X-O Manowar Vol. 4: Homecoming

Aric has returned to earth after liberating the rest of the human slaves from Loam in the Planet Death storyline.  They have landed right in the middle of Eastern Europe where Dacia used to exist. Tensions are building throughout this book as this event is the inciting incident that sets up the new team book Unity.  The biggest reveal in this book is that Gilad the Eternal Warrior was there with Aric in the very beginning when the Visigoths were facing off against the Romans & there little exchange in the museum is very cool.  It just goes to show how compact & shared the Valiant Universe is.  Up to this point in the Valiant Universe X-O Manwar has now faced off with both Ninjak & the Eternal Warrior.  While the other books have also crossed over a little Archer & Armstrong crossing over with the Eternal Warrior & soon Bloodshot; meanwhile Harbinger has only crossed over with Bloodshot but will soon be connected to everything else through Unity.

Harbinger Vol. 4: Perfect Day

The fourth volume of Harbinger follows what happens to the group after the Harbinger Wars event. The Harbinger kids have been captured by Toyo Harada along with the Generation Zero kids from Project Rising Spirit.  Monica Jim plays a pretty central role in this volume as one of the P.R.S. kids her unique power is amazing & hopefully will set up some cool stuff in the future.  From the beginning of this book we think that Peter & the gang are all out in L.A. relaxing & laying low after the events that took place in Las Vegas but everything is not what it seems.  Everybody is a prisoner of the Harbinger Foundation & put in a dream like state.  There are some great character moments in this book between Charlene, Kris, Torkelson & Faith.  Kris however steals the show because she is the first to kind of figure out that something is wrong.  Animalia aka Monica has her little creations break her out of the dream.  There is a nice coyote road runner adventure that she goes on which was a great laugh in the way it was executed.  In this book Toyo Harada comes close to death through his own pride & arrogance.  I am looking forward to where this goes next but one thing is for sure the Harbinger kids are ready for some payback.

Archer & Armstrong Vol. 4: Sect Civil War

Finally a return to the Valiant Universe with another grand tale of Archer & Armstrong.  In this volume for half the book Archer & Armstrong are separated & going on separate paths until something from Armstrong's past is needed to right the wrongs of the present.  Again this volume shows how well Valiant Comics is at blending historical facts with their complex universe.  We get some history in this volume as to how the sects came about & how they are connected to Project Rising Spirit.  The Vine is also apparently apart of these sects as well imagine what they could do if they ever became truly unified.  Archer has his own motives in this book which is nice to finally see him step up for what he wants.  Mary-Maria's story has taken a dark turn in this story as she has taken over one of the sects.  Interestingly the Sect Civil War has nothing to do with Archer & Armstrong but is orchestrated by other outside forces.  Overall a nice read to jump back into the Valiant Universe.

Eternal Warrior Vol. 2: Eternal Emperor

This second volume of the Eternal Warrior fast forwards to the year 4001 A.D.  We get to view the Eternal Warrior with a village trying to live a simpler life all of the sudden danger comes in the form of a robot carrying a nuclear bomb.  This forces Gilad to travel on a quest with his grand daughter to the city to find the origin of these robotic abominations.  The journey leads him to the local king who needs his help.  The end of the story is really touching in a way that Gilad was able to save his tribe & his grand daughter but at what cost?

Eternal Warrior Vol. 1: Sword of the Wild

This first volume of the Eternal Warrior is really a stand alone story about Gilad & how he has lost his way.  Over the years while he was the guardian for the Geomancer for the the House of the Earth he settled down to help raise a family.  While warring with one of the other houses Gilad lost his family this did not immediately dissuade him from his chosen path but instead it became the seed that would lead to his walking away in the late eighteen hundreds.  It is only when his daughter returns after six thousand years that he decides to pick up the fight again, but this time he wants to destroy the houses starting with Mother Earth.  This volume ends with a bang but where it goes from here is any ones guess this seems to be a different Gilad than has been previously seen in Archer & Armstrong.

