Valiant reveals a huge initiative launching several brand new one series and team-ups. The VALIANT FIRST Initiative launched with RAI #1. The new publishing initiative will unleash a major #1 new series debut monthly throughout 2014, beginning this May with RAI #1. The all-new ongoing series from writer Matt Kindt will have fully painted interiors by artist Clayton Crain.
“The defining goal of VALIANT FIRST is to give readers clear and accessible jumping-on points into Valiant’s award-winning publishing line,” said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons. “Over the past two years, Valiant’s approach to the craft and business of comics has been widely imitated throughout the industry. We’re incredibly flattered by that fact, but we also see it as a challenge. Our response is to raise the bar even higher. We’ve been building momentum with a slew of awards and the best reviewed line of books on the market – but 2014 is where you’ll see us double our game without doubling the size of our publishing line.”
“The VALIANT FIRST line-up was very specifically chosen, and will continue our ‘slow and steady’ approach to growth. You won’t see Valiant putting out more than nine core titles a month in 2014. We’re focused on quality over quantity, and we’ll be working hard to make sure that every VALIANT FIRST book is as good as anything else in the industry. You only have to look at the first wave of VALIANT FIRST titles to see that commitment – books like RAI #1 and ARMOR HUNTERS #1 are going to state our ambition with a vengeance,” said Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce.
Each month, VALIANT FIRST will debut an all-new series by some of the premier storytellers with new #1 issues featuring Valiant’s biggest characters:
RAI #1 (May)
Written by Matt Kindt Art by Clayton Crain
“In the far future of 4001 A.D., Japan is a single endless city-state, governed by a benevolent artificial intelligence and policed by an army of just one – the mysterious Rai, spirit guardian of the rising sun. But, soon, a single bullet will shatter the peace it has taken 2,000 years to secure…”
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (June)
Written by Robert Venditti Art by Doug Braithwaite
“A relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the X-O Manowar armor and all like it – have found finally their last target. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.”
In the follow-up to last year’s crossover HARBINGER WARS, Valiant’s biggest heroes launch into the summer’s 18-issue crossover event in ARMOR HUNTERS #1. The fight against the world’s first full-scale cosmic threat continues with new arcs of UNITY and X-O MANOWAR beginning in June, and ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT and ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER beginning in July.
ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT #1 (July)
Written by Joe Harris ; Art by Trevor Hairsine
“The most dangerous weapon in the Valiant Universe has come in from the cold. With Earth under siege by the Armor Hunters, Bloodshot is the only thing standing between the destruction of the extraterrestrial intelligence agency known as MERO and the liberation of one of the Armor Hunters’ own.”
ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER #1 (July)
Written by Joshua Dysart; Art by Robert Gill
“Out of the ashes of Harbinger Wars, the volatile psiot strike force known as Generation Zero step into their very first adventure – and right into the crosshairs of the Armor Hunters.”
The VALIANT FIRST features a team-up between two popular duos:
THE DELINQUENTS #1 (August)
Written by Fred Van Lente & James Asmus ; Art by Kano
“It’s the world’s worst team-up when Archer & Armstrong meet Quantum and Woody! We apologize in advance for what can only be described as a swashbuckling, conspiracy-smashing, partner-trading, goat-fueled race across the USA.”
THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE #1 (September)
Written by Jen Van Meter; Art by Roberto de la Torre
“World-renowned parapsychologist Dr. Mirage and her husband Hwen were madly, deeply, stuff-of-legends in love – until the day a tragic accident stole Hwen away. Now, Dr, Mirage will have to use every ounce of her training and talents in the mystic arts to do the one thing Hwen taught her never to do – journey across the realms of Deadside and bring her love back to the land of the living.”
“VALIANT FIRST came out of something fascinating that we’ve heard over and over again from our fans and retail partners. Not only did they tell us that they were now buying Valiant books as ferociously as the mainstays of the industry, but that the books they were most excited for, the books they reached for first were Valiant,” said Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
“With VALIANT FIRST, we’re committing to telling even better stories in 2014 and helping even more fans get Valiant titles into their comic stack. With an exciting line-up of new series and creative talent backing us up, VALIANT FIRST is all about making sure that when fans consider the best comics on the market today, they think of VALIANT FIRST.”
Here are more images from Rai #1 and Valiant First promo art:
By Editor