Art by Juan Jose Ryp
Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Clayton Henry w/ Brian Reber
Like many Valiant fans, I am really looking forward to Harbinger Wars 2. Unlike their previous major arcs, which have been stellar, this one feels like it has been building throughout the year. What we’re starting to see now are some Zero Issues that could end up being essential to the upcoming story. That is one of the many reason I decided to check out Harbinger Renegade #0 this week.
The story is essentially following a H.A.R.D. Corps operation to pursue the dangerous psiot, Alexander Solomon. Here’s the trick, Solomon has the ability to predict outcomes. We do get to see some of Solomon in this issue, and he is looking for something of his own. After some logistics, and scene setting, we get to the operation itself. In true Harbinger Renegade fashion, intense action ensues from there and the vast majority of the remainder of the story is quite a huge battle. We find something out about the operation itself, and we also find out something that was in the location that was not expected. That is the most I can tell you without spoiling anything. This issue does have an aftermath, and let me tell you, this one is REALLY going to matter in future continuity. I don’t want to get too specific, but this could be a catalyst that sets the stage for something bigger. Whether that is good or bad, that’s up to the reader to decide.
I want to start this one with one simple fact, Juan Jose Ryp is one of the best artists in all of comics right now. His work with Valiant has been beyond impeccable and he is the perfect choice for any Harbinger story. Hats off to Andrew Dalhouse as well, since I believe colorists are extremely important in telling any story involving psiots. Zero issues are kind of tricky, because they are usually just a necessary evil to set the tone before you get to the “real story”. This one feels like it is going to be very much a part of that story, and did not play down to regular readers for the sake of a jumping on point. Roberts also gives you a reason to either hate the H.A.R.D. Corps more, or a reason to root for them, depending on your perspective. Either way, the hits just keep on coming for Valiant and the Harbinger stories.