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Valiant (Re)visions Power Rankings: Month Ten

By and | November 4th, 2013
Posted in Columns | % Comments

David: Brandon Burpee, can you believe we’ve been running our Power Rankings for ten months already? It’s almost the Power Rankings birthday. They grow up so fast!

As per usual, Valiant (Re)visions Power Rankings finds Brandon and I looking back on the month that was for Valiant, ranking all of their released titles in order from least awesome to most awesome, emphasizing our rankings for recency. Meaning, if the book has been good overall, but hasn’t been so good lately, it gets knocked down a bit. It’s just like ESPN’s insanely wrong NBA Power Rankings that knocked my beloved Indiana Pacers down to #6 before the season started, even though very little has changed (SOUR GRAPES ALERT!).

I’ll kick things off, and this month, I have to say there weren’t any “bad” comics. Some books that have been off their game lately upped it a bit in my book, so coming in 7th for me is Eternal Warrior #2 from Greg Pak, Trevor Hairsine and Clayton Crain. This continues the open to the series by mixing in building Gilad’s story and his relationship with his daughter, while giving us a fair bit of flashbacks and of uber violence as someone with the name “Eternal Warrior” is often expected to do. Biggest issue with this book? It really didn’t resonate too deeply with me, to the point when I was trying to recall what stood out about it – good or bad – I couldn’t think of anything. For that reason, it shows up in the rear for me.

What about you Brandon? What shows up at #7 and #6 for you?

Brandon: My #7 this month is Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps. I’m just not a fan of the new direction. It’s a cast full of forgettable expendable characters. If the creative team can find a way to make me care about the characters much like X-O eventually did, for me, than this book could be something like Exiles or X-Statix where you actually care when one of the characters die even with the knowledge that these characters are bound for the grave sooner rather than later. Until then, eh…

Sitting at the #6 spot Is Eternal Warrior. I am with you in that I just can’t remember what happened in the book. It would have been my #7 if I hadn’t remembered all the things I disliked about Bloodshot. I think EW has an incredible amount of potential as it an bounce around time and bring us a variety of stories and genres if it wanted to because of the time span. For now though it’s still establishing itself and sadly not in a way that is overly memorable at this time. Watch this title though. This is a sleeping giant waiting to wake up. Just give it time.

What’s next for you David Leroy Harper?

David: MY MIDDLE NAME! HOOOWWWW DAREEE YOUUU?!?!?!?

#6 for me goes to your once upon a time favorite Valiant book, Harbinger. While this issue was much better than before, given how off the charts bad it was for me before, it only could move up so much. If next month’s issue is like this one, which featured really excellent Clayton Henry art and some rad, creepy things with Toyo Harada, it might make a healthy jump. However, as it stands right now, it has a bit of a hole to get out of. A hole that is somewhere in Torquehalla, which is a lot more like hell than it seems.

Up next for me is Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps, a book I think is less bad than…you know, not so thrilling. This issue in itself had a lot of good bits: I really like Charlie Palmer, I really like Toyo Harada removing some brains and there is some excellent violence rendered by Emanuela Lupacchino, but so far it really hasn’t made itself stand out too much. Something more needs to happen to make it resonate with me. So far, we just haven’t gotten there, but I think with the extremely talented crew of creators on this book, it’s only a matter of time.

Continued below

Whatchoo got for me my weirdo beardo friend?

Brandon I have Harbinger as my #5. This book made a step in the right direction but after the mess that was Torqehala it’s going to take more than an issue to get it back on track. I agree that the Harada parts were great as was Clayton Henry’s art. I still have a connection to the characters of this book and that is why it sits where it does this month. A move in the right direction, even a small one, does a lot for me. To get back to the top of my list it needs to keep this movement going and it also needs to start getting back to the action and equal character development that the title had at its start.

#4 is Shadowman, a title that seems to dance between the lines of great and just alright. Lately it mostly lands on the side of great but this month it was just ok. Shadowman has built up enough credit with the Bank of Burpee to not drop any further than this though despite a fairly forgettable Halloween issue. I want more Doctor Mirage moving forward. She is awesome and i’d love to see her and Shadowman play off each other a bit more.

What is next on your list good sir?

