VALIANT Beyond

[ManofTheAtom]

When VALIANT rebooted Doctor Solar in the '90s, they reimagined him as a theoretical physicist (Phil Seleski) who grows up dreaming of becoming a superhero like the one in his favorite comic book from the Silver Age of the '60s, Gold Key's Doctor Solar: Man of the Atom.

When his wish comes true, not only does it transform him into his fictional idol but it also transforms one of his peers (Erica Pierce) into his nemesis/doppelganger and, through circumstance, the entire universe into something out of a comic book.

Through him, the universe gives "birth" to people with superpowers (Harbingers), immortals (the Anni-Padda), aliens (the Spider-Aliens), and magic (Shadowman and Master Darque).

In many respects, the real world becomes a '60s comic book (albeit, in some instances, through the lens of the '80s and '90s).

To MY eye, the VALIANT Beyond stuff looks like VALIANT through the lens of 1990s Marvel (particularly Harbinger).

It's almost as if, like Phil before them, someone made a wish that changed the universe into a '90s comic book.

That's the head canon I'm going to approach Beyond with, and hope that there is a story down the road that can answer

[Ryan]

We can only wish it will actually be that deep

[ManofTheAtom]

We can only wish it will actually be that deep

Yeah.

[Ryan]

The thing about reboots is that for the most part they seem to be done out of laziness. Especially in a comic universe as small as Valiant.

What I mean is that using a little creativity and imagination, any 'bold, new direction' with a character can always easily be written without the need to create a whole new 'universe' every time.

Modern comics are always obsessed with creating more 'jumping on point' but when I started reading comics a big part of the fun was jumping into the story and figuring everything out, knowing that the back issues actually mattered to the ongoing story.

Jumping on points just as easily become jumping off points for long-time fans/readers.

[ManofTheAtom]

The thing about reboots is that for the most part they seem to be done out of laziness. Especially in a comic universe as small as Valiant.

What I mean is that using a little creativity and imagination, any 'bold, new direction' with a character can always easily be written without the need to create a whole new 'universe' every time.

Modern comics are always obsessed with creating more 'jumping on point' but when I started reading comics a big part of the fun was jumping into the story and figuring everything out, knowing that the back issues actually mattered to the ongoing story.

Jumping on points just as easily become jumping off points for long-time fans/readers.

Be thankful that is being marketed and exists as a separate line and not as a replacement like VH-2 was.

Reportedly, VEI will still continue, not be rebooted.

[Ryan]

The thing about reboots is that for the most part they seem to be done out of laziness. Especially in a comic universe as small as Valiant.

What I mean is that using a little creativity and imagination, any 'bold, new direction' with a character can always easily be written without the need to create a whole new 'universe' every time.

Modern comics are always obsessed with creating more 'jumping on point' but when I started reading comics a big part of the fun was jumping into the story and figuring everything out, knowing that the back issues actually mattered to the ongoing story.

Jumping on points just as easily become jumping off points for long-time fans/readers.

Be thankful that is being marketed and exists as a separate line and not as a replacement like VH-2 was.

Reportedly, VEI will still continue, not be rebooted.

Yeah we'll see what that actually means. We haven't seen any announcements of new comics that take place in VEI yet.

Adding a 'VH4' is only going to add to confusion in the long run. Seems unnecessary

If they want to do a new person as Shadowman or Bloodshot or whatever, there's plenty of ways to do it in continuity with it still being a 'new jumping on point'. If they want to make New Orleans more magical and fantastical, just create a reason within the story as to why that happens. It's not that difficult.

It's hilarious that even in a whole new universe, Archer still can't shake that damn star t-shirt he's been wearing for 12 years of VEI continuity

[ManofTheAtom]

The thing about reboots is that for the most part they seem to be done out of laziness. Especially in a comic universe as small as Valiant.

What I mean is that using a little creativity and imagination, any 'bold, new direction' with a character can always easily be written without the need to create a whole new 'universe' every time.

Modern comics are always obsessed with creating more 'jumping on point' but when I started reading comics a big part of the fun was jumping into the story and figuring everything out, knowing that the back issues actually mattered to the ongoing story.

Jumping on points just as easily become jumping off points for long-time fans/readers.

Be thankful that is being marketed and exists as a separate line and not as a replacement like VH-2 was.

Reportedly, VEI will still continue, not be rebooted.

Yeah we'll see what that actually means. We haven't seen any announcements of new comics that take place in VEI yet.

Adding a 'VH4' is only going to add to confusion in the long run. Seems unnecessary

If they want to do a new person as Shadowman or Bloodshot or whatever, there's plenty of ways to do it in continuity with it still being a 'new jumping on point'. If they want to make New Orleans more magical and fantastical, just create a reason within the story as to why that happens. It's not that difficult.

It's hilarious that even in a whole new universe, Archer still can't shake that damn star t-shirt he's been wearing for 12 years of VEI continuity

The one with the zombies takes place in VEI.

[slack]

Jumping on points just as easily become jumping off points for long-time fans/readers.

Very true!

[ManofTheAtom]

Jumping on points just as easily become jumping off points for long-time fans/readers.

Very true!

That's what I say every time DC reboots...

[etos45]

The one with the zombies takes place in VEI.

What? Is that really the case? I can accept valiant zombies as it's own universe, but it seems a waste of the VEI timeline to overrun it with zombies.. Though I haven't read the Resurgence finale so maybe that just how they leave it... I hope not.

I hate to say, but Beyond feels more like what Acclaim did... It's funny because I don't really remember Acclaim well but it jumped in my head the second I saw X-O.

Anyway, can't wait to find out I'm wrong (I usually am)!

[ManofTheAtom]

The one with the zombies takes place in VEI.

What? Is that really the case? I can accept valiant zombies as it's own universe, but it seems a waste of the VEI timeline to overrun it with zombies.. Though I haven't read the Resurgence finale so maybe that just how they leave it... I hope not.

I hate to say, but Beyond feels more like what Acclaim did... It's funny because I don't really remember Acclaim well but it jumped in my head the second I saw X-O.

Anyway, can't wait to find out I'm wrong (I usually am)!

Okay, having just read Resurgence, the one with the zombies does NOT take place IN VEI, but it DOES feature the VEI iterations as the leads.

They chased Darque from VEI to the Undeadside.

Beyond looks more like '90s Marvel to me, while VH-2 was more like '60s DC.