What is this...?

[regero]

Birthquake Preview Stand Alone.
Any info would be great. Thanks guys!!

[magnusr]

Birthquake Preview Stand Alone.
Any info would be great. Thanks guys!!

Do you mean the free-view? Small comic-sized booklet with samples from Valiant books. Rather common. Exists as a first and a second print (with the same contents). One was distributed in shops and one with MtG comics.

Then there's this: http://sonicdan.com/valiant/ACLMPreviews.JPG (xeroxed books with art pages from coming books)

/Magnus

[regero]

Its not either one of those, I saw a picture of it on some website. It had the character X-0 on the cover and it said Valiant Presents, X-0 Birthquake and then something under that in red writing. And its description was Birthquake Preview Standalone. If I remember the website I will post that. Sorry I don't have more info but I want to know what that was.
Thanks guys
Mike

[ManofTheAtom]

Its not either one of those, I saw a picture of it on some website. It had the character X-0 on the cover and it said Valiant Presents, X-0 Birthquake and then something under that in red writing. And its description was Birthquake Preview Standalone. If I remember the website I will post that. Sorry I don't have more info but I want to know what that was.
Thanks guys
Mike

The comic you're refering to came bound in this issue of X-O Manowar



The story in the issue is a recap of X-O Manowar's origin and characters as told by Ken to Crescendo while held in a torturing device.

Here's the recap from the VALIANTpedia site

Reflections – Prelude

Strapped to a torturing device, Ken Clarkson told his captor Aric Dacia’s story in exchange for his life.

Though he doubted that his subjugator would believe him, Ken said that Aric was a Visigoth barbarian related to King Alaric, the man that sacked Rome, who hailed from the days of the Roman Empire circa 408 AD, the year the Spider Aliens abducted him and took him away from everything he knew. Ken went on to say that the aliens never ate Aric, so he must have been a good worker for all the years they kept him captive.

Filled with hatred for the Spider Aliens, Aric stole their X–O Manowar class armor while he was on one of their spaceships, unaware that the armor was a sentient being that responded to his thoughts. After killing as many aliens as he could, Aric returned to Earth, where 1,600 years had passed since he left.

Almost as soon as Aric returned to Earth, Ken continued, he found that the Spider Aliens controlled Orb Industries, a corporate empire that he took from them after he destroyed them with his help.

Forced to continue, Ken said that Aric did not like the modern world, but the armor educated him so he could get along, like teaching him languages. Aric fought the aliens again, and went to the moon to wipe them out with help from Solar. Later he met Turok, another man out of his own time who became his blood brother.

Eventually, Aric hired Randy Cartier to be security chief at Orb, and allowed her to wear the X–O armor for awhile, which Ken confessed he never thought was a good idea. Around that time, Ken and Aric met Paul Bouvier, an old boyfriend of Randy’s from when they used to be spies.

Ordered to continue, Ken struggled to remember what happened next, but was able to recall that the Spider Aliens used a weapon to destroy the X–O Manowar, an event that Aric could not handle and lead him to hit the bottle and start a sexual relationship with Randy.

Though an X–O Manowar suit was so rare because it reproduced only once every 2,000 years, Aric gained a new suit thanks to Solar, who remembered a Spider Alien champion he had defeated on Saturn and went back to get that armor for Aric, but instead found a seed that grew the new suit for him. The thing was, however, that a seed needed a living host to hatch, so Paul volunteered because he was dying after a Spider Alien bit him back when they destroyed the original armor. Paul’s consciousness stayed alive in the new armor for awhile, and Aric and Randy actually communicated with him until he just faded away.

Tired, Ken said he did not know anything else, other than Aric had the armor and ran Orb with it. Swearing that he was not brave enough to hold anything back, Ken begged his captor to tell him what she wanted. Looming over him, the beautiful Egyptian princess Crescendo told Ken that she wanted everything Aric held dear, and had already begun to take away his life piece by piece.

Repentant, Ken begged God to forgive him for what he had done.

[Daniel Jackson]

I found the pic of it, now let's see if this jogs anyone's memory.

[magnusr]

Its not either one of those, I saw a picture of it on some website. It had the character X-0 on the cover and it said Valiant Presents, X-0 Birthquake and then something under that in red writing. And its description was Birthquake Preview Standalone. If I remember the website I will post that. Sorry I don't have more info but I want to know what that was.
Thanks guys
Mike

Maybe the preview from issue 42? Is there a stand-alone of that? The main site seems to be down right now.

Edit, DJ's pic is of the insert.

/Magnus

[ManofTheAtom]

Its not either one of those, I saw a picture of it on some website. It had the character X-0 on the cover and it said Valiant Presents, X-0 Birthquake and then something under that in red writing. And its description was Birthquake Preview Standalone. If I remember the website I will post that. Sorry I don't have more info but I want to know what that was.
Thanks guys
Mike

Maybe the preview from issue 42? Is there a stand-alone of that? The main site seems to be down right now.

Edit, DJ's pic is of the insert.

