Harbinger 3 - Discussion Thread

[drmirage]

OMG BBQ! The story is starting to develop and its becoming to be really interesting. This is by far my most favorite VEI title and issue #3 does not dissapoint.

Not to bash on Bloodshot #2, but Harbinger #3 is clearly hands down way better for me.

Joshua Dysart is just the man! The art was also amazing.

5 OUT OF 5 ENTERTAIMOS

[Tim]

Another amazing issue. I continue to be absolutely astounded at how good these books are.

[Zaphod]

Harbinger #3 sold me on the series. It's the first guaranteed keeper of the first four for me. The art is very much improved and fits the feel of the book. I don't think the rankings of the school are going to be all that important to us in >5 books so I wouldn't dwell on it. It's a good level of detail to provide us though.

The Bleeding Monk is totally under Harada's lock and key. The fact that he's eternal probably has the character not too concerned where he is, he didn't appear to be looking to get out but that is a huge piece in Harada's "army" that Toyo would keep under strict lock and key anyways.

Darpan is freaking scary. So much potential for that kid to seriously mess *SQUEE* up. The 'Heroes' vibe is strongest in this book. At least season 1. The flashbacks, seeing Pete's messed up childhood was perfect to make Pete relatable. He's been misdiagnosed and drugged up his entire life.

Faith was not talking directly to Harada, but I think most definitely she is talking to someone from the Harada Global Properties Consortium LLC. Seriously, what was wrong with Harada Foundation? I am curious to see how HGC finds their prospects.

The Corporate War lines are being drawn in the sand. How these big corporations all link up should be interesting, but we know HGC vs PRS is coming

[drmirage]

Harbinger is by far the best series IMO. I was happy where the story is going.

Harbinger #3 sold me on the series. It's the first guaranteed keeper of the first four for me. The art is very much improved and fits the feel of the book. I don't think the rankings of the school are going to be all that important to us in >5 books so I wouldn't dwell on it. It's a good level of detail to provide us though.

The Bleeding Monk is totally under Harada's lock and key. The fact that he's eternal probably has the character not too concerned where he is, he didn't appear to be looking to get out but that is a huge piece in Harada's "army" that Toyo would keep under strict lock and key anyways.

Darpan is freaking scary. So much potential for that kid to seriously mess *SQUEE* up. The 'Heroes' vibe is strongest in this book. At least season 1. The flashbacks, seeing Pete's messed up childhood was perfect to make Pete relatable. He's been misdiagnosed and drugged up his entire life.

Faith was not talking directly to Harada, but I think most definitely she is talking to someone from the Harada Global Properties Consortium LLC. Seriously, what was wrong with Harada Foundation? I am curious to see how HGC finds their prospects.

The Corporate War lines are being drawn in the sand. How these big corporations all link up should be interesting, but we know HGC vs PRS is coming

[nutflush76]

This is, by far, the best book out of the four.

It's had the best characterization, the most thought provoking plot developments, and it's the only one that doesn't feel like it was cut short to make room for the preview at the end. (although the fact that there was a preview deflates my theory that the previews are cutting the stories short.)

I can't wait to see where this story is going. I was taken aback when the bleeding monk referred to Pete as The Destroyer. Someone earlier in this thread linked it to VH1's Solar and I won't say he's wrong, but maybe VEI is throwing us a curveball?

Anyway, great story! I am counting the days until issue #4!

[manga4life]

Manga, your Classic Valiant innocence is endearing. Like a new born puppy experiencing the world for the first time.

+1 I like seeing the Valiant Universe through the eyes of someone who's never been here before. Refreshing.

And I think this is the, uh, plumpest we've ever seen Faith. And that can't be Harada she's chatting with, he'd never toss off a 'woodie' line (pun intended!).

And my qualms with some of the art in #1 are gone. It's a strange cocktail of pretty clean panels but sketchy facial close ups.

