Valiant is proud to present your first look inside X-O MANOWAR (2017) #2 – the next planet-shaking chapter of the EPIC NEW ONGOING SERIES launching Earth’s most formidable hero onto the frontline of an alien civil war that will leave no soldier unscathed! On April 26th, “SOLDIER” continues here as New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Divinity, Mind MGMT) and Valiant-exclusive rising star Tomas Giorello (Bloodshot Reborn, Batman & Robin) push the unstoppable X-O Manowar into the fiercest warzone he’s faced yet… Deep in the trenches, and locked in combat against an extraterrestrial war machine bent on extermination, must Aric of Dacia – wielder of the universe’s most powerful weapon – abandon his quest for a more peaceful life…and surrender to the warrior within?
Read MoreReview: Ether #5
By Levi Remington
Ether takes the investigative murder-mystery of Sherlock Holmes and infuses it with childlike imagination and adventurous fantasy. Picture a perkier Dresden Files, but replace the main character with an emotionally distant scientist, and give him a giant, purple, chain wearing monkey beast as a sidekick. Matt Kindt and David Rubin have been laying the groundwork for 4 issues now, and with this volume one finale they provide a satisfying conclusion that will leave readers begging for more.
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Review: Grass Kings #1
By Daniel Vlasaty
The Grass Kingdom isn’t a place you want to go, unless you’re given permission to be there. The Grass Kingdom is a small, isolated community. They don’t tolerate trespassers or tourists or outsiders of any kind. The people of the Grass Kingdom live off the grid and they set their own laws. It’s a place where “everyone has a say,” even though that usually turns out to be the opposite in places like this. Places like this are set up to look like they’re equal, but mostly that means there’s some ruthless dictator (or self-appointed “king”) who’s actually calling the shots. Usually, places like this never turn out good.
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Review: X-O Manowar v2 #1
By Dustin Cabeal
It’s fair to say that in this new volume of X-O Manowar, Aric gives zero fucks. His fucks are in the red so much that the “fucks” bank might be foreclosing on his ass. Don’t misunderstand Aric’s lack of giving of fuck as a negative point on this comic. Instead, it's rather refreshing and amazing.
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Valiant Announces Next Event Series - "Rapture" More Like... No Rapture Works...
I'll probably check it out... what? What else do you want me to say? Read the press release.
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Valiant Unveils New Valiant Premium Format For X-O Manowar #1
As the all-new X-O MANOWAR #1 prepares to begin its war-ravaged journey into deep space on March 22nd, Valiant is proud to reveal that one of the year's most anticipated comics debuts will now ship in the VALIANT PREMIUM format -- a brand-new form of deluxe packaging created specifically for Aric of Dacia's battle-worn conquest of a savage alien world!
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Review: Ether #3
By Laramie Martinez
I’m going to run this review backwards this time. For those of you who have read issues 1 & 2, you know that Ether usually ends with a flashback of Boone’s past. The structure itself is not surprising, typically in comics, as in most entertainment media, there are main plots and a subplot. With the main plots being the reason you read the book or watch the show, and the subplot being something fun or interesting on the side. In the case of Ether, however, I am just as intrigued by Boone’s past, as I am with his current mystery.
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Review: Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual #1
By Chris Tresson
I was very much looking forward to reviewing this book. As I'm probably not going to get another shot at reviewing any Black Hammer for Comic Bastards (Laramie Martinez has reviewed the series for CB thus far and I don't see him giving it up anytime soon!) I thought I'd take a shot at this giant-sized annual... This is my review of the Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual, in stores this week from Dark Horse Comics.
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Review: Dept. H vol. 1
By Daniel Vlasaty
Who killed the smartest man on earth…?
Dept H. is billed as a murder mystery and it is that, but also so much more. It’s the story of family and loss and adventure and science and discovery and exploration – from the farthest reaches of the universe to the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. To the underwater caves home to strange creatures, giant turtles and tentacled things and sea spiders that can mimic human voices much like parrots.
