Before THE VALIANT – Read Each VALIANT #1 Issue for FREE on comiXology!

Before THE VALIANT – Read Each VALIANT #1 Issue for FREE on comiXology!

In celebration of THE VALIANT – Valiant's upcoming prestige format mini-series from superstar creatorsJeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Paolo Rivera – Valiant is proud to announce that the publisher is making nine of its biggest #1 issues available as FREE downloads on comiXology for the month of July!

From now through July 31st, jump on board each of Valiant's award-winning, fan favorite ongoing series with an all-access pass to some of the publisher's most acclaimed #1 debuts – completely FREE for a limited time and featuring contributions from some of the premier storytellers in comics today, includingJames Asmus (Gambit, Thief of Thieves), Doug Braithwaite (Justice, Journey into Mystery), Clayton Crain (X-Force, Carnage), Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier), Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Ultimate Nightmare), Matt Kindt (Justice League of America, Mind MGMT), Cary Nord(Conan), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman, Action Comics), Robert Venditti (Green Lantern, The Flash), and many, many more!

From Archer & Armstrong to X-O Manowar, now is your chance to discover each of Valiant's best-selling series with a complete array of FREE #1 milestones from across the Valiant library, including:

• ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1 by Fred Van Lente & Clayton Henry

It's history in the breaking! Eighteen-year-old adventurer Obadiah Archer and the immortal miscreant currently called Armstrong will have to work together if modern civilization is to stand any chance of surviving a centuries-old conspiracy that stretches from the catacombs beneath Wall Street to the heights of the Himalayas!

• BLOODSHOT #1 by Duane Swierczynski & Manuel Garcia

Heroes aren't born…they're built. Brought back from the dead and infused with cutting-edge nanotechnology, the walking weapon of mass destruction now known as Bloodshot has escaped his handlers at Project Rising Spirit and vowed to bring war down up his masters…but first he'll have to figure out where the programming ends and the real "him" begins.

• ETERNAL WARRIOR #1 by Greg Pak & Trevor Hairsine

Soldier. Guardian. Warrior. Legend. Across ten millennia and a thousand battlefields, Gilad Anni-Padda has traversed the darkest, most mysterious corners of history. But the horror and bloodshed of constant warfare has finally taken its toll on the man who vowed to serve the Earth as its Eternal Warrior…and soon his oath will bring an ancient war roaring down on modern day.

• HARBINGER #1 by Joshua Dysart & Khari Evans

Read minds. Bend steel. Break all the rules. Runaway teenager Peter Stanchek is on a dangerous path. Skipping across the country in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, Peter is quickly realizing that he’s a telekinetically powered “harbinger” with the potential to reshape the course of human history. His first lesson? All power comes with a price.

• QUANTUM AND WOODY #1 by James Asmus & Tom Fowler

KLANG! Once upon a time, Eric and Woody Henderson were inseparable. Adopted brothers. Best friends. Brilliant minds. Years later, they are estranged siblings, petty rivals, and washed-up failures. But when their father’s murder leads them into the throes of a life-altering scientific accident, Eric and Woody will find themselves with a whole new purpose – and a perfectly legitimate reason to wear costumes and fight crime.

• RAI #1 by Matt Kindt & Clayton Crain

Japan in the 41st century! The year is 4001 A.D. – led by the artificial intelligence called “Father,” the island nation of Japan has expanded out of the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it has fallen to one solitary guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire – the mysterious folk hero known as Rai.

• SHADOWMAN #1 by Justin Jordan & Patrick Zircher

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 accept 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. 

• UNITY #1 by Matt Kindt & Doug Braithwaite

The world’s most dangerous man, Toyo Harada, has been struck by the one thing he never thought possible – fear. Halfway across the globe, a new power threatens to topple modern civilization and, to preempt the cataclysm that is to come, Harada will unite the most lethal, most volatile, most unforgiving team the world has ever known – UNITY. Their mission: defeat the warrior king armed with the universe’s most powerful weapon. Kill X-O Manowar!

• X-O MANOWAR #1 by Robert Venditti & Cary Nord

Born into battle, Aric of Dacia – heir to the throne of the Visigoth people – has never known peace. After a brutal encounter with a mysterious enemy known as The Vine leaves him a prisoner on an alien world, the only hope Aric has of returning to his family and saving them from slavery is to seize armored suit capable of incalculable destruction and become X-O Manowar! 

