Why only 7 titles?

[Aomalle27]

November solicits list only 7 titles....BS Reborn, Ninjak, XO, Unity, Imperium, Timewalker and wrath of ET..... What's up? Any news on the return of A&A or any new titles on the horizon (Dr Mirage was promised but don't know when)

[greg]

I don't know anything more than anyone else... but I would guess there's still a chance for Valiant to announce more books.
The regular solicitations are out, but since it's one or two lower than normal, perhaps there will be a surprise book or two.

[agent_graves]

(Dr Mirage was promised but don't know when)

December...

[omega_override]

I have no problem with such a low number provided that they are of the utmost quality and I'm positive everyone will agree

[Thomas]

I have no problem with such a low number provided that they are of the utmost quality and I'm positive everyone will agree

I really hope that Wrath of the Eternal Warrior will be good.

[BugsySig]

Just a light month. But let's not forget the months with only 4 books...or the many years with none

It also may help with WotEW sales since retailers will have fewer VEI books to distribute their purchases across. Could mean another 15-25k in orders than in a month with 9 books.

[greg]

It also may help with WotEW sales since retailers will have fewer VEI books to distribute their purchases across. Could mean another 15-25k in orders than in a month with 9 books.

From what I can tell, there's little or no bump for VEI books when there are fewer titles in a month. Retailers just put the "extra" money into other publishers.

May 2015 had 9 VEI books... total of 75,000 copies.
June 2015 had 8 VEI books... total of 63,000 copies.

[BugsySig]

It also may help with WotEW sales since retailers will have fewer VEI books to distribute their purchases across. Could mean another 15-25k in orders than in a month with 9 books.

From what I can tell, there's little or no bump for VEI books when there are fewer titles in a month. Retailers just put the "extra" money into other publishers.

May 2015 had 9 VEI books... total of 75,000 copies.
June 2015 had 8 VEI books... total of 63,000 copies.

But were there any new launches/#1s in June 2015?

[Phoenix8008]

First time in a while that there's been zero mini series' going on. Just the 6 ongoing titles plus the new ongoing EW book. New Dr. Mirage mini starting in December though - that will make 8 books that month unless they add something else into the mix. Much better than when they only had a few ongoings and a lot of mini series.

[Ramses818]

I am ok with this. Much like everything else Valiant does. I let them do their thing. They keep the quality high then I will keep trying new things that normally I wouldn't. No need to just put something out there. It's been a couple of mis steps, so let's let them swing for the fences. They have a damn good track record so far.

[Aomalle27]

But why no Rai? Assuming it's a four issue arc, #12 should follow here, why the delay? 9 Aug, 10 Sept and 11 comes out Oct per solicits

[jeremycoe]

But why no Rai? Assuming it's a four issue arc, #12 should follow here, why the delay? 9 Aug, 10 Sept and 11 comes out Oct per solicits

There was a month gap in the middle of the last arc too. It happens.

[grendeljd]

But why no Rai? Assuming it's a four issue arc, #12 should follow here, why the delay? 9 Aug, 10 Sept and 11 comes out Oct per solicits

There was a month gap in the middle of the last arc too. It happens.

I would guess that RAI was definitely meant to be the 8th book in November, but I'm okay with simply not soliciting it until the following month if they feel they can't deliver. Better that than missing a solicitation.

As to why there isn't a 9th book on the agenda for November... I'm always game for more Valiant every month, but the relief on my wallet is also nice. I'm pretty easy going either way. It also means less work for the OTV:VCR show

[Watchtower]

Since I haven't had a chance to really gush about it anywhere else, I figure I may as well do here.

Not only do I like Valiant's restricted release schedule, but I feel like it's one of Valiant's major advantages over Marvel and DC. For newcomers it makes jumping in and catching up more attractive and less frightening, for fans it makes it easy and affordable to keep up to date with everything, and for Valiant themselves it makes it easier to develop the overall narrative of this universe. Plus points all around.

[Shadowman99]

But why no Rai? Assuming it's a four issue arc, #12 should follow here, why the delay? 9 Aug, 10 Sept and 11 comes out Oct per solicits

There was a month gap in the middle of the last arc too. It happens.

During the first Rai arc VEI were pretty open about skipping a month of putting the comic on the shelves so that Crain could keep up the standard of his artwork. If he's still doing the art in this arc then I'd guess that's what's continuing to happen still. They did it with the second arc as well I think.

[Shadowman99]

Not only do I like Valiant's restricted release schedule, but I feel like it's one of Valiant's major advantages over Marvel and DC. For newcomers it makes jumping in and catching up more attractive and less frightening, for fans it makes it easy and affordable to keep up to date with everything, and for Valiant themselves it makes it easier to develop the overall narrative of this universe. Plus points all around.

