EXCLUSIVE: Ninjak Villain Roku Returns For First Solo Series

[Dallow Spicer1]

I was coming in here expecting to see this comment made by Dallow Spicer1

I’m just saying what we’re all thinking…

Yeah, maybe don't conclude that everyone comes to the same conclusions that you do.

I agree with KJ,until i read it myself.Practically everybody was in love with Roku until Valiant changed hands,now it sucks.Would have rather seen Savage again.This is the last new series announced until next year though right?The FVL hate sounds more like i hate everything Dmg to me.

Looking at some hints on Twitter I think Savage is coming back soon.

[agent_graves]

I like Roku, not big on the art, but I’m a check it out. Wondering about the length of the series, probably 5 issues.

[Shadowman99]

I'm cool with a Roku series. Tbh, I think if this series had happened straight after To Kill a King then everyone would have been psyched for it. As it is, I think that the current DMG/editorial situation at VEI has just got a lot of people on this board confused as to exactly what the company is currently aiming for and how they plan to go about it, which is frustrating them. As it stands, I feel that there's a lot of pessimism on the board that's causing people to feel more negatively about any given title than they would have during the 'Dinesh Era', and that had these same titles come out during that time everyone would have been psyched for them straight off the bat. Some people are asking for the A-list characters, others say give the B-listers a go, others want new characters altogether... Just what do we really want at the moment?

I'm not for a moment suggesting that anyone's wrong for thinking or feeling what they do at all, but I really think that the above stated factors are causing a lot less excitement for titles that would have otherwise been easily welcomed by most on the board. Honestly, my personal approach is that when I sit down to read the floppies month-in-month-out I mentally separate that experience from [everything else] VEI-related that I know, and I find that I continue to enjoy the comics regardless of how I feel about whatever else is occurring with regards to VEI at the time. Maybe worth giving that approach a go, anyone who's not enjoying the comics at the moment because of 'all the other stuff going on'

New Savage series? I'd be up for that

[grendeljd]

Roku has been one of the coolest new character's to come out of VEI. Lots of interesting history established for her already with her ties to Ninjak's past/present, as well as the origins of her abilities. I think this isn't a bad move to give her a series. Would I like to see more of the flagship characters have regular series instead? Yeah... but that alone is not a good reason to ignore a comic about a newer character that could be pretty damn good. I'll be curious to check this one out.

[Shadowman99]

Roku has been one of the coolest new character's to come out of VEI. Lots of interesting history established for her already with her ties to Ninjak's past/present, as well as the origins of her abilities. I think this isn't a bad move to give her a series. Would I like to see more of the flagship characters have regular series instead? Yeah... but that alone is not a good reason to ignore a comic about a newer character that could be pretty damn good. I'll be curious to check this one out.

Agreed, on all points.

[Ramses818]

I love Rocky, I do not love what was said at the fan panel about trying to figure out who she is and why. Spoiler alert, she was a good person who got a stake from Master Darque shoved into her skull and now she is a bad person. That's the long and short of her. She is a villain by choice at this point. She doesn't want to be alive. She is full of anger. We don't need a another anti hero, she is a good villain...leave her at that. If you don't know the character than better to leave her alone.

Now onto another part.. Valiant/DMG vision. Do not hold out hope for a Rai 0. Not going to happen. They don't want that. They want writers to be able to tell any stories they want with out having continuity or history to get in their way. They want them to tell good stories. If a mini sells well then it can become a regular series and the reverse is true also. So trade waiters are hurting all series. These are from the horses mouth. If you like a series tell some people about it or it will end. That's just the business apparently.

[mramsterdam]

I love Rocky, I do not love what was said at the fan panel about trying to figure out who she is and why. Spoiler alert, she was a good person who got a stake from Master Darque shoved into her skull and now she is a bad person. That's the long and short of her. She is a villain by choice at this point. She doesn't want to be alive. She is full of anger. We don't need a another anti hero, she is a good villain...leave her at that. If you don't know the character than better to leave her alone.

Now onto another part.. Valiant/DMG vision. Do not hold out hope for a Rai 0. Not going to happen. They don't want that. They want writers to be able to tell any stories they want with out having continuity or history to get in their way. They want them to tell good stories. If a mini sells well then it can become a regular series and the reverse is true also. So trade waiters are hurting all series. These are from the horses mouth. If you like a series tell some people about it or it will end. That's just the business apparently.

The fall of books were supposed to be the rai 0,i thought.There has been some continuity and history in the books too.

[TheeBaldMoose]

I think you only get so many chances to reboot before the new #1s lose their luster. So if I’m a new executive editor, I’m quite content to move on from BRS and make an early announcement for Tim Seeley on Bloodshot, and wait for the Paul Levitz submission for the Harbinger-related title while fulfilling the Dysart masterplan. I really hope the new XO pans out, but that’s a more untested writer.

