Valiant is following up their 2013 Harbinger Wars event series with the aptly named Harbinger Wars 2 — which will actually feature two complete stories in each issue detailing two different “fronts” in the war.
Each 44+ page issue will feature two complete, full-length 22-page stories “chronicling dueling fronts in the nationwide battle that will soon consume the Valiant Universe’s most powerful forces,” according to Valiant. Matt Kindt and Tomás Giorello will chronicle “the head-on collision of the Harbinger Renegades and the newly returned X-O Manowar,” while Eric Heisserer, Raúl Allen and Patricia Martín of Secret Weapons fame “will thrust Livewire and her new team of recruits into the center of a power struggle with the potential to tear America apart.” Each issue will cost $3.99 — so essentially you’re getting two comics for the price of one.
“The team at Valiant has set out to make Harbinger Wars 2 the biggest and most impactful comic book event in a generation,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani in the press release. “Never before has a publisher attempted to accomplish this much within the confines of the monthly ‘event comic’ format. For one single admission price, we’re going to be giving readers twice the page count, twice the creative firepower, and twice the scale of a standard comics crossover – all while hopefully redefining expectations of what these kinds of stories can accomplish. For fans new and old, Harbinger Wars 2 will the ultimate introduction to the Valiant Universe and its greatest characters from a truly all-star group of some of the most talented creators – Matt Kindt, Eric Heisserer, Tomás Giorello, and Raúl Allen – working anywhere in the medium today.”
The series will feature a slew of Valiant characters, including X-O Manowar, the Harbinger Renegades, Bloodshot, Faith, Ninjak, Livewire, HARD Corps and the Secret Weapons. And no doubt some surprises. Here are a few more details from the PR:
For the rare and immensely powerful subset of humanity known as psiots, their unique abilities have come with an enormous cost. Once, their existence was known only to a select few. Now, the revelation that thousands of these latent telekinetic “harbingers” secretly live among us… with the potential to become active any moment… has led the American government to a dramatic tipping point…
Armed with new extra-governmental authority, the deep-black military contractor known as OMEN as been authorized to identify, evaluate, and, if need be, eliminate all super-normal threats to the homeland. H.A.R.D. Corps units have been deployed into cities and towns across the United States to enforce their orders.
In the east, one of the most powerful minds on Earth, Peter Stanchek, is leading his band of Renegades across the country, activating any potential psiots willing to join them, and building an insurrection force of ultra-powerful and unwieldy new powers that will soon bring war to OMEN’s doorstep… and the unstoppable force known as X-O Manowar raging back to Earth…
In the west, Livewire – the telekinetic technopath with the ability to bend machines and computers to her will – will be forced to choose between her former allies… or her newfound team of Secret Weapons. As the situation escalates beyond human control, the United States will be plunged into darkness from coast and coast, launching Bloodshot and Ninjak into a dangerous mission to neutralize their one-time teammate – and setting the stage for the most shocking, most violent, and most consequential clash of powers ever witnessed in the history of the Valiant Universe!
Valiant will be sharing more details at New York Comic Con this weekend. Look for the first issue next May, and check out covers and promo art below:
