As revealed today at Emerald City Comicon 2016, Valiant is proud to announce that multiple Eisner Award-nominated artist David Mack will join writer Matt Kindt and superstar artist Clayton Crain for 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of Valiant’s much-anticipated summer event uniting Rai with the 41st century’s greatest heroes in comic shops everywhere on May 4th!

To accommodate Mack’s stunning contributions to 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4)’s already jam-packed roster of surprises, the debut issue of the summer’s biggest comics event will now grow to a colossal 40 pages – all for the same previously solicited $3.99 cover price. Don’t miss the first shot fired in Rai’s revolutionary insurrection against the tyrannical forces of New Japan when 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) starts here on May 4th – and launches “THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D.” into the stratosphere with an essential series of new arcs and one-shots in its a wake.

One hundred years from today, Father – the benevolent artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan – will gain sentience. To defend its borders, Father will take drastic action by launching Japan into space…where its people can thrive in isolation, away from the overpopulated and resource-deprived planet below. Over the centuries, as New Japan orbits our increasingly unstable world, it will become a model society – one built on peace, prosperity…and Father’s control.

A thousand years from today, Father will create the first Rai, founding a lineage of technologically enhanced heroes engineered to defend New Japan and sworn to protect it from all enemies. For hundreds of years into the future, the Rai will single-handedly enforce New Japan’s justice well…and serve Father without question.

Now, at the dawn of 4001 A.D., the latest Rai is about to inherit the dark truth behind the origin of his kind…and discover the sinister secret at the heart of Father’s existence. For New Japan to live, Earth must die…and as Rai challenges his former master for the first time in more than a millennium, the lone guardian of New Japan will be cast out of his own Father’s kingdom…

Exiled from the only realm he’s ever known, Rai now walks the ravaged world of 4001 A.D. in search of forgotten heroes like himself…on a mission to collect the last surviving legends of a broken planet…and to forge a rebellion with the power to bring the most advanced civilization in history crashing back down to Earth.

4001 A.D. #1 (of 4)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CLAYTON CRAIN and DAVID MACK
Cover A by CLAYTON CRAIN (MAR161791)
Cover B by TULA LOTAY (MAR161792)
Cover C by RYAN BODENHEIM (MAR161793)
Valiant x CGC Replica Variant by CLAYTON HENRY (MAR161794)
Character Design Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN (MAR161796)
Interlocking Mega-Cover Variant by RYAN LEE (MAR161797)
Interlocking Artist Variant by RYAN SOOK (MAR161798)
Interlocking B&W Artist Variant by RYAN SOOK (MAR161799)
Blank Cover Also Available (MAR161795)
$3.99 | 40 pgs. | T+ | On sale MAY 4 (FOC – 4/11/16)