The last few years have been rocky for the Valiant Universe. The comics were deprioritised when DMG Entertainment acquired Valiant Entertainment in 2018. After that, the pandemic took its toll on the publisher, with the comics having an extended pause. Alien Books has since kept this shared universe alive, becoming the new home of the Valiant Universe and publishing several miniseries and one-shots over the past year.
These comics have been building up to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe. This action-packed comic book event promises to usher in a new era for the Valiant Universe in 2025 (it won’t be a reboot) and bring back a lot of characters who have been sitting on the sidelines for too long. This includes the likes of X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior, Ninjak, Ivar, Rai, Livewire, Faith, and many others.
The Resurgence of the Valiant Universe reading order has been put together so Valiant fans (new and old) don’t miss out on any action. It includes all the comics involved, background reading, creative teams, release dates, and heaps more so you can jump right in.
Table of contents
- Do I need to read all the tie-ins?
- Road to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe
- Resurgence of the Valiant Universe reading order
- After Resurgence of the Valiant Universe
- Collected editions
Do I need to read all the tie-ins?
No. You don’t need to read every comic involved with Resurgence of the Valiant Universe. You’ll get a complete story if you read the main four-part series. However, you can also read the supplemental tie-in comics to expand your reading experience. These focus on side stories and the perspectives of different characters.
You don’t have to read them all. In the end, it’s up to you which ones you read. If you’re unsure which tie-ins you want to read, here are a few things that might help you make a decision:
- The story scenarios the tie-ins explore
- The creators (writers or artists) involved in those tie-ins
- The characters featured in the tie-ins
Road to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe
Trying to figure out what to read before Resurgence of the Valiant Universe? Alien Books had published several comics under the “Road to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe” banner, which feature story and character developments that build up to the main event. While Resurgence of the Valiant Universe will be accessible to those who haven’t read them, you might be inclined to check them if you want to do some background reading or catch up on what has been happening in the Valiant Universe.
Similar to what was mentioned with the tie-ins above, you don’t need to read all the comics if you don’t want to. Check out the ones that interest you based on story scenarios, characters, or creators involved.
The comics under the Road to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe include:
A Very Valiantine’s Special
Written by Lysa Hawkins, Ryan Cady, Buddy Scalera, Will Pfeifer, and AJ Ampadu. Art by Andres Ponce, Aleta Vidal, Emiliano Urdinola, and Emiliano Correa.
Bloodshot Unleashed: Reloaded #1-4
Written by Deniz Camp and Mauro Mantella. Art by Alejandro Barrionuevo and Rodrigo Rocha.
Britannia: The Great Fire of Rome
Written by Peter Milligan. Art by Alvaro Papagiani.
Livewire & The Secret Weapons
Written by Steven Grant. Emilio Utrera, Emiliano Urdinola, and Miguel Sepulveda.
Punk Mambo: The Punk Witch Project
Written by Peter Milligan. Art by Andres Ponce.
X-O Manowar: Invictus #1-4
Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad. Art by Fernando Heinz Furukawa, Fernando Baldo, and Pablo Rey.
Faith Returns #1-2
Written by Jody Houser. Art by Aleta Vidal.
Rai: The Book of the Darque #1-2
Written by Dan Abnett. Art by Emilio Utrera.
Ninjak Vs. Roku #1-4
Written by AJ Ampadu. Art by Emiliano Correa and Diego Giribaldi.
The Darques: Soulside #1-2
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Sebastian Cabrol and Sergio Monjes.
Eternal Warriors: The Last of the Immortals #1-2
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Alvaro Papagiani.
Archer & Armstrong: Assassin Nation #1-2
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Emiliano Urdinola.
The Valiants #1-4
Written by Ryan Cady. Art by Al Barrionuevo and Andres Ponce.
Note: The Valiants is labeled as “Prelude to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe” instead of “Road to Resurgence of the Valiant Universe”. This makes it a more direct lead into Resurgence of the Valiant Universe than other titles in this list. Check this one out if you can only pick one title.
