My Valiant Story
Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg
- ronbar3
- 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
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.
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.
- greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
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Re: My Valiant Story
Welcome to the board! Great story, and great way to remember your friend for so long.
April 14, 1993... I'm not sure why you stood in line for five months for Bloodshot #1, though.
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/25-year ... day-clock/
April 14, 1993... I'm not sure why you stood in line for five months for Bloodshot #1, though.
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/25-year ... day-clock/
- IMJ
- I have a Quasar collection. And I love it. So there.
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Re: My Valiant Story
Welcome to the forums! This is one of the better fandoms out there, so enjoy!
- depluto
- [custom level vored]
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Re: My Valiant Story
Great story, welcome to the board!
- grendeljd
- innerSPACE does whatever I tell them
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Re: My Valiant Story
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;
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;
- TheeBaldMoose
- Rockin' out in Torquehalla
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Re: My Valiant Story
Man, such a fantastic story, and such an excellent way to remember him!
Welcome to the boards! Hope you enjoy yourself here
Welcome to the boards! Hope you enjoy yourself here
Moose
-
- If you gave Aric hugs and kisses, would it be XOXO X-O?
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Re: My Valiant Story
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.