Harbinger Vol. 3: Harbinger Wars

Still tied into Harbinger Wars this third volume of Harbinger is almost all flashback to an early confrontation between Toyo Harada & Project Rising Spirit.  There are really two different stories being told here the first of which is between a young Harada & the director of Project Rising Spirit, the second is set during present day & shows how the Renegades proceeded to Las Vegas & what trouble they got into along the way.  This is really the first time they have functioned as a team the previous volume was finding & activating them.  The way this is written I really have to sympathize with Harada he's not an out an out villain instead he is a lot like Magneto for Marvel Comics & the Renegades are like the X-Men without Xavier.  I like where this is going it was a great compliment to Harbinger Wars.

Bloodshot Vol. 3: Harbinger Wars

This volume of Bloodshot gives a detailed account of Bloodshot's journey from his showdown with Toyo Harada to the Harbinger War in Las Vegas.  Bloodshot has a lot of inner dialog with the nanites that control the healing in his body.  This explains how he regenerates after the battle with Harada.  Kuretich chooses a side & pays for his choice in this volume.  Bloodshot gives Kara an out in this volume which explains why she is not seen in the main Harbinger Wars book.  The final showdown between Bloodshot & Harada takes place in this book & sets up where Bloodshot is going after this event.  

Harbinger Wars

This is the first major crossover in the new Valiant Universe.  This is basically the big showdown between the Harbinger Foundation & Project Rising Spirit with Bloodshot, several new psiots & the Renegades caught in the middle.  This is a great little crossover its only four issues it builds directly off of the events in Bloodshot Vol. 2.  Project Rising Spirit is almost decimated by Bloodshot & is looking at a hail marry attempt to contain the situation by unleashing the H.A.R.D. Corps.  One of the major questions that has been lingering since the beginning can Harada be injured or is he just too powerful,  well Bloodshot can certainly hurt him.  By the end of this event some characters are dead & the balance of power has shifted more in one direction for psiots plus Toyo Harada is still anonymous when it comes to the Harbinger Foundation's true purpose for the global landscape.

X-O Manowar Vol. 3: Planet Death

The big event sized story of X-O Manowar is here in Planet Death.  Aric has discovered the invasion force of the Vine in orbit around Earth.  Not only does the Shanhara make short work of the invasion fleet but instead of waiting for the Vine to reorganize another offensive Aric the Visigoth sets out for Loam the Vine's homeworld taking the fight to them.  During the story we discover the origin of the Vine as a race & the origin of the armor.  Aric uses the suit to free all of the slaves of the Vine from different planets & unite them as a revolt against the Vine capital.   With the help of a priest & a soldier Aric is able to persuade the majority of the Vine to fall back on their faith & realize that this is the dawning of a new age.  At the end of this volume Aric is taking what remains of the Visigoth people back to earth to reestablish their place in the world.

Archer & Armstrong Vol. 3: Far Faraway

Valiant is simply doing an amazing job, this third volume of Archer & Armstrong doesn't disappoint it goes into the history of the Boon.  Armstrong tells the true story that surrounds the tale of Gilgamesh.  Mary Maria is on a mission for her parents which coincides with Archer's quest to find out who he truly is.  All of this leads to the three of them getting sucked through a portal to the Faraway.  The Faraway is essentially a garden nightmare the three of them band together to take on this crazy general.  Along the way they make several discoveries of people lost or trapped in the Faraway.  This book leaves the reader on such a cliff hanger that you can't help but wonder what is going to happen next.

Bloodshot Vol. 2: The Rise & The Fall

Project Rising Spirit just got their collective asses handed to them in this collection by Bloodshot & company.  Bloohdshot is every action star put together in one man he's Captain America, Cable & the Punisher at the same time.  Bloodshot is looking for answers about his past which take him to this super secret facility.  It is only at the end of this volume that you realize that he is still a puppet having his strings pulled to set events in motion.  Up next is the first big crossover for Valiant Comics in the form of Harbinger Wars.

Shadowman Vol. 1: Birth Rites

This is another awesome title from Valiant Comics.  Shadowman is like a cross between Blade & Doctor Strange set in New Orleans.  The beginning of the book shows a showdown between Darque & Shadowman in what looks like a fight to the death.  Lets move forward a couple of years Jack is trying to figure out who he is where he came from.  His search brings him back to New Orleans where he finds out about who his parents were but not the whole truth.  Jack has a run in with some of Mr. Twist's agents who try to execute him but he is saved by the Loa.  The Loa turns Jack into the Shadowman.  Jack meets up with Dox & Alyssa who offer to train him to become the Shadowman.  The final showdown between Shadowman & Mr. Twist takes place in the Deadside & what looks like a victory for Shadowman could also be seen as a victory for Darque.

