I love Valiant.
Like out of control, foam at the mouth, crazyville love Valiant. Now, I haven't always been a fan. Like most of the people who bought a comic or two during most of the nineties, I stopped buying nearly all comics for a hyper-extended period of time. Most everyone focuses on something else for a few years when the finances take a dip. Most twenty to thirty year olds don't exactly focus on investments.
Combine that with the comics crash of the nineties, Valiant was doomed. Along with nearly all of the craziness. Now, most of the comics companies at the time were thoroughly investing in an industry that had no capability of maintaining its growth throughout that time. None. At all. I can remember hearing at one time a riddle. In 1977, when Elvis died, there were 170 Elvis impersonators. By now, there were 85,000. At the current rate of growth, by 2019, one third of the world's population will be Elvis impersonators.
Did anyone believe that? Certainly not. But people were buying the comics thing. Like crazy. I can remember going into a comics store, and seeing the Ghost Rider #5 with Punisher on the cover. A guy came in, looked at it for a second, and said to the guy behind the counter, "gimme a case." A CASE! For crying out loud! A case!
A big part of me thought, "Thank goodness I got mine." But at the same time, I thought, "This can't last..." A second printing with the old Marvel gold cover came out, too. Crazy. My guess is you can find most of these books now relatively cheaply. But Marvel was at the top of the heap. The top. It seemed that people would buy anything that they put out. I laughed at people who would peruse the DC stuff. Superman? Really? I mean, I bought the Death of Robin thing. Batman Year One. But Superman? Come on. MARVEL WAS KING! No one could topple this beast of a comic.
Valiant came out and changed all of that. The art, the stories, revolutionary. Based in the real world, with consequences... It was pure GENIUS! No comic company had EVER tried ANYTHING out like that. This Shooter guy... What a genius. Where did he work before all of this? Wait. What the heck?
Combine that with the comics crash of the nineties, Valiant was doomed. Along with nearly all of the craziness. Now, most of the comics companies at the time were thoroughly investing in an industry that had no capability of maintaining its growth throughout that time. None. At all. I can remember hearing at one time a riddle. In 1977, when Elvis died, there were 170 Elvis impersonators. By now, there were 85,000. At the current rate of growth, by 2019, one third of the world's population will be Elvis impersonators.
Did anyone believe that? Certainly not. But people were buying the comics thing. Like crazy. I can remember going into a comics store, and seeing the Ghost Rider #5 with Punisher on the cover. A guy came in, looked at it for a second, and said to the guy behind the counter, "gimme a case." A CASE! For crying out loud! A case!
A big part of me thought, "Thank goodness I got mine." But at the same time, I thought, "This can't last..." A second printing with the old Marvel gold cover came out, too. Crazy. My guess is you can find most of these books now relatively cheaply. But Marvel was at the top of the heap. The top. It seemed that people would buy anything that they put out. I laughed at people who would peruse the DC stuff. Superman? Really? I mean, I bought the Death of Robin thing. Batman Year One. But Superman? Come on. MARVEL WAS KING! No one could topple this beast of a comic.
Valiant came out and changed all of that. The art, the stories, revolutionary. Based in the real world, with consequences... It was pure GENIUS! No comic company had EVER tried ANYTHING out like that. This Shooter guy... What a genius. Where did he work before all of this? Wait. What the heck?
Blew me away
As it turns out, it had been tried before. To the stunned silence of most of the comics field. I had heard of Shooter before. And this spectacular failure. Like stunning, stupid, out of control crazy failure.
In 1986, or 1987, or whatever it was, I saw New Universe comics. I was buying comics just before New Universe came out. Many of the books had advertisements for the upcoming "new Universe." I saw it like most of the rest of the world did. As a silly dalliance, soon to be swallowed up into the world of every other silly concept that took attention away from X-Men, Spider-Man, and the rest of the existing 'real' Marvel Universe.
I can remember thinking it was a pretty good idea. The thought of starting over in some kind of parallel universe - or a competition against self could really work out. Then, I saw the launched title Spitfire and the Troubleshooters. Yealcch. That looked like, "What if Iron Man was a girl, and decided to stay with the original crappy armor. Ugh."
