Mags - Comics Values Monthly #59

Comics Values Monthly #59 featuring the cover of Magnus Robot Fighter #1 on the cover.

Unity #0 re-imagining #3

A new post in my series on Unity #0 re-imaginings. These are a popular commission concept because of the iconic cover to Unity #0 and because it lets the commissioner play editor, determining which characters make the roster! Again, this one was illustrated and inked as a commission by Bob Layton. It features X-O Manowar riding a dinosaur (!), Rai, Solar and Magnus fighting a bunch of free will robs. Check it out:

Valiant Market - X-O Manowar #8 page 13 original art

Welcome to another episode of Valiant Market! The show/blog post series where I chronicle interesting sales of Valiant items (predominantly art so far). In this episode/blog entry we take a look at the recent eBay auction for the original art page from X-O Manowar issue #8 page 13 by Mike Leeke and Tom Ryder.

The page sold for a surprising $311.69 (including shipping). Why so much you ask? Well, this issue is part of the seminal UNITY crossover, is signed by the artists, looks to be in terrific condition/color and features a key scene in the life of our hero - the moment before he gets chomped by a bionasaur!! But those reasons pale in comparison to the big selling point. I mean of course the appearance of X-O butt! Check it out for yourself:

Mags - Perspective Comic Con Issue

This years San Diego Comic Con featured a Comic Con special issue of the Art Directors Guild journal, Perspective. The magazine did a interview with Valiant Comics alum Mark Moretti (Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior, Magnus Robot Fighter and Ninjak) which featured a page from his early Magnus Robot Fighter work.  Check out the full interview below:

Bleeding Cool Magazine: TOP 100 MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN COMICS

The Bleeding Cool Magazine debut issue arrived in comic stores around the world this week and featured a rather interesting article entitled "The Top 100 Most Powerful People in Comics". Why is this pertinent to you, the die hard Valiant Comics fan? Because two Valiant Comics executives and one writer made the list! But we'll get to that in a minute...first the full list:

1. Jim Lee

2. Isaac Perlmutter

3. Robert Kirkman

4 Geoff Johns

5. Joe Quesada

6. Brian Michael Bendis

7. Dan Didio

8. Thomas Tull

9. Kevin Feige

10. Eric Stephenson

11. Mark Millar

12. David Steinberger

13. Dan Buckley

14. Bob Harras

15. Axel Alonso

16. Joss Whedon

17. Tom Brevoort

18. Grant Morrison

19. Mike Richardson

20. Bill Schanes

21. Bob Wayne

22. Jeph Loeb

23. Ruwan Jayatilleke

24. Jonah Weiland

25. Ted Adams

26. Jeff Robinov

27. Stan Lee

28. Neil Gaiman

29. Diane Nelson

30. Alan Moore

31. Nick Lowe

32. David Gabriel

33. Brian K. Vaughn

34. Nick Barrucci

35. William Christensen

36. Jason Kingsley

37. Alex Ross

38. Steve Wacker

39. Pendleton Ward

40. Marc Toberoff

41. CB Cebulski

42. Micah Baldwin

43. Rob Pereyda

44. Nick Landau

45. Mark Waid

46. Todd McFarlane

47. Ross Richie

48. Scott Snyder

49. Bill Willingham

50. JMS

51. Jonathan Hickman

52. John Rood

53. Garth Ennis

54. Matt Fraction

55. Mike Mignola

56. Mike Marts

57. Steve Geppi

58. Scott Kurtz

59. The Anonymous Comic Shop Clerk with a Scanner

60. Karen Berger

61. Midtown Collective

62. Fred Pierce

63. Roger Fletcher

64. Bobbie Chase

65. David Bogart

66. Dinesh Shamdasani

67. Warren Ellis

68. Jim Valentino

69. Harris Miller III

70. Joe Field

71. Marc Silvestri

72. Mimi Cruz

73. Cindy Fournier

74. Chuck Parker

75. Bryan Lee O'Malley

76. Erik Larsen

77. Ken F Levin

78. Richard Johnston

79. J Scott Campbell

80. Kate Beaton

81. Chris Staros

82. Fae Desmond

83. Seiji Horibuchi

84. Lance Festerman

85. George RR Martin

86. Gary Groth

87. Jonathan Goldwater

88. Stephen Christy

89. Scott Allie

90. James Lucas Jones

91. Scott Morse

92. Kevin Eastman

93. Milton Griepp

94. Chris Ryall

95. James Parker

96. Scott Dunbier

97. Liam Sharp

98. Bob Schreck

99. James Killen

100. Howard Chaykin

There you have it. Fascinating stuff but even more fascinating is the full list in the magazine with commentary. I urge you to pick up a copy (which also has a pretty snazzy Shadowman article). Here's a scan of the cover:

Now on to the Valiant crew that made the list - Valiant Publisher, Fred Pierce (#62), and Valiant Chief Creative Officer & Founder, Dinesh Shamdasani (#66). Check out scans of the commentary below:

Also, recently announced Shadowman screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski made the list at number 50. Check out the commentary below:

And just because I know you're interested, here a few more notable entries:

Marc Silvestri (#71): Image Comics founder and creator of Witchblade, Darkness and Cyberforce

Warren Ellis (#67): Creator of Transmetropolitan & The Authority, and writer of Judge Dredd, Iron Man and Fantastic Four 

George RR Martin (#85): Creator of Game of Thrones

Happy 20th Bloodshot #1

Twenty years ago today Bloodshot #1 hit the stands and the chromium age was born.  Happy anniversary!

Mags - Comic Shop News #1304

Another scan of an issue of Comic Shop News with a Valiant Comics cover. This time it's Comic Shop News issue #1304 with a Bloodshot (2012) cover featuring the cover art from the Bloodshot#1. Check it out:

Mags - Comic Shop News #1300

Here's another scan of an issue of Comic Shop News with a Valiant Comics cover. This time it's Comic Shop News issue #1300 with a Harbinger (2012) cover featuring the cover art from the Harbinger #1 1:20 variant cover - which is a homage to the original Harbinger #1 cover from 1992. Check it out:

Mags - Comic Book Collector #13

Today, we have another magazine cover featuring Valiant. Comic Book Collector #13 featured a cover sporting the second wave of Valiant Comics characters - Ninjak, Timewalker, Armorines and Doctor Mirage - as well as an article discussing them entitled, Valiant Comics: What Next?

Check it out:

Shadowman #1 Blackout Pullbox cover is AWESOME!

Valiant did a great job with these! From a distance it looks completely black, but when you get up close you see Shadowman come out of, well, the shadows! So awesome!

Also, I have no idea how Valiant did this but it is impossible to get a finger print on the cover. The problem with other black or predominately black covers is the minute you pick it up you ruin the effect with your greasy fan boy finger prints. Not the case here!

Check it out: