The Harbinger #5 Character Design Cover, featuring exclusive art and design work by comics visionary David Aja.
Its been a while since I’ve posted any news here. Harbinger is starting to edge up in the monthly pack, with sales finally reflecting some of the critical enthusiasm we’ve been getting. What does that mean exactly? It means I’ve spent the summer traveling, promoting and yes, writing, all to the detriment of this blog. But have no fear. This post is going to cover it all. Below you will see links to interviews, preview pages for upcoming issues and signing information for my appearance at New York City Comic Con this weekend. And, as always, lots and lots of lovely comic book art from lots of amazing artists who are far too talented to be involved with anything I’m writing. You ready? Okay, let’s roll it on out…
NEW YORK CITY COMIC CON
(Update: It seems I’m flying in too late to catch my Thursday signing and flying out too early to catch my Sunday signing. So, unless there’s some changes to the schedule, I’ll only be signing and Firday and Saturday now. I know. It sucks. Sorry.)
I haven’t been to this show in about four years, literally since before Unknown Soldier was on the shelves, so I’m really excited for this. I love meeting all the readers. It’s the third best part of this job (1. Telling incredible artists what to draw. 2. Getting to tell stories for a living. 3. Meeting your stinky ass in a controlled, secure environment). Click here for a rundown on all the signing times for the whole Valiant team this year. What’s especially exciting for me is that for the first time ever Harbinger’s prime artist, the amazing Khari Evans, will be signing with me. I’ve never met Khari in person, so this is going to be cool. I hope you can be a part of it. Here are our signing times…
(signings in blue have been cancelled).
Thursday Oct. 11th - 4:45 – 5:30 – with Khari Evans!
Friday Oct. 12th - 11:00 – 12:30 – with Khari Evans!
Saturday Oct. 13th - 12:30 – 2:00 – with Khari Evans!
Sunday Oct. 14th - 1:30 – 2:30 – it’s just me on this one, so if you want both our signatures try catch us on one of the other days.
But wait! There’s more! Want to see me and others talk a bunch of crap on a panel? You got it! “The Future of Valiant” Panel will be held Friday, October 12th at 2:45 PM, Justin Jordan author of the gorgeous Shadowman, the hilarious Fred Van Lente from Archer & Armstrong, Executive Editor (and my personal therapist) Warren Simons, Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani and myself will discuss what’s in store for you, the Valiant reader, in 2013. Sound neat? Cha!
Want free comics, you creepy little freeloader!? You got it! You can pick up a FREE “Future of Valiant” preview issue at the booth throughout the con. The book, I’m told, will highlight some of the many releases in store for the company in the upcoming year.
The show will also debut the NYCC-exclusive “Summer of Valiant” Collected Edition, compiling the four new #1 issues that kicked off the landmark “Summer of Valiant” relaunch. I doubt that’s free, but you can ask.
Cool! Can’t wait to see you there!
HARBINGER #5: “OMEGA RISING” CONCLUDES
How is it that artist Mico Suayan is so freakin’ awesome? I really can’t say. Some people are just born that way.
This is the big one. Want to see Peter unleashed? Want to see full-scale psionic combat to the death? Want to see what a take-no-prisoners street fight looks like between hyper psychics? Ladies and gentleman, you’re welcome.
Literally since issue one we’ve been building to this moment. Now the unflappable Comic Book Resources has a five-page preview of the upcoming book to get you all lathered up. Click on the link for a taste of the bone-breaking, psyche-smashing declaration of war that will affect the fate of the whole Valiant Universe. The book hits October 17th!
Here’s a taste of the taste…
Peter stops whining just long enough to get his ass handed to him.
But wait… what happens after the rattling events of issue #5!? Why, issue #6 you silly bunny.
HARBINGER #6: RENEGADES BEGINS
Now we’re really rolling. With Peter dead, other desperate, rogue psiots must ban together…
Just kidding. Peter’s not dead. But you know who wishes he were? Kris Hathaway.
What do you really know about Kris? You know that she came off as a standoffish and smart young woman in issue #1. After that she was quickly thrown into the emotional prison of unrelenting love, counter to her own free will, by Peter. And when the bars to that psychic prison fell she found herself burning with pure rage for a crime against her she could neither fully articulate nor understand. So where’s Kris a month later? And when Peter, the boy she hates the most in the whole world, comes begging for her help, what will she do?
Finally, the moment I – if not you – have been waiting for… Kris takes center stage, and in doing so, launches “Renegades”, the story of the building of the first super hero team in the Valiant universe.
Phil Briones joins the book on art duties while we give Khari a much deserved break, and Phil’s line is just perfect for the more character-centric stories that the second arc revolves around.
Click through to Comic Book Critic for a five-page preview of our all-Kris issue. It looks a little something like this…
Briones recaps events in issue 2 to get all our readers, new and old, on the same page.
Look for it November 21st!
HARBINGER #1 & #2 AND ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1 GO TO REPRINT!!
We had a lot to prove with the “Summer of Valiant”. The general attitude was, “who needs a relaunch of a 90’s publisher in a contracting market?” That was an honest and understandable question. Hell, it was one I asked Warren Simons when he first approached me with the offer to write Harbinger late last year. Of course the answer is this, “Right now, more than ever, the market and the readers need a small, nimble, ambitious publisher who’s going to take on the idea of mainstream comics and do them as well as they possibly can month in and month out.”
We had to convince the retailers that this team (all of us, both free-lancers and employees at Valiant) could pull that off. Now that we’ve done that, we have to work in concert with those same retailers to convince you, the audience, that there’s another option for you on the shelves. An option that embraces what you love about mainstream comics while actively trying to redefine the aspects of the industry that are currently driving you crazy. And that’s starting to take as well.
Harbinger is gaining momentum and it’s coming back at you in the form of these reprints, just in case you missed it the first time around. Ultimately all this news means is that we were under-ordered during round one. But that’s okay. We understand. Now that everyone can see that we’re here, and we’re staying, it’s time to get your friends in on the party. Click through for  more details on the reprint.
The Patrick Zircher Second Printing Variant for issue #1. If you haven’t seen Patrick’s work on Shadowman yet, dude… wow! Check it out. It’s mind blowing. There will also be a reprint of the original Arturo Lozzi cover, but this time only the black and white pencils will be showcased. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
INTERVIEW TIME!
I recently did an interview with Cody Walker for the Sequart Research and Literacy Foundation. Where I answered as many of his questions about Harbinger as I could without spoiling all the amazingly cool stuff that’s coming up. Lots of hints are dropped about something big in the works. Check it out at the link above.
Okay! Cool! I think that’s all the news I’ve got for now. Keep reading the book, and hopefully I’ll see some of you in New York!
Left to right: me, the amazingly sweet Michael Berryman and one of my favorite fellow soldiers in the comic book wars, Chris Wisnia. At what is apparently a bad-ass t-shirt convention.