To be fair, I never ever read any copy of any New Universe title. In fact, I didn't even give any book during the run any kind of a look at all. With one exception. The cover of the Star Brand comic with the characters in X-Men on the cover. A part of me remembers flipping though the comic when I saw the X-Men on the cover, and then realizing it was X-Men costumes, and thinking, "what a cheap rip off." It was. It was made to make me look at the book. But since I didn't buy it, kind of a failure.
It wasn't that the New Universe had bad writing, art, or anything else but nothing. And from what I've read, it was weaponized to eliminate Jim Shooter from Marvel. It worked, too. Shooter was fired/quit sometime around the first year of the New Universe.
A funny thing happened along the way of the comics, though. People read them, and funny enough, liked them. Sometimes kind of a lot. And that's what... twenty-five years ago or so forward, I am looking back on.
In 1986, or 1987, or whatever it was, I saw New Universe comics. I was buying comics just before New Universe came out. Many of the books had advertisements for the upcoming "new Universe." I saw it like most of the rest of the world did. As a silly dalliance, soon to be swallowed up into the world of every other silly concept that took attention away from X-Men, Spider-Man, and the rest of the existing 'real' Marvel Universe.
I can remember thinking it was a pretty good idea. The thought of starting over in some kind of parallel universe - or a competition against self could really work out. Then, I saw the launched title Spitfire and the Troubleshooters. Yealcch. That looked like, "What if Iron Man was a girl, and decided to stay with the original crappy armor. Ugh."
To be fair, I never ever read any copy of any New Universe title. In fact, I didn't even give any book during the run any kind of a look at all. With one exception. The cover of the Star Brand comic with the characters in X-Men on the cover. A part of me remembers flipping though the comic when I saw the X-Men on the cover, and then realizing it was X-Men costumes, and thinking, "what a cheap rip off." It was. It was made to make me look at the book. But since I didn't buy it, kind of a failure.
It wasn't that the New Universe had bad writing, art, or anything else but nothing. And from what I've read, it was weaponized to eliminate Jim Shooter from Marvel. It worked, too. Shooter was fired/quit sometime around the first year of the New Universe.
A funny thing happened along the way of the comics, though. People read them, and funny enough, liked them. Sometimes kind of a lot. And that's what... twenty-five years ago or so forward, I am looking back on.
Fast forward... Twenty-five years
So, it's about twenty-five years after the New Universe (HEY! If Marvel can celebrate the twentieth anniversary of New Universe in the twenty-first, then...). And what do you know? Valiant, of all things - is taking a second chance. For me to say that I am excited is a VERY VERY VERY big understatement. So, I thought it was a good opportunity to take a look back through THE New Universe while reading the Valiant New Universe at the same time. Since Shooter created both NU and VU, both have a real opportunity to connect. And frankly, it's as good a time as any to give these books a whirl. If you've got a comic book shop near you, it's most certainly got a quarter bin. If it's got a quarter bin, it most certainly has some New Universe. Most of these books being a quarter, it's a great opportunity to take a ride, kids. I've read only one New Universe book - the above Star Brand issue 1. With some assistance - from a New U expert, I hope to really explore the Valiant universes: New Universe, original Valiant, and New Universe on a month-by-month basis. I think I may also offer some reflection for each against the old Silver Age Marvel issues, too. I'll give you some homework for next episode - what to read before next week - or at least be informed about. If you'd like to read up, try it out. Some of it may be pertinent, but some of it won't be. Most of the initial comparison will revolve around the two Valiant Universes, and the New Universe, too.
I will probably also try to record some kind of in-between monthly podcast. It may be me spitballing for the week, putting together something new, my take on what's going on, or heck. I may talk about Watchmen, Walking Dead, or West Coast Avengers. All good stuff, right?
The MYNUVR podcast. Me, You, New Universe Valiant Re-read.
I will probably also try to record some kind of in-between monthly podcast. It may be me spitballing for the week, putting together something new, my take on what's going on, or heck. I may talk about Watchmen, Walking Dead, or West Coast Avengers. All good stuff, right?
The MYNUVR podcast. Me, You, New Universe Valiant Re-read.
