The Flip Side — Enter: The Valiant

This December, Valiant Comics will launch a new series, steeped in science fiction and fantasy elements; a perfect introductory series to the Valiant Universe of characters. That series is The Valiant (OCT141678), and it features many of Valiant’s most popular heroes in a story that spans generations, and pits the them against a timeless foe.

Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce took time out of his always busy schedule to discuss this upcoming series, the story arc it creates, and the far-reaching ramifications it will hold for the Valiant Universe moving into 2015!

Download a preview of The Valiant #1 here.

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PREVIEWSworld: What is THE VALIANT? How is it different than anything Valiant has produced to date?

Fred Pierce: First and foremost, this is a ground-level entry point to Valiant's entire world of characters from three of the greatest creative talents working in the industry today — Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Paolo Rivera. The idea that Jeff and Matt hatched — and that is now being beautifully realized on the page by Paolo — is one that will span from pre-history all the way to the modern day, and introduces all of our biggest characters along the way. That journey is presented through the eyes of Bloodshot, the Eternal Warrior, and the newly appointed Geomancer, Kay McHenry. The Eternal Warrior has assembled them to combat a threat he's met three times before — known simply as “The Immortal Enemy” — and one that he's never defeated.

The stakes are high, as each previous defeat has meant not only the death of the Geomancer but the ushering in of a new dark age for mankind. This time, however, he has the ranks of Valiant's most well-known heroes with him. Which is where the name The Valiant derives from; It’s sweeping, it’s action-packed — it's even poignant and more than a little heart-breaking. In scope and tone, it's simply one of the biggest things we've ever set out to accomplish. And the work that's been produced thus far is nothing short of astonishing. This is a series that will undoubtedly have people talking once the first issue arrives in December.

PREVIEWSworld: Getting creators like Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, and Paolo Rivera on board for this project is no small feat, and they're names that resonate strongly throughout the comics community. As the publisher of Valiant since the relaunch, what does it mean to have been able to bring such high-profile talent to a project like this?

Fred Pierce: It means a great deal and more. The characters and properties are a draw because they have a lot of depth, inherent conflict, and a storied history.  With talent the caliber of Jeff, Matt and Paolo, we know that the stories are going to be outstanding. These are three creators that are bringing a huge amount of passion to our characters and, through Matt, Jeff and Paolo, we also hope that a new wave of readers will step into our world as well.

PREVIEWSworld: Since Valiant's re-launch and return, the company has become known for attracting high-level talent. How important is the company-talent relationship you've been able to build over the years?

Fred Pierce: Valiant's editorial team — consisting of Warren Simons, Alejandro Arbona, Josh Johns and Kyle Andrukiewicz — is second to none. When creators play in the Valiant Universe they know that they will have the freedom to tell the kind of stories they want to tell. And when we approach talent we want to work with, it's specifically because they have a distinct voice and story to tell… we want to hear their stories! Writers and artists love knowing that when they come to work with us, they will have that opportunity.

PREVIEWSworld: Each year we've seen Valiant become more ambitious with its storytelling. From Harbinger Wars to Armor Hunters, you guys have definitely ramped-up the scale. What have you taken away from the success of those series?

Fred Pierce: Dinesh Shamdasani, our CEO and Chief Creative Officer, and Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons have made quality storytelling Valiant's number one priority, and that's a principle that has resonated both in the material and with readers around the world. Doing a big event story is risky, no matter how many times you've done them in the past. But each time, our creators and editorial team have gotten together, cracked a big though-provoking idea, ratcheted up the stakes, and paid it off in a big way.

The quality of what all the publishers in the industry is doing is so high, that unless you take chances — a lot of chances — you'll be left behind. But we've trusted our talent, we've trusted our team, and we've trusted our characters — and the results have been phenomenal.

PREVIEWSworld: Now we have The Valiant, a title that is said to encompass Valiant's entire cast of characters. This is a universe that is constantly growing and changing. How important is The Valiant going to be for the line going forward?

Fred Pierce: The Valiant will absolutely be a catalyst for our line moving forward. In 2015 and beyond, there will be stories being told that have direct ties to the events of this series. The impact the story has on the characters is so powerful that the consequences will be felt in many of the books that come out of The Valiant. It's a story that people will be going back to throughout 2015.

PREVIEWSworld: Valiant has done a great job of providing titles that are not only easily accessible, but also feed readers into exploring the rest of the line. Are you aiming for a similar effect with The Valiant?

Fred Pierce: The Valiant isn't called that by mistake. This is the very definition of a "new reader friendly" series, and it's a perfect introduction to the Valiant Universe. Jeff, Matt, and Paolo have made it their mission to make this series as accessible to all comic book fans as possible. It really is an entry-level primer to these characters. And though it stars Bloodshot and Eternal Warrior, stay tuned because virtually every major Valiant character will be making an appearance along the way. This is a perfect opportunity to jump on board, see what Valiant is doing, and then follow your favorite characters onto new adventures from there.