Which complete runs are worth reading?

rlute11 · Post by **rlute11** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 5:36 pm

Can someone help me? I've recently started re-collecting Valiants and I'm trying to decide which runs to complete. I've got all the pre unity from way back when but I stopped collecting in early '94. It looks like people think Magnus, Solar and X-O are bad but what about the rest of the titles? Which complete runs are worth reading? Which ones suck? Thanks!

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Thu Aug 05, 2004 5:49 pm

We really need a link to our responses to this question. I'll let someone else answer this time as I'm just posting to biatch.

DJSpecter · Post by **DJSpecter** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 12:37 am

Magnus and Solar weren't necesarily bad, they all kept their action, for the most part, they just went off course of their style too quickly. X-O went off course too strongly too quickly and in a sense killed the character, but X-O was pretty good till about 40.

Magnus, I would keep reading until about 55, my opinion

Solar... hmm, it went on and off, the last issue is a nice closure, but the one or two before that were off. its almost pick and choose.

Shadowman, I think was good to the end, if you liked it in the begining... I think the same of Archer & Armstrong, others disagree.

Harbinger took a new direction after 25, once again you might like the next bunch, you might not, I like them, but they had disadvantages.

Turok... I never really fell for the title, although the last issue, if you can get it and understand it, is a good read.

Bloodshot held its own until right after Chaos, I think, others liked it to the end.

Rai If you are reading the Magnus Malev wars, this is a must since it was basically a way of making you buy two issues if you were following one title. After the Malev Wars, some of the issues are really putrid, others are pretty good.

Eternal Warrior, I liked all the way through, but once again only if you liked the title to begin with.

I think that thats all the title that there was a significant amount of issues on that you would even need to finish, but the other stuff is there, HARD Corps really fell apart.

Just my opinion
-Dave

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sun Aug 08, 2004 6:01 pm

I suppose the best thing to do would be to decide if you even care about the characters first. It's hard to get interested in something if you are not really into the main character of the book. As for Magnus, X-O and Solar sucking, this all stems from the way things were going in the end for Valiant. A lot of people seem to judge the runs by the last few issues of the book. Sure they had some not so great issues here and there but overall I thought they were good reads and had solid stories. I have not read any ongoing comic that did not suffer a slump for short while. We were just cut off prematurely from what could have continued to be some great comic books. I don't think any of us are qualified to say which books are for you or not, just read a few issues of each decide from there.

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:05 am

I think some of the best single issue comics were Eternal Warrior. It was kind of nice to see storylines wrapped up in an issue, and done well.

My favorite storyline was the first 40 X-O. Close second is the first 25 Harbinger.

Eric Jackson · Post by **Eric Jackson** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:15 am

I would also like to add bob hall shadowman... thats what brought me to valiant.

DJSpecter · Post by **DJSpecter** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:17 am

---message deleted by author, because it was posted under false pretenses----

myron · Post by **myron** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:38 am

IMHO, EW and Bloodshoot held up the best throughout their complete runs. Magnus really went downhill when they aged him and Do..er..Torque(somewhere in the 40's). Solar had decent issues here and there throughout it's run. Just completed my X-O run so Can't answer on that one or Turok. Shadowman was kind of hit and miss throughout the run (remember this is my opinion). I enjoyed Timewalker and Dr. Mirage. Geomancer, Visitor and Psi-Lords are just kind of there, take them or leave them. Harbinger to 25 is great...after that, eh..

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:47 am

DJSpecter wrote:---message deleted by author, because it was posted under false pretenses----

What is that

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:23 am

Eric Jackson wrote:I would also like to add bob hall shadowman... thats what brought me to valiant.

Doh! I meant to say that too. Like a lot of the Valiant stuff it lost steam at the end, but that was definitely one of the better runs.

DJSpecter · Post by **DJSpecter** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:11 pm

DJSpecter wrote:
---message deleted by author, because it was posted under false pretenses----

What is that

basically, I'm having issues with the images, that I don't know are effecting anyone else, so I deleted the post from here and reposted in the appropriate forum.

Sect · Post by **Sect** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:39 am

my two cents..