I happen to like plump blonds, not obese....but plump. Same with brunettes. Hehe, can't wait to see more of Faith, not that we haven't seen a lot....if you catch my drift.

[The Dirt Gang]

Manga - What makes you think it's Harada? Not disagreeing with you but I had not thought of that.

Because he seems to be looking for a "special" girl, with the word "special" probably meaning a person with powers. Also, he seems to be eager to meet her which leads me to believe that he's going to trigger her powers somehow and try and recruit her. It's just a hunch though, it could be some internet perv who's trying to get laid and could try to attack her in the next issue causing her to unleash her powers alerting Harada of her presence or something along those lines.

I don't think Faith is talking to Harada either. Here's why:

FA_Tiger: When can we meet? For real?
HERO_GRL08:It's hard, you know?
FA_Tiger: Yes it is!
HERO_GRL08: No, perv!

I don't think Harada needs to resort to being on Dateline's To Catch a Predator...

Do we know for sure Faith isn't already part of the Harbinger foundation? I don't remember it giving her location (and I don't have the book in front of me). Based on the cover image of her flying and carrying Pete, it would appear she's had the highest level, wasn't she wearing a white uniform? I know the cover may not be continuity but it would seem odd to have her in that uniform if she's not already been with the Harbinger Foundation.

The Bleeding Monk is totally under Harada's lock and key. The fact that he's eternal probably has the character not too concerned where he is, he didn't appear to be looking to get out but that is a huge piece in Harada's "army" that Toyo would keep under strict lock and key anyways.

Zaphod - This is an interesting point which I had not thought of. The Bleeding Monk is almost like an inanimate sacred artifact in that he appears to be just be where ever he is. Kind of reminds me of the Arc of the Covenant in Indiana Jones.

Also, yes, Darpan, is a great character. I love that he's playing with the Winnebago like some kind of harmless child.

I still think that blue bird in the first 2 issues might be him or maybe the Bleeding Monk listening in on Toyo's conversations with Pete.

[SJS4]

Do we know for sure Faith isn't already part of the Harbinger foundation? I don't remember it giving her location (and I don't have the book in front of me). Based on the cover image of her flying and carrying Pete, it would appear she's had the highest level, wasn't she wearing a white uniform? I know the cover may not be continuity but it would seem odd to have her in that uniform if she's not already been with the Harbinger Foundation.

That's a good point. Another possibility is that Zephyr is already part of Harada's group and that is actually from Project Rising Spirit that is trying to lure her out...?

Although, to be honest, considering how closely this version of Harbinger has stuck with the VHI version, I am guessing/assuming it will be Pete who "unlocks" Zephyr at some point. Up till now the covers of most VEI books have little (if anything) to do with what is going on inside (which I am perfectly okay with).

[BugsySig]

Do we know for sure Faith isn't already part of the Harbinger foundation? I don't remember it giving her location (and I don't have the book in front of me). Based on the cover image of her flying and carrying Pete, it would appear she's had the highest level, wasn't she wearing a white uniform? I know the cover may not be continuity but it would seem odd to have her in that uniform if she's not already been with the Harbinger Foundation.

Interesting catch there...the white uni would seem to suggest that based on this issue, where as I thought it was just for artistic contrast on that cover. I suppose Faith's pentiant for super heroics could lead her to steal the costume in a similar manner to the original. and why not steal the top level uni if you want to be Superwoman.

Also, based on the cut from the lunch scene to Faith's room, I got the sense they were taking place at the same time. And no offense meant, but I can't see Faith missing lunch when all the other students are there. The "special" comment is also telling to me that she has not been activated yet. I would also doubt that Harada grants Internet access to his pupils.

[Chiclo]

Do we know for sure Faith isn't already part of the Harbinger foundation? I don't remember it giving her location (and I don't have the book in front of me). Based on the cover image of her flying and carrying Pete, it would appear she's had the highest level, wasn't she wearing a white uniform? I know the cover may not be continuity but it would seem odd to have her in that uniform if she's not already been with the Harbinger Foundation.

