THE HARBINGER #5
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.
Featuring FAITH!
THE HARBINGER #4
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?
Peter Stanchek has stepped up for Psiot City and protected those in need as the Harbinger, but now it’s time to face down an enemy of his own making…The Renegade. After his clash against the state sanctioned oppressors known as The Warning, Peter must come to terms with his own past and take on a dangerous fight that will push him to finally understand what it means to become a superhero in The Harbinger #4, the epic final chapter of the “be better” story.
The title of the first arc of The Harbinger is Be Better. One could make a cynical joke correlating the title to the quality of the book if one were so inclined, but for my money that wouldn’t be an accurate or fair statement. The Harbinger #4 caps off the first arc with a confrontation between the Harbinger and the Renegade – both men claiming to be Peter Stanchek. Writers Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing use this confrontation to really delve into the man that Stanchek was before the events of this series, and aren’t afraid to look at the character with a frank honesty. The result this introspection leaves isn’t entirely comfortable as we remember (or find out if you’re just starting the story with The Harbinger) what Stanchek has done in the past. Kelly and Lanzing reveal a lot through the Harbinger’s internal narration, and the struggle between that character and the Renegade.
This issue is a bit more cerebral in its content than the previous issues, but that doesn’t mean that Robbie Rodriguez and Rico Renzi (artist and colourist respectively) are bereft of exciting imagery to delight your eyes, because the nature of Peter Stanchek’s powers enable you to create a brightly diverse mindscape as a backdrop to the action as the story comes to its conclusion. Because of the nature of the dual narrators, letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou uses some interesting speech bubble styles in the comic, differentiating between the disembodied voices with muted colours that feel like they’re about to be so much brighter.
The Harbinger #4 answers more questions than it asks, and while there are still lingering threads that Kelly and Lanzing are able to pull at for the rest of the series, the Be Better arc comes to a strong character driven conclusion that positions the book to be one of the rare “traditional” superhero comics from Valiant.
Story: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing Art: Robbie Rodriguez
Colours: Rico Renzi Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy
Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) 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
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Batman/Catwoman Special #1 (DC Comics) – John Paul Leon left us far too soon and this issue is a great opportunity to see why he’s such an admired artist.
Black Panther #3 (Marvel) – John Ridley has grounded the character and put him on a quest to figure out who’s assassinating his undercover agents. Action and paranoia!
Cocaine Coast (Ablaze) – The true story about the European drug trade, and it’s been turned into a Netflix series!?
DC vs. Vampires #4 (DC Comics) – The series has kept us guessing as to who is a vampire and who’s not and who’s getting killed next!
Devil’s Reign #3/Devil’s Reign: Winter Soldier #1 (Marvel) – The event has been fantastic so far and we’re here for every release… including the spin-offs!
The Harbinger #4 (Valiant) – The series has been awesome so far and we’re expecting some major implications for the Valiant Universe to spin out of it.
Saga #55 (Image Comics) – Saga‘s return is a big deal after what feels like a decade since we last saw it on the shelf. How will it feel picking the series up after such a long break? We’ll find out soon enough!
Stray Dogs: Dog Days #2 (Image Comics) – We’re sad this is just two issues diving deeper into this amazing horror series from the perspective of dogs. We want more!
Superman & Robin Special #1 (DC Comics) – We loved Super Sons, so to see a grown-up Jon and Damian team up should be entertaining.
Task Force Z #4 (DC Comics) – The concept of a “zombie” Suicide Squad might seem silly but it really works.
There are a lot of comics that come out every week and we’re kicking off a new regular feature where we highlight some of the interesting comics and debuts coming each week!
We want to hear what you want with this so let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This week’s highlights:
THE HARBINGER #4
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?
THE HARBINGER #3
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 ADAM POLLINA
Pre-order Connecting Cover by DAMION SCOTT
On sale DECEMBER 22nd | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
A daring rescue mission unravels the mystery of Peter Stanchek’s past… and paves the way for the powerful psiot’s future.
In The Harbinger #3, a daring rescue mission unravels the mystery of Peter Stanchek’s past… and paves the way for the powerful psiot’s future.
As he comes to terms with losing all of his memories, Peter Stanchek chooses to fight back, not just for himself but all of Psiot City who has been oppressed by a legal force known as The Warning. Wearing a brand-new mask and wielding a revelatory new understanding of his own powerful potentials, Peter takes on the mantle of The Harbinger to pave the way for the future of all psiots. But will he start something so dangerous even he can’t stop?
