Last year, Valiant Entertainment teamed up with publisher Alien Books in an attempt to expand its superhero universe to new heights. Now, after a year of cooking on and off the page, this are ready to explode in Resurgence of the Valiant Universe, a new status quo that will lead the way to a new age of superhero comics.
“Resurgence represents a huge moment for both Alien Books and Valiant Comics,” Alien Books Director Matias Timarchi said in a press release provided to io9. “We’re adamant about publishing meaningful comics that readers will enjoy and that retailers can feel confident stocking on their shelves. We want everyone to feel excited about reading superhero comics again and Resurgence is the first part of our plan to reignite that passion.”
The four-issue miniseries will pick up on the seeds woven throughout the Valiant titles Alien has been publishing since last year under the “Road to Resurgence” banner, which have seen the villainous Doctor Silk seemingly turn hero, promising the world a chance for utopia, and a plan to make humankind immortal. Resurgence of the Valiant Universe—written by Becky Cloonan and Michael J. Conrad, and with art by Guillermo Fajardo, and Lautaro Ftuli, and lettering by Marina Leon—will see Silk’s carefully-laid plans come to fruition, as a whole host of classic Valiant heroes, like Ninjak, XO Man-O-War, Bloodshot, Faith, and more try to reckon with the new way of the world… and fight to see who’s left standing in it.
“Resurgence is a non-stop crescendo of action, but to me even more fun than that has been seeing the dynamic character moments play out,” Cloonan said in a statement. “Not just utilizing their powers, but digging into the history they all have with each other. There’s a lot of humor and pathos on top of the incredibly high stakes, with events that will shake the Valiant Universe to its core!”
“Resurgence does present a real moment for Valiant to reawaken a lot of characters that have been woefully sidelined for too long,” Conrad added. “We all wanna see more Valiant Universe stuff, and this book is the doorway to that. It will be a good jumping on point and will draw heavily from the past while looking toward the future. I can’t promise everyone will make it through in one piece or that we’ll be able to fit in all the great characters from the Valiant Universe, but I can promise a hell of a ride, and a restoration of the great potential of the future for Valiant under the Alien Books umbrella.”
That idea of Resurgence as a restoration, rather than necessarily a complete reboot of Valiant’s continuity, is a watchword iterated by Alien—Resurgence is the start of a new chapter, rather than wiping the slate clean, to emphasize what’s made the Valiant universe so interesting for all these years. “Becky Cloonan and Michael J. Conrad are no strangers to the Valiant Universe and have filled Resurgence with rewarding moments for long-time readers, while still being accessible to newcomers,” Alien Books and Valiant Comics Editor-in-Chief Lysa Hawkins concluded. “The Valiant characters deserve a greater spotlight and to be enjoyed by as many fans as possible. Resurgence is how we begin to shine a light on the gold within our books.”
Click through to see a first look at Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1—including the first four pages of the crossover—ahead of its release September 18.
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Main Cover, by Guillermo Fajardo
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Variant Cover, by Agustin Alessio
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Variant Cover, by Juan José Ryp
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Variant Cover, by Mico Suayan
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Preview Page 1
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Preview Page 2
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Preview Page 3
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 Preview Page 4
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