So biding your time with newer Valiant characters is not a bad way to get your legs under you before you get to the flagship properties. Totally understandable that some of us might feel a little impatient with this strategy, but to me it sounds like a good way to flesh out the universe, and make the little mistakes with Warmonger & Dr Mirage before you screw the pooch with the biggies. Certainly I would not want to do crossover events for the time being until faith has been restored. Hence the shared universe feeling somewhat disconnected.

Contrast this with the last editorial team: bragged about high sales for Bloodshot Rising Spirit (perhaps the last Valiant book some new readers will ever pick up) and were making easily-preventable editorial mistakes with Livewire.

I think the previews for Bloodshot and Roku look promising. Bloodshot, in a back-to-the-basics kind of way, and I appreciate Seeley’s take on the character in interviews. I wish Bunn would be writing more horror & weird stuff for Valiant, but that’s what is required of him from other publishers, so he probably agreed to a Roku deal with Valiant to expand his palate a bit (I’m hoping they eventually give him Shadowman!) Matt Kindt did mostly weird stuff & spy books, remember, before joining Valiant. But he really seemed to hit his stride with crossing over into cosmic work like Divinity & Eternity, and I thought his XO was awesome until the plot-necessities of HW2 interrupted the flow of that book.

So I guess we’ll just have to see!

I kind of see what you are saying. There has been tons of people that get mad when a new book that is announced ISN'T a book they want, Lots of grumbles. And while some of them are founded, others with these gripes have been dead wrong. I get it, bide your time until the movie comes out. Hit safe singles (mini's) until you can boot up your big boys, we know they're coming.

Something no one seems to remember, Dinesh and Co did this EXACT same thing, and we heard the EXACT same grumbling! Before Savage, there was bunches of grumblings when it was first announced. Some were curious, but sales sure showed fans were not interested in this book. Another book that landed at that time was Britannia. Again, some grumbles that the big boys were not being put out there (sales were decently solid, both books were amazing). We got Divinity III then too.

I guess what I am trying to say, is this new Valiant has some good solid base hits. Not everything needs to be a home run, and none of these newer books would be considered anything close to that. Some are absolute strike outs (BS:PRS, last Faith book), but Fallen World has been real good. Punk Mambo has been decently solid. The War Monger book was better than people thought. I won't match these new books up with the Dinesh era books I mentioned, but I will compare the grumbles.

I'm not super excited to read Roku or Mirage, but if Forgotten Queen showed me anything, is that something with a B list character could still be decently entertaining. I guess that's all that is needed to keep the ship upright, until the big books land

[Ramses818]

I love Rocky, I do not love what was said at the fan panel about trying to figure out who she is and why. Spoiler alert, she was a good person who got a stake from Master Darque shoved into her skull and now she is a bad person. That's the long and short of her. She is a villain by choice at this point. She doesn't want to be alive. She is full of anger. We don't need a another anti hero, she is a good villain...leave her at that. If you don't know the character than better to leave her alone.

Now onto another part.. Valiant/DMG vision. Do not hold out hope for a Rai 0. Not going to happen. They don't want that. They want writers to be able to tell any stories they want with out having continuity or history to get in their way. They want them to tell good stories. If a mini sells well then it can become a regular series and the reverse is true also. So trade waiters are hurting all series. These are from the horses mouth. If you like a series tell some people about it or it will end. That's just the business apparently.

The fall of books were supposed to be the rai 0,i thought.There has been some continuity and history in the books too.

The Fall of... books are now considered more what if? type of books that may come to pass rather a roadmap of the future. I know before the change we were going to see everything happen but like Harbinger Wars 2 and Psi Lords, things have changed since the changeover. Like I said they are no longer going to restrict writers , they just want them to tell the best story they can. DMG Valiant is different and we all knew that.

[Ramses818]

I think you only get so many chances to reboot before the new #1s lose their luster. So if I’m a new executive editor, I’m quite content to move on from BRS and make an early announcement for Tim Seeley on Bloodshot, and wait for the Paul Levitz submission for the Harbinger-related title while fulfilling the Dysart masterplan. I really hope the new XO pans out, but that’s a more untested writer.

So biding your time with newer Valiant characters is not a bad way to get your legs under you before you get to the flagship properties. Totally understandable that some of us might feel a little impatient with this strategy, but to me it sounds like a good way to flesh out the universe, and make the little mistakes with Warmonger & Dr Mirage before you screw the pooch with the biggies. Certainly I would not want to do crossover events for the time being until faith has been restored. Hence the shared universe feeling somewhat disconnected.

Contrast this with the last editorial team: bragged about high sales for Bloodshot Rising Spirit (perhaps the last Valiant book some new readers will ever pick up) and were making easily-preventable editorial mistakes with Livewire.

I think the previews for Bloodshot and Roku look promising. Bloodshot, in a back-to-the-basics kind of way, and I appreciate Seeley’s take on the character in interviews. I wish Bunn would be writing more horror & weird stuff for Valiant, but that’s what is required of him from other publishers, so he probably agreed to a Roku deal with Valiant to expand his palate a bit (I’m hoping they eventually give him Shadowman!) Matt Kindt did mostly weird stuff & spy books, remember, before joining Valiant. But he really seemed to hit his stride with crossing over into cosmic work like Divinity & Eternity, and I thought his XO was awesome until the plot-necessities of HW2 interrupted the flow of that book.

