, it feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this! Robin and Superboy go on wild adventures in what I can imagine as fun, action packed, and nostalgic to be everything a teen superhero book should be.
God Country #2 (Image) – What an awesome comic. A comic that takes the idea behind Thor and has some fun with it. This revolves around an old man with Alzheimer’s who remembers everything when he touches a magical sword. There’s also gods and demons, so there’s that.
Batman #17 (DC Comics) – The end of the last issue was intense, even if it was just symbolic. What will Bane do? What will Batman do? This has been coming to a head and I expect the doors to be blown off everything as these two collide. Tom King’s series is really getting some legs and I expect all of the slower issues to pay off soon with the excellent building up to this pressure cooker story.
Alex
Top Pick I: Savage #4 (Valiant) – Usually by the time I’m writing this I’ve already read Valiant’s offerings for the week, but in a strange twist I actually haven’t opened the review copy just yet and I’m debating just waiting for the print copy from my LCS to read, but we’re expecting a bout of weather early in the week that may impact the postal service… anyway. Savage has been a really interesting series so far, and I’m really excited to see whether this issue will tie the character into the rest of the Valiant Universe or not. Plus it has some of the best art I’ve seen in a long time.
Top Pick II: Voracious: Feeding Time #3 (Action Lab Entertainment) – So… I’ve actually already read this issue, and it’s frigging phenomenal. Why am I excited to pick it up? Because are some visual sequences that I need to see in print.
God Country #2 (and #1) (Image) – I somehow missed the first issue of this series, and would have missed this were it not for the fact that it’s being written by Donny Cates, one of the authors behind The Paybacks, which is al the reason I need to go find these issues on Wednesday.
Old Man Logan #18 (Marvel) – The Aliens vibe of the recent arc has been fantastic. Jeff Lemire’s ability to capture the isolation of outer space, as well as the desolation of the waste lands of Old Man Logan’s past is stunning.
Super Sons #1 (DC Comics) – If you put Damian Wayne in a comic, I’m going to read it.
Paul
Top Pick:The Mighty Thor #16 (Marvel) – The Shi’ar and their royal guard have invaded Asgard, bested some of their greatest warriors and have managed to kidnap Thor, to bring her face to face with their gods. I am pumped to see the Shi’ar and their royal guard back in action and curious to see what their beef with Asgard and Thor is all about.
Old Man Logan #18 (Marvel) – This a series that has not disappointed. I’m not Wolverine’s biggest fan, and I have never read the original Old Man Logan story this book is named after. But I have consistently been enjoying this book and recommend it. This story arc in particular has been pretty trippy. Logan is trying to save Alpha Flight from the Brood; but also in the Wastelands trying to rescue the Cage baby and both are happening at the same time? A great story that comes to a close with this issue; you don’t want to miss it.
Uncanny Inhumans #19 (Marvel) – Maximus has the secret to create Terrigen crystals. This cannot be good for the X-Men or mutants as a whole. Or can it? The tie-ins for the Inhumans vs. X-Men event have worked very well in telling the smaller stories outside of the main battle issues, but I think Maximus’ plan will have larger consequences that will bring an end to the fighting, one way or another.
Uncanny X-Men #18 (Marvel) – So last issue was a little slower, focusing on some character development between Storm and Forge. It was an alright issue that saw the X-Men’s plan to take care of the Terrigen cloud literally blow up in their faces. This issue says Magneto will be deploying his team of secret mutant sleeper agents to aid in the fight against the Inhumans. Secret sleepers you say? That alone has me anxious to read this issue.
Shay
Gamora #3 (Marvel) – Gamora racks up enemies like nobodies business, she also unearths some secrets that might rock her world.
Batwoman Rebirth #1 (DC Comics) – The issue is a prologue of epic proportions and I’m here for the backstory.
Harley Quinn #14 (DC Comics) – It’s fun with some serious shade to the current political climate and some serious girl power thrown in for good measure.
Brett
Top Pick: The Killer Vol. 5 (Archaia/BOOM! Studios) – For those who are unfamiliar with Matz and Luc Jacamon’s epic story the short version is Frank, aka “The Killer” is James Bond for the Third World. Evil political dealings involving oil, assassinations, IMF, political jockeying, imperialism, for a political geek like me, this series has cool and depth. This is the fifth and final installment, and I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up. Will Frank find happiness? Will he go out in a blaze of bullets? How Matz and Jacamon finish the series will be interesting and I can’t wait to see what they have to “say” when it’s over.
Dead Inside #3 (Dark Horse) – A murder inside a prison… sounds like an easy case, right? Nope! The last issue ended with a shocker and this southern noir-ish crime comic has me engrossed.
The Rift #2 (Red 5 Comics) – The first and second issue feel like a classic Amazing Stories or Twilight Zone story. Entertaining and just plain fun. Like comics should be.
Super Sons #1 (DC Comics) – The team-up we’ve seen so far of Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne in Superman has been amazing and for them to get their own series… well, I’m super excited. Having read the first issue, it’s everything I was hoping for with an energy and enthusiasm that perfectly fits it’s two young leads.
The Wild Storm #1 (DC Comics) – I’m not the biggest Warren Ellis fan (he’s hit and miss for me), but I’m intrigued to see what will happen in this re-imagining of the classic universe. The first issue is a solid start that reminds me a lot of the third volume of Wildcats. In today’s world, that’s exactly what I was hoping for.
Written by B. CLAY MOORE
Art by CLAYTON HENRY and LEWIS LAROSA
Cover A by LEWIS LAROSA (DEC162058)
Cover B by ROBERT GILL (DEC162059)
Character Design Variant by LEWIS LAROSA (DEC162060)
Variant Cover by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE (DEC162061)
B&W Sketch Variant by LEWIS LAROSA (DEC162062)
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | VALIANT PRESTIGE | On sale FEBRUARY 15 (FOC – 1/23/17)
Out of the jungle, into the fight…
When all hope seems lost, the final threads tethering the Sauvage family to their humanity will finally be severed. Just as the beasts within begin to take hold, the final revelation about the prehistoric island that has claimed them will finally stand revealed. But will this twist of fate offer a last chance at rescue…or forever seal their doom?
The past and present collide as Valiant’s next great hero rises in a baptism of bloodshed! Be there as acclaimed writer B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick) and explosive artists Clayton Henry (Harbinger Wars) and Lewis LaRosa (Bloodshot Reborn) bring their primal origin story to a close!
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