I felt that the shadowman series was pretty decent. I also enjoyed A & A, it was refreshing.

I also liked Harby 0-25, the new harby renagades didn't do it for me.

The Spider · Post by **The Spider** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 6:05 pm

rlute11 wrote:Can someone help me? I've recently started re-collecting Valiants and I'm trying to decide which runs to complete. I've got all the pre unity from way back when but I stopped collecting in early '94. It looks like people think Magnus, Solar and X-O are bad but what about the rest of the titles? Which complete runs are worth reading? Which ones suck? Thanks!

I liked SOLAR all the way up to the end of the Jurgens' Birthquake story, and X-O all the way to the last pre-Birthquake story. I actually liked TUROK when Truman was writing it (I think some of them were post-Birthquake), and all the way to the final issue.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 12:48 pm

A & A, but try out the first few issues to see if yu like the characters as much as I did. The first few should be easy to find.

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 7:24 am

Magnus is actually my favorite run. I like the fact that they weren't afraid to play with the North Am Universe, though I agree that some of these changes came too hard and too fast. All in all, the entire stretch is a pleasurable reading experience, if you can deal with change. The Malev War goes on for a bit too long and then ends a bit too easily, the Terran Consortum issues (post-Malev War) are fascinating in their own right, and the Giffen post-Birthquake issues probably would have been amazing if they'd been allowed to run their propper course. I get the sense that Giffen had no idea he'd be ending the series with #64 when he was completing #63.

I would end Harbinger at #25 (all the memorable characters disappear), X-O Manowar at Unity (his persona changes completely, which changes the book, in turn), and Rai at #8 (unless you're following Magnus, in which case the Future Force issues are integral to the Malev War). Solar stays interesting until at least the 30s (I haven't read past them), and I don't really follow Shadowman.

jordan silo · Post by **jordan silo** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 4:10 pm

Hmm that's a tough one! A complete run? I would have to say Harbinger, Solar, and Timewalker!

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:58 pm

My picks would be, in no order... Dr Mirage, which I think is trully one of the top 8 books in the VALIANT continuity, Shadowman)esp the Bob Hall run), XO until #41, Solar until #46-although Jurgens ART was great-Harbinger until 25...ALL of A&A and ALL of Bloodshot. I thought Bloodshot-although I should be honest, as I am missing issues 48, 50, 51 and perhaps one other, I can't tuly say the whole thing,but, I've yet to see the series as truly lose its way-had one of the more solid runs and I give thanks to VanHook and Morretti for this. I only recently got a chance to finish Shadowman and that series...man, I wanted more.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:17 am

I don't think any of the VALIANT titles that came out post mid-93 can match what came before, with the possible exception of Dr. Mirage. I do feel that Bloodshot is a very good book. I've always loved spy/action stories, so this probably explains why Bloodshot and Eternal Warrior were two of my favorite series. Ninjak, however...I don't know. Some issues were good, others were just kinda eh. As for Rai, it's true, that name change sucked. There were great moments during some of the Malev war, but the gimmick of having to pick up both books didn't make the story epic as much as it *SQUEE* the audience off. I think this is part of where the company began to flounder that gets overlooked. This, Deathmate and Birthquake-aside from the Shooter debacle-are the lows. I for one enjoyed most of the Chaos Effect, but that was just me.

*SQUEE* · Post by ***SQUEE*** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:23 am

The only series I enjoyed from begining to end was surprisingly the Turok series.
I loved Rai up to issue #9

and thought it got quite enjoyable again when it became The New Rai.
X-O was utter crap in its last 15 issues or so but I liked it up untill then.
Magnus jumped around alot at the end of its run but I did enjoy it. Havent finished the rest of the series yet.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:38 am

XO? Last issues? Huh?

