After Acclaim filed for bankruptcy in 2004, the fate of Valiant's comic library was a mystery. Just one year later, the rights were snapped up by an investment group with the intent to revamp and revitalize Valiant's properties. It took some time, but in 2012, Valiant Entertainment emerged with familiar faces ready to take the publisher into the future. Now, just three years later, Valiant is home to a host of critically acclaimed series, and soon you'll be able to read almost all of them with nothing more than a library card.

Hoopla has already locked down deals with publishers like DC, Dark Horse and Image, but starting today, it will also count Valiant among the members of its comic book collection. As a partner of the public library system, the app allows anyone with a library card at a participating location to access thousands of comics, as well as movies, books and music. With the addition of Valiant, series like Archer & Armstrong, Bloodshot and X-O Manowar will be available digitally, giving Hoopla nearly as diverse a line-up as any of the paid comic reading apps available on the market.

As a drastically cheaper alternative to the likes of Comixolgy, Google Books or any number of commercial comic readers, Hoopla does a fine enough job bringing graphic collections to the masses. The reader isn't quite as flexible as those other apps, but you can read and enjoy a diverse amount of stories without having to spend a penny. It's also an easy way to get caught up with complete collections of Valiant's (or any of the other publisher's) current crop of books wherever you are, provided you've got an internet connection.

You can see if your public library is compatible with Hoopla right here, and check out the full list of Valiant titles through the app itself. We’ve also included the full press release from Hoopla about the Valiant deal.

 

HOLLAND, Ohio (Nov. 18, 2015) – hoopla digital (hoopladigital.com), the category-creating
mobile and online service for public libraries, today announced the addition of new titles from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Gem Award-winning comic book publisher and home to the largest independent library of superhero characters. With the agreement, hoopla digital’s app and online service adds popular titles —through Valiant Entertainment’s global digital distribution partner Trajectory, Inc.— including the sci-fi superhero epic, X-O Manowar (Vol. 1-8); the pulsating action series, Bloodshot Reborn, (Vol. 1); and the globe-trotting adventure, Archer & Armstrong (Vol. 1-6), to name a few.

Valiant Entertainment titles and more are now available for patrons to access instantly on
hoopla digital’s app and online service via their smartphones, tablets and computers.
Inclusion of Valiant Entertainment titles broadens hoopla digital’s catalog of more than 400,000 movies, TV shows, music albums, eBooks, audiobooks and comics. hoopla digital partners with public libraries across North America to provide patrons with online and mobile access to dynamic digital content. The service’s catalogue already includes titles from DC Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, BOOM! Comics and more.

“We built hoopla’s Action View experience especially for celebrated titles like X-O Manowar,
Bloodshot Reborn and Archer & Armstrong so fans can truly appreciate the artistry of these classic stories and we’re thrilled to partner with the award-winning Valiant Entertainment to bring their titles to library cardholders anytime, without any holds or waits,” said Jeff Jankowski, founder and owner of hoopla digital.

hoopla digital’s innovative Action View creates one-of-a-kind immersive digital reading by
allowing for full page and panel-by-panel views of comics and illustrations.

“Our number one priority is connecting with new readers and libraries are of central importance to achieving that goal,” said Valiant Chief Operating Officer & CFO Gavin Cuneo. “We’re excited that library cardholders across the country now have the means to discover Valiant’s award-winning catalog of graphic novels through hoopla digital and all they need is a library card to get started.”

 

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