Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, rai, valiant

Valiant's Rai Summer Event Of 2016 Expands Into 4001 One Shots…

Published Thu, 11 Feb 2016 11:00:37 -0600

Valiant has just announced "The Summer of 4001 A.D." initiative, beginning this May in the first issue of their upcoming summer event, 4001 A.D. #1, by Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain

4001 A.D. is about Rai assembling the future heroes of the Valiant Universe to take down Father, the malevolent AI that created him and that continues to rule the 41st century city-state of New Japan

Then out of the core event series, Rai series returns in May with a new arc in Rai #13 by Matt Kindt and CAFU, which will reveal the origin of New Japan and the creation of the first Rai and his successors.

"The Summer of 4001 A.D." will also include four standalone one-shots revealing the future of some of Valiant's most popular characters. They include:

4001 A.D.: X-O Manowar by Robert Venditti and Clayton Henry (May)

4001 A.D.: Bloodshot by Jeff Lemire and Doug Braithwaite (June)

4001 A.D.: Shadowman by three Valiant's fastest rising stars – co-written by Faith's Jody Houser and A&A's Rafer Roberts with art by Book of Death's Robert Gill (July)

4001 A.D.: [CLASSIFIED] – a classified fourth one-shot in August introducing a new, top-secret (presumably female by the look of things) character with a mysterious connection to Valiant's present and future

All this stuff is built for maximum accessibility and can read in tandem with the main event or independently on its own

The last time Valiant had an event — last summer's Book of Death — it became the most successful event of the decade from an independent publisher. So expectations are high for this one…

The fight for the future begins on May 4th in 4001 A.D. #1 and Rai #13, revealing the origin of New Japan and its very first guardian. How did New Japan come to orbit Earth? Who created Father? And what happened to the nine previous Rai that once swore allegiance to his empire?

One hundred years from today, Father – the benevolent artificial intelligence that governs the island nation of Japan – will gain sentience. To defend its borders, Father will take drastic action by launching Japan into space…where its people can thrive in isolation, away from the overpopulated and resource-deprived planet below. Over the centuries, as New Japan orbits our increasingly unstable world, it will become a model society – one built on peace, prosperity…and Father's control.

A thousand years from today, Father will create the first Rai, founding a lineage of technologically enhanced heroes engineered to defend New Japan and sworn to protect it from all enemies. For hundreds of years into the future, the Rai will single-handedly enforce New Japan's justice well…and serve Father without question.

Now, at the dawn of 4001 A.D., the latest Rai is about to inherit the dark truth behind the origin of his kind…and discover the sinister secret at the heart of Father's existence. For New Japan to live, Earth must die…and as Rai challenges his former master for the first time in more than a millennium, the lone guardian of New Japan will be cast out of his own Father's kingdom…

Exiled from the only realm he's ever known, Rai now walks the ravaged world of 4001 A.D. in search of forgotten heroes like himself…on a mission to collect the last surviving legends of a broken planet…and to forge a rebellion with the power to bring the most advanced civilization in history crashing back down to Earth.

Earth must rise. Father must fall. Rai! Eternal Warrior! X-O Manowar! Bloodshot! Shadowman! Geomancer! And more! The war for the ultimate fate of humanity begins in 4001 A.D. #1 (of 4) by superstar creators Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain – and continues in May and beyond as "THE SUMMER OF 4001 A.D." rages on…and changes the future of the Valiant Universe for all time!

4001 A.D. #1 (of 4)

Written by MATT KINDT

Art by CLAYTON CRAIN

Cover A by CLAYTON CRAIN

Cover B by TULA LOTAY

Cover C by RYAN BODENHEIM

Valiant x CGC Replica Variant by CLAYTON HENRY

Character Design Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN

Interlocking Mega-Cover Variant by RYAN LEE

Interlocking Artist Variant by RYAN SOOK

Interlocking B&W Sketch Artist Variant by RYAN SOOK

Blank Cover also available

$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | COMING IN MAY!

RAI #13 (NEW ARC! "4001 A.D.")
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by CAFU
Cover A by DAVID MACK
Cover B by CAFU
Valiant x CGC Replica Variant by CLAYTON HENRY
Character Design Variant by CAFU
Interlocking Mega-Cover Variant by RYAN LEE
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | COMING IN MAY!

4001 A.D.: X-O MANOWAR #1
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover A by CAFU
Cover B by PHIL JIMENEZ
Character Design Variant by MATT KINDT
Interlocking Mega-Cover Variant by RYAN LEE
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | ONE-SHOT | COMING IN MAY!