Start at the beginning with all nine of these best-selling #1 milestones today at comiXology, then get ready for THE VALIANT - an all-new prestige format mini-series coming in December from all-star creators Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Paolo Rivera! An entirely self-contained comics event spotlighting Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior, Geomancer, and a cast of heroes and villains from across the Valiant Universe, THE VALIANT is a visionary new adventure from three of the greatest creative talents in comics today.

 

For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, on Tumblr, and at ValiantUniverse.com.

For Valiant merchandise and more, visit ValiantStore.com.

Straight Forward Reviews : Unity # 9

The fight against the Armor Hunters heats up in Unity # 9.

Writer - Matt Kindt

Artist - Stephen Segovia

Publisher - Valiant

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

Livewire wrestles with who she is and if using the Armor some time ago when she thought Aric to be her enemy has any effects on her. While that is going on the enemies unleashed during Armor Hunters are causing destruction and Gilad and Ninjak are called in to take them out.

Livewire's flashbacks and pondering her humanity are quite well written and Gilad's flashbacks as a way to reveal how he comes up with his tactics are quite nice as well.

Art

The art in this book is fantastic. There's mostly action scenes and all of it looks as dynamic as it should. Some of the panels even look like they could be done as posters or wall scrolls and it gives the comic a reason to be picked up even if you weren't interested in the story.

Verdict

This issue furthers the Armor Hunters plot and delves into Livewire's and Gilad's psyches really well. The awesome drawn action scenes which are plenty in this issue gives all the more reason to read. I give Unity a 9 out of 10.

Straight Forward Reviews : Armor Hunters # 2

The Armor Hunters are back for Aric. What steps have they taken to eradicate the X-O Manowar?

Writer - Robert Venditti

Artist - Doug Braithwaite

Publisher - Valiant

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

A spoiler free summary. The Armor Hunters power have been felt by the people of Earth as an entire city has been decimated. The United States government and other governments have been trying to come up with a response to combat the aliens. A team looks to be forming and Aric learns more about the properties of the armor thanks to experiments, properties that seem to be tied to the whole reason these Armor Hunters do what they do.

The story in this issue does a great job of showing just exactly what the stakes are and why these Armor Hunters should be taken deadly seriously. Destroying an entire city just one of the things they do to show they are on a completely different level than what the world has seen before. The reactions and the planning by the people trying to defend Earth show this as even the most stoic of people get emotional during this issue. Touches like that make the characters more relatable and I give Venditti credit for that.

Art

The art is very detailed and has some grittiness to it but still seems clean as well. Nothing seems out of focus are hard to identify. Which is perfect for this kind of book which seems to be a bit dark yet doesn't lose it's soul as a story about heroes.

Verdict

With a relatable cast of characters, and destructive events that aren't really battles but does count as action, that is intriguing and captivating I give Armor Hunters # 2 a 9.5 out of 10.

Straight Forward Reviews : X-O Manowar # 26

The latest issue of X-O Manowar takes a break from Aric and goes into the backstory of some other characters, one which you have already seen another which you'll definitely see more of.

Writer - Robert Venditti

Art - Diego Bernard

Publisher - Valiant

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

The story is an issue long flashback that gives the motivations for at least two of the Armor Hunters. The story reads a little bit like a typical sci-fi story. The bar where a good chunk of the set up for the battle and the set up for the next story during the end, and the technology used during the battle scenes gave a bit of a Mass Effect vibe.

Still though the characters were written very well and the events, though with plenty of science fiction elements still had a gritty, grounded feeling as the characters Malgam and Reebo felt fear and desperation in their fight.


Art

Diego Bernard's line-art has beautiful details and a sense that everything shown is actually alive and part of an actual world, or in this case, universe. Brian Reber's colors add to that and totally make the moods the comic was going for in the different scenes.

Verdict

The world for this flashback or prequel or whatever you may want to call it did seem like plenty of other science fiction space opera stories. But the characters were well written enough and the action was cool enough that it was still a fairly enjoyable read. I give X-O Manowar # 26 an 8 out of 10

Preview: X-O Manowar # 26 (Armor Hunters Tie-In)

X-O MANOWAR #26 (ARMOR HUNTERS)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DIEGO BERNARD
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by CLAYTON CRAIN* (APR141420/APR141419)
Character Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN (APR141421)
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE (APR141422)

ARMOR HUNTERS unleashes an all-new starting point for the world’s most wanted hero – X-O Manowar – right here with a brand new story arc by Robert Venditti (Armor Hunters, The Flash) and Diego Bernard (Red Lanterns)!

