Harbinger #1

Peter Stanchek is a young man with a special gift on the run from the authorities. He can manipulate people with his mind & he constantly hears the thoughts of everybody around him. He takes pills to keep the voices at bay, but they always come back. Accompanying him on his travels is a schizophrenic drifter called Joe Irons. After Peter “persuades” a pharmacist into giving him some drugs & the content of the cash register, they force their way into Peter’s old & uninhabited home to crash for a few days. With a mental projection into Peter’s mind, a mysterious man called Toyo Harada catches up to him and proceeds to explain to the troubled adolescent the truth of his powers. He tells him that he’s only scratching the surface of what he can accomplish with his gift and offers him a chance to train him to his full potential. However, he must cut all ties with his current life and that means cutting Joe loose.

The summer of Valiant continues with an impressive second new title. Years ago, I used to collect Valiant comics, but Harbinger was a title I never really showed any interest in, until now. The first thing that grabbed me is the cover. The protagonist of the story, surrounded with a multitude of other people’s thoughts is original and instantly gives the reader an idea of what to expect. The story is written by Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier, B.P.R.D. 1946) who keeps a fast pace introducing the characters & their environments without a single dull moment.

The illustrations are by Khari Evans (Daughters of The Dragon : Samurai Bullets) who draws incredible facial expressions, like sunken faces & piercing eyes that give depth to the characters (Mr. Tull, Joe Irons & the Chinese army). With the help of colorist Ian Hannin, they have created one beautiful looking first issue. Grant it, individuals with mind powers are nothing new in the world of comics (see X-Men, JLA etc…), but if you have a solid story, lovable characters with a chance for development & a decent enough creative team, than the possibilities are endless. Having just read & enjoyed X-O Manowar #2, Valiant is definitely on a roll. It remains to be seen if they can keep up the streak with upcoming titles like Bloodshot and Archer & Armstrong. From what I’ve seen so far, I believe they will. From Valiant Comics.