So I guess we’ll just have to see!

I kind of see what you are saying. There has been tons of people that get mad when a new book that is announced ISN'T a book they want, Lots of grumbles. And while some of them are founded, others with these gripes have been dead wrong. I get it, bide your time until the movie comes out. Hit safe singles (mini's) until you can boot up your big boys, we know they're coming.

Something no one seems to remember, Dinesh and Co did this EXACT same thing, and we heard the EXACT same grumbling! Before Savage, there was bunches of grumblings when it was first announced. Some were curious, but sales sure showed fans were not interested in this book. Another book that landed at that time was Britannia. Again, some grumbles that the big boys were not being put out there (sales were decently solid, both books were amazing). We got Divinity III then too.

I guess what I am trying to say, is this new Valiant has some good solid base hits. Not everything needs to be a home run, and none of these newer books would be considered anything close to that. Some are absolute strike outs (BS:PRS, last Faith book), but Fallen World has been real good. Punk Mambo has been decently solid. The War Monger book was better than people thought. I won't match these new books up with the Dinesh era books I mentioned, but I will compare the grumbles.

I'm not super excited to read Roku or Mirage, but if Forgotten Queen showed me anything, is that something with a B list character could still be decently entertaining. I guess that's all that is needed to keep the ship upright, until the big books land

Just wait, they have some curveballs coming. Personally I am very excited to read Paul Levitz Visitor. It will be a different take on that character. I just hate mini, relaunches and reboots. I wish we had long ongoing series and have character arcs that brought in new characters or stories instead of all the mini. I will give the books a try though. Just because I don't think this will work doesn't mean I am right, only time will tell and at least they are taking chances.

[grendeljd]

Roku has been one of the coolest new character's to come out of VEI. Lots of interesting history established for her already with her ties to Ninjak's past/present, as well as the origins of her abilities. I think this isn't a bad move to give her a series. Would I like to see more of the flagship characters have regular series instead? Yeah... but that alone is not a good reason to ignore a comic about a newer character that could be pretty damn good. I'll be curious to check this one out.

Agreed, on all points.

Having said that, I’m not interested in new stories that are “not tied down to previous continuity” as Ramses has mentioned. No one needs “new” stories that just endlessly go back and revise origin stories for established characters just because an editorial team doesn’t want to burden a creator with having to give a *SQUEE* about what a character is even about. Disappointed to hear that stuff.

[mramsterdam]

They should have just put Rocky in killers.I guess every character can get their own series now,next up Davey the mackeral.Yep her name is rocky,ramses came up with it.

[TheFerg714]

They should have just put Rocky in killers.

What an obvious and great idea.

I guess every character can get their own series now,next up Davey the mackeral.Yep her name is rocky,ramses came up with it.

Remember when Valiant was trying to get us to think that Davey the Mackeral was the next big thing?

[Oxmyx]

They should have just put Rocky in killers.I guess every character can get their own series now,next up Davey the mackeral.Yep her name is rocky,ramses came up with it.

Haha. Davey. I needed that. Now that I think about it I see no good reason that Roku and Davey the Mackeral couldn't BOTH be in Killers

[mramsterdam]

They should have just put Rocky in killers.

What an obvious and great idea.

I guess every character can get their own series now,next up Davey the mackeral.Yep her name is rocky,ramses came up with it.

Remember when Valiant was trying to get us to think that Davey the Mackeral was the next big thing?

Are you serious?Can you or somebody find me the article saying that?If thats true it was the worse thing vei came up with,all he did was moan and groan about living the way he was.

[Shadowman99]

They should have just put Rocky in killers.

What an obvious and great idea.

I guess every character can get their own series now,next up Davey the mackeral.Yep her name is rocky,ramses came up with it.

Remember when Valiant was trying to get us to think that Davey the Mackeral was the next big thing?

Are you serious?Can you or somebody find me the article saying that?If thats true it was the worse thing vei came up with,all he did was moan and groan about living the way he was.

I don't think there was ever an article that specifically stated that VEI were pushing Davey as the next big thing, but I think he did get rather a lot of publicity in the run up to A+A

[mramsterdam]

They should have just put Rocky in killers.

What an obvious and great idea.

I guess every character can get their own series now,next up Davey the mackeral.Yep her name is rocky,ramses came up with it.

Remember when Valiant was trying to get us to think that Davey the Mackeral was the next big thing?

Are you serious?Can you or somebody find me the article saying that?If thats true it was the worse thing vei came up with,all he did was moan and groan about living the way he was.

I don't think there was ever an article that specifically stated that VEI were pushing Davey as the next big thing, but I think he did get rather a lot of publicity in the run up to A+A

Don't bring back that fish.

[Oxmyx]

In 2019, something is fishy in the Valiant Universe....