So, what is a gold logo edition? It's part of a program that rewards fans who promote Valiant Comics with limited edition gold logo versions of the comics. Fans spread the word about how good Valiant comics are, send Valiant pictures and Valiant sends them a gold logo edition of one of the books. These gold logo editions are created exclusively for fans and are not sold by Valiant. The only way to get one is to earn it.
There are 25 gold logo editions so far. I'll update this post periodically so that I keep up with the new gold logo books that come out. Valiant sticks to issuing gold logo books when they launch an ongoing series with the exception of the Faith mini series gold logo edition and the X-O Manowar #0 gold logo edition. My guess is that they ran out of X-O Manowar #1 gold logo books but wanted to keep rewarding X-O Manowar fans so they produced a new gold logo edition.
Without further delay, here is the list (I've done my best to list them in the order they were released):
- X-O Manowar #1
- Harbinger #1
- Bloodshot #1
- Archer & Armstrong #1
- Shadowman #1
- Unity #1
- Quantum & Woody #1
- Eternal Warrior #1
- Rai #1
- X-O Manowar #0
- Ivar, Timewalker #1
- Imperium #1
- Ninjak #1
- Bloodshot Reborn #1
- Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #1
- A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong #1
- Faith #1 (mini series)
- Generation Zero #1
- Faith #1 (ongoing series)
- Harbinger Renegade #1
- X-O Manowar #1 (2017)
- Ninja-K #1
- Bloodshot Salvation #1
- Quantum & Woody #1 (2017)
- Shadowman #1 (2018)
For more information, here is are some quotes from Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer, Dinesh Shamdasani, about the return of the gold logo program from 2012. You can find the full story at Comic Book Resources:
Valiant exclusively told CBR the return of their Gold Logo Program. Valiant's Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Dinesh Shamdasani explained, "There is a long history at Valiant of passionate fans and the company embracing, rewarding and enabling that passion to create a sense of equity.
"The Gold Book embodies this in a way nothing else can. We do this for the fans -- for being our secret weapon, our fifth Beatle," Shamdasani said. At the end of the Valiant panel at Comic-Con, Shamdasani debuted their first new Gold Book in "X-O Manowar" #1 and passed a free copy off to every person in attendance.
Each of the new Valiant #1's has a Gold Book edition on the way which can be won by fans. Shamdasani described how far fans used to go in the 90s to obtain these Gold Books -- or Gold Logos as they were called back then. "Fans would take a photo of themselves promoting Valiant -- a themed wedding, mowing the logo in your neighbor's lawn, dressing your baby as Magnus." He added to the list a man who created Valiant web icons back when the internet was still in its youth, and a church replacing a Bible verse on their board with the phrase "Read Valiant Comics." "If you showed up at a convention dressed as a Valiant character, you'd get a Gold Logo. They were crazy," Shamdasani said. In the 90s a photo would be featured in the back of Valiant's monthly issues, but there were 30-40 winners at a time.
"It's a way to have fun, to embrace the universe and help it grow," Shamdasani said. "To feel a part of it. It's really no different than what Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and those guys did at Marvel in the 60s -- embrace the fan. Make fandom a part of creating this universe so we can all do it together.
"We're re-instituting the program of 'you support us, we reward you,'" he continued. "Send us a photo of you going out of your way supporting Valiant and you'll get a Gold Book."
