Divinity

Divinity III: Stalinverse found the Valiant Universe of 2017 suddenly under the tight control of a Soviet Union that not only never fell, it expanded across the globe. Writer Matt Kindt and artist Trevor Hairsine have built a fully fleshed-out world in which every Valiant character is affected by this alteration of reality. Now, here in the final issue of the series, it's probably time to set the timeline back to the proper one, where American leaders being under Russian control is unthinkable. Of course, there are a bunch of Soviets (some with superpowers) who want things to stay just how they are.

Gather 'round, children, and let me tell you a tale of times past. Back in the days before the Internet, back when you could not read through a disturbingly thorough summary of any comic book character and/or lightsaber fighting style anytime you wanted, we got our information from Who's Whos and Official Handbooks, and by gum, that's how we liked it. Nowadays, even in this more modern era, Valiant is keeping the dream alive with Valiant Universe Handbook 2016, a compendium of information that'll bring you up to date on characters like Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, Faith, and of course, Ninjak. Really though, the only fact you need to know about that dude is that he rules. Check out a preview!

Valiant Comics‘ shared superhero universe is smaller and less familiar than those of its major rivals, but even a small shared universe can offer a lot to learn about. To help those readers looking to take the plunge into the Valiant Universe, we’ve assembled our own team of delinquents to break things down. Steve Morris knows Valiant inside out; J.A. Micheline is new to the universe. Micheline has the questions, and Morris has the answers. In March, JAM and Steve delved into the handsome hunk brothers Ivar, Timewalker and Eternal Warrior, heading to the past and then the future and back to the past and, well, you get the idea. This month the pair have returned to discuss JAM’s latest assignment: the “monthly event” series Unity, which is wholly entwined within the ongoing stories of the Valiant Universe… as well as the almost completely disconnected events of Divinity.

On the surface, Valiant's Ninjak is an almost silly fantasy character: He's a hyper-capable ninja with the word "ninja" in his name. He's also a British spy. He lives in a castle. The first issue of the new Ninjak series by writer Matt Kindt and artists Clay Mann and Butch Guice certainly embraces those preteen wish-fulfillment elements, but adds some surprising depth, too, with character flashbacks and quieter moments that dig deep into who this updated version of Colin King really is. We sat down with Kindt to talk about how he struck a balance between the silly and the serious in the new series, as well as the trippy sci-fi action of Divinity, his new Valiant series with artist Trevor Hairsine, which debuted earlier this month.

DATELINE: MOSCOW! The top men at the KGB have sworn to beat America in the space race, spreading the red tide form behind the Iron Curtain to a colony of Stalinist Stars! Fifty years later, their Soviet Spaceman returns from his journey to the stars with powers far beyond those of mortal men! He is a threat to worldwide democracy! He is Abram Adams! He is... SPACE COMMIE! Or at least, that's how I would've sold it. It seems Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine opted for a slightly more subtle approach in the latest title from the Valiant Next initiative, Divinity. And sure, it might not have quite the excitement of a title like "The Super-Soviet From Outer-Space!", but it still looks pretty great. Check out a preview!