90's VALIANT Comics Thread 0

[UltraMaximus]

I did a complete pre-Unity re-read a few years ago when the new line was launching and it doesn' hold up so well. But then, a lot of comics from that era don't.

 

The new line is a pretty good read. Especially Archer & Armstrong.

 

These were more awesome when I was 12. Like the Transformers Cartoon when I was 4. Now, IDW has a grown up Transformers story that I can relate too in my old age! I read the original pre unity, and thought about all the pizza coupons it took for me to pay for 1 pre unity book I was chasing back then.

 

But read the new Rai, Harbinger, Bloodshot, and Shadowman, and I like the modern takes on these characters.

[Gatsby77]

Just to say...I liked Shadowman vol. 2 better than vol. 1.

 

The first issue of vol. 2 (by Garth Ennis) was probably the favorite new issue I read in 1997. And the run only got better after he left.

[carter3175]

Maybe I missed something. Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? I've seen flat covers, chromium and gold.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Maybe I missed something. Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? I've seen flat covers, chromium and gold.

 

Yes.

[carter3175]

Did they release them all that way?

[RockMyAmadeus]

Did they release them all that way?

 

No.

[carter3175]

Did they release them all that way?

 

No.

 

Thanks for the explanation! (thumbs u

Edited April 13, 2015 by carter3175

[RockMyAmadeus]

Anytime.

[carter3175]

ya can't make this stuff up

[CKB]

Maybe I missed something. Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? I've seen flat covers, chromium and gold.

 

Yes.

 

The "direct edition" Shadowman 0 had a chromium cover with a high ($3.50 IIRC) cover price. There was also a "newsstand" version with a paper cover and a lower cover price. This wasn't uncommon in that time period, Guardians of the Galaxy 25 had the same sort of thing.

 

The paper cover is harder to find, but I would not call either of them difficult.

 

There is also a Shadowman 0 gold, chromium cover, no cover price. This is one of the tougher chromium gold books for whatever reason. No gold variant for the paper cover.

 

Lastly there is a Shadowman 0 VVSS. This is a signed book with COA in a Valiant mylar that was released directly by Valiant. They used the regular chromium cover version, and it has the embossed Valiant seal on the first page instead of the (usual) front cover.

 

I believe that all of the chromium covers - XO 0, Shadowman 0, Psi-lords 1, etc... - were also given out as promotional items. These are the cover only, flat and unfolded and unstapled. These are, as far as I have seen, the regular chromium cover, not the gold version. I think I am remembering that correctly. I don't have scans of the ones in my collection to check.

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

ya can't make this stuff up

 

Make what stuff up?

 

You asked if the Shadowman #0 came in regular, chromium, and gold, and the answer is yes.

 

You then asked if this happened with any of the other books, and the answer is no.

 

Were you expecting a dissertation...? There's nothing more to say.

 

The Shadowman #0 gold is the ugliest gold there is. It's actually Shadowman #0 dingy yellow. Not attractive at all.

 

 

[carter3175]

ya can't make this stuff up

 

Make what stuff up?

 

You asked if the Shadowman #0 came in regular, chromium, and gold, and the answer is yes.

 

You then asked if this happened with any of the other books, and the answer is no.

 

Were you expecting a dissertation...? There's nothing more to say.

 

The Shadowman #0 gold is the ugliest gold there is. It's actually Shadowman #0 dingy yellow. Not attractive at all.

 

 

Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? That was the question Rock. That question can't be answered in 1 word replies. Its all good man.

 

Yes that gold cover is ugly as hell.

Edited April 13, 2015 by carter3175

[carter3175]

Maybe I missed something. Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? I've seen flat covers, chromium and gold.

 

Yes.

 

The "direct edition" Shadowman 0 had a chromium cover with a high ($3.50 IIRC) cover price. There was also a "newsstand" version with a paper cover and a lower cover price. This wasn't uncommon in that time period, Guardians of the Galaxy 25 had the same sort of thing.

 

The paper cover is harder to find, but I would not call either of them difficult.

 

There is also a Shadowman 0 gold, chromium cover, no cover price. This is one of the tougher chromium gold books for whatever reason. No gold variant for the paper cover.

 

Lastly there is a Shadowman 0 VVSS. This is a signed book with COA in a Valiant mylar that was released directly by Valiant. They used the regular chromium cover version, and it has the embossed Valiant seal on the first page instead of the (usual) front cover.

 

I believe that all of the chromium covers - XO 0, Shadowman 0, Psi-lords 1, etc... - were also given out as promotional items. These are the cover only, flat and unfolded and unstapled. These are, as far as I have seen, the regular chromium cover, not the gold version. I think I am remembering that correctly. I don't have scans of the ones in my collection to check.

 

 

Thanks dude! I asked because I was going through my long boxes and noticed I had several of chromium and paper covers.

[RockMyAmadeus]

ya can't make this stuff up

 

Make what stuff up?

 

You asked if the Shadowman #0 came in regular, chromium, and gold, and the answer is yes.

 

You then asked if this happened with any of the other books, and the answer is no.

 

Were you expecting a dissertation...? There's nothing more to say.

 

The Shadowman #0 gold is the ugliest gold there is. It's actually Shadowman #0 dingy yellow. Not attractive at all.

 

 

Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? That was the question Rock. That question can't be answered in 1 word replies. Its all good man.

 

Yes that gold cover is ugly as hell.

 

There was no logic behind it. Someone decided it was something they wanted to do. Like many things at Valiant, it was a one-off, not repeated (like Solar #10, Solar #10 second print, the Eternal Warrior #1 double golds, etc.) Though there were reasons for some of these, much of what happened at Valiant was experimental, and didn't follow a set pattern.

 

There are no "non-enhanced" version of any of the other chromium books (X-O #0, Ninjak #1, Psi-Lords #1, Geomancer #1, etc.)

 

It wasn't a "newsstand" version, because, at the time, Valiants weren't being sold on newsstands yet. They had a chromium, a "regular", non-enhanced version, and the gold.

[RockMyAmadeus]

By the way....CKB brought up Guardians of the Galaxy #25, which came out around the time of Unity...but Marvel's program was substantially different from Valiant's. The Guardians of the Galaxy #25, for example, has a Direct market "enhanced" version, a non-enhanced Direct version, and a non-enhanced newsstand version.

 

In this case, all three versions are the same price.

 

However, they also had examples where the newsstand was "enhanced" (Silver Surfer #50), and there is no "non-enhanced" version, or there is an "enhanced" version with a higher cover price, while the "regular" and newsstand versions are lower (War Machine #1, etc.)

 

In some cases, even the newsstand got the enhanced treatment, meaning there are FOUR versions (enhanced/non, Direct + newsstand. Avengers #375) And, in some rare cases, the newsstand was the enhanced version, while the non-enhanced only came in Direct. (Thor #475.)

 

In all cases, the Direct market always received the enhanced version.

[valiantman]

I got the feeling that the Shadowman #0 non-chromium might have been a test to see if the total number of books sold goes up if there are two direct editions... particularly if one of them isn't more expensive than a regular issue.

 

Batman #500 had that scenario right around the time that Shadowman #0 would have been solicited, and we all know Superman #75 and Adv. of Superman #500 had two direct editions that sold insane amounts.

 

The premium Shadowman #0 Gold is yellow in the price box, for some reason, but it may have been another experiment since Shadowman #0 already has lots of gold on the cover. Valiant must not have liked the yellow because they went back to the other gold price box for PSI-Lords #1.

[RockMyAmadeus]

I got the feeling that the Shadowman #0 non-chromium might have been a test to see if the total number of books sold goes up if there are two direct editions... particularly if one of them isn't more expensive than a regular issue.

 

Batman #500 had that scenario right around the time that Shadowman #0 would have been solicited, and we all know Superman #75 and Adv. of Superman #500 had two direct editions that sold insane amounts.

 

The premium Shadowman #0 Gold is yellow in the price box, for some reason, but it may have been another experiment since Shadowman #0 already has lots of gold on the cover. Valiant must not have liked the yellow because they went back to the other gold price box for PSI-Lords #1.

 

And, the gold is "mottled" or "orange peel" in Psi-Lords #1 gold, unlike the gold used for the others.

 

They were experimenting with everything. The consistent thing about Valiant from 1991-1996 is that there is very little consistency.

 

Kept us on our toes.

[CKB]

ya can't make this stuff up

 

Make what stuff up?

 

You asked if the Shadowman #0 came in regular, chromium, and gold, and the answer is yes.

 

You then asked if this happened with any of the other books, and the answer is no.

 

Were you expecting a dissertation...? There's nothing more to say.

 

The Shadowman #0 gold is the ugliest gold there is. It's actually Shadowman #0 dingy yellow. Not attractive at all.

 

 

Can someone tell me the logic behind Shadowman 0? That was the question Rock. That question can't be answered in 1 word replies. Its all good man.

 

Yes that gold cover is ugly as hell.

 

There was no logic behind it. Someone decided it was something they wanted to do. Like many things at Valiant, it was a one-off, not repeated (like Solar #10, Solar #10 second print, the Eternal Warrior #1 double golds, etc.) Though there were reasons for some of these, much of what happened at Valiant was experimental, and didn't follow a set pattern.

 

There are no "non-enhanced" version of any of the other chromium books (X-O #0, Ninjak #1, Psi-Lords #1, Geomancer #1, etc.)

 

It wasn't a "newsstand" version, because, at the time, Valiants weren't being sold on newsstands yet. They had a chromium, a "regular", non-enhanced version, and the gold.

 

I agree, I put "newsstand" in quotes because there really was no Valiant newsstand, with bar codes, at that time.

 

GotG 25 turns out not to be the example I was looking for because the cover prices on the different editions were all the same (which is not the way I remember it, but I checked!). RMA gave a few more apt examples of the cover price games that went on with direct vs. newsstand issues.

 

I can't see any other reason for Valiant to do this but to see what happened when they played those games. That doesn't mean there wasn't another reason. :-)

 

If someone could dig up the Previews solicitation for Shadowman 0 it may have a clue or two.

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Oh, no doubt, there was SOME reason behind it. But logic...?

 

 

They were just throwing things against the walls to see what stuck.

 

When they did things only once, and then abandoned them (which does nothing for your brand imaging), you have to wonder what they were thinking.

 

Well, with Valiant, no you don't. You just have Massarsky saying "PRINT MOAR MONEY!!!!"

[valiantman]

Oh, no doubt, there was SOME reason behind it. But logic...?

 

 

They were just throwing things against the walls to see what stuck.

 

When they did things only once, and then abandoned them (which does nothing for your brand imaging), you have to wonder what they were thinking.

 

Well, with Valiant, no you don't. You just have Massarsky saying "PRINT MOAR MONEY!!!!"

 

That's true.

 

I wonder if they had gotten complaints about the chromium books.

 

It wouldn't take much more than one loud dealer telling Valiant their customers didn't like the chromium (or didn't want to pay $3.50) for Valiant to try offering both styles of book.

 

If the orders weren't high enough (or if the complaint never resurfaced), it could explain why they only tried this once.