/Magnus

You mean there's another version of the insert?

[magnusr]

You mean there's another version of the insert?

That's the question. The insert is not a stand-alone.

/Magnus

[ManofTheAtom]

You mean there's another version of the insert?

That's the question. The insert is not a stand-alone.

/Magnus

Well, it can be. It has its own staples. I took mine out of the issue it came in.

[Elveen]

You mean there's another version of the insert?

That's the question. The insert is not a stand-alone.

/Magnus

Well, it can be. It has its own staples. I took mine out of the issue it came in.

"comic book destroyer!, comic book destroyer!"

[ManofTheAtom]

You mean there's another version of the insert?

That's the question. The insert is not a stand-alone.

/Magnus

Well, it can be. It has its own staples. I took mine out of the issue it came in.

"comic book destroyer!, comic book destroyer!"

And I would do it again

[sonicdan]

A stand alone version does exist.
There is a difference between the inside front covers.
The X-O Manowar #42 insert as a blue background. The
stand alone has a black background and includes credits.
FYI
DAN

[ManofTheAtom]

A stand alone version does exist.
There is a difference between the inside front covers.
The X-O Manowar #42 insert as a blue background. The
stand alone has a black background and includes credits.
FYI
DAN

My version is the one with the black background and the credits, and it wasn't stand alone, it was the insert.

[BloodOfHeroes]

A stand alone version does exist.
There is a difference between the inside front covers.
The X-O Manowar #42 insert as a blue background. The
stand alone has a black background and includes credits.
FYI
DAN

[img]snipped[/img]

As much as I hate to say it, the blue background looks like a <gulp> printing error. Like a separation problem.

[myron]

A stand alone version does exist.
There is a difference between the inside front covers.
The X-O Manowar #42 insert as a blue background. The
stand alone has a black background and includes credits.
FYI
DAN

[img]snipped[/img]

As much as I hate to say it, the blue background looks like a <gulp> printing error. Like a separation problem.

does look odd doesn't it???

[Elveen]

A stand alone version does exist.
There is a difference between the inside front covers.
The X-O Manowar #42 insert as a blue background. The
stand alone has a black background and includes credits.
FYI
DAN

[img]snipped[/img]

As much as I hate to say it, the blue background looks like a <gulp> printing error. Like a separation problem.

Quick put it on ebay!

[sonicdan]

Hmmm...I only have the one copy of X-O 42 right now and it has
the blue background. The other ones have the black background then?
Just when I think I got it figured out
DAN

[Dr. Solar]

I don't think this is a printing error. This looks like it would have to be deliberate.

This is based on:
1. digital coloring technique, and
2. digital coloring best practices

This looks like it was colored digitally.

This may be a little technical, but let me explain.

When a colorist colors behind inks (digitally), the color should extend THROUGH the black line. What this means, is that, for instance, the parts on Aric's arm that are light blue (instead of black), should be orange if this was an accident.

A colorist does not just color the area AROUND the black, he colors the area THROUGH the black.

For example, this image:


When you look at just the colors, it looks like this:


It DOESN'T look like this:


Even though if you put the black on top, it will look like the first image.

The reason for this is that if there is an alignment problem at the printer, and if you color it the second way, it can look like this:


With white space around the black.

Since all the black is light blue, instead of just certain big areas, it seems to me that this was deliberate.

This is, in coloring terms, a "color hold", when the black line art is changed into a color and printed with the color plates.

[Dr. Solar]

Unless, of course, the colorist was asleep at the job, and did this the easy way instead of the right way.

[Dr. Solar]

THe more I look at this, the more I think I may be wrong.

Everything I said about coloring practices is correct, but the blue image looks like it is a case of the same image printed without the black plate. That's the only difference.

Whether this was deliberate or not is the question.

I think the way to find out would be to ask, is there a reason that the blue version would want to be printed without an indicia?

[BloodOfHeroes]

Everything I said about coloring practices is correct, but the blue image looks like it is a case of the same image printed without the black plate. That's the only difference.

Whether this was deliberate or not is the question.

I think the way to find out would be to ask, is there a reason that the blue version would want to be printed without an indicia?

Makes me suspect there was a second print run. Is it indicated in the indicia?

[Dr. Solar]

What I was thinking is that since it is included as a preview in another publication, they did not want to include the indicia.

Armorines 0, included in X-O 25, however, does have an indicia.

[ManofTheAtom]

Everything I said about coloring practices is correct, but the blue image looks like it is a case of the same image printed without the black plate. That's the only difference.

Whether this was deliberate or not is the question.

I think the way to find out would be to ask, is there a reason that the blue version would want to be printed without an indicia?

Makes me suspect there was a second print run. Is it indicated in the indicia?

What indicia? the one with the blue background ate it, heh

[BloodOfHeroes]

What indicia? the one with the blue background ate it, heh

Why I oughtta...

How's about the one that HAS an indicia? Does it indicate anything? Doesn't seem to in the scan, but my eyes weren't what they once were.

[1st Among Equals]

Mines still in the book but is the black one