Suggestions for new Rai creative team

[CallMeBloodshot]

Mark Waid is good but his writing is too lighthearted for a Rai book IMO. Rai is a pretty self serious character. It's one of the many things that makes him compelling.

I've been a faithful reader of Waid's Daredevil series and I think he hits all the emotional beats ... he has delved into a wide ranging spectrum of emotion and serious topics ... including cancer, death, mental and emotional breakdowns, controversial in the news topics regarding racial profiling..etc ... And he has handled all these things brilliantly. And I see a lot of similarities between Daredevil and Rai in regards to the seriousness of the character.

I'm confident he can handle the character ... my concern would be about how willing he is going to be to push the envelope in creating this futuristic world that should blow our minds.

We might need someone who is exclusive to VEI ... like Mr. Dysart ... who I think would be another great choice because you know he will push the envelope in trying to blow our heads off...

Oh, I don't doubt Waid's ability to express those things. I just think anything I've read of his have a vein of comedy that runs through it and brings those things to the forefront. It's a great skill he has. I just don't think his skillset is suited to a book like Rai.

Dysart might not be bad. Christos Gage possibly.

My top choice is still V-Ditti, though.

[CallMeBloodshot]

V-Ditti writing.

This! There's no writer I trust more than V-Ditti right now. He knocks everything out of the park.

I think I even heard an interview with him on a Green Lantern podcast where he said Rai was one of the characters he was most interested in writing for.

I love V-Ditti, but I'd really like more than a week of Rai's life to be covered in the first year.

Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus) writing, Clayton Crain on art.

I like Sean Murphy's art. Not sure about his writing.

He was the first to pop into my head because of the themes involved in PRJ...I could see similar themes being explored in a Rai series.

Ales Kot would be another good choice, and since he's done some work for VEI it is definitely possible.

Just so you know, any joke at the expense of V-Ditti's amazing writing will not go far with me Nice try, though

[Talisman]

V-Ditti writing.

This! There's no writer I trust more than V-Ditti right now. He knocks everything out of the park.

I think I even heard an interview with him on a Green Lantern podcast where he said Rai was one of the characters he was most interested in writing for.

I'd be down for that if he dropped one of his DC commitments. It's the only work I've found to be...lacking from him.

[400yrs]

He may be Marvel exclusive, but if not, Matt Fraction stories with Aja pictures.

[leonmallett]

Three writers I would like to see are Brandon Graham (Prophet and other stuff), Nick Spencer or Jonathan Hickman (but is he exclusive to Marvel?).

[hunter_peterson]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

[Talisman]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

I am so on board for this. I'd love to see the current Geomancer or Dr. Mirage get a solo. Valiant would be my heroes if they did such a thing.

[hunter_peterson]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

I am so on board for this. I'd love to see the current Geomancer or Dr. Mirage get a solo. Valiant would be my heroes if they did such a thing.

I think that Doctor Mirage could actually be a really great addition to the line up as a weird crime noir along the lines of Fatale or Coffin Hill, with the aesthetic of the book influenced heavily by both Asian horror movies and classic detective fiction. Have Carmen be her wife/Watson. They solve mysteries. Would be awesome.

Geomancer would be a little more difficult to wrangle into an ongoing, but a zero issue would be a great start!

[BugsySig]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

I am so on board for this. I'd love to see the current Geomancer or Dr. Mirage get a solo. Valiant would be my heroes if they did such a thing.

I think that Doctor Mirage could actually be a really great addition to the line up as a weird crime noir along the lines of Fatale or Coffin Hill, with the aesthetic of the book influenced heavily by both Asian horror movies and classic detective fiction. Have Carmen be her wife/Watson. They solve mysteries. Would be awesome.

Geomancer would be a little more difficult to wrangle into an ongoing, but a zero issue would be a great start!

Please no female Rai. At least not right away. I'd be open for it down the line, though.