Abducted from his own time by a vicious alien race, the courageous Visigoth warrior known as Aric of Dacia spent years in slavery among the stars before escaping with his captors’ most feared weapon – the X-O Manowar armor. Now, stranded in the modern day, the world’s most primitive man also just happens to wield its most powerful weapon. But what is the X-O Manowar armor? And who before Aric of Dacia dared to wield its incalculable power? The ARMOR HUNTERS hold the key to the armor’s untold history and – one way or another – they’ll crush anything that dares threaten their secret.

CHROMIUM EDITION: $5.99 | STANDARD EDITION: $3.99
T+ | 32 pgs. | ON SALE 6/25/14 (FOC – 6/2/14)

Unity # 8 Preview

UNITY #8 (ARMOR HUNTERS)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Chromium & Standard Edition Covers by MICO SUAYAN* (APR141416/APR141415)
Character Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN (APR141417)
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE (APR141418)

ARMOR HUNTERS descends on Valiant’s all-star superteam in an all-new story arc from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) and red-hot artist Stephen Segovia (Superior Carnage)!

When an ultra-powerful threat from deep space begins brutalizing Earth, humanity’s first response is – who else? – the fearless team of heroes, soldiers, and short fuses called Unity! Now it’s down to Ninjak, Eternal Warrior and Livewire – plus some special surprise recruits – to lead the assault on the ARMOR HUNTERS’ frontline…even if they die trying!

CHROMIUM EDITION: $5.99 | STANDARD EDITION: $3.99
T+ | 32 pgs. | ON SALE 6/18/14 (FOC – 5/26/14)

Armor Hunters #1 Review

ARMOR HUNTERS #1
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Doug Braithwaite & Laura Martin
Lettering by Dave Sharpe
Valiant Comics

This will be a spoiler free review

                We open with a group of the Armor Hunters arriving on Earth and clearing out a military base in Russia brutally. As Aric is called into duty, the leader of the Armor Hunters, Primary, is growing tired of going by procedure. As Aric and M.E.R.O. come in contact with the Armor Hunters, they leave a distinct calling card.

THE GOOD:

                Braithwaite really delivers some of his best art ever with this issue. The panels are nice, detailed and full of life … even when someone is getting killed. There are some really good panel work that allows the pictures to tell the story with little help of dialogue or shows mannerisms that reveals the personality of a character. Alongside Martin, Braithwaite fully realizes his art with some vivid colors and a great amount of touch up to each character to give texture.

                Venditti does a lot of set up this issue for the beginning of a very high stakes game with the Armor Hunters. He gives us some good moments with Aric, who is primarily affected. Yet, we do get a good glimpses of the personalities of our main antagonists.  Dialogue is strong without treating readers as if they are stupid. And Venditti makes sure that this first issue had enough impact that it will indeed affect the rest of the planet. A great opening for this new event.

THE BAD:

                Nada.

THE VERDICT:

                Honestly, this was an amazing opening. While the rest of the Valiant Universe isn’t involve yet, Venditti plants the seeds to make sure they are involved. I do love that we are seeing different facets of the Armor Hunters themselves. And that not everything is as black and white as it may be. It’s a solid read.

                I give Armor Hunters # 1 a 4.5 out of 5.

VALIANT COMICS Solicitations for August 2014

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THE DELINQUENTS #1 (of 4) (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by JAMES ASMUS & FRED VAN LENTE
Art by KANO
Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Board Game Variant by JUAN DOE
Variant Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Blank Cover Also Available

Confrontation! Devastation! Inebriation! (And the lost secret of the hobos too!) Oh dear God no, you'd better get out of the way…because here come the Delinquents!

Quantum and Woody are the world's worst superhero team. Archer & Armstrong are a mismatched pair of conspiracy-busting adventurers. When a mysterious force collides these ill-suited and irresponsible "heroes" for a cross-country race through the darkest corners of American mythology, all hell is bound to break loose. Can two busted pairs become four of a kind in time to defeat the Hobo King, save the day, and make it back home in time for happy hour? Let's hope so…'cause these guys make a really, really bad team. (And you don't even want to know about the goat.)

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 20

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ARMOR HUNTERS #3 (of 4) (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Armor Hunters Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Artist Variant by MICO SUAYAN

ALL OUT WAR! Five alien Armor Hunters now control the planet, millions are dead – and that was only the beginning! 

But if X-O Manowar surrenders now, will he spare the Earth…or spell its doom? And, as the world descends into pandemonium, can Bloodshot and the Unity team finally pinpoint a weakness in an enemy with more power, more endurance, and more technology? When you can't find a way to win...you'd better find a way to cheat! Valiant's summer crossover sensation rockets toward a climax so big it's going to register on the Richter scale!

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 13

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UNITY #10 (ARMOR HUNTERS)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Variant Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN

In battle with the Armor Hunters!

Mankind is locked in a life or death struggle against the alien Armor Hunters, and the fate of civilization itself now lies with the unlikely team of short-tempered walking weapons called Unity! Can X-O Manowar give Ninjak, Livewire, and the Eternal Warrior enough of an edge to stop the galaxy’s most feared team of hunter-killers before more die?  There’s no quarter asked and none given as Valiant’s all-star superteam goes on the offensive!

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 13

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ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #2 (of 3) (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by JOE HARRIS
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE
Cover by PHILIP TAN
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO

Massacre in M.E.R.O.!

Something deadly has escaped and is running loose in the underbelly of America’s Military Extraterrestrial Reconnaissance Outpost (M.E.R.O.)! With all hands on deck dealing with the fallout of the Armor Hunters’ attack, it’s down to Bloodshot and M.E.R.O.’s number one officer, Colonel Jamie Capshaw, to stop the alien menace only known as…Malgam! Spoilers on: not everyone is going to get out of this in one piece!

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 20

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ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #2 (of 3) (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by ROBERT GILL
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO

Under siege…and out of control!

The Armor Hunters have decimated a major metropolis, and the battle to save the survivors still rages. In the midst of the devastation, the volatile team of Harbinger Foundation escapees called Generation Zero are about to stumble headlong into an insidious alien counteroffensive – one with the potential to bring down not just a city, but the entire world. When push comes to shove, can this group of immensely powerful, immensely temperamental teenagers be trusted to repel the Armor Hunters’ second wave? Absolutely not…but they’re the only chance we’ve got!

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 20

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X-O MANOWAR #28 (ARMOR HUNTERS)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by DIGEO BERNARD
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Variant Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA

From across the void…the true history of the Armor Hunters revealed!

In the far reaches of deep space, an elite and hardened corps of soldiers has protected the galaxy by eliminating one unparalleled threat – a plague of X-O Manowar armors that has driven the universe to the brink of madness. Now, for the first time, Robert Venditti opens the vault to reveal the stunning secret of the Armor Hunters – who they are, where they come from, and why a terrible secret from their past now threatens the present!

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 27

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HARBINGER: OMEGAS #1 (of 3)
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO
Variant Cover by GLENN FABRY

“It matters not how man dies, but how he lives.”

The team has been shattered and a teenage Renegade lies dead – a victim of the Harbinger Foundation led by omega-powered psionic Toyo Harada. This is the story of what happens next. Out of the ashes of Harbinger #25, find out what happens when the full extent of Harada’s secret empire is exposed to the public, and just the how the surviving members of the Renegades recover from a catastrophic loss that has changed their lives… their team… and their destinies forever.

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 6

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RAI #4 (VALIANT FIRST)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO

The most daring comic book launch of the year unleashes a cascade of shocking revelations as RAI rockets toward its second arc!

In 4001 A.D., as the nation of Japan soars above the Earth, Rai unravels the mystery of the first murder in a thousand years…and discovers his own profound connection to the crime. Everything Rai knows — about his existence, about his country, and about the benevolent Father he serves — is about to be thrown out of orbit. Do not miss this masterpiece in the making…Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain’s RAI!

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 27

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ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #23
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by PERE PEREZ
Cover by MICHAEL WALSH
#ValiantCraft Cover by DONOVAN SANTIAGO

THE END IS NEAR HERE! 