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Review: Ether #2
By Laramie Martinez
In Ether #2 Matt Kindt doesn’t spend a lot of time ruminating on the big reveal from last issue. Instead he continues to knock the credibility of our narrator as we learn more about his past and the extreme methods he takes to travel to the Ether. This issue is really just a big juxtaposition of the two roles Boone Dias takes on either side of the dimensional portal. We see the heights from which he has fallen on earth, made all the more tragic by the diligence he shows as he hunts for clues in Ether.
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Best of 2016: Ninjak
Find out why Valiant Comics’ Ninjak made our “Best of 2016” list!
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Review: Ninjak #22
By Robert Ramos
First and foremost, this is my very first comic review. I’ve been in and out of the comic scene for a good number of months due to the lack of quality comics being produced. That’s not to say that I don’t keep up with anything, but the number of things I truly follow has dwindled substantially. Nevertheless, here I am and what a doozy I have for you with Ninjak #22.
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Review: Ether #1
By Laramie Martinez
I went into Ether #1 cold. I knew Matt Kindt was writing it, but I had no idea who the artist was or even the premise of the comic. I have to say, it’s nice when you get lucky and stumble on a good comic. Part portal fantasy, part scientific detective story, Ether is a promising series showcasing the strange talent of writer Matt Kindt and far out style of David Rubin.
Read MoreReview: Ninjak #20
By Mike Badilla
Whew, good thing for recap pages, amirite? I haven't read Ninjak in a while, so to jump in here on issue 20, there's a lot going on. Big thanks to Valiant for helping us all out with this recap: Ninjak went to an otherworldly plane to rescue some MI-6 agents, they all caught a disease while they were there (wanky wanky) and now Ninjak has it too (um... wanky wanky?) and now we are decades ahead with Ninjak and the Eternal Warrior (not to be confused with the Ultimate Warrior, although that could be interesting) fighting some old timer called Dr. Silk.
Read MoreNYCC 2016: Dark Horse Announces Over-sized "Black Hammer" Anthology
Jeff Lemire’s superhero comic series is getting the super treatment: Dark Horse is proud to announce that Black Hammer will have an oversized anthology issue in early 2017. Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual features an all-star slate of guest artists illustrating five stories by Jeff Lemire. Dustin Nguyen (The Authority, Batman: Streets of Gotham), Emi Lenox (Plutona, EmiTown), Nate Powell (March, Any Empire), Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, Dept. H), Ray Fawkes (One Soul, The People Inside), and Dave Stewart (Fight Club 2, Black Hammer) bring Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Barbalien, and Madame Dragonfly to life.
The forty-page Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual will be available on January 18, 2017.
Black Hammer is currently available as an ongoing comic series from Dark Horse. The popular series is from the prodigious brain of Lemire (Descender, Sweet Tooth, Essex County, A.D.: After Death, Plutona) and brought to life by Ormston (Lucifer, The Sandman), with colors by none other than Eisner Award–winning veteran Dave Stewart.
NYCC 2016: BOOM! Picks Up A Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins Untitled Project
By Dustin Cabeal
I'm not going to lie, BOOM!'s "Road to NYCC" has been littered with the usual announcements. An ongoing WWE book? Not that different from SDCC. More Jim Henson? To be expected. And I get it, they need to hype books its the nature of the beast. I just haven't particularly gotten excited for any of them until this one. That said, I'm confused sometimes by this industry. I mean, it's Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins... what publisher would pass on a book from these two? None, but then how did BOOM! land them? I'm curious about their creator-owned deals, but I got a feeling I'm not the person they'll discuss that with.
