I might be out on Valiant

[OhioValiantNut]

And here I have been buying gobs of VE4 back issues as I get caught up on everything.

I'm staying in for the long haul ... and praying that one day ... one day in the future ... that Dynamite falls and that Solar & Magnus are reunited with their Valiant brothers and sisters.

[jmatt]

Speaking of plans:

Thanks for posting that, Keith. It's... uplifting.

[IMJ]

I'll buy Rai as long as it moves forward with its contiguous numbering. I'm buying the Deluxe editions for books I've already started buying those for, and that's it for Valiant. Too many awkward mini-series, re-numberings and Universe disconnects to keep my interest in more.

[lorddunlow]

I'm apparently crazy...


https://twitter.com/dinesh_s/status/715357884763099136" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jace]

In light of the concerns raised in this thread. I thought I would post the link to my interview with Dinesh at Wonder Con. I wish Dunlow had posted this last week and the others who have concerns would've commented sooner. I could have asked him specifically about some of the things people are wondering about here. Anyway I hope you all enjoy the interview.


http://thecomicsourceblog.com/comic-sou ... interview/

[lorddunlow]

It's silly, but this comment from Dino really hurts. I just reread my first post, and I don't see how I'm a "crazy fan" that is "stirring people up". I was just stating my personal opinion on the matter in hopes of starting a discussion.

Oh well.

[Elveen]

PM sent

[Shadowman99]

Sorry 'bout the twitter thing Dunlow. With you on this one: looks to me like Dinesh has probably made a comment without realising the full picture here based off what DallowSpicer said, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I know every time Dinesh makes an occasional comment on the boards here it's followed by everyone saying something like "Great to see you using the boards Dino, keep up the good work! VEI is AMAZEBALLS!" regardless of the tone of any prior discussion, but in this case there's no way even the most fervourous sycophant can respond favourably to that one.

I think the thing for me is that VEI are doing well as a company right now so they don't really have to care if a handful of fans are voicing their opinions on improvements that could be made to the comic universe format, especially as they've no doubt got plans lined up for at least the next year ahead: face it, if you'd booked your vacation a year from now and then someone told you a week before leaving you had to stay at work to re-jig your entire modus operandi, is it likely you'd be willing or even able to do that at their bequest?

Like I said in my previous comment: as long as *someone's* buying the books it doesn't really matter who it is, so criticism of any kind, constructive or not, can be easily dismissed.

I'm not being negative here by the way, just what I consider realistic, just to clear that up.

As I said before, I agree with Bugsy in that the universe could benefit from 4/5 constantly ongoing 'pillar' titles like XO, Harbinger, Bloodshot, maybe Shadowman to maintain the 'magic' corner of the universe, to keep that sense of consistency going in the universe. I also agree with, I think it was Leonmallet(?), that there's plenty of plot crossover in the books that are coming out every month: y'just gotta recognise it when it comes up in the comics: it's not so straightforward as a character appearing in someone else's book at the moment.

[Dallow Spicer1]

Sorry 'bout the twitter thing Dunlow. With you on this one: looks to me like Dinesh has probably made a comment without realising the full picture here based off what DallowSpicer said, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I know every time Dinesh makes an occasional comment on the boards here it's followed by everyone saying something like "Great to see you using the boards Dino, keep up the good work! VEI is AMAZEBALLS!" regardless of the tone of any prior discussion, but in this case there's no way even the most fervourous sycophant can respond favourably to that one.

I think the thing for me is that VEI are doing well as a company right now so they don't really have to care if a handful of fans are voicing their opinions on improvements that could be made to the comic universe format, especially as they've no doubt got plans lined up for at least the next year ahead: face it, if you'd booked your vacation a year from now and then someone told you a week before leaving you had to stay at work to re-jig your entire modus operandi, is it likely you'd be willing or even able to do that at their bequest?

Like I said in my previous comment: as long as *someone's* buying the books it doesn't really matter who it is, so criticism of any kind, constructive or not, can be easily dismissed.

I'm not being negative here by the way, just what I consider realistic, just to clear that up.