Archer & Armstrong have been dragged down and knocked out, left at the mercy of the Lizard King and his plot to unleash total annihilation. But, when you least expect it, what unexpected visitor might step in to save A&A from a fate worse than death? The secrets of Valiant’s seminal series are about to come to light – and you won’t believe the top-secret, classified, totally hush-hush conclusion their latest history mystery has in store

$3.99 | 32 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 13

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X-O MANOWAR VOL. 6: PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS TPB
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI with TOM FOWLER and JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by DIEGO BENARD, SEAN CHEN, TOM FOWLER, BRYAN HITCH, J.G. JONES, BARRY KITSON, CARY NORD, RAFER ROBERTS, and ANDY RUNTON
Cover by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC

The road to ARMOR HUNTERS starts here! 

Aric of Dacia, a fifth-century warrior bonded to alien armor and transplanted to the modern day, is now the most important weapon in the arsenal of M.E.R.O., the top-secret American intelligence organization that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. In order to protect his people, Aric must undergo dangerous missions in space, but nothing can prepare him for the stunning secret that awaits him in the stars.

 Collecting X-O MANOWAR #23-24 and the oversized X-O MANOWAR #25 anniversary spectacular, the march toward ARMOR HUNTERS begins here as New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern) and red-hot artist Diego Bernard (Red Lanterns) join an all-star cast of comic book superstars – including Sean Chen (Iron Man), Tom Fowler (Quantum and Woody), Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates), J.G. Jones (Final Crisis), Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man), Cary Nord (Conan), and many more – to deliver an essential introduction to the biggest Valiant event ever attempted

“Fantastic, action-packed storytelling that never fails to satisfy… This is an event we can’t wait for.” –IGN

$14.99 | 104 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 6
TRADE PAPERBACK | ISBN: 9781939346407

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BLOODSHOT VOL. 5: GET SOME! TPB
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE, JOSHUA DYSART, and DUFFY BOUDREAU
Art by BART SEARS, CHRISCROSS, and AL BARRIONUEVO
Cover by LEWIS LAROSA

‘90s tech. Bad attitudes. No wifi . It’s Valiant’s 21st-century shock troops – head-to-head against Project Rising Spirit’s first wave of superhuman specialists!

With a valuable oil pipeline in dire peril, Bloodshot and the expendable commandos of H.A.R.D. Corps are headed to Africa to bring down a network of terrorist saboteurs. But as Bloodshot digs into the multinational oil conglomerate he’s been brought in to protect, he’ll soon find himself confronted by the complex truth behind the terror – and up close and personal with an older, scrappier, more grizzled generation of wet-wired soldier from the glory days of proxy wars and state-sponsored assassination.

Collecting BLOODSHOT AND H.A.R.D. CORPS #18-19, BLOODSHOT AND H.A.R.D. CORPS: H.A.R.D. CORPS #0, and BLOODSHOT AND H.A.R.D. CORPS #22-23, don’t miss a single shot fired as acclaimed creators Christos Gage (Superior Spider-Man), Joshua Dysart (Harbinger Wars) and Duffy Boudreau (BlackAcre) partner with an all-star cast of top talents – including Bart Sears (X-O Manowar), ChrisCross (Superman/Batman) and Al Barrionuevo (The Authority)  – for a brutal, globe-spanning cavalcade of missions from the classified archives of Project Rising Sprit and beyond.

“You want a team book with exciting action, good writing and fun powers? Look no further than Bloodshot.”  – Comic Vine

$14.99 | 112 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 6
TRADE PAPERBACK | ISBN: 9781939346315

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SHADOWMAN: END TIMES TPB
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI

Death comes to all...

Jack Boniface thinks that he’s finally fixed his life — and the source of the dark power inside him. But when a figure from the past emerges to reveal the troubling truth about his destiny, the latest Shadowman will be forced to run a gauntlet of his darkest fears realized: the rise of a wild new pantheon of Voodoo loas… the return of his father, Josiah…and the earthly restoration of his oldest and deadliest enemy, Master Darque. Make no mistake — doom is coming for Shadowman…and the devastating consequences are about to lead Jack Boniface to a perilous turning point!

Collecting the oversized SHADOWMAN: END TIMES #1-3, the end times begin right here as master storyteller Peter Milligan (Hellblazer, X-Statix) and red-hot artist Valentine De Landro (X-Factor) push New Orleans’ nocturnal guardian over the edge…and into a sinister new adventure!

$14.99 | 104 pages, full color | T+ | On sale AUGUST 13
TRADE PAPERBACK | ISBN: 9781939346377