Book of the Month - January 2020

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Which Book Was Best? (January 2020)

Poll ended at Sun Mar 01, 2020 5:50:25 pm

Psi-Lords #8
1
4%
Bloodshot #5
2
7%
Rai #3
12
43%
Roku #4
0
No votes
The Visitor #2
4
14%
Quantum & Woody #1
1
4%
Forget my resolution, I'm having ice cream
8
29%
 
Total votes: 28

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jeremycoe
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Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by jeremycoe »

What was the best book released by Valiant in December 2019?

The Visitor #1 came in first place for December, followed by Rai #2.

You have 2 votes, use them wisely.
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Dallow Spicer1
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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

The slump continues!

1) Visitor #2
2) Rai #3


Long drop....

3) Bloodshot (whatever number that is)

The rest...no thanks! facepalm

Not_Bloodshot
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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Not_Bloodshot »

I guess I am getting spoiled by modern writers. I really WANT Visitor to be good, but two issues in and the most excitement I have for it is hoping the next issue will be better.

I apologize to anyone personally invested in these, but Valiant has been my favorite comic book company since the 90's.

I personally feel what is lacking, especially with the new stuff, is how they do not write in a way that builds up the characters, then grabs you suddenly at the end, making you NEED to read more!

A buddy of mine told me to check out the Doctor Aphra Star Wars Series. I have never been a fan of many of the Star Wars lines of Comic Books, but I trust his opinion, so I bought the first TPB and read it... After the 4th or 5th page, I just kept thinking, why couldn't they have written a story like this for ANY of the new Valiant Series? It reads like she should be a Valiant Character in the sense that she and her droid companions are...HIGHLY questionable from a character perspective, but she isn't necessarily an evil person. You root for her even though she makes decisions that are the worst for everyone else. It's very...human...

I just feel like the latest Valiant stuff is written to feed you a single layer character and storyline. The characters do not feel relatable. Although I realize it's all fiction, I just feel like great storylines make you think about how you could see a character doing something or acting a certain way because sometimes bad things happen and you just have to do the least bad thing.

I don't know. The new stuff just seems like it lacks soul, or maybe depth, or I don't know...something.

Not_Bloodshot
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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Not_Bloodshot »

I did like the Fallen World series, but that's over now...

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by nonplayer »

O look the ice cream choice has more votes therefore a viable choice and not dead.
I Miss the good old days.

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Dallow Spicer1
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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

nonplayer wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:43:45 pm O look the ice cream choice has more votes therefore a viable choice and not dead.
Could this be the first time ever the ice cream option wins the book of the month poll?

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by grendeljd »

I am now so far behind in my Valiant reading that I have not even gotten to any January releases yet. But The Visitor & Rai are the only two that I'm really interested in reading, if I'm being honest.
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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by grendeljd »

Not_Bloodshot wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:45:07 pm I guess I am getting spoiled by modern writers. I really WANT Visitor to be good, but two issues in and the most excitement I have for it is hoping the next issue will be better.

I apologize to anyone personally invested in these, but Valiant has been my favorite comic book company since the 90's.

I personally feel what is lacking, especially with the new stuff, is how they do not write in a way that builds up the characters, then grabs you suddenly at the end, making you NEED to read more!

A buddy of mine told me to check out the Doctor Aphra Star Wars Series. I have never been a fan of many of the Star Wars lines of Comic Books, but I trust his opinion, so I bought the first TPB and read it... After the 4th or 5th page, I just kept thinking, why couldn't they have written a story like this for ANY of the new Valiant Series? It reads like she should be a Valiant Character in the sense that she and her droid companions are...HIGHLY questionable from a character perspective, but she isn't necessarily an evil person. You root for her even though she makes decisions that are the worst for everyone else. It's very...human...

I just feel like the latest Valiant stuff is written to feed you a single layer character and storyline. The characters do not feel relatable. Although I realize it's all fiction, I just feel like great storylines make you think about how you could see a character doing something or acting a certain way because sometimes bad things happen and you just have to do the least bad thing.

I don't know. The new stuff just seems like it lacks soul, or maybe depth, or I don't know...something.
I hear you.

The general approach to publishing at VMG Valiant seems to include "not worrying" about continuity [I say it that way because it doesn't mean they outright ignore their continuity, but are free to do so and generally seem to]. They also generally publish short term stories that either mostly fit into mini-series or 8-12 issue long runs that do not require any reader to have any prior knowledge of any character [aka zero character development], nor do any of these stories leave the characters in a changed state that has any lasting effect. Every time we get a new mini-series or short-term series, its usually a "new' premise for the character that resets their development to zero and off we go again... until the next time. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I have no issue personally with any of the elements that trigger a lot of other people that hang around here lately, like diverse &/or new characters getting spotlights in various comics... its the quality of the stories themselves that is disappointing to me. And while sometimes that comes from poor writing or art, it also comes from this current behind the scenes approach to writing noncommittal, formulaic comics.