As I said before, I agree with Bugsy in that the universe could benefit from 4/5 constantly ongoing 'pillar' titles like XO, Harbinger, Bloodshot, maybe Shadowman to maintain the 'magic' corner of the universe, to keep that sense of consistency going in the universe. I also agree with, I think it was Leonmallet(?), that there's plenty of plot crossover in the books that are coming out every month: y'just gotta recognise it when it comes up in the comics: it's not so straightforward as a character appearing in someone else's book at the moment.

Just read the latest thread of this including Dino's response to my tweet (if anyone can post my 2 tweets to Dino then please do as it adds context on what I'm about to say).

My reasoning for tweeting Dino was simply to get his input on some of the common themes which some board members maybe feeling right now. Peaks and troughs are normal with hobbies and with such passionate fans as we have for Valiant books then when things don't go in the direction we prefer then we can get disillusioned.

My hope in tweeting Dino was that he could inject some positivity and enthusiasm back with the guys who need it. I certainly didn't have Dunlow specifically in mind, and if all of the thread is read then Dunlow makes his thoughts pretty clear that he's still a Valiant fan. I've criticised books in the past and Dunlow and Jmatt have defended and debated with me on why they think FVL's writing is great etc. I've recently gave Dino some direct feedback (via Twitter) on some of the art and stories which I felt were below par so I'm in no way sycophantic to VEI. Perhaps Dino didn't read the full thread as don't think he would have sent that reply if he did.

Dunlow I'll message you direct.

[greg]

It's silly, but this comment from Dino really hurts. I just reread my first post, and I don't see how I'm a "crazy fan" that is "stirring people up". I was just stating my personal opinion on the matter in hopes of starting a discussion.

Oh well.

I could be totally wrong, but there's a good chance that Dinesh is confusing your thread with the "I CALLED X-O ENDING, SO VEI SHOULD HIRE ME TO FIX THEM, BECAUSE I'M AWESOME" thread from valiantdude.

[lorddunlow]

Hopefully that's the case.

[Magnus9178]

It's amazing how much you miss in a short time. I just got caught up on this thread and it really hit home how VEI is doing things. I do feel Dino hasn't read this thread or he would've fielded his twitter comment better.

I'm really disappointed that Venditti is moving on from XO, but I don't feel this will destroy valiant for me. Following VEI's model this just means there will be a period without XO until another team can come along. Venditti has been around since the beginning, but if he feels that his run is done then he should move on; he's got EW so we'll still have him with the company.

VEI is trying whatever they can to stay around. I'm not saying that they are struggling, but everyone knows #1s sell. Remember, this is not some BS where every story arc is a new run on the book, rather they let a writer take his full vision till the end and when that writer is done they start anew. I wish we saw a consistent artists like this, but that's another argument for another time.

BTW, who ever said that they need to lock down Dysart has forgotten that he's been with the company since day one. And if they meant keep him on an ongoing, well like I said he finishes he's story then moves onto something else. I think it would be great if he came back to Harbinger soon, I'm missing those kids.

I have to agree that Valiant needs to tighten up the universe. As much as I love the stories I'm reading, there is little to no cross reference like in VE1. It feels VEI is missing the books that bind the universe together like Magnus and Solar did for VE1. I'm not saying they need GK back, just that they just need to have those characters that the rest of the universe can be tied closer to. Harada is probably the closest, but after Unity it feels like the rest of VEI remembers he exists.

Dunlow, I want you to know that I enjoy having you around this place. Even though I don't talk much, reading your comments and debates has always been a good time. I hope you still stick around here as your staple for message boards! BTW, I'm going to PM you about Witchblade

[Ricomortis]

This is just my opinion... Even though it is the right opinion!

If Harbinger hadn't ended... We would not have had Imperium! That my friend would have been a bigger mistake.

If Archer & Armstrong hadn't ended.... We would not have had Ivar, Timewalker, which was an absolute masterpiece by FVL. That comes from someone who HATES time travel and the original Timewalker.

If Eternal Warrior hadn't ended... you might not have got Divinity or now Faith... Who knows?

If Shadowman hadn't ended... You might not have got The Valiant or Dr. Mirage... Who knows?

If Unity hadn't ended... Oh wait... It would have ended...

