Diamond Dumps Valiant
It is always a shame when intellectual-property law interferes with fans and their favorite comics. Old-school Valiant fans have narrowly dodged that bullet, with Newsarama reporting that the highly anticipated "Harbinger" hard-cover edition has been dumped by Diamond Comics Distributors. The decision is due to the intellectual-property debate that has been ongoing between two companies that are claiming the rights and the understandable position of Diamond, not wanting to be caught in the middle (or in an actionable position).
Luckily, the compilation book (which includes Harbinger #0-7 as well as a new Harada origin story written by Jim Shooter) will be available for direct order from Valiant Entertainment. The book is also available on Amazon.com for order.
Not so luckily, this exemplifies the long, legal battle ahead for this brilliant comic universe and shows fans that any new stories with these beloved characters are a long, long way off. It will undoubtedly take years of litigation to clean up the mess that was created by the bankruptcy auction and that is bad news for anyone hoping to see a return of X-O, Solar, Harbinger, Rai or any of the other Valiant characters in fresh action.
Valiant Entertainment's press release, in full text:
"After careful review and discussion, Diamond Comics and Valiant Entertainment mutually agreed that Harbinger: The Beginning will be distributed via the 'Valiant Retailer Direct' program and not through Diamond Comics Distributors. The Valiant Retailer Direct program ensures that Valiant readers receive Harbinger: The Beginning within a few days of its scheduled release date, while removing the unnecessary burden on a third-party distributor until a current legal dispute is resolved and giving Valiant Entertainment the opportunity to form relationships directly with valuable retail customers," said Walter Black, senior vice president amd publisher of Valiant Entertainment.
