So, it looks like I was right, then wrong, and will now be right again.
After two days of teases about Kirby-esque Armor Hunters and X-O Manowar getting his ass kicked, it looks like Valiant will be releasing an event next summer called “Armor Hunters.” Written by Robert Venditti and illustrated by Doug Braithwaite, the book is essentially a crossover that spins out of “Unity” (which started as a book hunting down X-O) and “X-O Manowar” in its own self-contained storyline. The story finds the eponymous Armor Hunters coming to take down X-O based on Aric’s taking of the armor in the first place, but their destructive power the entire earth in jeopardy.
The story will kick off in the Armor Hunters FCBD Special, that will feature Venditti and Braithwaite as well as Matt Kindt, Clayton Crain, Peter Milligan, Bryan Hitch, Clayton Henry and more in an all-star Valiant showcase special. “Armor Hunters” itself will kick off in June.
For the full press release from Valiant, please see below.
Valiant Press Release
Next summer…Earth will be the greatest hunt of all.
The most ambitious crossover event of 2014 begins in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new, four-issue mini-series by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Green Lantern) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Unity, Justice)!
When Aric of Dacia returned to Earth with the stolen X-O Manowar armor of an alien race, he thought he finally found a weapon to guard the peace and kingdom he’d struggled so long to secure. But now, a relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the armor and all like it – have found their final target. The ARMOR HUNTERS are coming. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
“2014 will be a year of all-new jumping-on points for Valiant, and ARMOR HUNTERS #1 is the perfect place to start. Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite are two of the finest storytellers in the medium. They’ve shaped the Valiant Universe, and we couldn’t be happier to have them architecting ARMOR HUNTERS,” said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons.
“X-O Manowar is about to find himself at the center of a firestorm embroiling all of Valiant’s most powerful heroes. Believe us when we say that, in an era of events, the scale, scope and intensity of ARMOR HUNTERS will be the biggest and most daring undertaking we’ve ever attempted,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) kicks off Valiant’s landmark 2014 crossover event in June. Then, ARMOR HUNTERS continues with two brand new story arcs beginning in UNITY #8 by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Justice League of America) and rising star Diego Bernard (Eternal Warrior); and X-O MANOWAR #26 by Venditti and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan). And look for even more Valiant heroes to join the fight against Valiant’s first full-scale alien incursion as the summer continues. Further details will follow in 2014.
Next summer, bend the knee…or take the head when Valiant unleashes an all-new starting point for the year’s most acclaimed comic book universe, beginning in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) by superstar creators Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite!
Plus: don’t miss the VALIANT: ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL – featuring an all-star look inside the definitive Valiant Universe event of the summer and beyond with previews, interviews, and more from Robert Venditti, Doug Braithwaite, Matt Kindt, Clayton Crain, Peter Milligan, Bryan Hitch, Clayton Henry and many more! Find out everything you need to know about Valiant in 2014 on Free Comic Book Day – May 3rd, 2014 – right here with the VALIANT: ARMOR HUNTERS 2014 FCBD SPECIAL!
For more information on ARMOR HUNTERS, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com. For Valiant merchandise and more, visit Valiant.CinderBlock.com.
For more information on Free Comic Book Day, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (OF 4)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Continued below
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
COMING IN JUNE!
VALIANT: ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI, MATT KINDT, JOSHUA DYSART, FRED VAN LENTE, and PETER MILLIGAN
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE, BRYAN HITCH, CLAYTON CRAIN, CAFU, CLAYTON HENRY, DIEGO BERNARD, and MORE
Cover by J.G. JONES
T+/32 pgs.
IN STORES 5/3/14
