Expanded Reading Order

[Jrosen]

So for the past year, I've successfully read all of VEI (except for Dead Drop...sorry) and followed the reading order from https://sothatyoumayfollow.wordpress.co ... ing-order/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which hasn't been updated since the middle of 2016.

Using that list as a starting point, I've modified it to account for new material and then updated the list so that it goes through Bloodshot Salvation 5.

I'd really like feedback and please let me know if you think some stories are out of order in terms of continuity. The only "rule" is that I've been going through a book binding process, and nothing new can superseed anything that's already been bound. So Eternal Warrior - Awakening cannot be placed with the first Eternal Warrior miniseries.

355. Faith (ongoing) 5 (segment: Faith in Politics)
356. X-O Manowar      50      (segment: HIS GREATEST FAILURE)
357. X-O Manowar      43
358. X-O Manowar      44
359. X-O Manowar      45
360. X-O Manowar      46
361. X-O Manowar: Annual 2016       (segment: THE TORMENT)
362. X-O Manowar      47
363. X-O Manowar      48
364. X-O Manowar      49
365. X-O Manowar      50
366. X-O Manowar      50      (segment: THE FUTURE)


367. Eternal Warrior: Awakening 1
368. Armstrong and the Vault of Spirits


369. Ninjak      10
370. Ninjak      11
371. Ninjak      12
372. Ninjak      13


373. Rai      13
374. Rai      14
375. Rai      15
3776 Rai      16
377. Rai      9
378. Rai      10
379. Rai      11
380. Rai      12
381. 4001 AD: X-O Manowar      1
382. 2016 FCBD (Segment: Rai)
383. 4001 AD      1
384. 4001 AD      2
385. 4001 AD      3
386. 4001 AD      4
387. 4001 AD: Bloodshot      1
388. 4001 AD: Shadowman      1
389. 4001 AD: War Mother      1


390. Divinity III 1
391. Divinity III: Komandar Bloodshot (Segment: Origin of Red Legend)
392. Divinity III: Aric, Son of the Revolution (Segment: Origin of Kostiy the Deathless)
393. Divinity III: Shadowman and the Battle of New Stalingrad (Segment: Origin of Baba Yaga)
394. Divinity III: Escape from Gulag 396 (Segment: Origin of The Pioneer)
395. Divinity III 2
396. Divinity III 3
397. Divinity III 4
398. Divinity III: Komandar Bloodshot 1
399. Divinity III: Aric, Son of the Revolution 1
400. Divinity III: Shadowman and the Battle of New Stalingrad 1
401. Divinity III: Escape from Gulag 396


402. War Mother 1
403. War Mother 2
404. War Mother 3
405. War Mother 4


406. Bloodshot Reborn      10
407. Bloodshot Reborn      11
408. Bloodshot Reborn      12
409. Bloodshot Reborn      13
410. Bloodshot Reborn      14
411. Bloodshot Reborn      15
412. Bloodshot Reborn      16
413. Bloodshot Reborn      17
414. Bloodshot Reborn      18


415. Bloodshot USA 1
416. Bloodshot USA 2
417. Bloodshot USA 3
418. Bloodshot USA 4


419. Ninjak      14
420. Ninjak      15
421. Ninjak      16
422. Ninjak      17


423. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      5
424. Faith (ongoing) 1
425. Faith (ongoing) 2


426. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      6
427. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      7
428. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      8


429. Ninjak 18
430. Ninjak 19
431. Ninjak 20
432. Ninjak 21


433. Faith (ongoing) 3
434. Faith (ongoing) 4


435. Immortal Brothers: The Tale of the Green Knight 1
436. Bloodshot Reborn 0


437. Ninjak 22
438. Ninjak 23
439. Ninjak 24
440. Ninjak 25
441. Ninjak 26
442. Ninjak 27


443. Rai: The History of the Valiant Universe 1


444. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      9
445. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      10
446. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      11
447. A+A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong      12


448. Britannia 1
449. Britannia 2
450. Britannia 3
451. Britannia 4


452. Faith (ongoing) 5 (segment: No Days Off)
453. Faith (ongoing) 9
454. Faith (ongoing) 5
455. Faith (ongoing) 6


456. Rapture 1
457. Rapture 2
458. Rapture 3
459. Rapture 4


460. Harbinger Renegade 1
461. Harbinger Renegade 2
462. Harbinger Renegade 3
463. Harbinger Renegade 4


464. Savage 1
465. Savage 2
466. Savage 3
467. Savage 4


468. Faith (ongoing) 7
469. Faith (ongoing) 8


470. Generation Zero 1
471. Generation Zero 2
472. Generation Zero 3
474. Generation Zero 4
475. Generation Zero 5
476. Generation Zero 6
477. Generation Zero 7
478. Generation Zero 8
479. Generation Zero 9


480. Divinity 0
481. Shadowman Rae Sremmurd 1
482. Bloodshot Day Off 1


483. 2017 FCBD (Segment: XO Manowar)
484. XO Manowar [2017] 1
485. XO Manowar [2017] 2
486. XO Manowar [2017] 3


487. Britannia - We who are about to die 1
488. Britannia - We who are about to die 2
489. Britannia - We who are about to die 3
490. Britannia - We who are about to die 4


491. Faith (ongoing) 10
492. Faith (ongoing) 11
493. Faith (ongoing) 12


494. XO Manowar [2017] 4
495. XO Manowar [2017] 5
496. XO Manowar [2017] 6
497. XO Manowar [2017] 7
498. XO Manowar [2017] 8


