My Valiant Story

How did you become a VALIANT collector?

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ronbar3
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:37:33 pm
Valiant fan since: 1993
Favorite character: Shadowman
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Joshua Dysart
Favorite artist: Barry Windsor Smith
My Valiant Story

Post by ronbar3 »

Hello all. First time poster but long time lurker in here.

I've decided to post my Valiant story as my first post to being actually on the board.


So I guess it really started way back with the OG run of A&A. My friend (he is important in my story) had the early issues of A&A and Harbinger and all that had come out pre Unity. I hadn't read any of them as he was buying the issues new and I was only, at this point picking up comics from the quarter bins. More bang for my buck. Over a weekend, he let me read all his Valiant that he had and I was instantly in love with the story telling and the characters. So fast forward to April 14th, 1993. I was in line for Bloodshot #1 to buy two copies. One for me as well as one for him. He was in line for the Death of Superman or Superman #75. Doing the same, one for me and one for him. So yup, I'm actually that guy that was at my LCS in the shorter line because the Bloodshot was the one I actually cared more about even though the death of a Icon was taking the world by storm. Fast forward again to 1998, a year after we graduated High School. My friend, was killed in an auto accident. Drunk driving.... fresh out of High School... we knew everything remember. After his funeral service, his mother came up to me and asked me if there was anything of his that I would want. I wasn't really sure TBH but I said that if she was going to throw out his comics, to at least let me have his Valiant ones. She agreed and I picked up his two long boxes sometime that week. Hit the fast forward button again to the relaunch of Valiant 2012. I have been in from the beginning. Now that I was an adult and had more income coming in than the boy I was then, I bought two copies of everything. One to go into my box and one to go into my friends box. It was kind of a way for me to still read with him in my mind. Crazy I guess but that's how I did it. Up until maybe.... and I need to check, Doctor Mirage: The Second Life, I still did it. It was an internal struggle as I didn't need to buy two copies anymore really. So my girlfriend (now wife) said to me, "if you are going to stop buying him a copy, then why don't you get a Valiant tattoo and then that's something that's always there and you know what it means to you personally and also is an outward showing for something you love." It was an excellent suggestion and so I did. I always loved the Bloodshot 2012 #7 cover, so that's what I decided on. It has the Harbinger symbol (which was my friends favorite Valiant book back then) and has bullet holes for Bloodshot, which took me back to the time of us standing in the two lines waiting on comics to come out that day. So that is what I went with and has been on my right calf ever since. I'm still heavy into Valiant and for reasons mentioned above will always in some way be a huge cheerleader as well as an avid reader.

#StayValiant my friends.
Last edited by ronbar3 on Thu Apr 09, 2020 3:39:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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greg
The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
Posts: 22861
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39:27 am
Valiant fan since: Rai #0
Favorite character: Depends on title
Favorite title: Depends on writer
Favorite writer: Depends on artist
Favorite artist: Depends on character
Location: Indoors
Contact:
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by greg »

Welcome to the board! Great story, and great way to remember your friend for so long.
:high-five:

April 14, 1993... I'm not sure why you stood in line for five months for Bloodshot #1, though. :kidaround:
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/25-year ... day-clock/

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IMJ
I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
Posts: 4752
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:05:45 am
Valiant fan since: VH1 X-O Manowar #1
Favorite character: VH1 Sting | VH2 Rai
Favorite title: VH2 Rai
Favorite writer: Kurt Busiek
Favorite artist: Sean Chen
Location: Chicago, IL
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by IMJ »

Welcome to the forums! This is one of the better fandoms out there, so enjoy!

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ronbar3
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Magnus, Solar, and Turok
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:37:33 pm
Valiant fan since: 1993
Favorite character: Shadowman
Favorite title: Bloodshot
Favorite writer: Joshua Dysart
Favorite artist: Barry Windsor Smith
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by ronbar3 »

IMJ wrote: Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:24:33 pm Welcome to the forums! This is one of the better fandoms out there, so enjoy!
Thanks... thankful to be here.

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geocarr
Those responsible for those remarks have been sacked.
Those responsible for those remarks have been sacked.
Posts: 4368
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:07:56 pm
Valiant fan since: 1992
Favorite character: Vincent the Goat!
Favorite title: All of them!
Location: Woods of Southeastern NC
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by geocarr »

Welcome to being officially on the board!
***Support your local farmers!***

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depluto
[custom level vored]
[custom level vored]
Posts: 19504
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 1:38:47 pm
Valiant fan since: Yes
Favorite character: Yes
Favorite title: Yes
Favorite writer: Yes
Location: Pluto Beach FL
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by depluto »

Great story, welcome to the board!

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grendeljd
innerSPACE does whatever I tell them
innerSPACE does whatever I tell them
Posts: 8132
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 6:51:43 am
Valiant fan since: 1991
Favorite character: Aric
Favorite title: Harbinger
Location: On the 7.5th floor of LesterCorp, headed through the back door to John Malkovich's brain.
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by grendeljd »

That’s a really great story man. Even though it was a long time ago now, sorry for the loss of your friend. Welcome to the board!
I like to draw stuff... http://grendeljd.deviantart.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My wife likes to draw stuff too, and she is better than me! [I'm very proud of her]... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara-Dec ... ref=stream" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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TheeBaldMoose
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:03:41 pm
Valiant fan since: ECCC April 2016
Favorite character: Bloodshot/Ninjak/Divinity
Favorite title: Divinity/BS Reborn/Britannia
Favorite writer: Kindt/Lemire/Roberts
Favorite artist: All of them, really
Location: Tacoma
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by TheeBaldMoose »

Man, such a fantastic story, and such an excellent way to remember him!

Welcome to the boards! Hope you enjoy yourself here
Moose

cthulhu73
If you gave Aric hugs and kisses, would it be XOXO X-O?
If you gave Aric hugs and kisses, would it be XOXO X-O?
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 4:12:23 pm
Valiant fan since: 1991
Favorite character: Peter Stanchek
Favorite title: Harbinger
Favorite writer: Joshua Dysart
Favorite artist: Not sure
Re: My Valiant Story

Post by cthulhu73 »

Thanks for sharing that, man. I'm sorry for your loss; it obviously greatly affected you. You seem to have a sweet thoughtful wife, too.


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