Doesn't it say Faith is in Richmond, VA?

[tchalla8]

Manga - What makes you think it's Harada? Not disagreeing with you but I had not thought of that.

Because he seems to be looking for a "special" girl, with the word "special" probably meaning a person with powers. Also, he seems to be eager to meet her which leads me to believe that he's going to trigger her powers somehow and try and recruit her. It's just a hunch though, it could be some internet perv who's trying to get laid and could try to attack her in the next issue causing her to unleash her powers alerting Harada of her presence or something along those lines.

I don't think Faith is talking to Harada either. Here's why:

FA_Tiger: When can we meet? For real?
HERO_GRL08:It's hard, you know?
FA_Tiger: Yes it is!
HERO_GRL08: No, perv!

I don't think Harada needs to resort to being on Dateline's To Catch a Predator...

Unless she just misintrepreted what he meant.

[ian_house]

Felt a little more mixed on this issue. I loved the mind probe of Peter and getting a little more of his history, the incident with his father was pretty intense. On the other hand the school system they are putting into place is a little off-putting with all of the ranks and description boxes and the fight in the canteen was pretty cliched. Last page saved it for me though

[greg]

I happen to like plump blonds, not obese....but plump. Same with brunettes. Hehe, can't wait to see more of Faith, not that we haven't seen a lot....if you catch my drift.

Try to control yourself.

[iwantvaliant]

Great book. I'm very happy with this series so far.

Gotta say though, and reading other people's comments I'm in the minority here, but at this point in the series I'm rooting for Harada.

[Zaphod]

Re: Alpha and Omega and The Great Destroyer.

Sure these were words attributed to Solar in VU1 (I refuse to reference an Acclaim term) but they are fairly widely used, story telling terms. I mean Alpha and Omega is simply a reference to the first and last letters of the Greek (is it Greek) alphabet and scholars have used it "artistically" to make reference to the beginning and ends of cycles. The Great Destroyer is as much a biblical term as it is a reference to Phil Seleski splitting into 2 people (since he was already 2 people anyways)

I fall in the camp of, us 20%ers reading too much into these monthly pamphlets.

[Blood of Heroes]

I wonder when he's going to be dubbed "Sting". Faith did that the first time around, right?

[BugsySig]

I wonder when he's going to be dubbed "Sting". Faith did that the first time around, right?

On my third read today I was thinking Harada may test Pete by having him activate Faith. Ingrid was very curious about his attempt to activate his father. Then I bet we get an "ouch that stings!" yada yada yada code name granted.

[Blood of Heroes]

I wonder when he's going to be dubbed "Sting". Faith did that the first time around, right?

On my third read today I was thinking Harada may test Pete by having him activate Faith. Ingrid was very curious about his attempt to activate his father. Then I bet we get an "ouch that stings!" yada yada yada code name granted.

The Harbinger Foundation seems to be a bit more responsible than that.
I took her interest in Pete's father as she was more interested that his dad is a psiot than Pete trying to turn him on.

[MoonChild]

Def enjoyed this issue more than BloodShot #2. Great read, alot going on here. A+

[jmatt]

Gotta say though, and reading other people's comments I'm in the minority here, but at this point in the series I'm rooting for Harada.

I kind of agree. We still haven't seen much to make us dislike Harada (but we all know he's gonna be the villain). Pete on the other hand has done some pretty questionable things and is quick to over-react. But I guess he feels pretty unwelcome, judging by the other students thoughts that he's privy to. I kinda like the "nobody's perfect" ambiguity Dysart is setting up.

And I think we're reading to much into the "destroyer" line. It may be a nice hat tip to VH1, but Pete's not gonna fill the Solar role.

