THE SHADOW #13
Chris Roberson (w)
Giovanni Timpanol (a)
Alex Ross, Paolo Rivera, Tim Bradstreet, Francesco Francavilla (c)
4 regular covers will be shipped in equal ratios
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
A grisly string of random murders has left the authorities baffled, but The Shadow believes there is method to the killer’s madness. At each crime scene, eyewitnesses have spotted the spectral figure of a woman in white. Is “The Light” behind the murders, or a victim’s lost spirit? The Shadow must unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again!

When asked on Twitter if this would be longer than the upcoming “Light” arc, Roberson said he didn’t plan on going away anytime soon. This is great news for Shadow fans. Roberson has handled the cast of Masks well, but his Shadow writing stands out. The writer mentioned he particularly enjoyed writing the character in our interview last month (click here for that).  It will be interesting to see what Roberson brings to his first arc. He has written a lot of great stories and comics, but I’ve been particularly impressed with Masks. Having Chris Roberson continue on with the pulp characters will be something you can’t miss. What do you think about the news? Will you be tuning in for The Shadow vs. The Light?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Chris Roberson To Write The Shadow Ongoing

Marvel touts the series as giving readers a “rare glimpse into the ultimate nihilist’s early days on his far-off home planet Titan” and the life events that lead him down his path of cosmic villainy. Aaron promised that the origin story is literally that, starting with the Mad Titan’s birth. The series will have some new characters, but there will be several familiar names including Thanos’ father Mentor and his mother Sui-San. Aaron talked about the question that runs through the series:

Well, that’s really the main question of the book. Who is Thanos? When the book starts, even Thanos doesn’t know the answer to that question. It’s the pursuit of that answer that begins to take him to some very dark places. This is not a super hero story. There are no good guys swooping in to save the day here. This is the origin story of a very bad dude. A cosmic mass murderer.

This past summer I had the opportunity to speak with Jim Starlin about the first proposed Thanos origin story, and he shared his thoughts on that (you can find that here). Starlin laid down a lot of history for his creation, but Aaron will be going through pulling it all together and giving it a slight twist. Aaron is sticking to Starlin’s work and talks about how he will continue on from what has already been written:

Jim Starlin of course had already laid down a lot of the pieces of Thanos’ origin, but they were spread out in several different stories written over the course of several years. THANOS RISING combines all those pieces and also fills in a lot of the cracks. I think it’s true to Starlin’s original ideas for the character, while also expanding on some aspects of the origin, and playing around a bit with the dark romance part of the character’s history.

The series starts in April, but as of now there is no word on how long the miniseries will run. Thanos Rising will serve as an entry points for people who just found out about the Mad Titan through The Avengers, but old fans will also get something out of it. Aaron has been writing some great stuff the past few years with Scalped and his recent Thor, so it will be interesting to see what he brings to Thanos. Bianchi’s art is great so that’s an added bonus. You can read the full interview to see what Bianchi had to say about redesigning a young Thanos by clicking here. What do you think about the proposed series? Will you be picking this one up?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Jason Aaron To Write Thanos Origin Series: Thanos Rising

X-O MANOWAR #11
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CARY NORD
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Pullbox Exclusive Cover by CARY NORD
Variant Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
Wraparound Variant by BART SEARS

ALL-NEW ARC! PLANET DEATH has arrived! X-O Manowar’s one-man invasion of the Vine’s alien homeworld starts here!

At long last, Aric of Dacia will take his revenge on the alien race that have pursued him at every turn. As his Visigoth forefathers sacked Rome, so too will Aric of Dacia bring a devastating assault to the doorstep of his oppressors. Taking the battle directly to the Vine planet of Loam, he will decimate their armies, he will level their cities – and he will not stop until the whole of their empire is reduced to ash. But when one man declares war on an entire world, what painful consequences will he reap for himself – and for the whole of human race?

Featuring the return of superstar penciler Cary Nord, PLANET DEATH is THE event that will define X-O Manowar’s place in the Valiant Universe. Don’t miss this juggernaut of a storyline when X-O Manowar descends on PLANET DEATH in March!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MARCH 20th

SHADOWMAN #5
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER
Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
‘Blackout’ Pullbox Exclusive Variant by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
Linewide Variant by RAFAEL GRAMPA

ALL-NEW ARC! The coming of Master Darque is upon us.