QFT

Also agree totally with Omega Override - I really don't mind how many VEI comics are on the shelf any given month as long as they're top-quality: that's absolutely the main thing.

[leonmallett]

Not only do I like Valiant's restricted release schedule, but I feel like it's one of Valiant's major advantages over Marvel and DC. For newcomers it makes jumping in and catching up more attractive and less frightening, for fans it makes it easy and affordable to keep up to date with everything, and for Valiant themselves it makes it easier to develop the overall narrative of this universe. Plus points all around.

QFT

Also agree totally with Omega Override - I really don't mind how many VEI comics are on the shelf any given month as long as they're top-quality: that's absolutely the main thing.

So does that mean they have all (each and every issue) been top-quality so far?

I am possibly stirring the pot (apologies), but I don't think they have been universally top-quality. By and large I have been very satisfied, but around 5% or so of the output has been unsatisfactory in terms of my perception of creative quality, which to me is something that confounds the notion of small line-up = mark of quality. Basically that seems a logical fallacy to assume that a wider line - with more books - cannot maintain an equivalent level of quality to the current 7-9 books per month.

Furthermore, if the notion is that more books equals greater difficulty in maintaining comprehensive oversight, I would argue that amid the overall strong creative output, that VEI have nonetheless made some real creative mis-steps with a relatively small line.

[Shadowman99]

Not only do I like Valiant's restricted release schedule, but I feel like it's one of Valiant's major advantages over Marvel and DC. For newcomers it makes jumping in and catching up more attractive and less frightening, for fans it makes it easy and affordable to keep up to date with everything, and for Valiant themselves it makes it easier to develop the overall narrative of this universe. Plus points all around.

QFT

Also agree totally with Omega Override - I really don't mind how many VEI comics are on the shelf any given month as long as they're top-quality: that's absolutely the main thing.

So does that mean they have all (each and every issue) been top-quality so far?

I am possibly stirring the pot (apologies), but I don't think they have been universally top-quality. By and large I have been very satisfied, but around 5% or so of the output has been unsatisfactory in terms of my perception of creative quality, which to me is something that confounds the notion of small line-up = mark of quality. Basically that seems a logical fallacy to assume that a wider line - with more books - cannot maintain an equivalent level of quality to the current 7-9 books per month.

Furthermore, if the notion is that more books equals greater difficulty in maintaining comprehensive oversight, I would argue that amid the overall strong creative output, that VEI have nonetheless made some real creative mis-steps with a relatively small line.

Haha, okay, I guess you found a bit of a hole in my argument there But I guess with only seven comics hitting the shelves that month then each issue really had better be bloody good eh?

But no, of course, I don't suppose that each and every issue has been 'top quality' since VEI started publishing, based on 'Top Quality' being a subjective statement anyway: an argument can be made for either side every time

But you're right - I'd say that with the correct staffing and deadlines in place, there's no reason why a line of 50 titles per month shouldn't be of the same level of 'quality' as a seven-title line. But if the stressors on the production start becoming overwhelming in any case, then quality will undoubtedly begin to suffer regardless of how many comics are produced in-house in any given month.

[greg]

I'd be surprised if VEI would even attempt to say they've only produced top quality books. They publicly announced they would be trying new things, possibly things that existing fans didn't like, because they want to increase readership to new readers.

Experimental and top quality don't often combine. How do you test something (experimental) without figuring out what works (top quality) and what doesn't (not top quality)?

VEI said as much. If Dead Drop had been a big hit, VEI would take some actions... since it wasn't... they'll take other actions. Either way, it was one of the experiments they said they'd do.

Perhaps lowering the number of titles is another experiment. Maybe something they're planning isn't going to be ready in time. Maybe the plans changed and they need to hold off on one storyline to accomodate others.

Whatever... like others have said, as long as it's top quality stuff... we can't ask for more. (Well, we can ask, but we can't expect.) If it's not top quality, then I'll hope it was an experiment that got the answers that are needed for the future.

[leonmallett]

...
Haha, okay, I guess you found a bit of a hole in my argument there But I guess with only seven comics hitting the shelves that month then each issue really had better be bloody good eh?
...

Indeed. Wish I could say they all were!

[Brapbrap]

i think valiant definitely should not be putting out a lot more titles per month, I wouldn't like to see them go over 15 tbh

i like being able to read everything in the universe, i like that everything fits so tightly together and that all the stories make sense together (except for dead drop and a couple of weird things in Unity ). i think the smaller line definitely is the reason why they have put out so little garbage, the only thing they have put out that is a genuinely bad comic is EW:DOS (even Dead Drop had good art). No company that puts out more titles per month can say this, the only other companies with such a great track record are companies like fantagraphics that don't even put out new titles some weeks. DC has an incredibly impressive lineup right now (only 5 titles that I can honestly say are bad) but Valiant hasn't even put out 5 genuinely bad titles since they relaunched.