I’ve spent the past couple of posts introducing you, dear reader, to Valiant Comics. And as much as I’m sure you’ve appreciated getting all sorts of back-story, I’m also betting that you are asking “Keith, you handsome rogue, what is the big hoo-dee-hoo about these comics?”
I’m going to highlight some reasons below why I am so passionate about Valiant’s products. I should caveat that lots of what I will be saying is opinion based on observation, and should be taken as thus. I’ve been reading comics for most of my life, and have seen some amazing stuff (Miracleman, Watchmen, Planetary) and not so amazing stuff (anything Rob Liefeld). So please don’t be offended if I speak derisively of Wolverine/Batman/Spider-Man’s excessive overuse in comics to the point of ridiculousness or other practices I feel are questionable… my points below are biased from my own experiences.
The world just outside your window
The comics in the Valiant Universe all exist within the same story telling universe, one that is seemingly not too different from our own. To the average inhabitant of the planet, extraterrestrials are the stuff of sci-fi or conspiracy theories, magic is performed by street performers, and all the amazing superheroic stuff you read in comics exists… in comics. It’s from that assumed launching point that all these strange and incredible things are starting to happen in this world, and as the veil of normalcy is beginning to lift, you begin to see the unexplored differences of this world from our own. Eternal warriors, time traveling adventurers, voodoo defenders against the realms of the dead, nanite enhanced super-soldiers, giant robots from outer space… readers are treated to reactions of the public to all these fantastic occurrences, and we get to feel vicariously what it would be like to experience these world changing events!
Another way I appreciate this “close to the real world” approach of Valiant is how they handle their characters. One
We’re just getting started
Compared to the other “superhero universes,” Valiant is still in its infancy – a few years of publishing, and a monthly line that consists of 9 titles, give or take. As a result, it is crazy easy to completely ensconce oneself in the entire history of this universe from its beginning, and witness as it grows and changes. Unfortunately, with other comics publishers who have been around for 50+ years, it would be next to impossible to accomplish such a feat, and the constant restarts and reboots through the years would make it a futile endeavor.
Where Story comes first
If I could describe the current “superhero comic” landscape presented by the major comic companies, what leaps to mind is “questionable priorities.” What I mean by that is the big companies seem focused less on the making of comics, and more on the exploitation of their characters in other markets like movies or TV. As a result, corporate mandates dictate the publishing schedule to fuel or capitalize on those markets, or the quest for more and more comic market share has resulted in lines where cranking out numbers has become more important than telling a decent/cogent story.
My point is that with Valiant, what you see is what you get. No mandates. No higher powers dictating sales numbers or able to determine books with potential be cancelled and replaced with yet another Bat-title… this is just one company doing their best to put out some damn fine comics. The mantra is not “What’s our next Film“ or “What’s our next Big Event”… no, it’s “Best Idea Wins” when determining the next story arc or title to be released. Have they always been successful? Nope, there have been a couple of stinkers out for sure… but for the most part, Valiant has become known for putting out engaging stories that put anything done by the larger companies to shame.
Enthusiasm of the company
Perhaps it’s because they know they are fighting an uphill battle, but the staff over at Valiant positively ooze with enthusiasm and love for their comics. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr… Valiant has a very active presence on social media, where the staff and many times writers or artists have shown themselves more than happy to engage with the fans. Now, I’m sure many a reader are saying “duh, Keith, you big ninny. It’s their bread and butter… of course they’re going to promote it.” I say back… no, these guys reaaaaally go out of their way.
For example: Stop by any comic book convention that Valiant is at, and chances are really good that you won’t be
Enthusiastic fan base
Matching the enthusiasm of the company is the passion of the die hard, Valiant devoted fans. The epicenter of this rabid fandom is located at ValiantFans.com, a site that has been in operation in various forms, but most notably during those quite years where no comics were being produced. Go there, and you will find post after post in the forums on all things Valiant. Fans talking monthly sales, fans reviewing books… some fans have even gone to the extraordinary great lengths to run their own contests to help promote Valiant more.
The above represent just some of the reasons why I’m so enamored with the comics Valiant publishes. While I am certain that some of these traits can be found in other comic lines, I think they are all strongly represented at Valiant. Trust me, I could go on with more, but I’m thinking that it’s time to start taking a look at the comics and characters.
Stay tuned, dear reader, I’ll be back in a couple weeks to start making introductions!