Now with Dysart's comments at Wondercon it makes me EXTREMELY excited and makes me rethink the whole Harbinger thing. I think it is brilliant. Why you ask? Well, because it reminds me of the original Star Wars Trilogy. Star Wars was awesome when it first came to theaters. I went and bought all my favorite "Good Guys" action figures. By the time the sixth movie was made, we were all wrong... These movies weren't about the "Good Guys"... They were focused on the entire life of Darth Vader.

I think this three act storyline by Dysart is really focused on Harada and not Pete like we all thought in the beginning of Harbinger. Brilliant I say... brilliant.

Rico"Better *SQUEE* is coming"Mortis

[jeremycoe]

I think any of us that post here could probably qualify as a "crazy fan". That's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Daniel Jackson]

Greg is probably right by pointing to the other thread. I think everyone including Dino should know lorddunlow well enough by now that he's not trying to "stir people up". Just giving some honest feedback which we have always welcomed here. Dino is a good guy and I'm sure he will clarify things.

[Ricomortis]

I think any of us that post here could probably qualify as a "crazy fan". That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Thanks Jeremy...

Now I'm going around singing "It's all right.... It's all right..... I'm... Just... A little crazy" by Rob Halford and the band Fight.

It won't leave me be!

[Ricomortis]

Double post!

See... Me not crazy!

[jeremycoe]

All I wanted was a Pepsi.

[dino]

It's silly, but this comment from Dino really hurts. I just reread my first post, and I don't see how I'm a "crazy fan" that is "stirring people up". I was just stating my personal opinion on the matter in hopes of starting a discussion.

Oh well.

I could be totally wrong, but there's a good chance that Dinesh is confusing your thread with the "I CALLED X-O ENDING, SO VEI SHOULD HIRE ME TO FIX THEM, BECAUSE I'M AWESOME" thread from valiantdude.

That's exactly what happened.

I <3 you lorddunlow. Apologies for the mix up. I read much of what's posted here on the boards but prefer not to jump in too often. Will try and pop back in later and add a little context. We of course have plans for everything that's seeded or teased in the books. Those plans can and do change from time to time as better ideas come up but that doesn't ignore what has already been laid down as canon. Some of the plans are years out and I understand the wait can be difficult and involve a range of emotions but in the grand tradition of the original Valiant we are striving to give the Valiant characters a legacy built on more than only 1 arc or 1 year blocks. The tiny panels and seemingly throwaway lines in Book of Death and the Fall of one shots are a great example of this. They came out of years of development. Many of those ideas are already secretly underway as upcoming stories. As are a host of books we've only teased to date - Britannia, Savage, Eternity, Book of War, Stalinverse and many others.

I urge you to catch up on the books and see how you feel then. I imagine some of what you are feeling comes from the disconnect between being behind and reading announcements.

[SwiftMann]

I'm still here, still buying and enjoying my Valiant comics each month, but I miss the consistency of the first couple of years with all the flagship titles.

This!

I buy and read every title every month. Even when I think it's terrible (Imperium). But VEI does need more focus on inter-title continuity* and less on variants.

Also, I see a lot of "waiting to see what comes of 4001AD" in this thread. One of my few story frustrations with VEI is these semi-annual events a) don't feel like "events" when you read them and b) have no real impact other than launching a middle-of-the-road title that didn't need an event to kick it off.


*Meaning less subtle references and interactions. And one character showing up in another book doesn't make for continuity. That's just a guest-starring spot that could have been filled by anyone (or a new character). There actually needs to be reasons and change and growth. It's been nearly four years and while all the characters have grown (in various degrees), it's been painfully slow.

[bygranddesign]

I <3 you lorddunlow.

Back away from the edge, dunlow ... it's gonna be all ok...