David: Shadowman also comes in at #4 for me. It’s been on a hot streak, but the Halloween issue was just so so. I think this month it could move back up, as Ales Kot and Christopher Sebela are writing short stories in #12. I do like the fact that we got a Jack-centric adventure and had some action with Doctor Mirage, but ultimately, this issue felt a little fill-in like, which makes sense because it was in fact a fill-in.

#3 is where the leap comes up: Brandon, we live in a world where X-O Manowar is actually a very good comic. I cannot believe it is this high on my list, but that is the case now. I have to say a big part of the upgrade is Lee Garbett and Moose Baumann as the art team. Those guys just crush, and Baumann’s glow to Garbett’s work just makes the whole book pop. I am super stoked on this book. It is good. It is fun. And it is really, really entertaining. It’s pretty much what I want from a comic about a Visigoth warrior rolling around in a super powered alien suit. I hope the book keeps it up, and I also hope they keep Lee Garbett here. I want Valiant books to have more static art teams, if possible.

Gimme yo #3 and #2!

#3 for me is none other than David’s version of the unicorn in comic form. Archer and Armstrong. While the last couple issues haven’t been my favorites there is no denying that this book is in the elite tier of Valiant’s offerings. The humor and action mix in a perfect symphony and the characters are well enough defined that you’d notice if the characterization was off. You know what though? It never is. I can see why you love this book David and while I don’t share your same enthusiasm for it I can’t deny it is a good book.

#2 for me is X-O Manowar. This was a title I was very critical, some might say harsh, on early on and I don’t change my opinions from that point in time. There were issues about it that I had that I offered up as valid criticism and the creative team stepped up to the challenge and not only made the book readable for me they made it a book that I now look forward to each and every month. This has become an incredibly solid book and I have the utmost respect for the team who elevated the book to where it is now. Not to say it was ever a bad book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Things change and I can be proven wrong. Ask David he’ll tell you the last is very true in his mind.

Continued below

What do you have to round things out Harper?

David: My favorite duo has been replaced! This month finds Archer & Armstrong dropping to second place, but Brandon, that doesn’t mean this book is not one I still love. The start of Sect Civil War might have been one of my least favorite issues in a while, but there was still quite a bit to love. I loved the “scroll smarts” line, I love all of the different parts of The Sect, I loved the henchman talking shop at the end…there was a lot of awesome here. But there was a bit more of me scrunching my face than usual, and I felt like Khari Evans – while aesthetically pleasing – wasn’t a perfect fit for what Van Lente does. He didn’t sell the humor as well as others have. A good issue, but it was overtaken by greatness.

That greatness is Quantum & Woody, my once and forever love. With this issue, James Asmus, Tom Fowler and Jordie Bellaire completed an intro arc that was every bit as good as the original series’ introduction, and a lot of it comes from the straight up awesomeness of the art. Brandon – TOM FOWLER IS A DAMN BEAST. A BEAST I SAY. I love it! I’m so sad he’s leaving the book, even with Ming Doyle coming on. His art is such a perfect fit here, as his very expressive characters amplify everything Asmus does.

Pairing him with Bellaire is almost unfair, but I am down with unfair as long as it is in my favor (see: any egregiously unfair pass interference calls that go in the favor of the Patriots). Asmus is hilarious, Fowler is amongst the best artists in comics, and Jordie? WHOA JORDIE. She’s the best. Sing its praises, brother man!

Brandon: Sitting at the head of the table for me is also Quantum & Woody. This book is just plain hilarious. The writing of Asmus and the wonderful tandem of Fowler and Bellaire have created one of those must read books that you really must read. If you like action, superheros and laughing your ass of at stuff that the internet comic community likes to throw a fit about than this is the book for you. Granted Fowler is coming off the book which is a kick in the dick, but I have read the first Ming Doyle issue and I gotta say that while it isn’t the same by any means the title also doesn’t lose one goddamn step either. This book has the strong potential of being on the top of this here list for some time. I just can’t imagine who it gets knocked off. This book is just that damn good. Seriously. Why are you still reading this? Go buy this book. What? You already own it? Well read the fucker again!


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David Harper

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Brandon Burpee

Burpee loves Superheroes, Alaskan IPA, 90's X-Men and is often one more beer away from a quotable.

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