Last week, Valiant Comics teased the announcement of a new series called Unity, which takes its name from a classic crossover from 1992. This time around, however, Unity is an ongoing series by Matt Kindt and Doug Braithewaite that will find some of the Valiant Universe's most notorious characters coming together to stop X-O Manowar, who has taken over Eastern Europe. Spearheading the team-up is none other than Toyo Harada.
"Unity is the single biggest thing that Valiant has thrown its weight behind since the launch of the company with X-O Manowar #1," said Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani in a press release. "If you've heard the buzz about Valiant, if you've seen the incredible reviews, but have yet to try one of our titles, Unity #1 is the perfect starting point. Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite are crafting an incredibly daring, action-packed epic from page one. Unity is the very definition of can't miss comics."
Unity #1 will launch on November 13 and will be fully returnable to qualifying retailers. In addition, there will be five pullbox variant covers from Bryan Hitch, J.G. Jones, Travel Foreman, Paolo Rivera, and Clayton Crain. Not only that, but Neal Adams will provide an incentive cover for issue #1.
For more on Valiant's plans for Unity, I talked with Executive Editor Warren Simons.
IGN Comics: You’re calling Unity a “thematic extension” of the original 1992 crossover, but not a sequel or reboot. Can you elaborate on that approach?
Warren Simons: Like everything we’ve done at Valiant so far, this Unity is a new take on classic concept. In this case, however, Unity is not a linewide event or a short-term crossover – it is an all-new ongoing title, featuring a superstar line-up of some of our most dangerous and powerful characters. In 1992, the first, groundbreaking Unity storyline helped break the Valiant Universe and its characters into the comics mainstream and showed these heroes at the height of the powers. Like that storyline, the new Unity is a big, bombastic and will be uniting the disparate corners of the Valiant Universe for the very first time.
IGN: The Unity team is an interesting collection of characters, and not what you’d expect from the typical “superhero team.” How did you decide who would make up the team?
Simons: It was something that we discussed at length with our writer, Matt Kindt. We had input from many of the Valiant writers during the course of our editorial retreats, and the entire crew kicked around and discussed ideas. I think we’ve got a pretty incredible line-up. Toyo Harada, a child of the bomb – and the leader of the Harbinger Foundation – is hell-bent on making sure that the horrors of Hiroshima are never repeated. The Eternal Warrior, an immortal who’s seen 10,000 years of mankind at its best and worse. Ninjak, perhaps the most lethal operative in the Valiant U. And Livewire – who was once Toyo Harada’s closest disciple — until she betrayed him and nearly cost him his life. He must REALLY need her.
All teaming up to stop X-O Manowar – an out-of-time Visigoth warrior who has taken over Eastern Europe with the most powerful weapon on Earth – and who is rapidly moving the clock one minute closer to midnight. There’s a collision coming…and it’s going to profoundly reshape the Valiant Universe.
IGN: X-O Manowar is seen as the flagship book of the new Valiant, so making him the “villain,” to some degree, of Unity is a pretty bold choice. Is it an intentional choice to push the boundaries of expectation when launching new titles at Valiant?
Simons: Everyone is the hero of their own story, as the saying goes. While I think we’re always trying to push the boundaries of storytelling at Valiant, I think X-O’s got a good case to make for taking over Romania, as crazy as that sounds. He’s a man who comes from a nearly extinct culture that was bathed in violence and warfare. If you wanted a country, you took it. And if you could hold it, it was yours. He’s 1600 years behind the curve. He’s doing what comes naturally. And that’s what makes him so dangerous, and compelling.
IGN: Alternatively, the “heroes” of the story aren’t the nicest guys in the Valiant Universe. What’s interesting to you guys about blurring those lines and walking in shades of grey?
Simons: I think that Valiant’s got a great cast of characters who aren’t your typical heroes and villains. We don’t have a hall where heroes wait for a phone call to go beat up moustache-twisting villains. One of the compelling facets of Unity is the team’s composition. Unity is comprised of hard men and women – killers, black-ops operatives, and warriors. Men who will try at all costs to shape the future. Putting them in a room together is a dangerous proposition.
IGN: How did Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite come aboard this project?
Simons: Matt’s a brilliant writer, and Doug’s an exceptional artist — a tremendous draftsman and storyteller. When it comes to recruiting talent like this, blackmail works best.
IGN: Is Unity a good point of entry for readers new to Valiant?
Simons: Accessibility is at the forefront of everything we do at Valiant. But even with that in mind, Unity is a great jumping-on point, and will be – by design – the most accessible thing that we have put into stores since the company with X-O Manowar #1 last year. If you’ve heard the incredible buzz about Valiant’s series, if you seen all of the great reviews here on IGN, but still haven’t had the good sense to try a Valiant book, Unity is built as a perfect entry point into this whole crazy, mixed-up, Visigoth-bashing melee we like to call the Valiant Universe.
IGN: One interesting tidbit is that you’re making issue #1 returnable for retailers, the first time you’ve offered such a thing since the relaunch, if I’m not mistaken. Can you explain to our readers what the benefit is for retailers, and what the risk might be for Valiant?
Simons: Great question! We think fans should be able to walk into any comic shop and pick up a copy of Unity #1 come November. Returnability will make that possible. And the risk? It’s the same risk that we faced when we launched with the first Summer of Valiant some months back. Will readers and retailers respond to quality storytelling and strong content? Do they believe in what Valiant stands for? I think that, over the course of the past year, we’ve heard a resounding “yes” to both of those questions. With the launch of Valiant’s first-ever team book and the backing of returnability, we’re going to be able to ratchet up our mission even one notch further.
IGN: The Valiant Universe is always shifting, the status quos always changing. Can we expect the same thing from Unity? Will cast members rotate as the series progresses?
Simons: Yes. By issue #5 of this series, we’re going to see massive changes to the status quo of the both the team and the Valiant Universe. We promised that – and I think delivered on it – with Harbinger Wars, which just wrapped up. This is going to be as intense. Things will never be the same for X-O, Harada, and company.
IGN: Anything you’d like to add?
Simons: Thank you! And that Matt Kindt is having way too much fun writing Ninjak and with good reason… Pay close attention to that stealthy ninja when Unity #1 rolls around. He might damn well steal the show.
Joey is a Senior Editor at IGN and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He often wonders whatever happened to Billy's RadBug.
Source : ign[dot]com
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