We finally get to see Peter Stanchek suiting up as the Harbinger in this issue. While we’ve seen the costume on covers to the series already, I appreciate that the character didn’t immediately don the new mask in the first issue as we’ve been able to witness the mind-wiped Stanchek come to an understanding of why he should be wearing a mask; because people don’t trust Peter Stanchek. That admission helps to bring the redemption arc to it’s first check point as writers Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing use The Harbinger #3 as a way to introduce the Harbinger both to the audience and in some ways to the character himself.
The narration bubbles help propel the characterization forward, Stanchek talking his way through the events to somebody (thus far into the series, my guess has been a therapist) as the action plays out on the page. Robbie Rodriguez and Rico Renzi (artist and colourist respectively) have created a visual style for this comic that I find is best described as an organized chaos. There is a lot to process with this book, and there are pages where this can be overstimulating – a deliberate choice, because when I found my eyes losing what I was looking at it was when Stanchek’s powers were being used in ways I’d never thought of. There’s a scene earlier in the comic where Peter takes in a lot of information, and the artistic team are able to really emphasize just how much information he is sifting through because he’d rather not revert to old ways.
I’ve said before, but usually comics that can be a bit too chaotic aren’t usually my cup of tea, but The Harbinger has been the exception to that as for me, the art style makes total sense given the nature of the title character’s powers. Or maybe I’m just more open to different art styles now than I used to be; certainly a possibility, but ultimately the end result is that I’m really digging the visuals in this book.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou uses some interesting speech bubble styles in the comic, which serves as a moment of calm amidst the chaos as the bubbles pull you eyes to the text itself, giving you a chance to actually read the words. It’s not often you notice the lettering in a positive way given that the art form is often designed to not be noticed, but Otsmane-Elhaou is a master of his craft, and balances the book perfectly.
Valiant have hit three for three with The Harbinger #3, and whether Peter Stanchek’s new direction is here to stay or not is to be determined, but I’m loving the ride.
Story: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing Art: Robbie Rodriguez
Colours: Rico Renzi Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Buy
Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) 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
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
A King’s Vengeance #1 (Scout Comics) – A warrior is brought back to life to avenge himself on the demons responsible for his death. That cover just looks so damn cool.
Avengers Forever #1 (Marvel) – Marvel is going all in with its multiverse as Avengers from across it are gathered to take on a massive threat.
Batman: One Dark Knight #1 (DC Comics) – Batman must escort a prisoner from Arkham to Blackgate as gangs descend on him during a blackout. The concept has been done before but this is a pretty solid and entertaining execution.
Black Panther #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was fantastic delivering espionage and intrigue, some politics, and action all grounding the series and character a bit.
Chicken Devil #3 (AfterShock) – The series feels like a throwback to 80s action flicks and we’re enjoying the over-the-top violence and humor.
Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection (VIZ Media) – Junji Ito. Nuff said.
Fist of the North Star Vol. 3 (VIZ Media) – Collecting the classic series in beautiful hardback. If you’ve never read it, here’s your chance!
The Harbinger #3 (Valiant) – Peter Stanchek is back in the Valiant Universe and this series is paving way for the future of psiots.
Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #2 (Marvel) – With Kate in the spotlight as part of the MCU, the series shines a light on her in the comics as she heads back east to deal with a case… and family.
Impossible Jones #2 (Scout Comics) – The first issue was so much fun delivering a new entertaining superhero world that was a mix of homage, sendup, and its own thing. We’re excited to finally be able to read the second issue.
King Conan #1 (Marvel) – Conan grows weary in his old age and heads off on one last adventure.
Menopause: A Comic Treatment (Graphic Mundi) – Short stories about menopause in this graphic medicine anthology.
Nightwing #87 (DC Comics) – The series goes experimental with art that’s just one giant continuous image.
No Holds Bard #1 (Behemoth Comics) – When Queen Elizabeth I is kidnapped, only the dramatic duo of William Shakespeare and William Page in their superhero alter-egos, THE BARD and PAGE can save her! All written in iambic pentameter!?
Search for Hu #4 (AfterShock) – The series has been just solid mob action as two warring families/factions go after each other and a son attempts to figure out who attempted to kill his parents.
Serial #9 (Abstract Studio) – This series has been an amazing build with every issue and the last one left us shocked. Horror, serial killers, so much tension!
THE HARBINGER #3
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 ADAM POLLINA
Pre-order Connecting Cover by DAMION SCOTT
On sale DECEMBER 22nd | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
A daring rescue mission unravels the mystery of Peter Stanchek’s past… and paves the way for the powerful psiot’s future.