Read MoreFirst Look: Kindt & Hairsine Rewrite Reality for DIVINITY III: STALINVERSE #1
This December, a new world order takes control as DIVINITY III: STALINVERSE rewrites the fabric of reality itself! As revealed today at Comic Book Resources, Valiant is proud to present your first look insideDIVINITY III: STALINVERSE #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of the event-level epic from the visionaryDIVINITY creative of New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (4001 A.D.), blockbuster artistTrevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis), Harvey Award-nominated inker Ryan Winn (A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG) and master colorist David Baron (BLOODSHOT REBORN, Planetary)! This winter, the sold-out sci-fi saga that redefined the Valiant Universe begins a reality-shattering comics event that will collide the world’s most formidable heroes with a disturbing new vision… One where a worldwide Soviet empire now rules a world order… The Iron Curtain extends across continents, shattering governments and armies in its wake… And the communist global super-state rules not only with an iron fist, but powers far beyond the comprehension of mortal men.
Earth has a new god. The world you know is gone. Welcome to the Stalinverse, comrade.
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“STALINVERSE has always been something we’ve been building towards since the very beginning of DIVINITY,” said Valiant Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons. “This series will not only have major repercussions for every key hero and villain in the Valiant Universe, but will also give us our first glimpse of new characters with a long-term trajectory. From HARBINGER WARS to BOOK OF DEATH to 4001 A.D., Valiant’s events have always been big, but Matt and Trevor are elevating the stakes to a truly global concern here – they’re building not just an event, but an entirely new and terrifying world.”
On December 21st, reality runs red as Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine present the most startling comics event of the season in DIVINITY III: STALINVERSE #1 (of 4) – presented in the deluxe VALIANT PRESTIGE format and featuring covers by Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic (DIVINITY), Tom Muller (Zero), Jeffrey Veregge (Red Wolf), Greg Smallwood (Moon Knight), and Adam Gorham (The Violent)!
Plus: stay tuned as the STALINVERSE spreads with four top-secret DIVINITY III one-shots detailing the redacted history of the Soviet Union’s most notorious patriots, agitators, and outcasts in December and beyond!
Review: Ninjak #18
I was going to give this series a break because I’ve found that I rarely enjoy the follow-up after a really good story arc. “The Siege of King’s Castle” was extremely good and tied up all the loose ends of Kindt’s run in a lot of ways. It felt like a fresh start was coming. And then “The Fist & The Steel” instantly revisited the Shadow Council with this issue. I don’t mind that it’s set a bit in the future. In fact, ever since the one shot showing how Ninjak dies happened, I’m all for periodically venturing into this character’s future.
The problem I had is that this didn’t feel like a fresh start and while I can appreciate the fact that the main story and the backstory tie into each other and subsequently the “Dead Side” story arc as well, nothing is particularly interesting here even without comparing it to the last arc. They’re chasing down the creepy guy with extra arms. They talk a lot and it’s okay because Kindt writes a great partnership between Colin and Gilad. The goal of the remaining member of the shadow council is to bring back the Bleeding Monk. Clearly there’s something there that I don’t know because reading a lot of Harbinger kind of answered this question for me, but we’ll see what Kindt has up his sleeves. It’s just that this issue feels really mellow coming off the last story arc.
The art is weird. It’s not bad and shows a lot of talent, but I didn’t like it on this series. Only when Colin was in the Ninjak gear did he look cool. Gilad looks goofy. He just looks off and I didn’t get the same sense of his character from looking at him. Every character’s facial features are bogged down by an excess of extra lines. Instead of adding style and detail, it makes everyone look more like a California Raisin. It’s a personal taste for sure, but much like this story arc, it wasn’t a great fit for the series after “The Siege of King’s Castle.”
The likelihood of me reviewing the next issue is pretty slim. I’ll likely read it as a fan. Having read the previous 17 issues of Kindt’s run and figuring out that the first issue in the arc always sets the style and experience for the complete arc… well, I kind of know what to expect. Since I’m not loving this issue, I can expect the same for the next few and that’s okay. Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, but you also probably don’t want to read the same review over and over either. Because of Kindt’s fantastic writing style you can’t just skip this arc if you don’t enjoy the issue, you’ll need the details here and for that reason it’s enough to keep buying and reading.
