The Visitor

[BloodShot]

what was The Visitor's powers?

Among others - he could be in two places at once.

So what? I can do that, too.

At least my wife seems to think I can .

[VanHook]

Odd book, but I'm proud of it.

My thoughts.

Remember, it shipped every two weeks, so it was a very rapid-fire thing.

We were not ending it with 13 originally-- there were a couple of more issues planned before that ending.

For those who felt it was all predictable, I didn't decide he was Sting until several issues into writing it, so for me the predictability was more that it made sense with what all we were doing, or it's predictable after that. I remember calling Bob Layton and saying, "Listen-- you know how you said Sting disappeared in Rai 0? What if..." That said, Jesse Berdinka (editor) and Bernard Chang (artist) and I met and roughly plotted the first 10 issues or so before I scripted any of them. I had already done the Visitor Vs. the Valiant Universe by that point.

Harder to see it this way in hindsight, but the book in many ways was a play on Superman (alien from another world) that was clearly more than a match for our world's heroes.

I hated having to do the fill-in style issue with Mike Leeke. Nothing he did wrong-- just I had to create a story that lived outside of continuity.

Most proud of the Visitor Vs. The Valiant Universe 2 parter. I still feel it's a strong story that stands on its own and I loved Bryan's work.

I did like explaining what the hell happened to Sting when he disappeared (in Rai #0)

I liked telling a Men in Black/Area 51 story before most of the world knew what the heck I was talking about. In fact, I got resistance on the story, because at that time, it was "obscure." 6 months later they were talking about Area 51 on Montel...

I felt the two very different styles (and I liked them both) of Bernard Chang vs. John Ross hurt the cohesiveness a bit.

I hated the fact that there was a printing problem with the last issue, where in essence all the inkwork was, "spread" so the lines were very fat. That's not what the artwork looked like.

That's my 3 cents (adjusted for inflation)

Kevin VanHook

[kevinbastos]

That is incredible. Thanks for the insight. I love peering behind the curtain like this. With this perspective, I really anticipate reading back to it, now. Thanks.

[David_Cody]

My fav issue in that series was the Men in Black issue.

[myron]

Odd book, but I'm proud of it.

My thoughts.

Remember, it shipped every two weeks, so it was a very rapid-fire thing.

We were not ending it with 13 originally-- there were a couple of more issues planned before that ending.

For those who felt it was all predictable, I didn't decide he was Sting until several issues into writing it, so for me the predictability was more that it made sense with what all we were doing, or it's predictable after that. I remember calling Bob Layton and saying, "Listen-- you know how you said Sting disappeared in Rai 0? What if..." That said, Jesse Berdinka (editor) and Bernard Chang (artist) and I met and roughly plotted the first 10 issues or so before I scripted any of them. I had already done the Visitor Vs. the Valiant Universe by that point.

Harder to see it this way in hindsight, but the book in many ways was a play on Superman (alien from another world) that was clearly more than a match for our world's heroes.

I hated having to do the fill-in style issue with Mike Leeke. Nothing he did wrong-- just I had to create a story that lived outside of continuity.

Most proud of the Visitor Vs. The Valiant Universe 2 parter. I still feel it's a strong story that stands on its own and I loved Bryan's work.

I did like explaining what the hell happened to Sting when he disappeared (in Rai #0)

I liked telling a Men in Black/Area 51 story before most of the world knew what the heck I was talking about. In fact, I got resistance on the story, because at that time, it was "obscure." 6 months later they were talking about Area 51 on Montel...

I felt the two very different styles (and I liked them both) of Bernard Chang vs. John Ross hurt the cohesiveness a bit.

I hated the fact that there was a printing problem with the last issue, where in essence all the inkwork was, "spread" so the lines were very fat. That's not what the artwork looked like.

That's my 3 cents (adjusted for inflation)

Kevin VanHook

thanks for the insight KVH!

[Chiclo]

I liked telling a Men in Black/Area 51 story before most of the world knew what the heck I was talking about. In fact, I got resistance on the story, because at that time, it was "obscure." 6 months later they were talking about Area 51 on Montel...

This insight in particular I find interesting.

[MarrowMan]

Wow a post by the man who did the story, I'm impressed, I personally liked the story very much, and didn't think it was all that predictable (call me gullible if you like)

[xodacia81]

Odd book, but I'm proud of it.

My thoughts.

Remember, it shipped every two weeks, so it was a very rapid-fire thing.

We were not ending it with 13 originally-- there were a couple of more issues planned before that ending.