But, in all seriousness, those last 30 issues were sad. Yes, the art was sometimes nice, but the stories were terrible. I think I am one of the few who thought that the ending of the series had potential if handled right. However, having said that, I still don't like it and felt it was a kick in the pride to all that had come before it. Looking at those last few issues, however, I have to say, Jackson Guice did a fine job with the art and next to Leeke, he, not Sears, could be my favorite XO artist. Rai, I agree on. There were moments in R&TFF, but some of the "New" Rai-many would say I am nutters-was intruiging. I think Bedard was going for Biblical tragedy with the whole story concerning Takashi. I found it kind of forced. If it had been handled more believably, it could have truly been something. What I always wanted to know was what Grandmother did to her Rai's to give them the energy. I always supsected it was some sort of Ectotheric offshoot. Erica Pierce seemed totally baffled by the powers of the Rai. Oh, and on this subject, in the later issues of Rai, "old" Nakadai became a fave of mine. GO RENTARO!

*SQUEE* · Post by ***SQUEE*** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:45 am

xodacia81 wrote:XO? Last issues? Huh? But, in all seriousness, those last 30 issues were sad. Yes, the art was sometimes nice, but the stories were terrible. I think I am one of the few who thought that the ending of the series had potential if handled right. However, having said that, I still don't like it and felt it was a kick in the pride to all that had come before it. Looking at those last few issues, however, I have to say, Jackson Guice did a fine job with the art and next to Leeke, he, not Sears, could be my favorite XO artist. Rai, I agree on. There were moments in R&TFF, but some of the "New" Rai-many would say I am nutters-was intruiging. I think Bedard was going for Biblical tragedy with the whole story concerning Takashi. I found it kind of forced. If it had been handled more believably, it could have truly been something. What I always wanted to know was what Grandmother did to her Rai's to give them the energy. I always supsected it was some sort of Ectotheric offshoot. Erica Pierce seemed totally baffled by the powers of the Rai. Oh, and on this subject, in the later issues of Rai, "old" Nakadai became a fave of mine. GO RENTARO!

Rentaro is indeed my favorite Rai

Even as a dirty ole man he still kicked major *SQUEE*

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:53 am

*SQUEE* wrote:
xodacia81 wrote:XO? Last issues? Huh? But, in all seriousness, those last 30 issues were sad. Yes, the art was sometimes nice, but the stories were terrible. I think I am one of the few who thought that the ending of the series had potential if handled right. However, having said that, I still don't like it and felt it was a kick in the pride to all that had come before it. Looking at those last few issues, however, I have to say, Jackson Guice did a fine job with the art and next to Leeke, he, not Sears, could be my favorite XO artist. Rai, I agree on. There were moments in R&TFF, but some of the "New" Rai-many would say I am nutters-was intruiging. I think Bedard was going for Biblical tragedy with the whole story concerning Takashi. I found it kind of forced. If it had been handled more believably, it could have truly been something. What I always wanted to know was what Grandmother did to her Rai's to give them the energy. I always supsected it was some sort of Ectotheric offshoot. Erica Pierce seemed totally baffled by the powers of the Rai. Oh, and on this subject, in the later issues of Rai, "old" Nakadai became a fave of mine. GO RENTARO!
Rentaro is indeed my favorite Rai Even as a dirty ole man he still kicked major *SQUEE*

... guess I should go ahead and get a complete run of Rai.......

-slym

nickvasallo · Post by **nickvasallo** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:14 am

I was always an Archer & Armstrong fan, BWS just kicks *SQUEE*

neonshrk · Post by **neonshrk** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:15 pm

I also liked the first 40 or so issues of X-O, Solar, Harbinger, and Magnus. Shadowman was a good read and Archer and Armstrong was always a for sure grab each month. I hope they return with strong titles like those.

Russfoot · Post by **Russfoot** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:32 am

I almost started my own thread based on this topic, but as it stands it makes more sence to just reply here.

IMHO, there were 4 Valiant titles that remained readable and enjoyable to the bitter end.

(In no particular order;) Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior*, Shadowman**, and Turok.

*It's funny EW became one the last few Valiant books I still read because it was never one of my favorites to begin with. Never the less, it remained solid and true to itself until the end.

**Lord help me, I think I might actually *prefer* the later "leatherjacket wearing/vodoo powered/spilt personality Shadowman better then orginal consept of the character.

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Which complete runs are worth reading?

Which complete runs are worth reading?

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