Bloodshot Vol. 1: Setting the World on Fire

This first volume of Bloodshot is a lot like reading a Captain America book if Steve Rogers was being used & brain washed by a secret government organization.  Oh wait that is exactly what happened to the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes.  Bloodshot has been betrayed & is on the run looking for answers.  While this book offers a great introduction to the character it does not provide many answers.  One of the things I love about the Valiant Universe compared to that of the DC Universe or the Marvel Universe is that it feels fresh, new & inviting.  While the other two feel like a visit with old friends bogged down with history.  The Valiant Universe feels like anything can & will happen it is great to have this company back in the mix of weekly comics.  Another great thing about the Valiant Universe is that it is very condensed, while this may not always be the case currently it is a blessing that makes every title Valiant puts out accessible.

Harbinger Vol. 2: Renegades

Peter & Faith have taken the fight to Harada in with a vengeance.  Not only has Peter found out that Harada has been playing him but he takes out one of the Harbinger recruiters & then starts going after potentials himself.  By the end of this volume the Renegades have assembled just in time for the Harbinger War.  The new recruits that Peter is going after are outcast like himself but they help ground him & give him a purpose in life.  One of the mysteries going forward is who or what is the Rising Spirit?  This second volume has officially blown the first book out of the water.

X-O Manowar Vol. 2: Enter Ninjak

The second volume of X-O Manowar is a fantastic read pitting the Manowar armor against Ninjak is such an epic showdown.  This is a versus then team-up story done in true comic book fashion.  I thought that the Eternal Warrior was the ultimate badass of the Valiant Universe but I was wrong that title either needs to go to X-O Manowar or Ninjak.  The Vine betrayed by one of their own plantings while they are on  a course to invade earth I am loving this series.

Archer & Armstrong Vol. 2: Wrath of the Eternal Warrior

Archer & Armstrong just rides the wave it built up in the first book all the way to the beachhead.  There are little hints here and there that these characters exist in an even larger universe.  But the real surprise for me is that Gilad the Eternal Warrior is Armstrong's younger brother.  I want more of a back story for the Eternal Warrior.  Throughout this whole volume our heroic duo has been on the run from Gilad for accidentally killing the previous Geomancer a Hitler look-a-like.  However by the end of this volume the earth as chosen a new spokesperson in the form of Kay McHenry & the Null have been nullified.

Harbinger Vol. 1: Omega Rising

This is another good effort by Valiant Comics but not there best in my opinion I compared to X-O Manowar & Archer & Armstrong.  By the end of this volume though I was excited to see where this story is heading & how it is similar to X-Men in a way.  This title definitely has potential though & could truly be the book that Valiant shapes their universe around.

X-O Manowar Vol. 1: By the Sword

This book is utterly awesome in every sense of the word.  Aric Dacia is a warrior trapped out of his own time with an alien weapon at his disposal.  So far Valiant Comics is two for two in what I have read.  I am eagerly looking forward to the next volume of this book if you are board with Marvel or DC Comics, Valiant is a great alternative.  The Vine is a formidable collective enemy for Aric to go up against.  I really like how condensed this book was like Archer & Armstrong any longer & it might have lost its momentum.  I hope Aric is able to find some connection with this present world that he has returned to.  

Archer & Armstrong Vol. 1: The Michelangelo Code

Valiant Comics is like a clean slate that hasn't been bogged down in history & convoluted storylines.  Now I know this is a comic company that has risen from the ashes of the their demise in the late 90s, but for me as a reader this is fresh & new.  I have been hearing great things about Valiant for years & I am just now getting around to reading some of the titles.  Archer & Armstrong is a title that's part Lethal Weapon meets Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code, which they even make fun of.  I really like the fact that Valiant is doing short story-arcs in single volumes if it had been longer I am sure it would still have been enjoyable but at the same time it could slowed & become monotonous.  One things that suffers with this method though is characterization not of the main characters but of secondary or tertiary characters & even villains.  Overall this was a good opening arc but I can see how some people would be turned off by this especially those offended by The Da Vinci Code.