The Return of VALIANT Comics

(Or, "I timed that right!")

It's with some irony that I decided to pull out my tiny collection of VALIANT comics somewhere towards the end of '06, mostly due to a wave of nostalgia and genuine curiosity as to their quality. I remembered the comics fondly, having purchased a bunch in three-for-a-dollar packs at a local dollar store, but I also knew my original indulgence was through a young teenage mind. Surprised by the strength of the storytelling and the art, and admittedly that nostalgia, I decided to hit the streets in search. After invading mostly the bargain bins of some local comic shops, my collection grew notably, and I found myself trowling about VALIANT forums.

Of course, VALIANT hadn't had a new comic release since 2000. Rising up to rival DC and Marvel around '93 and '94, a string of bad business decisions combined with sheer bad luck (the comics industry hit hard times in the mid-90s). Acclaim, one of the most notoriously awful video game companies, took over VALIANT around '95 and went on to surgically remove the heart and soul of VALIANT comics, the slightly more scientific basis, the down to earth characters, the strong plots that connected the entire universe, and rebooted their comics line with mostly watered-down variations of their heroes that tried too hard to be hip and funny.

And then, within half a year or so, a new company called VALIANT Entertainment secured the rights and promised new releases. Two hardcovers later, reprinting the first several issues of Harbinger and X-O Manowar, and less than a year and a half after returning to the fandom, a Harbinger movie backed by Paramount is announced, with a third hardcover based on Archer & Armstrong revealing itself shortly after.

Sort of funny how that works out. My little collection lay dormant for probably close to ten years before pounce on it, probably tripling it's size, and shortly afterward the comics line makes it's triumphant return. Purely coincidental (no insider information here!), but it worked out rather well!