499. Faith and the Future Force 1
500. Faith and the Future Force 2
501. Faith and the Future Force 3
502. Faith and the Future Force 4


503. Harbinger Renegade 5
504. Harbinger Renegade 7
505. Harbinger Renegade 8
506. Harbinger Renegade 0
507. Harbinger Renegade 6


508. 2017 FCBD (Segment Bloodshot Salvation)
509. Bloodshot Salvation 1
510. Bloodshot Salvation 2
511. Bloodshot Salvation 3
512. Bloodshot Salvation 4
513. Bloodshot Salvation 5


514. Secret Weapons 1
515. Secret Weapons 2
516. Secret Weapons 3
517. Secret Weapons 4
518. Secret Weapons 0


519. Faith's Winter Wonderland Special

[TheFerg714]

Hmm... Well I can't say I can really get on board with reading this stuff in chronological order. It all just seems a little haphazard. It's obviously up to you, but personally, I much prefer reading this stuff in order of release (for the most part). For example, I just don't think breaking up the shorts in the anniversary issues really adds much to the overall narrative, unless they're read altogether as a sort of celebration. Just my opinion.

373. Rai      13
374. Rai      14
375. Rai      15
3776 Rai      16
377. Rai      9
378. Rai      10
379. Rai      11
380. Rai      12
381. 4001 AD: X-O Manowar      1
382. 2016 FCBD (Segment: Rai)
383. 4001 AD      1
384. 4001 AD      2
385. 4001 AD      3
386. 4001 AD      4
387. 4001 AD: Bloodshot      1
388. 4001 AD: Shadowman      1
389. 4001 AD: War Mother      1

I think I would put all the 4001 books into one book, including War Mother and Eternal Emperor.

Also, what about adding the FCBD short?

390. Divinity III 1
391. Divinity III: Komandar Bloodshot (Segment: Origin of Red Legend)
392. Divinity III: Aric, Son of the Revolution (Segment: Origin of Kostiy the Deathless)
393. Divinity III: Shadowman and the Battle of New Stalingrad (Segment: Origin of Baba Yaga)
394. Divinity III: Escape from Gulag 396 (Segment: Origin of The Pioneer)
395. Divinity III 2
396. Divinity III 3
397. Divinity III 4
398. Divinity III: Komandar Bloodshot 1
399. Divinity III: Aric, Son of the Revolution 1
400. Divinity III: Shadowman and the Battle of New Stalingrad 1
401. Divinity III: Escape from Gulag 396

I think concluding the "Stalinverse conundrum" before all the tie-ins is a bad idea. The tie-ins will feel very separate from the main story, whereas if you alternated issues it sort of reveals the backstories of our Stalinverse-ized heroes while moving along keeping the momentum moving in the main story.

514. Secret Weapons 1
515. Secret Weapons 2
516. Secret Weapons 3
517. Secret Weapons 4
518. Secret Weapons 0

Why not put #0 before the rest?

[Jrosen]

Thanks for the feedback?

What FCBD short am I missing? The 2016 edition only had a short for 4001 ad.

You are probably right with Rai, Eternal Warrior,4001 ad, and War Mother. That would probably go really well together.

I also need to re-read Divinity 3. I really didn't like it when I first read it, and I had the hardest time trying to figure out where it belongs in the VEI timeline.

I also had a tough time with the 0 edition of Secret Warriors. I kinda like the mystery of the character, and the 0 adds a lot of depth that takes away from the initial questions what these kids are and why they are there.

[ShadowTuga]

What FCBD short am I missing? The 2016 edition only had a short for 4001 ad.

Current X-O's little intro? 2017.

[TheFerg714]

What FCBD short am I missing? The 2016 edition only had a short for 4001 ad.

I totally skimmed right past the FCBD 2016 issue... My bad

You are probably right with Rai, Eternal Warrior,4001 ad, and War Mother. That would probably go really well together.

Yea, I just feel like you might as well. Plus, even if new material is released, War Mother will be a good stopping point. I think that makes 34 issues, including History of the Valiant U.

I also need to re-read Divinity 3. I really didn't like it when I first read it, and I had the hardest time trying to figure out where it belongs in the VEI timeline.

Reading all of the Red Brigade's shorts in a row is an intriguing idea, but I think the one-shots work much better when read in-between issues of Stalinverse. It also makes it feel like more time has past reading it that way. Technically, Gulag was released before #4, but I think that leaves too much of a break in-between 3 and 4.
I think Divinity #0 works really well as a book end as well. This is how my order would be, but again, doing something different with the Red Brigade isn't a bad idea at all:
1
Bloodshot (Red Legend)
2
Aric (Kostiy)
3
Shadowman (Baba Yaga)
4
Gulag 396 (The Pioneer)
0

[QuoteI also had a tough time with the 0 edition of Secret Warriors. I kinda like the mystery of the character, and the 0 adds a lot of depth that takes away from the initial questions what these kids are and why they are there.[/quote]
For a first time reader, #0 should for sure be read after the mini, but I actually found it quite satisfying reading #0 first.

[buff-beardo]

Thank you Jrosen for continuing this reading order! I’m currently using these for my VEI re-read/reading order. Been a great time so far! I love how the segments from the #25 issues are included chronologically. I’m only up to Harbinger Wars, but man VEI was incredible back then!

[Jrosen]

I've updated it since then. Its unfortunate that nearly all of the DMG stories are standalone, and the stories aren't referenced in other books. They try so hard to be easy for first time readers that there isn't a mystery to them that would encourage readers to look at the Valiant catalog. I really hope 2022 brings back the ties to continuity. I'll try to post it later this weekend.