I think you essentially nailed it by observing that they often lack soul & depth.
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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Not_Bloodshot »

I agree. Focusing on short storylines works for a miniseries format like Fallen World, but there should be a strong continual living story that evolves over time. Sort of like what Layton did with the demon in a bottle storyline. There were so many parts of that storyline that grew Tony Stark and Iron Man, but he didn’t have to make it Iron Man 1-10 to make it great.

Regarding the political stuff. I know good people that are right and left. I look for the good in everyone and when people mess up, I just hope they learn and grow from it. Modern Politics on both sides has become nothing but dogma and that typically just tears people apart.

I love sci-fi. I especially enjoy how people like Roddenberry did it. Take the iconic Kirk and Uhura kiss. It was a huge deal at the time, but Roddenberry didn’t write it in a way that was treated the audience like ignorant children. Today’s writers would probably do something dumb like have Spock walk in and say, Kirk, what are you doing? She’s Black. Then Kirk would respond, well, that is true Spock, and although her ancestors where slaves to white men like me, I am only kissing her because I appreciate who she is, unlike old earth tyrants like Hitler and Trump who sexualized women.

It sounds crazy because it is. Great Sci-Fi challenges the way we look at life, not by labeling a contemporary that we may disagree with politically, but by showing us that sometimes a kiss is just a kiss. Uhura was pretty smoking at the time with the first Bluetooth earpiece we ever saw on TV, and Kirk was just a slayer. It was bound to happen!

And who cares about sexualizing people? As long as it isn’t a child or forced, keep slaying slayer! Without sex, none of us would be here. I miss the days when people made inappropriate sex comments and we just laughed at them inside of falling to pieces. If some lonely lady wants to pretend to grab Vin Diesel’s co-star in Bloodshot’s but at Wizard world in New Orleans, people should have the same reaction as Sam did.

In the end, I say let’s grow our minds with Sci-Fi, don’t turn it into a dogma tool!

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Ramses818 »

Hey guys is anyone reading Rai? I mean this series is great! The art has been top notch feeding into the story, even the coloring works. The story is very layered, working in mostly single issues while advancing the long game. It is dealing with some pretty heavy themes in regards to what constitutes a living thing and what are you willing to do in order to achieve your goals. It has other characters questioning the hero (like the reader should be doing). This is the only series I enjoy rereading. There is so much there, and I had not expected that, so I am really pleased.

A kid getting into comics with Silvestri and Lee X Men books in late 80’s I love Brett Booth art in Bloodshot. His layouts have been different and the stories are going into new directions. They are things I am not loving, but I am enjoying this series on its own.

The Visitor, it’s been fine. Nothing great like I have been hoping for but there are still 2 issues left. I am hoping for more. Let’s see.

I am hoping for big things in XO and Shadowman.

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by nonplayer »

What were the numbers for psy-lords #8
I Miss the good old days.

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

Ramses818 wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:05:53 am Hey guys is anyone reading Rai? I mean this series is great! The art has been top notch feeding into the story, even the coloring works. The story is very layered, working in mostly single issues while advancing the long game. It is dealing with some pretty heavy themes in regards to what constitutes a living thing and what are you willing to do in order to achieve your goals. It has other characters questioning the hero (like the reader should be doing).
This. :thumb:
Ramses818 wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:05:53 am I love Brett Booth art in Bloodshot. His layouts have been different and the stories are going into new directions. They are things I am not loving, but I am enjoying this series on its own.
And that. :thumb:
Ramses818 wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:05:53 am I am hoping for big things in XO and Shadowman.
My hopes for XO are on an all-time low. #Hopeless #BadIdea facepalm

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by Ramses818 »

:clap: :clap: :clap:

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by nonplayer »

Does anyone know the numbers of issues of psy-lords #8 sold
I Miss the good old days.

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by TheFerg714 »

Okay, I finally got around to reading Q&W, and since I'm not an *SQUEE*, I didn't vote for ice cream.

Damn, this is getting good. 5/5
Rai 3

Really good, but kinda slow and boring at times. 4/5
The Visitor 2
Quantum & Woody! 1

Not bad. 3/5
Bloodshot 5
Psi-Lords 8

Boring. 2/5
Roku 4

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Re: Book of the Month - January 2020

Post by TheFerg714 »

Ramses818 wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:05:53 am Hey guys is anyone reading Rai? I mean this series is great! The art has been top notch feeding into the story, even the coloring works. The story is very layered, working in mostly single issues while advancing the long game. It is dealing with some pretty heavy themes in regards to what constitutes a living thing and what are you willing to do in order to achieve your goals. It has other characters questioning the hero (like the reader should be doing). This is the only series I enjoy rereading. There is so much there, and I had not expected that, so I am really pleased.

The Visitor, it’s been fine. Nothing great like I have been hoping for but there are still 2 issues left. I am hoping for more. Let’s see.

I am hoping for big things in XO and Shadowman.
I agree. Rai is pretty incredible and I really hope VMG bites the bullet and lets it go on for at least 12 issues. I think, even with low sales, it would look really good for the company to have something this high quality on the shelves every month.


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