Preview: HARBINGER # 25

HARBINGER #25 (ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR!)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART with VIVEK J. TIWARY, JUSTIN JORDAN, DAN GOLDMAN, and LUCY KNISLEY
Art by KHARI EVANS with LEWIS LAROSA, RAFER ROBERTS, CLAYTON HENRY, BARRY KITSON, and LUCY KNISLEY
Cover A by MICO SUAYAN (MAY141659)
Cover B by JENNY FRISON (MAY141660)
Variant Cover by LUCY KNISLEY (MAY141661)
Throwback Variant by SEAN CHEN (MAY141662)
Variant Cover by BARRY KITSON (MAY141663)

Toyo Harada’s last stand! The future of Harbinger starts here with a star-studded, 48-page anniversary milestone – packed with brand new contributions from an all-star cast of creators and shocking new revelations about the fate of Valiant’s teenage superteam!

A Renegade has fallen and, now, there is no turning back. Stripped of his allies and all sense of self-preservation, the world’s most powerful “harbinger,” super-powered billionaire Toyo Harada, is about to inflict a terrible reckoning on a world he thought he could control…and everything we thought we knew will be forever changed in its wake.

Original series creators Joshua Dysart and Khari Evans reunite to deliver a devastating climax to the second year of the series that The Onion/A.V. Club calls “the crown jewel of Valiant’s lineup” – and officiates the “Death of a Renegade” with all-new artwork and stories from an incredible roster of award-winning talents, including Vivek J. Tiwary (The Fifth Beatle), Lewis LaRosa (Punisher MAX), Dan Goldman (Red Light Properties), Clayton Henry (Archer & Armstrong), Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode), Rafer Roberts (Carpool Buddies of Doom), Lucy Knisley (Relish: My Life in the Kitchen), and Barry Kitson (Empire)!

$4.99 | T+ | 48 pgs. | ON SALE 7/16/14 (FOC – 6/23/14)

Harbinger # 24 Review

HARBINGER #24
Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Khari Evans & Brian Reber
Lettering by Dave Sharpe
Valiant Comics

This will be a Spoiler Free review. (kinda)

                Flamingo is dead. Kris, Faith and Torque deal with their emotional  fall out of that and their assault on the Harbinger Foundation. Meanwhile, Peter and Harada find out how big of battle they are fighting and what exactly they battle meant.

THE GOOD:

                THIS ISSUE WAS AMAZING. The emotional heaviness of last issue is full realized this issue as we go through our remaining Renegades going through mourning. We get some very powerful dialogue from Dysart. Plot moment gets heavier this issue as Dysart decides to reveal Bleeding Monk’s true motives this issue and why things have ended up being the way they are.  This issue had it all. Action. Adventure. Passion. And a great chunk of emotion. It ties up many things from not only this storyline but also character arcs within the series.
                  Khari  Evans and Brian Reber give us their best work to date with great amount of detail with powerful colors to make the art alive.  Panels were downright heart reaching through just pictures alone and just the emotional contortion of faces. There are panels in this issue that I will remember for the rest of my life.  Each character had great perspective and retained very human qualities, even when doing very extraordinary things.
                 I have commented that Dysart was writing the run of his career … and I couldn’t be more right with this issue. Truly a beautiful book.

THE BAD:

                Bad does not exist in this issue.

THE VERDICT:

 The passionate dialogue between Faith, Kris and Torque alone is worth every last cent this book was made. And the major battle between Harada and Peter was cinematic in scope and detail.  If you had been following this book, you definitely will get the feels with this issue. If this is your first issue, you will plow back to the beginning and just start working on collecting more and more. Evans and Reber assist with art to make this book one of the greatest issues of comics ever to be printed. Harbinger # 24 gets a solid 5 out of 5 stars. Buy it Wednesday and share it with EVERYONE!

Harbinger # 24 Preview

HARBINGER #24 (“DEATH OF A RENEGADE” – PART 3)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA (APR141430)
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY (APR141431)

One of the Renegades is dead…but the battle isn’t over yet.

The penultimate issue of the most important Harbinger story ever told is almost here, and the countdown to the “EVERYTHING CHANGES,” mind-shattering spectacular of Harbinger #25 is heading toward you like a freight train. Hold on tight!

