In a stunning development for Valiant Entertainment, the publisher has delayed its recently released Book of Shadows event series while scaling back its monthly releases in a major way.
The history of Valiant is a checkered one. Originally founded by former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and associate Steven Massarsky, Valiant Comics was launched as an alternative to comic book publishers like Marvel and DC. While it was successful for a period of time, the company was shuttered shortly after it was purchased by Acclaim Entertainment. In 2012, the publisher came back to life as Valiant Entertainment and brought titles like Bloodshot and X-O Manowar with it. The last several years have seen the company go through some rapid changes with its staff, particularly after Valiant was purchased by DMG Entertainment. Amid all the changes in the real world, the Valiant Universe has kept on going, with its heroes still fighting the good fight.
However, it seems that the heroes of Valiant are about to seriously slow down when it comes to their adventures. Valiant Entertainment announced on its website that it would be making some dramatic changes to its release schedule. Despite already releasing the book’s first issue, the release of Valiant’s crossover event series, Book of Shadows, has been delayed for the time being. In addition to the delay, Valiant is scaling down its releases, with the four-part miniseries Bloodshot: Unleashed from Deniz Camp and Jon Davis-Hunt starting in September. Book of Shadows from Cullen Bunn and Vicente Cifuentes will return to conclude in January 2023. And that following March, Valiant will bring back its classic character X-O Manowar for X-O Manowar Unconquered by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Liam Sharp.
Amid the upheaval is one unfortunate casualty for Valiant Fans. Writer Steve Foxe announced on his personal newsletter, The Foxe Gospel, that Archer & Armstrong Forever is ending “for the foreseeable future.” Despite being solicited for six issues, the miniseries has come to an abrupt end with it's recently-released fourth issue. The dramatic reshuffling is odd to say the least and raises a few questions about the status of the company during a year the publisher hyped up as The Year of Valiant.
Valiant certainly isn't the only publisher to be affected in a post-COVID world and staffing changes don’t always signify dark times ahead. But such a dramatic change to Valiant’s release seems rather jarring. After all, the company promised big things for Valiant Entertainment's 2022 celebration. To heavily alter course with a good third of the year left is enough to bring any fan to a pause and wonder what's going on. Regardless of the changes, the company seems positive that the massive change in their scheduling won't stop Valiant Entertainment from bringing comics like Book of Shadows into the hands of their devoted fans.
Source: Valiant Entertainment