Valiant; $4.99 

Harbinger is the team of powerful psiot heroes composed of Archer, Flamingo, Alloy, and Crane, and they are on a mission to stop the terrorist Black Sheep after she has taken a building hostage. But, the team is still reeling from losing one of their own and now they must train a new team member while going up against Black Sheep. 

The first issue of Valiant Beyond: All-New Harbinger by Fred Van Lente is marketed as a jumping on point for new readers. It is set after the Harbinger Wars ended, with humans and psiots living together peacefully while grieving the losses suffered on both sides of the conflict. Much of the issue is about reintroducing the characters, showing their abilities, and catching up with their personal lives.  

The art team of Erik Tamayo, Brushu Studio, and Gabriel Roldan put lots of detail into each setting with great use of light, shadow, and color. One page looks like the inside of a high tech facility while the next is the cozy interior of a childhood bedroom and another is a music and beer soaked bar. The characters are similarly well defined.  

The only downside to the book is that there are about half a dozen or more proofreading mistakes that should’ve been caught before the book went to print. Those types of mistakes happen, but that many is too much and it pulls the reader out of the story. Aside from that, it was a very nice opening to the new three-issue arc. 

–Amanda Sheriff