Valiant Announces Limited Series: Book of Death: Legends of the Geomancer
Apr 20, 2015
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BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER #1 (of 4)* |
On the heels of BOOK OF DEATH – Valiant's epic, four-part event revealing the future fates of X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Ninjak and more in July – Valiant is proud to announce an all-new, first-of-its kind, retailer-incentive companion series, BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER, from New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente (IVAR, TIMEWALKER, ARCHER & ARMSTRONG) and fan-favorite artist Juan Jose Ryp (Clone, Ghosted)! As the secrets within the Book of the Geomancer wreak havoc on the present and future of the Valiant Universe, discover the true history and lineage of the very first speaker for the Earth with an all-new series of never-before-seen stories that won't be collected in trade paperback!
Created specifically to promote Valiant's upcoming BOOK OF DEATH event, BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER will expand the mythology of BOOK OF DEATH's central character – a newly appointed Geomancer, the latest in a long line of mystics that speak for the Earth and shape the course of history – and chronicle the first appearance of the founder of her kind…Anni, the very first Geomancer!
Out of the pages of BOOK OF DEATH, the origin of the first Geomancer and the sacred pact that swore her to the service of the Earth can finally be told…but, with it too, the source of the divine mysteries that have haunted her line for centuries. Has Anni's mission redeemed or corrupted the world that followed in their wake…and will the ultimate secrets of the Geomancers’ book doom us all in the end?
"With LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER, Fred and Juan are crafting a dazzlingly beautiful, action-packed corollary to BOOK OF THE DEATH. This is the story of a character that is not only new to the Valiant Universe, but is also vitally important to its history – Anni, the very first Geomancer," said Valiant Editor-in-Chief Warren Simons.
"LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER is designed to be something special and something distinct from your typical 'event' tie-in story," added Valiant Publisher Fred Pierce. "This is a little known story, the history of which is only known to a select few of the most important players in the Valiant Universe, and it's telling will mirror its method of distribution. This will be a rare series that we hope fans will seek, much as they did decades ago for tales like the original HARBINGER #0."
A special, retailer-incentive limited series, all four issues of BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER will be printed in limited quantities and will only be made available to retailers who qualify based on their orders of BOOK OF DEATH #1-4. Fans interested in obtaining this special incentive limited series should contact their local comics retailer to pre-order their copy before the May 28th initial order date for BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4).
Spanning eight issues total, the BOOK OF DEATH event begins in July with BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of Valiant's blockbuster comics event from New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O MANOWAR, Green Lantern), superstar-in-the-making Robert Gill (ARMOR HUNTERS: HARBINGER, Batgirl) and visionary artist Doug Braithwaite (ARMOR HUNTERS, Justice)! Colliding the next two thousand years of history against the most powerful heroes of today, the summer’s must-read comics event starts here as a new Geomancer emerges to build a bridge to the future of the Valiant Universe!
Then, the story continues throughout the summer with four standalone one-shots from an all-star cast of Valiant’s top talents - Jeff Lemire & Doug Braithwaite in BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF BLOODSHOT #1; Matt Kindt & Trevor Hairsine in BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF NINJAK #1; Joshua Dysart & Kano in BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF HARBINGER #1; and Robert Venditti & Clayton Henry in BOOK OF DEATH: THE FALL OF X-O MANOWAR #1!
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
This July, join Valiant superstars Robert Venditti, Robert Gill, and Doug Braithwaite as they begin a thousand-year journey into the future of the Valiant Universe…and rain, fire, blood and war on the heroes of today in BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4)!
Then, Fred Van Lente and Juan Jose Ryp journey into the annals of prehistory to reveal the untold story of the Earth's sacred guardians in BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER #1 (of 4) – in stores the same day as BOOK OF DEATH #1 (of 4)!
*ATTENTION RETAILERS: PLEASE SEE FUTURE EDITIONS OF DIAMOND DAILY OR THE VALIANT RETAILER EMAIL TO FIND OUT HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THIS LIMITED RATIO INCENTIVE. QUANTITIES WILL BE BASED ON ORDERS OF BOOK OF DEATH #1.
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Fred Van Lente, writer of The Book Of Death: Legends Of The Geomancer, shares a few details on this exciting new miniseries set to coencide with Valiant's Book of Death event starting this summer.