Couldn't agree more on Dr. Mirage. That's exactly what I've been thinking. Actually, it would be cool if Carmen was a ghost this time around. Mirage can see the dead, so her significant other dies and her ghost is constantly around her...helping her solve mysteries but buggering up her love life. A slight twist on the original.

[hunter_peterson]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

I am so on board for this. I'd love to see the current Geomancer or Dr. Mirage get a solo. Valiant would be my heroes if they did such a thing.

I think that Doctor Mirage could actually be a really great addition to the line up as a weird crime noir along the lines of Fatale or Coffin Hill, with the aesthetic of the book influenced heavily by both Asian horror movies and classic detective fiction. Have Carmen be her wife/Watson. They solve mysteries. Would be awesome.

Geomancer would be a little more difficult to wrangle into an ongoing, but a zero issue would be a great start!

Please no female Rai. At least not right away. I'd be open for it down the line, though.

Couldn't agree more on Dr. Mirage. That's exactly what I've been thinking. Actually, it would be cool if Carmen was a ghost this time around. Mirage can see the dead, so her significant other dies and her ghost is constantly around her...helping her solve mysteries but buggering up her love life. A slight twist on the original.

Glad to see that this idea for Mirage is shared by others.

And, completely not in an argumentative way, why would you prefer Rai not be female? I think that it actually adds to the character, especially if the pitch was influenced by the Lone Wolf and Cub direction they were going to take the original in. No other Valiant lead is a mother, which is in itself extremely rare in comics. Plus the character drama of a honor-centric society's pressures of parental responsibility stacked on potentially raising your successor in defending your people would be really interesting. And you could even have her child be one previous Rai and her father another! It'd be pretty cool, personally.

Though if you want the new Rai to be a modernized version of the original, I understand that too. He was built up really well and then was killed off. It would be nice to see him more.

[BugsySig]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

I am so on board for this. I'd love to see the current Geomancer or Dr. Mirage get a solo. Valiant would be my heroes if they did such a thing.

I think that Doctor Mirage could actually be a really great addition to the line up as a weird crime noir along the lines of Fatale or Coffin Hill, with the aesthetic of the book influenced heavily by both Asian horror movies and classic detective fiction. Have Carmen be her wife/Watson. They solve mysteries. Would be awesome.

Geomancer would be a little more difficult to wrangle into an ongoing, but a zero issue would be a great start!

Please no female Rai. At least not right away. I'd be open for it down the line, though.

Couldn't agree more on Dr. Mirage. That's exactly what I've been thinking. Actually, it would be cool if Carmen was a ghost this time around. Mirage can see the dead, so her significant other dies and her ghost is constantly around her...helping her solve mysteries but buggering up her love life. A slight twist on the original.

Glad to see that this idea for Mirage is shared by others.

And, completely not in an argumentative way, why would you prefer Rai not be female? I think that it actually adds to the character, especially if the pitch was influenced by the Lone Wolf and Cub direction they were going to take the original in. No other Valiant lead is a mother, which is in itself extremely rare in comics. Plus the character drama of a honor-centric society's pressures of parental responsibility stacked on potentially raising your successor in defending your people would be really interesting. And you could even have her child be one previous Rai and her father another! It'd be pretty cool, personally.

Though if you want the new Rai to be a modernized version of the original, I understand that too. He was built up really well and then was killed off. It would be nice to see him more.

I don't have a problem with reinvention, and your ideas are good ones. Maybe it's just my personal attachment to the character, but I believe certain concepts and characters are too iconic to be so dramatically changed. Doctor Mirage was hardly an icon and, as such, the gender swap was surprising but not unwelcome.

I also believe the deep-seeded and complex themes of honor and duty in Rai, especially being centered in the Japanese culture, are better addressed through a male figure. The father-son dynamic there is so rich and complex. Not that this can't be achieved through a female character, I just don't think doing so would do the concept justice.

[hunter_peterson]

I think that Ales Kot or Joshua Hale Fialkov would both be fantastic choices. As for art... I think there're lots of awesome artists that would make Rai look amazing. But my ones are mostly pipe dreams. I mean, sure, Jock drawing Rai would be mind blowing, but unlikely...

