Divinity is Solar?

[Aomalle27]

Its been stated before that Divinity is Solar, without the Solar name ( which doesn't bother me, plus its a nice FU to Dynamite for stealing the Phil Seleski name and apparantly Dr Eclipse (according to some solicits I've seen from Dynamite); a kinda of anything you can do I can do better)
With that said I wonder if all the robots appearing in Valiant lately ( Armor Hunters, Dead Hand arc of Xo, and the evil robot character in Divinity) are we soon to see a Magnus character sans the Magnus name? I'd love to see a riff on Magnus and turok but without the names. A big FU to Dynamite;

[Psiot X]

It's an interesting thought and you may be right in thinking the character is basically replacing an old one in the Valiant Universe but I hesitate to call him just a pastiche. There seems to be a lot of detail in the Divinity character's background. A Black, Soviet, Communist, Cosmonaut (maybe with some nuclear power) that is gifted (returned) by space aliens... In a nutshell he is everything we used to fear in the sixties as a society during the cold war times.

As a result I see all kinds of potential and I feel bad just calling him a riff in that it comes across as a cool concept as a character in his own right. I would say he has all kinds of good guy potential in the times we live in now but Valiant has shown they write something deeper than just good vs evil tales. That written, like you I expect something or some one to take Magnus's mantle in the new Valiant, to fill that role in the universe if that makes sense and I am eager to see what these writers come up with.

[Dark-Flux]

They could easily setup a pseudo-Turok in the Faraway i guess. Thats actually where i thought they were going with Mary-maria in the Faraway A&A arc, but it was not to be...

[p-s manowar]

For that Turok like character i believe I read on Facebook a character is coming named The Savage maybe in 2016 i think. Dinesh gave a tease on a podcast with this same name = The Savage, I don't know anything else about it but valiant just rocks love that they are creating new characters.

[leonmallett]

Be interesting if it does happen like that, I cannot say I would blame them. The obvious thing if it does is to follow with some kind of robot fighter at some point thereafter.

It does make me wonder if the spectre of the GK3 issue will ever come to rest for this iteration of VALIANT?

[BugsySig]

Despite all the differences, Divinity is basically Solar in terms of archetypes.

Eternal Emperor is very much like Magnus in his anti-technology view. I wonder what would happen if A) he wound up on New Japan or B) New Japan fell to Earth?

I heard The Savage name before, too...hopefully it's better than just another man out of time book, if that is the case. Though I do miss Aric and Turok as buddies in modern times.

[Dr Noel]

I would still like to see Magnus in the VEI universe and not just some archetype. The others I could do without, but Magnus has always been my favorite.

[Daniel Jackson]

I would still like to see Magnus in the VEI universe and not just some archetype. The others I could do without, but Magnus has always been my favorite.

I would like to see that as well, but I imagine the cost of the character would be very prohibitive. Maybe one these days Random House (or whoever is the parent company now) will wake up and realize they don't have a whole lot of options with the GK characters anymore and sell them for a reasonable price. Dark Horse has milked the reprints and had a miserable time with a relaunch, Ibooks didn't make it past the first trade and now it looks like the latest attempt has failed as well. I honestly don't see the big two being at all interested, so that doesn't leave them with many alternatives.

[Psiot X]

I would still like to see Magnus in the VEI universe and not just some archetype. The others I could do without, but Magnus has always been my favorite.

I would like to see that as well, but I imagine the cost of the character would be very prohibitive. Maybe one these days Random House (or whoever is the parent company now) will wake up and realize they don't have a whole lot of options with the GK characters anymore and sell them for a reasonable price. Dark Horse has milked the reprints and had a miserable time with a relaunch, Ibooks didn't make it past the first trade and now it looks like the latest attempt has failed as well. I honestly don't see the big two being at all interested, so that doesn't leave them with many alternatives.

Doesn't matter. It's a spiteful business and they might just hold onto the IP to keep others from profiting off it while they promote their own characters instead. FOX and SONY will never sell Marvel back their characters now for example. Even though they don't see huge futures in films using them per the leaked emails.

[leonmallett]

...FOX and SONY will never sell Marvel back their characters now for example. Even though they don't see huge futures in films using them per the leaked emails.

FOX and SONY don't own the characters, so there is nothing to sell back except the option to make movies. And that will revert to Marvel when either the contract is done, or they (FOX or SONY) fail to use the specific IP's within a set time (like with Daredevil, Punisher and Ghost Rider).

[Keith]

I seem to recall Dinesh saying something about "Savage"... Wasn't sure if he was referring to a character or not. Has there been any other statements made?

[leonmallett]

I seem to recall Dinesh saying something about "Savage"... Wasn't sure if he was referring to a character or not. Has there been any other statements made?

I tried a brief FB search earlier but came up empty.

[Psiot X]

...FOX and SONY will never sell Marvel back their characters now for example. Even though they don't see huge futures in films using them per the leaked emails.

FOX and SONY don't own the characters, so there is nothing to sell back except the option to make movies. And that will revert to Marvel when either the contract is done, or they (FOX or SONY) fail to use the specific IP's within a set time (like with Daredevil, Punisher and Ghost Rider).

Somehow I thought those film rights were forever at least for some characters.

[leonmallett]

...FOX and SONY will never sell Marvel back their characters now for example. Even though they don't see huge futures in films using them per the leaked emails.

