(ThyBlackMan.com) Valiant Comics is a company that is doing great things for storytelling in comics. The company was formed in 1989 after Jim Shooter and his backers failed to purchase Marvel in 1988. Whenever there is a setback and you still have the money on hand, one option is to form your own stuff. It started out with a few characters—most of which were created specifically for Valiant.
This would make up the first iteration of the Valiant universe in 1991. I’d say this version of Valiant is pretty easy to get into since most of the stuff released was throughout the 1990s and was collected in a couple of graphic novels.
When the reboot of everything happened during the “Summer of Valiant” in 2012, there was a modern twist on several established titles. You have to understand that the 90s Valiant stuff was very 90s, so this reboot was intriguing. Here are the series that really stood out.
The Anchor of the Valiant Comics Universe: Harbinger
When I got into Valiant Comics’ reboot, Harbinger was my main series. It was basically the X-Men or Teen Titans of the Valiant Universe. You had a team of youngsters gifted with extraordinary powers. And this team was well-balanced and all the characters were interesting.
The reason I said this was the anchor of the publisher’s universe is that the nucleus of this universe—Toyo Harada—was particularly involved with what was going on with this team. That’s mainly because the leader, Peter Stanchek was a former student of Harada’s and got away from his brainwashing. Peter assembled a team of powered people and has been taking it to Harada’s operations.
Harada is involved in other series in the Valiant Comics universe but we see a lot of his reimagined background and involvement in Harbinger.
Valiant’s Dynamic Duo: Archer & Armstrong
There are two really good “buddy” series out of Valiant Comics. The first is the adventure-driven, action-packed Archer & Armstrong. It details a cult prodigy who breaks away from his brainwashing and teaming with an immortal.
These two are polar opposites. Archer comes from a conservative background and didn’t engage in vices. He’s a vanilla boy scout, pretty much. Armstrong did all the vices and was the liberal balance to the two. He’s our fun, degenerate rebel here.
Archer’s job is to kill Armstrong since the immortal is viewed as the Anti-Christ by the cult. As these series tend to reveal, Archer was left in the dark about a lot of things. The two of them team up and combat the cult in their adventures. There’s lots of chaos, comedy, and crisp artwork in Archer & Armstrong.
The Buddy Comedy You Didn’t Know You Deserved: Quantum and Woody
This is the other “buddy” series from the company. It also happens to be the funniest series in the Valiant universe. Quantum and Woody follow two foster brothers who stumble into their powers.
They’re the son of a scientist working at a company involved in some shady dealing. Eric’s a military veteran with an array of skills and works private security. His step-brother Woody is a slacker and washout. He’s always been a problem and as a result, the two always butted heads.
As a matter of fact, it’s Woody’s irresponsibility that serves as the foundation for a lot of the comedy in the comic. Eric got the power to create force fields while Woody is able to generate energy blasts—meaning luck was even against them in assigning powers.
The story is centered on the brothers investigating their father’s mysterious death. What they unravel is misadventures in super science.
Best of the Rest
There are other series in Valiant Comics worth checking out from that 2012-2015 period. Ninjak and Shadowman are both really dope series. If you need something over-the-top and non-stop action, Bloodshot is like The Punisher meets Wolverine. Valiant put out quality comics during this period and they’re easy to get into and follow through.
Everything is tied together story-wise and since a lot of these series ended their run by 2014, you’re not looking at a very lengthy read per title.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.