I ALSO SUGGEST RAI BE FEMALE! Boom. Would make jaws drop/differentiate the character from the past incarnations, Ninjak and Bloodshot. And bold is kind of Valiant's thing.

I am so on board for this. I'd love to see the current Geomancer or Dr. Mirage get a solo. Valiant would be my heroes if they did such a thing.

I think that Doctor Mirage could actually be a really great addition to the line up as a weird crime noir along the lines of Fatale or Coffin Hill, with the aesthetic of the book influenced heavily by both Asian horror movies and classic detective fiction. Have Carmen be her wife/Watson. They solve mysteries. Would be awesome.

Geomancer would be a little more difficult to wrangle into an ongoing, but a zero issue would be a great start!

Please no female Rai. At least not right away. I'd be open for it down the line, though.

Couldn't agree more on Dr. Mirage. That's exactly what I've been thinking. Actually, it would be cool if Carmen was a ghost this time around. Mirage can see the dead, so her significant other dies and her ghost is constantly around her...helping her solve mysteries but buggering up her love life. A slight twist on the original.

Glad to see that this idea for Mirage is shared by others.

And, completely not in an argumentative way, why would you prefer Rai not be female? I think that it actually adds to the character, especially if the pitch was influenced by the Lone Wolf and Cub direction they were going to take the original in. No other Valiant lead is a mother, which is in itself extremely rare in comics. Plus the character drama of a honor-centric society's pressures of parental responsibility stacked on potentially raising your successor in defending your people would be really interesting. And you could even have her child be one previous Rai and her father another! It'd be pretty cool, personally.

Though if you want the new Rai to be a modernized version of the original, I understand that too. He was built up really well and then was killed off. It would be nice to see him more.

I don't have a problem with reinvention, and your ideas are good ones. Maybe it's just my personal attachment to the character, but I believe certain concepts and characters are too iconic to be so dramatically changed. Doctor Mirage was hardly an icon and, as such, the gender swap was surprising but not unwelcome.

I also believe the deep-seeded and complex themes of honor and duty in Rai, especially being centered in the Japanese culture, are better addressed through a male figure. The father-son dynamic there is so rich and complex. Not that this can't be achieved through a female character, I just don't think doing so would do the concept justice.

Sound reasoning is good reasoning. Also, a female Rai would look even more like the current Katana design, which would maybe be awkward. Honestly, I'll be happy with whatever Valiant gives us, so it's all cool.

[Manaf82]

Relax, young Rai.

Focus.

Think of eternal things..

[Bl00dsh0t]

V-Ditti or Dysart would be cool. Didnt Justin Jordon submit something for a Rai story??? I thought I read that somewhere...I wouldn't mind Nord as the artist to be honest...something a little different...

For me: Jordan/Nord.

[blujay]

Writing:

1. V-Ditti
2. Matt Wagner
3. Mark Waid

I wouldn't want to spread Dysart too thin, plus I think he'd work a lot better on other Valiant titles

Art:

1. Patrick Zircher (Bring back Patch!)
2. Marcos Martin
3. Rafael Grampa (His VEI covers are all awesome so why not?)
4. Clayton Crain

[jkingman]

I'll go with Mike Choi for the art, me as the writer
I'd make Rai male, BUT would give him a daughter as an only child, his rebellion against the system will be to refuse to have another child and he'll train her to replace him, so the potential for a female Rai is set up.

[mateo107]

My ideal creative team would be Marc Andreyko

he was the first writer that came to mind for me too!

[Chris Campbell]

Robert Atkins!!

[Man Of The Atom]

Warren Ellis and Jackson Pollock

[leonmallett]

Robert Atkins!!

Good call.

[Manaf82]

Warren Ellis would be awesome..It would be the greatest thing ever..But i don't think he would be interested..

[erwinrafael]

Mark Waid is good but his writing is too lighthearted for a Rai book IMO. Rai is a pretty self serious character. It's one of the many things that makes him compelling.

