I might be out on Valiant

[lorddunlow]

Just read the X-O news. It's not related to this, but...

I'm currently waaaay behind on reading Valiant and just picked up my LCS order. I've been thinking for about 6 months of cutting down on my pull list. I've been thinking of going mostly digital and just picking up when sales happen since I'm not keeping current on anything other than Chew and East of West. The hesitation I've had is because I want to support VEI. However, I'm losing faith that the company is going anywhere. The books are literally worth less than I pay for them and that's getting old.

The thing that actually prompted all of this was a closet remodel in the closet I store my comics. Even after that, I'm running out of space. I just don't have the room.

VEI just fails to hold my interest. The sad thing is I want a shared universe and VEI seems less and less like a fully fleshed out world. It seems like disparate worlds by different creators who are forced to work together sometimes. Marvel does a better job currently, which is sad.

If X-O is over at 50,then maybe I won't feel so bad dropping all but my favorite VEI books. (Although I have no idea what those are since nothing lasts more than 25 issues.)

This makes me sad.

[Tim]

Pretty much all of this. When I used to get my shipment from DCBS the first thing I did was tear through all the Valiant books in one sitting. Couldn't wait to read them every month. I'm still buying all the books to support Valiant, but for the most part, with the exception of X-O Manowar I couldn't care less about any of the other titles. I still flip through Imperium, but even that has failed to hold my interest. I have to go back and read the previous couple of issues when I read a new one, because I'm just not engaged enough to even think about it after it's read. Faith and Dr. Mirage have been pretty good. Rai does not interest me at all. Ninjak is abysmal. Bloodshot seems to be going nowhere. And the new Archer and Armstrong is flat-out unreadable.

I want to support Valiant, but I don't know how much longer I will be able to buy a stack of comics each month that I don't even want to read.

[nycjadie]

Lots of ways to enjoy comics. I binge read, and am 18 months behind on X-O. Don't tell Robert or Warren!

[raiden]

+1

I'm pretty much in the same boat. I love the characters, but I'm way behind and not as engaged as I want or hoped to be in the Valiant universe. I used to buy almost everything when VEI first launched, but then there were too many variants, so those dropped and then when some of the runs ended, I would only pick up the first few issues of new runs. Now I'm not even bothering with some of them like A&A. In the back of my head, I've been thinking I'd go to X-O 50 and then see if I want to continue. I think the only thing that might keep me from dropping all of the monthly books would be new X-O and Shadowman runs. I'll see how 4001 AD shakes out too.

[Watchtower]

I've still been enjoying Valiant's output, but I totally get the point about the "worlds" feeling more disparate. Rai's deliberately cut off, what with being set 2000 years in the future, and Q&W, Shadowman, and Dr. Mirage have always felt like they were in their own little worlds, but things have overall felt far less tied together since Book of Death. And that's a shame, since one of Valiant's biggest strengths is supposed to be company-wide continuity.

[Ricomortis]

Ok guys.... I totally understand.... So....

Please contact me. I would like all 9.8 candidates of any books you have.

That is all.

Ohhh...

And thanks for at least trying Valiant!

[Nairbe]

**Note, I continue to support Valiant and will continue to buy everything they put out as I believe in the company and their vision**

That said...as the news of X-O being cancelled spreads, it seems to be demoralizing the "troops". X-O is hands down my favorite character, I was actually upset/sad for a solid 48 hours after the news. Yeah, I know he''ll eventually be back, but that's not the point (don't even get me started on the amount of Variants I'll be buying when it relaunches..different discussion). Now there are heavy rumors that Imperium is also done. Once confirmed I think it will cause a massive nerd mind squall on the forums. We've had too much bad news lately...Unity, Ivar, X-O and Imperium (maybe) all over. Maybe Dinesh could rally the troops with a State of Valiant post or something. Or some movie updates. Something.

