I was asked by
theturok in another thread what my thoughts were on each Valiant title, and I thought it made sense to repeat my answers here. I'd be curious to see how my tastes line up with those of my fellow Valiant fanatics.
Archer & Armstrong: Loved Armstrong as a solo character, but not the contrived odd-couple pairing. I much prefered when Aram and Gilad were paired together.
Armorines: Never read it.
Bloodshot: Not my cup of tea. I haven't gone back to read it in decades, so I could be missing something, but I found the Rai premise far less limited. He has all those powers and...shoots guns...at mob grunts? It just seemed so ordinary.
Deathmate: Oh boy do we talk about this one in the Podcast episode.
Doctor Mirage: I read the first issue and found it forgettable. I don't think I ever ventured beyond that.
Eternal Warrior: Discussed this one quite a bit in the episode too.
H.A.R.D. Corps: Didn't care for this one too much. Cool premise, but light on characterization.
Harbinger: The pre-Unity issues were extraordinary, though I definitely enjoyed them better as an adolescent. In hindsight, I really think it's the later #0 issue that gives the entire early run its energy. Without that, Peter is not an endearing character at all.
Magnus Robot Fighter: My favorite Valiant series of all, and it just kept getting better for most of its run. More on that
here.
Psi-Lords: Never read it, though I enjoyed when it intersected with the later Magnus Robot Fighter issues.
Rai: I adored the original Rai when he first appeared in Magnus, both the characterization and concept. I was so ready to lose myself in the Japan of 4001 AD. But, after that initial story and Grandmother's departure, the series just became a massive bummer. And while I love how the later Rai and the Future Force expanded out Magnus' world, I couldn't stand that later Rai, himself. Far too much of a Mary Sue.
Shadowman: Strong tone, characterization, and setting, but it just wasn't my thing.
Solar: The Shooter issues are brilliant; possibly the character Shooter wrote the best. It's been years since I read the post-Shooter issues, but I enjoyed them well enough back in the day.
Timewalker: Priceless. It's been far too long since I re-read it.
Turok: As a fan of the original Turok, I feel Turok's setting was the title's most compelling asset. Removing Turok from that environment stripped the character of what I enjoyed about him.
X-O Manowar: Adored the early issues. Once Arik acclemates to our world, though, he loses everything that made him special. Of all the rebooted Valiant titles, this is the one that I feel most clearly improved in later volumes. They managed to maintain Arik's barbarian personality even after he'd learned the language and ways of the modern era.