$3.99 |  T+ | 32 pgs. | ON SALE 6/18/14 (FOC – 5/26/14) 

1st Impressions: HARBINGER: THE BLEEDING MONK # 0

HARBINGER: THE BLEEDING MONK # 0
Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Khari Evans, Mico Suayan, Stephen Segovia, Lewis LaRosa & Ian Hannin
Valiant Comics

FLIPPING THROUGH:

                We learn how the Bleeding Monk came to be. From how he learned of his gifts to becoming the man he is now and why he has decided to become the teacher for Toyo Harada. Spanning across time, this issue opens your eyes about Psiots and the Bleeding Monk himself.

ART:

                Going through different parts of within the Bleeding Monk’s life time, the four artists give very distinct looks and feel for each period. Each artist gives a great amount of detail with every panel, allowing readers to feel really submerged into the story. The art also reflects the various lives and “aging” of the Bleeding Monk: showing him from a young man to the Bleeding Monk we know today looking very old.

                The attention to detail and color this issue is striking as Hannin makes sure the four different art styles mess together with nice dark tones when needed. Each artist does a spectacular job of making this issue visually appealing, with memorable panel work and incredible detail. A superb job by this art team.

WRITING:

                Dysart spins more into the myth of the Bleeding Monk, bringing us quite the different origin story than anyone could have suspected. To the humble beginnings of the man that would become the Bleeding Monk, to the end of the issue were he meets Toyo Harada for the first time; Dysart crafts a very personal, painful tale of a man who finds his ultimate destiny and that time works different for him.

                The narration was well written, with good dialogue that allowed you to hear the character’s voice while still be relatable. Along with the narration, I found the choices of places and times equally intriguing. Dysart makes sure each moment of time chosen were pivotal points in the life of The Bleeding Monk. Also, Dysart hints that the Bleeding Monk might be the first Psiot ever in the Valiant Universe .. . adding more weight to why he has such strong interests in Toyo Harada and Peter Stanchek.
                The issue’s pacing  was great as well as the overall method of storytelling. Dysart does it again with this origin issue.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                A stellar origin issue with striking art and extemporarily writing.  Once again, another piece of the puzzle behind Harbinger’s mythology.

RATING:

  I give Harbinger: The Bleeding Monk # 0 a 10 … out of 10. 

Preview: HARBINGER # 20

HARBINGER #20 (NEW ARC – “RESISTANCE”)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art & Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Interlocking Pullbox Variant by ZACHARY MONTOYA
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS

MUST READ VALIANT! All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! Joshua Dysart and Clayton Henry launch “RESISTANCE” – and end the Renegades war against Toyo Harada once and for all.

Peter Stanchek and his team of teenage superhuman outlaws have decided that the best defense is a strong offense. Pursued from coast-to-coast by their would-be overlord in the Harbinger Foundation, the Renegades are about to launch a strategic strike on Harada’s secret empire – and they’ll start by revealing to the world just what kind of power they’ve been hiding all along. The ace up their sleeve? A seemingly normal teenage hacker named Ax…who knows exactly what Harada has been up to since day one…

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JANUARY 15th, 2014!!!

Preview: ARCHER & ARMSTRONG # 17 (Sect Civil War Finale)

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #17 ("SECT CIVIL WAR" – FINALE)
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by KHARI EVANS
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by MICHAEL WALSH


The SECT CIVIL WAR reaches its earth-shattering climax!

(…and for once we mean that literally)! ARCHER versus ARMSTRONG! An incredible second identity for MARY-MARIA! Obadiah Archer gets a bold new role – and mission! The secret of the MASTER BUILDERS revealed! We were kidding, before but now we’re serious: This one changes EVERYTHING, and the Valiant Universe will never be the same again!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE JANUARY 15th, 2014!

1st Impressions: HARBINGER # 19

 HARBINGER # 19
Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Barry Kitson, Riley Rossmo, Brian Level & Ian Hannin

Valiant Comics

FLIPPING THROUGH:

                Peter has woken up and Harada is having issues that comes with his great powers. And boy, things REALLY shake up. Little by the little, the Renegades start freeing themselves of their psiot manipulated dreams as things get even crazier.