(you are still crazy tho even if dino took it back)

[bygranddesign]

Some of the plans are years out and I understand the wait can be difficult and involve a range of emotions but in the grand tradition of the original Valiant we are striving to give the Valiant characters a legacy built on more than only 1 arc or 1 year blocks. The tiny panels and seemingly throwaway lines in Book of Death and the Fall of one shots are a great example of this. They came out of years of development. Many of those ideas are already secretly underway as upcoming stories. As are a host of books we've only teased to date - Britannia, Savage, Eternity, Book of War, Stalinverse and many others.

always excited about new stories and new characters

I'm hoping FVL is working on one of these upcoming projects

And Dysart's work is consistently brilliant. Imperium is one of the best comics I have ever read. I hope it's true that he is working on another big event/series after Imperium ends

[lorddunlow]

It's silly, but this comment from Dino really hurts. I just reread my first post, and I don't see how I'm a "crazy fan" that is "stirring people up". I was just stating my personal opinion on the matter in hopes of starting a discussion.

Oh well.

I could be totally wrong, but there's a good chance that Dinesh is confusing your thread with the "I CALLED X-O ENDING, SO VEI SHOULD HIRE ME TO FIX THEM, BECAUSE I'M AWESOME" thread from valiantdude.

That's exactly what happened.

I <3 you lorddunlow. Apologies for the mix up. I read much of what's posted here on the boards but prefer not to jump in too often. Will try and pop back in later and add a little context. We of course have plans for everything that's seeded or teased in the books. Those plans can and do change from time to time as better ideas come up but that doesn't ignore what has already been laid down as canon. Some of the plans are years out and I understand the wait can be difficult and involve a range of emotions but in the grand tradition of the original Valiant we are striving to give the Valiant characters a legacy built on more than only 1 arc or 1 year blocks. The tiny panels and seemingly throwaway lines in Book of Death and the Fall of one shots are a great example of this. They came out of years of development. Many of those ideas are already secretly underway as upcoming stories. As are a host of books we've only teased to date - Britannia, Savage, Eternity, Book of War, Stalinverse and many others.

I urge you to catch up on the books and see how you feel then. I imagine some of what you are feeling comes from the disconnect between being behind and reading announcements.

Dino, I really appreciate this response and sorry for the mix up. I never expected any response from you about this matter (and really, it wasn't necessary on your part) so I definitely feel honored that you decided to chime in on here to clarify.

I do love Valiant and as a whole, I really have enjoyed VEI more than VH1 stuff. I do need to catch up to see if my opinion changes. I just wanted to come on here and air some thoughts I'd been tossing about in my head to see what others thought.

Great to hear there is a lot of stuff in the pipeline. I know you guys have to take a lot of things into consideration and the tastes on an individual reader cannot trump the need to put out a product that appeals to the majority. I also realize the entire industry is different now. So, I applaud you and VEI for the great work. I just hope we can get some more tight continuity in the future. That's what I love - the feeling that this is a real alternate world out there somewhere. There have been tastes of it every now and then, but overall VEI's world seems rather like a bento box - you can dip the stuff in each compartment together if you want to, but everything is still in it's own little area.

[QUARTZ]

Honestly I stopped reading all the Valiant titles at one point because I thought my comic sub was getting too out of control, then the comic store had a dollar sale and I caught up on everything and got into the grove again. I love Mad Max so Bloodshot is pretty rad to me right now. The X-O news did make me question whether I wanted to stick with Valiant but I am holding on because I'm digging Eternal Warrior at the moment and I love Imperium. I don't get A&A, never was really into jokey comics unless it's Deadpool. RAI has been pretty convoluted but I am interested in seeing how the 4001 event plays out, and the Divinty II should be interesting. I'm glad Ninjak is out of the Deadside, looking forward to the "castle siege" story-line. Really when I compare Valiant to DC and Marvel I much prefer Valiant still, and Image will always be top dog for me.

[Keith]

I <3 you lorddunlow.

There you go, Dunlow. If John was the disciple that Jesus loved, you are "the crazy fan who Dino <3s" That's sig worthy right there.

The tiny panels and seemingly throwaway lines in Book of Death and the Fall of one shots are a great example of this. They came out of years of development. Many of those ideas are already secretly underway as upcoming stories.

This does my heart good, as it speaks to the "plan" that is one of the reasons we prefer Valiant over other publishers.

As are a host of books we've only teased to date - Britannia, Savage, Eternity, Book of War, Stalinverse and many others.

Wait... Book of War?

And glad to see Eternity is still out there. It had been teased awhile ago, so I assumed it was renamed into Wrath of the Eternal Warrior.