PREVIEWSworld: To kick things off, tell us about how BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER ties into the core BOOK OF DEATH mini-series. We know that the Geomancer plays a central role, where does your series pick up?
Fred Van Lente: Legends of the Geomancer tells the story of the very first Geomancer, back, way, way before even the Eternal Warrior was born, and sets up his relationship to them in a way we've been hinting throughout the Valiant line for some time, but haven't made explicit until this very series.
PREVIEWSworld: You were the first writer to introduce Geomancers in the new Valiant Universe, so it's only fitting that you be the one to tell the story of how the very first Geomancer was born. Is this a story that you've had in mind for some time, or did your involvement come about naturally spinning out of THE VALIANT?
Fred Van Lente: I really enjoyed the character of Kay McHenry that Emanuela Luppacchino and I created in Archer & Armstrong, and it was cool to see her used so well in The Valiant. But what made Kay cool was that she was a person first, and a super-person second. So we haven't really had an opportunity to tell what the Geomancers are, and why the need for them arose in the first place -- that's the story here.
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PREVIEWSworld: From the character designs and artwork that Valiant has shared with us, Anni doesn't closely resemble the Geomancers readers have seen so far. They are peaceful, calm, and weaponless. Anni looks violent and appears to be quite the badass. What are the key differences that make Anni different from any other of the Geomancers of old?
Fred Van Lente: Well, she's the first, and pioneers -- they tend to be rough around the edges, you know? And she was born in a savage era before history began, at the end of the Ice Age, when men were men and women were women and sabretooth tigers were sabretooth tigers -- she knows how to take care of herself. She's the "Fist & Stone," as it were...
PREVIEWSworld: The Geomancer's duty is always going to be to the Earth. That has to be a monumental and pressure-filled undertaking, especially if you're chosen to be the very first. How will the responsibility of Anni's new role affect her over the course of the series?
Fred Van Lente: When we first meet Anni she's having a tough time convincing her tribe they need her in the first place. It seems like the very Earth itself has arisen against humanity and is trying to destroy us, and at first -- being humans -- they blame the messenger, Anni. They think she's a witch! She'll first have to figure out how to keep her fellow humans from killing her in order to save them.
PREVIEWSworld: Your time writing both ARCHER & ARMSTRONG and IVAR, TIMEWALKER has shown readers a number of different settings in both time and location. You've been to the ancient past and far future. Where are readers going to be for Anni's story in LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER?
Fred Van Lente: It's a very cool Stone Age world with a lot of the animals and creatures left over from the Ice Age. Almost like a more realistic Conan, I guess, in that it's a "time history forgot." Also, we haven't even talked about the Big Bad yet -- which, if you know your Bible, won't be a total surprise to you. This story takes place, of course, waaaay before the Great Cataclysm caused by Armstrong and Ivar in Archer & Armstrong. So we're talking more than 10,000 years before the present day.
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PREVIEWSworld: Speaking of both of your other Valiant series, can we expect any hidden mysteries that will connect all three together? Anni's name alone raises a few question in her relation to the Anni-Padda brothers.
Fred Van Lente: Not just my three series, but many other Valiant titles -- the most prominent being Book of Death, of course.
PREVIEWSworld: You've always done a fantastic job of playing off of a variety of cast members. Archer, Mary-Maria, and the recently introduced Neela Sethi are great examples. What other characters can we expect to see in LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER?
Fred Van Lente: Thanks so much! But I am afraid there are too many spoilers involved for me to reveal the other characters. Suffice it to say a young lad named Gilad might make an appearance, though.
PREVIEWSworld: With LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER, you're joining other Valiant veterans Robert Venditti, Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Joshua Dysart to tell a crucial chapter of the BOOK OF DEATH event. What was the planning process like behind the scenes and how much coordination has there been between the respective teams?
Fred Van Lente: Quite a bit. Robert and I got together with [Valiant Editor-in-Chief] Warren Simons and [Valiant Chief Creative Officer] Dinesh Shamdasani in New York just a few weeks ago to hash out the story and make sure it dovetailed nicely with Book of Death -- and vice-versa. That's one of the things I love most about Valiant, we're lean and mean and that makes for a very tight-knit universe, which is something fans always tell me they appreciate about the line -- and with which I heartily agree!
