Interesting. What brought Valiant attention both times around was that the writing and adherence to continuity were stronger than in most of the products being put out by the Big Two. The original Valiant's one drawback was largely inferior art, but the new Valiant definitely isn't experiencing that problem.

Right now, what I'm respecting most about Valiant is that they've been around for over two years now and managed to keep all of the original creative teams on the book, maintaining consistency and long term planning in each title. The writer for Harbinger recently explained that the reason volume 1 ended with issue #25 was that he felt the first novel was over, and it was time to begin the second.

In short, for all the reasons you've outlined, I think Valiant might be right up your alley.

Of course, I've only read Harbinger and some of Bloodshot and X-O at this point, but everything I've read has been either good or great.

I tried Harbinger and X-O when they started, got the FCBD issue and the early issues of both, mostly drawn to the Cary Nord art on X-O, but thought they were both only ok, and didn't continue to pick hem up. I did pick up the first Archer and Armstrong trade at a show on the cheap, and quite enjoyed that, but wasn't inspired to go out and pick up any more issues. So I find they are perfectly ok comics, but there are just other comics new and old I would rather spend my money on and my time reading than them. On the negative side, they are starting to twine everything together to the point where it is becoming an all or nothing proposition to some extent, and my reaction to that as a consumer is always the same-make me choose all or nothing and I will always choose nothing. Let me pick and choose what I like naturally, and I will likely sample more if I like one, try to force my hand and I will pull it back empty.

-M

The crossovers have been handled incredibly tastefully. For example, when Bloodshot, Harbinger, and the limited Harbinger Wars titles all intertwined for four months, you truly didn't need to read the other titles to understand what was transpiring. Harbinger Wars gave you the overview, Harbinger gave you everything you needed to know from the Harbinger team's perspective, and Bloodshot told the same story from Bloodshot's perspective. It was innovative and utterly respectful to fans on limited budgets, encouraging you to sample and check out the other title, but not punishing you for choosing not to do so.

That being said, if you read the titles and they didn't grab you, well there's no response to that. They just aren't right for you.

That was my take at first, too. I set impossibly high standards for a book that's going to cost me $3.99 every single month. That's why I ended up buying the Harbinger and X-O Manowar runs as back issues through mycomicshop, all in FN condition at about $2 a piece. Then, having combed through Harbinger (I'm still reading X-O), I determined that it had gotten good enough to actually warrant my $3.99 each month, but it didn't hit that stride until around issue #12. That's when I realized the writer had a true long-reaching plan, both for the series and for the development of the individual characters within it.

I'm reading the entire line, but I hate paying full price for anything except red hot things I can't live without right now, like Multiversity and Future's End.

About once a year Valiant will put their entire output up to about 2 months ago on sale @ $ 1 ea. I buy everything I don't already have. Everything, and I love the entire line. I love everything about them and still say for a superhero universe this is the creme de la creme. It's still small enough to be manageable and in good taste with 8 titles / month. They've done everything the way they promised to, have had great story, art, production values, integrity, and I love em for it. They're the best. If I could only buy one superhero imprint it would either be this or DC. Really hard to say.

I read most of the early X-O, then into Unity, but they lost me with Armor Hunters... I was really looking forward to see how the new status quo would work, then they do a silly alien thing? It fits and all (with the X-O armor being alient tech and all) it's just not what I wanted.
That combined with the $3.99 price point and lesser discounts out there made me decide they weren't worth the money. I'd pick some others up at the right price, though.


I've also read a bit of the other titles... Eternal Warrior had a few interesting bits, I'd probably read more if I found them at a decent price.

I was a pretty big fan of the Acclaim version of the Valiant universe, I read just about every one of those titles... I've read some of the original, I might at some point try to get more of those... I really like Rai, Magnus and HARD Corps (those that I have).