ART:

                This issue is full of action that Kitson, Rossmo, Level and Hannin do a great job on. All sorts of locales.  All sorts of people, beings, vehicles and more. This was a grand finish for such a personal storyline and the art team did not disappoint. To the parts inside the minds of Peter and Animalia to Torquehalla to the real world, there was a great amount of detail and expression put in each panel.  From the various outfits, to the mermaids (yes, they do appear this issue), to the carnage that ensues because of Harada, this issue goes all out to give you some great visuals. Kitson is in the top of his game this issue. Rossmo adds a great extra layer to the dream world Peter was stuck in. Hannin’s colors are vivid and rich this issue. There is a great angles and panel composition. Overall, this was a top notch job for the art team this issue.

WRITING:

                Dysart wraps up Perfect Day with a HUGE bang as we get character development from everyone but Charlene. But considering that she got some great development earlier in the storyline, it was okay. We get some great character moments for Pete, Harada, Faith, Torque and more. Dysart really advances many of the characters with solid resolutions that make sense. Although, Dysart, always good for a clincher, gives us plenty of surprise; particularly with Harada and the ending of the storyline. Strong dialogue and excellent pacing makes this issue a must read. Dysart continues to prove himself one of the best writers in the business with this strong, packed finale to “Perfect Day.”

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                This storyline was great from the word go and this issue’s finale was beyond satisfying. The art was fantastic and it makes me even more excited to see what is to come. Evolving characters, dynamic art and impressive storytelling makes Harbinger #19 a must read.

RATING:

                I give Harbinger # 19 a 10 … out of 10.

Preview: HARBINGER # 19 - "Perfect Day Finale"

PERFECT DAY No More in HARBINGER #19!

Valiant is proud to present an advance preview of Harbinger #19 – featuring the conclusion to the acclaimed story arc "Perfect Day" by all-star creators Joshua Dysart, Barry Kitson, and Riley Rossmo!

With Toyo Harada pushed to the limit and the very walls of Harbinger Foundation crumbling on all sides, the grim truth behind the most shocking arc of Harbinger yet is about to finally be revealed. Peter Stanchek is about to undertake the mental battle of his life...and the fate and freedom of his fellow Renegades hangs in the balance.

Perfect Day no more! With "Resistance" just over the horizon, don't miss the shocking finale that will turn the Valiant Universe upside down in Harbinger #19 on December 11th – in stores alongside Unity #2!

And don't miss the Harbinger #19 Friedman Variant, featuring artwork by celebrated cartoonist Andy Friedman (The New Yorker, Rolling Stone) – on shelves the same day!
 

For more information on Harbinger and the rest of the Valiant Universe, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com. 

For Valiant merchandise and more, visit Valiant.CinderBlock.com.

HARBINGER #19 ("PERFECT DAY" – FINALE)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by BARRY KITSON with RILEY ROSSMO
Cover by KHARI EVANS (OCT131356)
Variant Cover by ANDY FRIEDMAN (OCT131357)
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 12/11/13

Preview: ARCHER & ARMSTRONG # 16

SECT CIVIL WAR vs. the All-Seeing Eyes of ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #16!

Valiant is proud to present an advance preview of Archer & Armstrong #16 by New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente and Harvey Award-nominated artist Khari Evans! Sect Civil War continues! It's a showdown on the lowdown as Archer & Armstrong regroup to capture an ancient weapon forged way back in mummy times before it falls into the hands of…well, just about every scary group of secret conspirators history has ever known.

The multiple Sects that secretly govern our world have stepped out of the shadows and right into each others' faces! Now the newly reunited Archer and Armstrong (for now) must stand tall in this conspiracy free-for-all and find a way to not only survive, but save the world in the process (again)!

The illuminated banksters of One Percent! The masonic brothers of the Master Builders! The consecrated murder nuns of the Sisters of Perpetual Darkness! The anonymous anarchists of the Black Bloc! And more! The secret factions of Sect Civil War steamroll into their biggest battle yet right here on December 11th, only in Archer & Armstrong #16 – in stores the same day as Unity #2!

For more information on Archer & Armstrong and the rest of the Valiant Universe, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com. 

For Valiant merchandise and more, visit Valiant.CinderBlock.com.

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #16 (SECT CIVIL WAR)

Written by FRED VAN LENTE

Art by KHARI EVANS with CHRISCROSS

Cover by CLAYTON HENRY (OCT131348)

Variant Cover by MICHAEL WALSH (OCT131349)

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.

ON SALE 12/11/13