[apainter]

I'm kind of rooting for Harada at this point too, although the other jerks at the Harbinger Foundation make me swing more towards Pete. I was kind of disappointed Pete just gave up at the end there -- I wanted to see him take on the whole school.

I wonder if that crowd of students were just faces or characters that we'll be introduced to and recognize later. They seem to be introducing a mix of old and new characters. I'm expecting Rock, Weasel, Spikeman, Fort, etc. to show up sometime though. Anyone think they recognize any of the students?

The psychologist lady, I don't care what she calls herself, that's a young Dr. Joyce Brothers!

I like the Bleeding Monk concept, but am I the only one who wonders how he exists? I mean, he just sits there, thinking cryptic thoughts, and bleeding copious amounts of bodily fluid. Where does all that blood go? Right into the septic system? And where does it come from? I can just imagine BM sends Harada messages like, "FEED ME!". Harada will go and stick a cow in the room with him and close the door so BM can feed like Bloodshot. Hmmm... or maybe the students that wash out "go to see the Bleeding Monk?" Sorry, I just expect the Valiant universe 3.0 to be a bit more grounded in reality so I can't help looking at BM and wondering "now how does that all work?"

About Pete's father, I agree with the interpretation that the interest was more in Pete's dad being a psiot than in Pete trying to activate him. As far as we know, Pete's dad is still in a coma.

If there's one problem with the art (and this may be more related to the coloring) it's that everybody seems to have silly putty faces. If I could walk into the book, I probably couldn't resist smooshing them all up.

If Darpan joins Pete's team, maybe their battle cry can be "WINNEBAGO!"

This is my favorite V-book so far, with X-O close behind.

Art

[kevinbastos]

Gotta say though, and reading other people's comments I'm in the minority here, but at this point in the series I'm rooting for Harada.

I kind of agree. We still haven't seen much to make us dislike Harada (but we all know he's gonna be the villain). Pete on the other hand has done some pretty questionable things and is quick to over-react. But I guess he feels pretty unwelcome, judging by the other students thoughts that he's privy to. I kinda like the "nobody's perfect" ambiguity Dysart is setting up.

And I think we're reading to much into the "destroyer" line. It may be a nice hat tip to VH1, but Pete's not gonna fill the Solar role.

Rooting for Harada might be too much a way to put it, but I am with you kids. Something has to break soon, and not just in the Eggbreaker sense. Harada will more than likely be an ends justifies the means kind of person, and some of his means will be the split.

[BugsySig]

Going back to Pete's dad--I could be reading too much into it, but wording is important. Ingrid says, "Did you say you were trying to activate your father's dormant powers?" not, "Did you say your father was like you?"

Again, I may be wrong and they may be more interested in where born-activated Psiots come from. But since Harada is the only person on Earth who can activate a Psiot, Pete's ability to do so would also be important.

Either way, I expect Faith to be activated by Pete, whether purposely or not. Perhaps being activated by someone creates a connection with them? That could explain the students' loyalty to Harada and the Renegades eventual loyalty to Pete.

[greg]

Perhaps being activated by someone creates a connection with them? That could explain the students' loyalty to Harada and the Renegades eventual loyalty to Pete.

Interesting...

[apainter]

Going back to Pete's dad--I could be reading too much into it, but wording is important. Ingrid says, "Did you say you were trying to activate your father's dormant powers?" not, "Did you say your father was like you?"

Again, I may be wrong and they may be more interested in where born-activated Psiots come from. But since Harada is the only person on Earth who can activate a Psiot, Pete's ability to do so would also be important.

You're right, that seems to be where Ingrid's interest lies. But as a reader of the original series, my first thought was "holy crap! Pete's dad is a psiot? And he's probably still alive?!" While the focus will likely be on Pete's "PSIOT POWERS, ACTIVATE!" ability, his dad will appear later, I think. He'll have to. You don't just drop that little detail out there without revisiting it.

I wonder if he'll be the same SOB he was in the original series.

Art