For those who felt it was all predictable, I didn't decide he was Sting until several issues into writing it, so for me the predictability was more that it made sense with what all we were doing, or it's predictable after that. I remember calling Bob Layton and saying, "Listen-- you know how you said Sting disappeared in Rai 0? What if..." That said, Jesse Berdinka (editor) and Bernard Chang (artist) and I met and roughly plotted the first 10 issues or so before I scripted any of them. I had already done the Visitor Vs. the Valiant Universe by that point.

Harder to see it this way in hindsight, but the book in many ways was a play on Superman (alien from another world) that was clearly more than a match for our world's heroes.

I hated having to do the fill-in style issue with Mike Leeke. Nothing he did wrong-- just I had to create a story that lived outside of continuity.

Most proud of the Visitor Vs. The Valiant Universe 2 parter. I still feel it's a strong story that stands on its own and I loved Bryan's work.

I did like explaining what the hell happened to Sting when he disappeared (in Rai #0)

I liked telling a Men in Black/Area 51 story before most of the world knew what the heck I was talking about. In fact, I got resistance on the story, because at that time, it was "obscure." 6 months later they were talking about Area 51 on Montel...

I felt the two very different styles (and I liked them both) of Bernard Chang vs. John Ross hurt the cohesiveness a bit.

I hated the fact that there was a printing problem with the last issue, where in essence all the inkwork was, "spread" so the lines were very fat. That's not what the artwork looked like.

That's my 3 cents (adjusted for inflation)

Kevin VanHook

I actually enjoyed the crossover book. I find it interesting that you point out the two different artists. I think that is part of my problem with the storytelling of the book. For me, and you may or may not agree, comics are much like films or theatre in that they are a highly visual medium and just as a poor script can sink some cracking good art, so too can inconsistent or poor art bring down a damn fine script.

I do stand by that it seemed like there weren't enough real twists, but if it was as you said, then that is interesting. Lemonade out of lemons. I had forgotten it shipped every other week. All this said, I don't consider it the worst book Valiant put out. Not by far. Those would be Deathmate, the second half of Secret Weapons, the end of H.A.R.D. Corps and much of the Birthquake stuff.

[StarBrand]

Odd book, but I'm proud of it.

My thoughts.

Remember, it shipped every two weeks, so it was a very rapid-fire thing.

We were not ending it with 13 originally-- there were a couple of more issues planned before that ending.

For those who felt it was all predictable, I didn't decide he was Sting until several issues into writing it, so for me the predictability was more that it made sense with what all we were doing, or it's predictable after that. I remember calling Bob Layton and saying, "Listen-- you know how you said Sting disappeared in Rai 0? What if..." That said, Jesse Berdinka (editor) and Bernard Chang (artist) and I met and roughly plotted the first 10 issues or so before I scripted any of them. I had already done the Visitor Vs. the Valiant Universe by that point.

Harder to see it this way in hindsight, but the book in many ways was a play on Superman (alien from another world) that was clearly more than a match for our world's heroes.

I hated having to do the fill-in style issue with Mike Leeke. Nothing he did wrong-- just I had to create a story that lived outside of continuity.

Most proud of the Visitor Vs. The Valiant Universe 2 parter. I still feel it's a strong story that stands on its own and I loved Bryan's work.

I did like explaining what the hell happened to Sting when he disappeared (in Rai #0)

I liked telling a Men in Black/Area 51 story before most of the world knew what the heck I was talking about. In fact, I got resistance on the story, because at that time, it was "obscure." 6 months later they were talking about Area 51 on Montel...

I felt the two very different styles (and I liked them both) of Bernard Chang vs. John Ross hurt the cohesiveness a bit.

I hated the fact that there was a printing problem with the last issue, where in essence all the inkwork was, "spread" so the lines were very fat. That's not what the artwork looked like.

That's my 3 cents (adjusted for inflation)

Kevin VanHook

Good stuff.

[BruceReville]

Well at least Sting got back with the Police for a short while.

[VanHook]

Well at least Sting got back with the Police for a short while.

And that by itself made it all worthwhile. Even if he did change up the tunes on all the classics in concert.

[geocarr]

Thanks Kevin for your post! Posts by creators are priceless to us fans!

[xodacia81]

Well at least Sting got back with the Police for a short while.

And that by itself made it all worthwhile. Even if he did change up the tunes on all the classics in concert.

You know, there was a bit of "Every Breath You Take" to the story of The Visitor

[xodacia81]

Thanks Kevin for your post! Posts by creators are priceless to us fans!

Indeed, and his posts in particular are always full of good behind the scenes stories.