Jack Boniface has just been to Hell and back. After surviving the horrors of the Deadside, Jack is taking his new abilities to the limit and discovering more about the legacy of the Shadowman with each passing night. But what if he wasn’t the only thing that managed to escape back to Earth? Something dark has arrived in New Orleans, leaving death and madness in its black wake. What’s more, the city’s deadliest cartel assassin is after Jack, and he refuses to die – literally!

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MARCH 6th

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #8
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art & Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by TOM FOWLER

Nothing is forever. So say the Null.

“The Wrath of the Eternal Warrior” gears up for its universe-shattering penultimate issue! “Nothing is Forever.” That is the motto of the Null, the enemies of the Geomancers for centuries. Now, at last, the Null have found the key to the utter destruction of all that is – and his name is Obadiah Archer! Can Aram and Gilad set aside their differences long enough to team up against Armstrong’s best friend – and will any of them survive the final battle?

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MARCH 13th

BLOODSHOT #9
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by MANUEL GARCIA
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY

There’s no turning back now.

The man with a past he can’t remember has to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life. Should he play the role of savior and unleash a force that could possibly destabilize the world? Or should he settle into the role he knows best ¬¬– killer – and wipe the slate clean, once and for all? Full of shocks, heart-stopping action and more backstabbing than a dozen productions of Julius Caesar, Bloodshot has his finger on the trigger – and the shot that will be heard around the Valiant Universe gets fired right here.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MARCH 13th

HARBINGER #10
Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by PERE PEREZ
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Variant Cover by KHARI EVANS

Lead or die. Peter Stanchek is about to face his toughest test yet.

Trapped between the opposing forces of Toyo Harada’s Eggbreakers and Project Rising Spirit, Peter Stanchek and his wayward band of renegade telekinetics are about to find themselves in a vicious, three-way firefight. Can they put aside their fears and do battle as the team they’ll need to be to survive? The Renegades are about to make their big debut – and, when the smoke clears, the Valiant Universe is going to be a very different place.

$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MARCH 20th

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG VOL. 1: THE MICHELANGELO CODE TPB
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by MICO SUAYAN

It’s history in the breaking!

After years of meditation and training, 18-year-old Obadiah Archer has been dispatched to New York City to carry out the sacred mission of his family’s sect – locate and kill the fun-loving, hard-drinking immortal known as Armstrong! But as this naive teenage assassin stalks his prey, he’ll soon find that both hunter and hunted are just pawns in a centuries-old conspiracy that stretches from the catacombs beneath Wall Street to the heights of the Himalayas. And Archer & Armstrong will have to work together if the future is to stand any chance of surviving the past’s greatest threat!

From the New York Times best-selling creative team of writer Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies) and Clayton Henry (Incredible Herc), this volume collects ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1-4!

“This is an A+ book..” – Ain’t It Cool News
“A flawlessly executed debut…that already has almost everyone buzzing.” – Bleeding Cool

$9.99/T+/112 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-8-8
ON SALE MARCH 6th

X-O MANOWAR VOL. 2: ENTER NINJAK TPB
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by MICO SUAYAN

X-O Manowar vs. Ninjak!

X-O Manowar has returned to Earth — and now the world’s most lethal intelligence agent has a new target. Hired by members of The Vine hidden deep within Earth’s governments, Ninjak has been sent to bring back the Manowar armor at any cost. But what happens when the world’s foremost weapons specialist engages the universe’s most powerful weapon head on? And even if Ninjak can defeat the armor’s defenses, does he stand a chance against the savage warrior that controls it? It’s raw power versus stealth and cunning in the second thrilling volume of X-O Manowar — and the Valiant Universe will never be the same again.

From New York Times best-selling author Robert Venditti (The Surrogates) and acclaimed artist Lee Garbett (Batman & Robin), this volume collects the best-selling “Enter: Ninjak” storyline from X-O MANOWAR #5-8, featuring the debut of Valiant’s next breakout hero!

“X-O Manowar is not just one of Valiant’s best books, it’s one of the best books being published right now, period.” – IGN
“X-O Manowar is about as much fun as you’ll have with a comic all month.” – Complex

$14.99/T+/112 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9796409-9-5
ON SALE MARCH 27th

Agent Burgos, VALIANT Solicitations for MARCH 2013

THE WALKING DEAD #103
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
OCTOBER 17
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99

Now the following cover brings back some memories. Will Rick meet Lucille?

Agent Burgos, The Walking Dead #103 Cover Revealed