FOX and SONY don't own the characters, so there is nothing to sell back except the option to make movies. And that will revert to Marvel when either the contract is done, or they (FOX or SONY) fail to use the specific IP's within a set time (like with Daredevil, Punisher and Ghost Rider).

Somehow I thought those film rights were forever at least for some characters.

It is why Fantastic Four had to go into production recently, otherwise FOX faced losing the rights, and partly why ASM was so soon after Spider-man 3.

[omega_override]

I don't know anything else about it but valiant just rocks love that they are creating new characters.

I'd hesitate to call them "new" characters if they're more or less just Solar, Magnus, and Turok with a fresh coat of paint

[leonmallett]

I don't know anything else about it but valiant just rocks love that they are creating new characters.

I'd hesitate to call them "new" characters if they're more or less just Solar, Magnus, and Turok with a fresh coat of paint

Well they are their own thing, so are arguably as new as any characters since the advent of Superman have been.

[omega_override]

I don't know anything else about it but valiant just rocks love that they are creating new characters.

I'd hesitate to call them "new" characters if they're more or less just Solar, Magnus, and Turok with a fresh coat of paint

Well they are their own thing, so are arguably as new as any characters since the advent of Superman have been.

Yes, I will agree that they are indeed their own thing, but they also fit into the Valiant Universe quite well as the history of the company is built on the back of "copy and pasting" aspects from different, more well known characters and giving them to their own. But this doesn't mean that I think Valiant is wholly unoriginal either

[leonmallett]

I don't know anything else about it but valiant just rocks love that they are creating new characters.

I'd hesitate to call them "new" characters if they're more or less just Solar, Magnus, and Turok with a fresh coat of paint

Well they are their own thing, so are arguably as new as any characters since the advent of Superman have been.

Yes, I will agree that they are indeed their own thing, but they also fit into the Valiant Universe quite well as the history of the company is built on the back of "copy and pasting" aspects from different, more well known characters and giving them to their own. But this doesn't mean that I think Valiant is wholly unoriginal either

The execution will be the telling point here; it is easy to draw parallels between all sorts of characters (Shadowman as mash-up of Ghost Rider and Batman or other nocturnal vigilantes; Dr. Mirage as a distorted take on Captain Triumph), at VALIANT or elsewhere - it is just that the history of the GK3 with VALIANT the brings its own weight, which intensifies or magnifies similarities when they are perceived.

[jmatt]

It does make me wonder if the spectre of the GK3 issue will ever come to rest for this iteration of VALIANT?

Other than talk on this board, I'm pretty sure it has.

[hunter_peterson]

It does make me wonder if the spectre of the GK3 issue will ever come to rest for this iteration of VALIANT?

Other than talk on this board, I'm pretty sure it has.

Yeah, most of us new fans have never even heard of the GK3. I remember them because I researched Valiant a bit before they returned, as a curiosity, but they never struck me as particularly unique, though I like Magnus in theory. But if they were to make pastiches of those three in Valiant, I'm certain most people wouldn't even notice.

That said, if Valiant could buy the GK properties (ideally all of them), then I'd support it. Valiant is a great home for intellectual properties that need some love. And the sense of history with those characters would make a nice addition.

[cray_ws]

Honestly, I thought Solar, Magnus, and Turok were rather one-dimensional characters. Divinity while does share the deus ex machina archetype that Solar was, it's still radically different character.

I like the idea of turning Mary-maria in the Faraway as Turok replacement, title the book Savage, and have her be this kick-*SQUEE* warrior/archer like Arrow on the island. She doesn't need to fight Dinosaurs. There's a lot flexibility with Faraway in terms of enemies and obstacles she can deal with.

As for Magnus, I think the premise of fighting robots is about niche as hunting dinosaurs. It gets old...fast. I think the Rai series is basically the Magnus replacement. It's a smarter book and it's about the future.

I think it's important that this Valiant try to move on from the past, especially in regards to lost intellectual properties. It does them no favors reminding readers of older characters they no longer have the rights to.

[leonmallett]

It does make me wonder if the spectre of the GK3 issue will ever come to rest for this iteration of VALIANT?

Other than talk on this board, I'm pretty sure it has.

Very good point.

[BugsySig]

Honestly, I thought Solar, Magnus, and Turok were rather one-dimensional characters. Divinity while does share the deus ex machina archetype that Solar was, it's still radically different character.

I like the idea of turning Mary-maria in the Faraway as Turok replacement, title the book Savage, and have her be this kick-*SQUEE* warrior/archer like Arrow on the island. She doesn't need to fight Dinosaurs. There's a lot flexibility with Faraway in terms of enemies and obstacles she can deal with.

As for Magnus, I think the premise of fighting robots is about niche as hunting dinosaurs. It gets old...fast. I think the Rai series is basically the Magnus replacement. It's a smarter book and it's about the future.

I think it's important that this Valiant try to move on from the past, especially in regards to lost intellectual properties. It does them no favors reminding readers of older characters they no longer have the rights to.

I think Mary Maria's character has moved on too far at this point to place her in the Faraway in this manner. I think a new character could work just as well in that setting, however, and the mix of eras in the Faraway could provide for some very fun stories. It could be a nice follow-up or companion piece to Timewalker. Something FVL would excell at.