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Ninjak #18 Writer: Matt Kindt Artist: Khari Evans Publisher: Valiant Comics Price: $3.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital
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SDCC 2016: Dark Horse Announces 'Ether' From Kindt and Rubín -- Pant Tent Pitched!
Well if this isn't a dream team come true I don't know what is. First off... Matt Kindt. I don't need to say anything else since the man's work speaks for itself, but wait... so does David Rubín's work. This is probably the first title announced from SDCC that I'm really excited for. Like, take my money excited. November is a long ass way off though... sigh. From Dark Horse Comics:
Dark Horse is proud to announce a new series from the talented creative team of Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, Past Aways, Super Spy, Dept. H) and David Rubín (The Hero, The Rise of Aurora West). Ether is a fantastical story about what happens when science and magic intersect.
Ether follows the adventures of Boone Dias, a science-minded interdimensional explorer from Earth, as he tries to reconcile the existence of magic with his own scientific reality. Boone is a regular visitor to the Ether, a supernatural realm with magical residents. The Ether’s residents trust Boone to solve their toughest crimes by combining his background in science with the Ether’s magic.
Cocreator Matt Kindt explained the parallels between Boone’s science-mindedness and his own: “Ethercame from my love-hate relationship with the supernatural. It’s not a genre I’m particularly attracted to as a creator, and I really wanted to figure out why. So in a lot of ways, the main character in Ether is a surrogate for the part of me that wants to explore the supernatural but also wants everything to be explained — which can literally ruin the magic of a supernatural story.”
The first issue of Ether goes on sale November 16, 2016, with four subsequent issues published monthly.
Review: Ninjak #17
Well… I probably should have seen this coming. In retrospect, that’s what makes Matt Kindt a strong writer because he was able to pull one over on the readers and yet still deliver all the clues to have made the discovery for yourself. With long con reveals there’s two outcomes: the first is the result of bad writing, it’s a complete surprise because the story didn’t actual build towards the reveal. The second is what Kindt did. He gave you everything and the result is a satisfying statement of, “How did I miss this? Damn.”
It’s so rare that I have the fleece pulled over me that I was actually happy that I didn’t catch everything in the story and yet looking back… all the clues were there. Oh, and this issue is just Roku versus Ninjak, but not in the way you think. I don’t know where Kindt takes the story from here. The landscape is different for Colin and it’s almost strange that Kindt has squashed the status quo that’s barely been established in this shared universe still in its infant stage. That is one of the reasons I keep reading Valiant. The landscape is constantly changing and just when you get too 
comfortable they blow it up. It’s never bad, though. It’s never forced feeling like say anything that Marvel produces. If anything, Valiant is the anti-Marvel.
Because the story starts with a reveal and is centered around that reveal I won’t be talking about the issue any further. I can’t even talk about the backstory this time because, as always, it’s connected to the main story. I will say once again though, that that is how you do a backstory. If it’s not actually feeding into the main plot line, then it’s just padding the page count.
Both artists on the issue deliver stunning art. The sequence between the first two pages is just magical. I had the benefit of scrolling up and down with my mouse which almost made it look like an animation. Even without that you’ll still get a similar effect with print or digital. This really is the best the book has looked since the first story arc and that’s not really a slam since everything after it looked incredible as well, this arc has just raised the bar.
I hate reviewing the end of an arc. I never know whether or not to spoil the shit out of it or just hold back like I’ve done here. It’s why I skip them. It’s not to hold back attention from the issue, but as a courtesy I chose not to spoil it for readers. At the end of the day, my goal with any review is to give you info on why you should or shouldn’t read it and you decide from there. If I spoil it all you don’t have much of a reason to check it out. Hopefully this review still convinced you to check it out and really the entire “Siege on King’s Castle” storyline.
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Ninjak #17
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artists: Diego Bernard with Alisson Rodriguez
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Price: $3.99
Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital
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