Last week Valiant released their March 2014 solicitations. In them, the solicits for X-O MANOWAR were marked Classified. It turns out these are preludes to the upcoming ARMOR HUNTERS, which we've been seeing teasers for this week.
Here's the declassified information on X-O MANOWAR 23 and 24:
X-O MANOWAR #23 (PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS – PART ONE)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DIEGO BERNARD
Cover by CAFU
Variant Cover by TOM RANEY
PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS – PART 1! The countdown to the Valiant Universe event of 2014 starts now!
For eons, one threat above all others has brought pain and strife down upon civilizations across the universe – the X-O Manowar armor. And now the Manowar has come to Earth. What will follow in its wake? The road to ARMOR HUNTERS begins here as Valiant superstars Robert Venditti and Diego Bernard unleash the opening salvo of the cataclysm that is come...
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE MARCH 19th!
X-O MANOWAR #24 (PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS – PART TWO)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art & Cover by DIEGO BERNARD
Variant Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
PRELUDE TO ARMOR HUNTERS – PART 2! Who – or what – is the man called MALGAM?
Aric of Dacia, a fifth-century warrior bonded to alien armor and transplanted to the modern day, is now the most important weapon in the arsenal of M.E.R.O., the top-secret American intelligence organization that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. In order to protect his people, Aric must undergo dangerous missions in space, but nothing can prepare him for the stunning secret that awaits him in the stars. The march toward X-O Manowar #25 – and the coming of the ARMOR HUNTERS – continues here in an essential prelude to the Valiant Universe event of 2014!
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE IN APRIL!
Now that you have an idea what ARMOR HUNTERS is about, how about finding out the rest?
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 – X-O MANOWAR and UNITY Spearhead the Valiant Event of 2014
Next summer…Earth will be the greatest hunt of all.
The most ambitious crossover event of 2014 begins in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new, four-issue mini-series by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Green Lantern) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Unity, Justice)!
When Aric of Dacia returned to Earth with the stolen X-O Manowar armor of an alien race, he thought he finally found a weapon to guard the peace and kingdom he’d struggled so long to secure. But now, a relentless and surgical strike team from the farthest reaches of space – sworn to exterminate the armor and all like it – have found their final target. The ARMOR HUNTERS are coming. They will hunt. They will trap. They will kill. And they will rid the universe of the X-O Manowar’s incalculable destructive power…even if it means taking the Earth with it.
“2014 will be a year of all-new jumping-on points for Valiant, and Armor Hunters #1 is the perfect place to start. Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite are two of the finest storytellers in the medium. They’ve shaped the Valiant Universe, and we couldn’t be happier to have them architecting Armor Hunters,” said Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons.
"X-O Manowar is about to find himself at the center of a firestorm embroiling all of Valiant's most powerful heroes. Believe us when we say that, in an era of events, the scale, scope and intensity of ARMOR HUNTERS will be the biggest and most daring undertaking we’ve ever attempted,” said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) kicks off Valiant’s landmark 2014 crossover event in June. Then, ARMOR HUNTERS continues with two brand new story arcs beginning in UNITY #8 by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Justice League of America) and rising star Diego Bernard (Eternal Warrior); and X-O MANOWAR #26 by Venditti and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan). And look for even more Valiant heroes to join the fight against Valiant’s first full-scale alien incursion as the summer continues. Further details to follow in 2014.
Next summer, bend the knee…or take the head when Valiant unleashes an all-new starting point for the year's most acclaimed comic book universe, beginning in ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (of 4) by superstar creators Robert Venditti and Doug Braithwaite.
Plus: don't miss the VALIANT: ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL – featuring an all-star look inside the definitive Valiant Universe event of the summer and beyond with previews, interviews, and more from Robert Venditti, Doug Braithwaite, Matt Kindt, Clayton Crain, Peter Milligan, Bryan Hitch, Clayton Henry and many more! Find out everything you need to know about Valiant in 2014 on Free Comic Book Day – May 3rd, 2014 – right here with the VALIANT: ARMOR HUNTERS 2014 FCBD SPECIAL!
For more information on ARMOR HUNTERS, visit Valiant on Facebook, on Twitter, and at ValiantUniverse.com. For Valiant merchandise and more, visit Valiant.CinderBlock.com.
For more information on Free Comic Book Day, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.
ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (OF 4)
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
COMING IN JUNE!
VALIANT: ARMOR HUNTERS FCBD 2014 SPECIAL
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI, MATT KINDT, JOSHUA DYSART, FRED VAN LENTE, and PETER MILLIGAN
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE, BRYAN HITCH, CLAYTON CRAIN, CAFU, CLAYTON HENRY, DIEGO BERNARD, and MORE
Cover by J.G. JONES
T+/32 pgs.
IN STORES 5/3/14