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When Valiant Next was first announced, the biggest question mark for fans was: why Imperium? What is the series? Where’s Harbinger?

It turns out we were asking all the wrong questions, or so author Joshua Dysart would have us believe in Imperium #1. We should have been asking:

What will the future look like?

Thanks to the incredibly well designed cover by Raul Allen, the questions multiplied. Even though various interviews like the ones here disclosed more information about the book, there is still lots of secret information about this comic regarding the Renegades and other cast members.

What we do know about Imperium is that series takes the premiere Valiant nemesis, Toyo Harada, and teams him up with an assortment of ragtag villains.

Within the description text in the first issue villain and protagonist Toyo Harada notably wishes to: “end global conflict and bring about world peace…at any cost.” That’s a great window into this character, especially when thinking about how world peace may not be the absolute answer to all our problems on a global scale.

Joshua Dysart is a writer with political concerns in mind, a perspective that superhero comics rarely include. This story takes those elements to ground and enhance the backdrop of the story.

IMPERIUM #1 [VALIANT NEXT]

Written by JOSHUA DYSART
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover A (Harada) by RAUL ALLEN
Cover B (Lord Vine-99) by RAUL ALLEN
Cover C (Major Mech) by RAUL ALLEN
Valiant Next Variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE & TOM MULLER
Character Design Variant by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Artist Variant by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Blank Cover also available

What will the future look like?

Have you ever found yourself asking that question? That’s the thesis on the first half of Imperium #1, a tale that might be one of the most bold superhero works since Dysart chronicled Unknown Soldier at Vertigo.

The author’s consistent choice to veer into the unexpected does not alienate readers, but fully draws them into the narrative surrounding the text. With that in mind, this comic is not for readers looking for a more traditional superhero story. This is not a more static reinterpretation of a villain in the Valiant world, it’s the start of something completely new.

Similar to Rai, there are various stray links to the Valiant Universe, equating to a stronger and more interesting storyline. Even if this comic is innovatively formatted, it’s still part of a huge shared Universe. The story never lets the reader forget that, and it’s all the better for it.

Readers will never see the plot twist coming, as the title has so perfectly evaded a concrete story synopsis. After a long form interview with Joshua Dysart conducted with Comics Beat, never once did the author mention nearly anything that happened in Imperium #1. The only clues to what the opening of the series are the preview pages already solicited.

This first installment of the story uses the protagonist in an extremely creative manner, having him interact with the story in an innovative hands-off approach. A new psiot taking the point-of-view narration is fully realized and reflected positively upon numerous interactions within the story.

Imperium #1 is built upon a lie, a potent beatiful lie that creates an exciting narrative thread. The implications for what this story could possibly mean and what the greater Valiant Universe holds for the rest of the series is left wide-open, but it’s for the better. If Dysart continues this streak of really using Imperium to make it’s audience second guess every decision they have ever made, this could be something really special. Imperium #1 stands out against a thousand #1’s in a crowded comics market. This is a comic that demands focus but culminates in an incredibly emotionally charged reward.

By: Alexander Jones

Imperium is coming. After getting briefed from Joshua Dysart on mission orders, check out these brand new pages from the fantastical Doug Braithwaite in a press release sent straight from the Valiant Entertainment headquarters in New York City. Imperium is Valiant’s spiritual successor to Harbinger, a title that carried the company into greatness, and also introduced Toyo Harada, one of the most interesting villains in the Valiant world. Toyo is a decrepid old man, with intense psiot powers, enabling him to hide his appearance and true nature. Until, the events of Harbinger changed his path forever. Now, everyone knows the deranged actions of Harada. To combat his loss of power, the dictator is now seeking an army to help him operate in the shadows, enter Imperium, Harada’s band of merry misfits. These aliens, robots, and psiots may not bring holiday cheer.

Imperium #1 ships February 4th, and features covers from Doug Braithwaite, Raul Allen, and Trevor Hairsine with Tom Muller.

