Oh s*it here we go again…
Valiant Comics is a phoenix: originally born in 1989, it has had many eras and many deaths. I have a special space in my comics heart for the 2011 era because, for someone who was just coming back to being a weekly reader, it was a new universe with accessible stories, akin to what the Ultimate Universe was for fans in the 2000s.
At the beginning they put out great books for everyone. I obsessively read “Quantum and Woody,” “Archer and Armstrong,” and “Unity,” among many others. Every book had its own voice, and perfect pairings in the creative teams. They also did a yearly event that was always interesting, peaking with “The Valiant” by powerhouse creators Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire and Paolo Rivera. Not everything was perfect, but fans were happy with what we got. Then came DMG.
The Chinese entertainment company bought Valiant to have a cinematic superhero universe ready for production, only one movie of which came to fruition, Bloodshot, starring Vin Diesel. Valiant kept going, but their quality stagnated, and the ones that still had a spark, like Javier Pulido and Jeff Parker’s take on “Ninjak,” were quickly cancelled. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and they halted production, and they never really recovered from that, ending up only putting out one comic per month until now.
Then, this year they finally announced that they were somewhat returning, partnering with publisher Alien Books in a move that looks more like outsourcing, but at least this looks like they will finally be able to bring back beloved books to a small but faithful fanbase. So, with this upcoming new era, I only have two wishes:
Just Bring Back the Books
You have a pretty neat set of characters that can allow you to put out books in every category, so in this first year, you should focus on making ongoings (or series of minis) for the main ones, reintroducing the universe: X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, Quantum and Woody, Ninjak and more. Having many genres diversifies the net of readers; sci-fi, horror, comedy, action, whatever they are looking for, Valiant should have something for them.
The direct market is key, but you could easily try other avenues, there were plans for YA graphic novels similar to what Marvel and DC do, and Faith could spearhead a series of novels accessible to young audiences. Imagine this: a children’s book about Quantum and Woody and the strong brotherly bonds that can come out of overcoming an obstacle, and that those bonds are not blood-bound. You have something special in all these characters, use them.
Don’t Do Gimmicks, Don’t Do Variants, and Especially DO NOT Use Kickstarter
A grudge that I had with Valiant Entertainment was that they did a ton of variant covers, especially gimmicks, and they were fun, but they took focus away from the stories. People have had debates about whether or not retailer incentive variants work, but you shouldn’t do any of that, they might be rare, but they are worthless if the readers don’t know your characters.
At some point, Valiant published “Book of Death: Legends of the Geomancer,” a retailer incentive series, and I wanted it so bad but never got the chance of owning it, which was incredibly frustrating. Instead of making their book accessible, they put a wall around it! Never ever do that! (And if you are reading this, Bad Idea folks, the same goes for you!)
Finally the cherry on the top: never do a Kickstarter again. The folks at BOOM! are doing great in that arena, but they created a system to fulfill their orders effectively; the last time Valiant made a campaign it went terribly wrong, it’s been two years since “Eternal Warrior: Scorched Earth,” and the people who pledged haven’t received their books! And to make matters worse, Alien Books have already put out the solicit for a direct market softcover that might come earlier than the fulfillment! Please step away from crowdfunding until you can deliver, and until your fanbase is strong enough.
And good luck to you guys! I hope Valiant Comics survive this experiment.
