Comic Info
Comic Name: The Valiant
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Writer: Jeff Lemire/Matt Kindt
Artist: Paolo Rivera/Joe Rivera
# of Issues: 4
Release Date: 2015
The Valiant #1 Variant
Reprints The Valiant #1-4 (December 2014-March 2015). Gilead has spent an eternity trying to protect the Geomancer from the evil pursing it. Now, Kay McHenry finds herself the target of the unrelenting evil, but Gilead has a new plan…he doesn’t intend to face the darkness alone. Summoning the heroes of Earth, Gilead is staging a fight to the finish with the embodiment of evil as Kay finds herself under the protection of Bloodshot, and nothing will ever be the same. Something is coming for Kay and not even the power of the the valiant may stop it!
Written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt, The Valiant is a four issue limited series by Valiant Comics. The series features art by Paolo Rivera and Joe Riva.
Valiant’s relaunch was a lot of fun, but like many comic book publishers, the comic book makers kept pumping out series after series…and as a reader, I wasn’t able to keep up. The Valiant appeared near the end of my attempts to keep up with the publisher, and reading the title now, it is a solid effort to “re-streamline” Valiant Comics.
The Valiant #3
I really like Jeff Lemire. I think he has an interesting writing style that is accessible, and it is still inventive. The book reads like a comic book, but it is written better than some of the standard comics out there. It isn’t a “jump on” series and if you don’t have any familiarity with characters of the comic book line, it will be kind of confusing. There are lots of characters and cameos though the primary characters are Gilead (the Eternal Warrior), the Geomancer, and Bloodshot. If you did read Bloodshot Reborn, it is a good comic to go back to see how that series was set-up.
The art for the comic is solid as well. Though not listed as an artist Lemire adds his unique style to one of the issues. This is in addition to the solid work by Paolo River and Joe Rivera. The comic has a nice style. It isn’t overly inked nor is it under developed like some comics. The artists find a nice balance of style.
The Valiant is a good limited series if you read the publisher’s series and it is also a good prequel to Bloodshot Reborn. Unfortunately, the series and the collection is rather short (they bolster it with some arts and notes). The series can generally be picked up “on the cheap”, and it is worth seeking out. It will be interesting to see how Valiant does when it launches into the motion picture world as planned…maybe the series will see a resurgence. The Valiant was followed by Book of Death and Bloodshot Reborn.
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