[ShadowTuga]

**Note, I continue to support Valiant and will continue to buy everything they put out as I believe in the company and their vision**

That said...as the news of X-O being cancelled spreads, it seems to be demoralizing the "troops". X-O is hands down my favorite character, I was actually upset/sad for a solid 48 hours after the news. Yeah, I know he''ll eventually be back, but that's not the point (don't even get me started on the amount of Variants I'll be buying when it relaunches..different discussion). Now there are heavy rumors that Imperium is also done. Once confirmed I think it will cause a massive nerd mind squall on the forums. We've had too much bad news lately...Unity, Ivar, X-O and Imperium (maybe) all over. Maybe Dinesh could rally the troops with a State of Valiant post or something. Or some movie updates. Something.

This. We need VERY good news. Some of us more than others, heh Dunlow?

[BugsySig]

I am getting to this point as well. I find myself falling behind and being less and less excited about reading each title each month.

I miss FVL's A&A and Timewalker and Dysart's Harbinger (I enjoy imperium, but not in the same way).

Bloodshot Reborn is a solid read, but seems disconnected from everything else going on in the VU and even what has happened previously in Bloodshot.

XO has been solid and consistent, but hardly an out-of-the-park read for me since the beginning. Wrath seems to be headed the same way.

The minis like Divinity, Dr. Mirage and Faith are good, but if that's where we're headed I'd rather pick them up in trade for cheaper than I can reading them monthly.

And quite frankly, the Kindt-verse is starting to bore me. Unity turned to *SQUEE*, Rai has been convoluted since the beginning and gone close to nowhere in over a year, and Ninjak seems stuck focusing on the same group of Kindt created villains for the entirety of its run.

I'm ready to start trade-waiting the minis and some slow-paced series, and only picking up a handful of books monthly...likely only those written by FVL and Dysart.

[Ricomortis]

PS. I'm not joking

PSS. I want those books

[Nairbe]

PS. I'm not joking

PSS. I want those books

I want dibs on whatever Rico passes on.

[Keith]

**Note, I continue to support Valiant and will continue to buy everything they put out as I believe in the company and their vision**

That said...as the news of X-O being cancelled spreads, it seems to be demoralizing the "troops". X-O is hands down my favorite character, I was actually upset/sad for a solid 48 hours after the news. Yeah, I know he''ll eventually be back, but that's not the point (don't even get me started on the amount of Variants I'll be buying when it relaunches..different discussion). Now there are heavy rumors that Imperium is also done. Once confirmed I think it will cause a massive nerd mind squall on the forums. We've had too much bad news lately...Unity, Ivar, X-O and Imperium (maybe) all over. Maybe Dinesh could rally the troops with a State of Valiant post or something. Or some movie updates. Something.

+1 to this.

I know I was feeling a little down with the X-O and Imperium news. I think I was feeling the same way when Harbinger and A&A ended. I think one difference is we had major news in both the Valiant First/Valiant Next fronts to fire up the enthusiasm. We really haven't had that this year, aside from the 4001 AD announcement and some teasers about upcoming stuff.

[Nairbe]

I think one difference is we had major news in both the Valiant First/Valiant Next fronts to fire up the enthusiasm. We really haven't had that this year, aside from the 4001 AD announcement and some teasers about upcoming stuff.

Exactly! I'll be honest, the variant fatigue hit me full bore on 4001AD (the cost/effort for the 1:150, which I believe isn't even a unique cover) really dampened my excitement for the series. At least until I have it in my hands.

Now we have actually have a lot of good news coming up that they just can't announce yet due to spoilers. But it's going to have to be VERY impressive to outweigh the loss of X-O and Imperium.

**edit**
I think it was the combo of the high variants for A&A, Divinity and then 4001AD which just made me roll my eyes for a bit.

[depluto]

The variants bother me much less now (I just get what I feel like and won't even bother with completing a full set) but X-O ending is a major bummer. I'm still here, still buying and enjoying my Valiant comics each month, but I miss the consistency of the first couple of years with all the flagship titles.