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe reading order
Below is the recommended reading order for Resurgence of the Valiant Universe. It also lists the release dates and creative teams to help make reading easy.
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1 (of 4)
Written by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Fred Van Lente, and AJ Ampadu. Art by Guillermo Fajardo and Julio Azamor.
On sale 18th September
Shadowman: Soul Eaters #1 (of 4) (tie-in)
Written by AJ Ampadu. Art by Sergio Monjes.
On sale 2nd October
Tales From the Deadside: Shadowman & Punk Mambo (tie-in)
Written by AJ Ampadu. Art by Jules Mamone, Sebastian Cabrol, and Andres Ponce.
On sale 9th October
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: Eternal Warrior (tie-in)
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Alvaro Papagiani.
On sale 16th October
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #2 (of 4)
Written by Fred Van Lente and AJ Ampadu. Art by Guillermo Fajardo and Julio Azamor.
On sale 23rd October
Shadowman: Soul Eaters #2 (of 4) (tie-in)
Written by AJ Ampadu. Art by Sergio Monjes.
On sale 6th November
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: X-O Manowar (tie-in)
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Alvaro Papagiani.
On sale 13th November
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #3 (of 4)
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Guillermo Fajardo and Julio Azamor.
On sale 20th November
Note: Alien Books hasn’t announced the Valiant titles for December and January yet. There could be further tie-ins announced. This section will be updated when more is known.
Shadowman: Soul Eaters #3 (of 4) (tie-in)
Written by AJ Ampadu. Art by Sergio Monjes.
On sale December
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #4 (of 4)
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Guillermo Fajardo, Julio Azamor, and Lautaro Ftuli.
On sale 11th December
Shadowman: Soul Eaters #4 (of 4) (tie-in)
Written by AJ Ampadu. Art by Sergio Monjes, Exequiel Fernandez Roel, Ludwig Olimba, and Ezequil Inverni.
On sale 9th January
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: Bloodshot
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Rodrigo Rocha and Leo Lujan.
On sale 15th January
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: Finale
Written by Fred Van Lente. Art by Diego Giribaldi and Tomas Aira.
On sale 22nd January
Buy Resurgence of the Valiant Universe on…
After Resurgence of the Valiant Universe
Wondering what to read after Resurgence of the Valiant Universe? There a two branches you can explore.
Valiant Beyond
Valiant Beyond is a new alternative universe that features reimagined versions of your favourite Valiant characters. The line, similar to DC’s Absolute Universe or Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, will feature new takes on Shadowman, Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, Harbinger, and others.
Valiant Zombies: Resurrection
The mainline Valiant Universe will return in this zombie-themed event. It all begins in May as part of Free Comic Book Day 2025.
Collected editions
Prefer to read your comics in a collected format? There are the books you’ll want to track down.
Road to Resurgence Omnibus
Collects: A Very Valiantine’s Special (“Phantom Passions”, “Trust Fall”, and “The Many Loves of Ninjak” stories), Faith Returns #1-2, Punk Mambo: The Punk Witch Project, The Darques: Soulside #1-2, Rai: The Book of the Darque #1-2, Ninjak vs. Roku #1-4, Archer & Armstrong: Assassin Nation #1-2, and Eternal Warriors: Last Ride of the Immortals #1-2
Available on 23rd April
Resurgence of the Valiant Universe Omnibus
Collects: The Valiants #1-4, Resurgence of the Valiant Universe #1-4, Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: Finale, Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: Eternal Warrior, Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: X-O Manowar, Resurgence of the Valiant Universe: Bloodshot, Tales from the Deadside, and Shadowman: Soul Eaters #1-4
Have your say
Are you reading Resurgence of the Valiant Universe? Have you found this reading order helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Facebook, X (formally Twitter), or Mastodon.
Leave a comment