I've been a faithful reader of Waid's Daredevil series and I think he hits all the emotional beats ... he has delved into a wide ranging spectrum of emotion and serious topics ... including cancer, death, mental and emotional breakdowns, controversial in the news topics regarding racial profiling..etc ... And he has handled all these things brilliantly. And I see a lot of similarities between Daredevil and Rai in regards to the seriousness of the character.

I'm confident he can handle the character ... my concern would be about how willing he is going to be to push the envelope in creating this futuristic world that should blow our minds.

We might need someone who is exclusive to VEI ... like Mr. Dysart ... who I think would be another great choice because you know he will push the envelope in trying to blow our heads off...

Oh, I don't doubt Waid's ability to express those things. I just think anything I've read of his have a vein of comedy that runs through it and brings those things to the forefront. It's a great skill he has. I just don't think his skillset is suited to a book like Rai.

Dysart might not be bad. Christos Gage possibly.

My top choice is still V-Ditti, though.

I guess you have not read Mark Waid's Eisner-nominated EMPIRE.

And one of his major works, Kingdom Come, is a pretty good futuristic story that is really serious.

[Manaf82]

Mark Waid is good but his writing is too lighthearted for a Rai book IMO. Rai is a pretty self serious character. It's one of the many things that makes him compelling.

I've been a faithful reader of Waid's Daredevil series and I think he hits all the emotional beats ... he has delved into a wide ranging spectrum of emotion and serious topics ... including cancer, death, mental and emotional breakdowns, controversial in the news topics regarding racial profiling..etc ... And he has handled all these things brilliantly. And I see a lot of similarities between Daredevil and Rai in regards to the seriousness of the character.

I'm confident he can handle the character ... my concern would be about how willing he is going to be to push the envelope in creating this futuristic world that should blow our minds.

We might need someone who is exclusive to VEI ... like Mr. Dysart ... who I think would be another great choice because you know he will push the envelope in trying to blow our heads off...

Oh, I don't doubt Waid's ability to express those things. I just think anything I've read of his have a vein of comedy that runs through it and brings those things to the forefront. It's a great skill he has. I just don't think his skillset is suited to a book like Rai.

Dysart might not be bad. Christos Gage possibly.

My top choice is still V-Ditti, though.

I guess you have not read Mark Waid's Eisner-nominated EMPIRE.

And one of his major works, Kingdom Come, is a pretty good futuristic story that is really serious.

+1

[leonmallett]

Mark Waid is good but his writing is too lighthearted for a Rai book IMO. Rai is a pretty self serious character. It's one of the many things that makes him compelling.

I've been a faithful reader of Waid's Daredevil series and I think he hits all the emotional beats ... he has delved into a wide ranging spectrum of emotion and serious topics ... including cancer, death, mental and emotional breakdowns, controversial in the news topics regarding racial profiling..etc ... And he has handled all these things brilliantly. And I see a lot of similarities between Daredevil and Rai in regards to the seriousness of the character.

I'm confident he can handle the character ... my concern would be about how willing he is going to be to push the envelope in creating this futuristic world that should blow our minds.

We might need someone who is exclusive to VEI ... like Mr. Dysart ... who I think would be another great choice because you know he will push the envelope in trying to blow our heads off...

Oh, I don't doubt Waid's ability to express those things. I just think anything I've read of his have a vein of comedy that runs through it and brings those things to the forefront. It's a great skill he has. I just don't think his skillset is suited to a book like Rai.

Dysart might not be bad. Christos Gage possibly.

My top choice is still V-Ditti, though.

I guess you have not read Mark Waid's Eisner-nominated EMPIRE.

And one of his major works, Kingdom Come, is a pretty good futuristic story that is really serious.

There was also his LoSH run (with Kitson) which was pretty downbeat to say the least; but also very slow, which was not something I associated with Waid before that.

[leonmallett]

Another writer who i think could fit well with VEI's VALIANT is Paul Cornell, and I think he could do a credible job with something like Rai or Ninjak.