The renumbering BS is just a patch that doesn't seem to be working long-term for any of the companies. I quit buying most Marvel because all the relaunches provided convenient stopping points for my collections (which I had been maintaining since I was a kid).

[Keith]

I'm still here, still buying and enjoying my Valiant comics each month, but I miss the consistency of the first couple of years with all the flagship titles.

This. These are still my favorite characters, still supporting the company.

[ShadowTuga]

I still belive in Dinesh and his vision for the company. We might be going through rough times (honestly, Imperium ending is much more painful than X-O renumbering, imo) but I still believe in the "we want to be a very good comics publisher, that's it" tag.
This company is not what I thought it would be in 2012, but I can't complain- had a blast so far reading MOST of their output. The bad, I've learned to ignore (e.g. I haven't touched anything Q&W since Delinquents and Dr. Mirage is feeling flat to me so I might not read more from her side of the woods in the future- not my thing). But the good has been AWESOME (HARBINGER WILL FOREVER BE ONE OF MY FAV RUNS IN COMICS, POINT) and who knows? Greater things might just be around the corner.

[nycjadie]

I'll take thirds on 9.8 candidates, after Rico and Naribe!

[Dr Noel]

I just finished book of death last night. That's how far behind I am. I really liked it and the individual Fall of the Valiant Universe stories did give me some of the excitement I felt when reading the original Rai #0 when back in the day. But the universe is lacking the continuity the original had. In VH1 characters would often just show up in other characters books and the whole scenario seemed natural because of the well established continuity.

I think the difference with VEI is a byproduct of trying to compete with the current market. You can't have a really close knit universe when you are constantly rebooting series in an attempt to snag new readers with a #1 issue. All that does is erode your established fan base. I hope Dinesh and company start to change direction soon. Otherwise, we'll be remembering this as the VH3 era...

[jeremycoe]

DOOM

[Keith]

DOOM

By jingo, it's been awhile since we've had a good old fashioned DOOM thread!

[bRai]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor???

[depluto]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor???

When the going gets tough ...

...

...

...



...

the tough get going!

[Ricomortis]

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor???

When the going gets tough ...

...

...

...



...

the tough get going!

Or the ol' Wall Street saying "When there is blood on the streets, it's time to buy"

Ohhh...

Why haven't I got any inbox messages yet? I will pay for those candidates (9.8) I don't expect you to GIVE them to me.

[slack]

Wow.
Valiant IS my pull list. I get some of the complaints, but I hold out hope that it's all heading somewhere. The vine are showing up in quite a few books lately, right before XO ends it's run. That can't be coincidence.
But, I really hope Dinesh & company see this thread. I'm not enjoying reading this, but these points are honest, and show some of the fan reaction to how things have been going.
Not saying all or any of these things need to be addressed immediately, or at all. But, the concerns in this thread should definitely be talking points around the valiant office.

[nonplayer]

I'm a hard cat for life so I'm still on board with Valiant. I am very sad about the end of Imperium and XO but I won't bail on the company when they need me more than ever and if you bailers do bail the loss of a wicked company will be on your shoulders. I've never been a buy everything type of guy I buy the titles I collect which is just xo but bloodshot, bloodshot Reborn, Divinity, unity, Harbinger, Rai, BoD, are all titles I didn't plan on buying but after reading the first few issues I was hooked. Valiant has done "alot" of good comics. personally I blame the small mindedness of the population of North American for the low numbers. It's the same as Trump being popular but sanders being over looked as a good candidate for presidency. In short people are stupid, and go for the loud stupid and flashy, not for what's good and right. And you people bailing on Valiant now makes me very sad. here we are religious family of fandom for Valiant and your all ready to jump ship at the first sign of trouble. Sure buy what interests you but don't quit Valiant altogether are you kidding me. If we don't support them then all we will be left with is the other two carppy companies making the mindless carp for the mindless masses. If only Canadian Valiant fan club on Facebook didn't close down that group never gave up and would have some kind of plan to gain readers and keep long term fans from leaving at the first sign of trouble.
Do you remember the slogan "stay Valiant"