In our very own interview with Joshua Dysart, the author had this to say of what’s left of Toyo Harada’s empire before Imperium:

The current situation with the Harbinger foundation that was sort of the secret organization buried within Harada Conglomerates, is that Harada’s conglomerate has dissolved. However, Harada still has thousands of secret accounts located all over the world. These things are actively being tracked down all over the planet. It’s difficult for him to track all of them down, but they exist. The Harbinger Foundation itself is now whatever technologies he has found and pilfered. It’s now predominantly found within the U.S.S. Bush – Harada has stolen one of the largest nuclear aircraft carriers in the United States, and they are also taking the Somalia itself. But that’s all that’s left of Harada’s empire. It’s like if he were a musician, at one time he was in the biggest stadium band in history, but now he’s back to playing garages.

HARBINGER: FAITH #0 – Cover A by Joe Quinones

In a world where complains about overly idealized heroines are common, Faith, a member of Valiant’s Harbinger teen superhero group is a nice break: a normal young woman who is learning to deal with her powers just like every other superbeing. And now she’s getting her own one shot by Joshua Dysart and Robert Gill, with variant covers by Joe Quinones, Lucy KNisley and Brian Level. Valiant continues to branch out with their superhero line — because it’s a more diverse world and comics market out there.

Valiant is proud to announce HARBINGER: FAITH #0 – a brand new one-shot exploration of Valiant’s high-flying teenage Renegade and Unity’s newest team member!

Coming in December from New York Times best-selling writer Joshua Dysart (Harbinger, Harbinger Wars) and rising star Robert Gill (Armor Hunters: Harbinger), start reading here to discover how Harbinger’s high-spirited teenage fangirl went from the heart and soul of Peter Stanchek’s teenage Renegades to the newest member of the world’s most elite super-team – UNITY!

As Faith recuperates from the events of Armor Hunters: Harbinger, jump on board and discover the complete, never-before-revealed tale of her origin – just as she steps into the limelight for a brand new story arc beginning in November’s UNITY #12!

Her first and only boyfriend to date is a little bit of a douche, her friends are all gone, and, after her insane adventure in Mexico City, Faith Hebert is feeling a little frustrated with the direction of her life. She’s just a normal super-powered young woman in an increasingly crazy world. Here’s the story of a true innocent and a kind heart in a hard world. From the comic shop of her youth to the moment she found out that she was actually light as feather, Zephyr is the western wind. Warm and kind, she blows across us all. 

“She may not be physically strong, or brilliantly tactical, but her emotional intelligence and psychological strength are unparalleled among the other Renegades,” writer Joshua Dysart told Multiversity Comics. “I think some part of her understands that her light is needed even more in a world where you can lose your friends and face down horrible swarming alien insects. I think she sees a dark and violent world all around her and instead of that corrupting her, it reinforces her. Again, there’s a hint of that in this issue, but it’s also about a question we all ask ourselves, where do we go from here?”

This is HARBINGER: FAITH #0! Featuring covers by all-star artists Joe Quinones (Wednesday Comics), Lucy Knisley (Harbinger #25), and Brian Level (Lazarus), be here this December as one of the most unique, most sincere super-heroines anywhere in comics today takes on her very first solo adventure!

And don’t miss UNITY #12 by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt and red-hot artist CAFU – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new story arc recruiting Faith into the ranks of Valiant’s unbreakable all-star superteam, just as they go toe-to-toe with a brand new threat known only as The United!

HARBINGER: FAITH #0 – Cover B by Lucy Knisley

HARBINGER: FAITH #0 – Variant Cover by Brian Level

UNITY #12 – Cover by Brian Level

TweetValiant are pushing to the next stage of superhero this year, taking their five comics (all of which seem to have been very well reviewed so far, beating statistical probability to a pulp) and experimenting with crossovers and events. The first title they relaunched in 2012, X-O Manowar, is entering an event storyline called Planet [...]