Valiant Comics – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Armorines #4 (1994)

April 19, 2023April 15, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through the Armorines monthly series.

In my previous retro review, the armored Marines and their US Navy SEALs managed to survive from the destruction of the submarine deep under the sea as they managed to complete their goal. One of the Armorines – Sirot – got separated from them and found himself in the presence of aliens who have been organizing secret operations on Earth, including the recent destruction of X-O Manowar’s armor. Knowing that their teammate is missing, the Armorines went back to the water on a search-and-rescue mission.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #4, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.

Early story

The story begins inside one of the training domes located just outside Camp Pendleton in California (note: now a Commie-filled state). Teammates Gunny and Sirot engage in a close combat training session using the specialized technology provided to them by Dr. Zhan who carefully watches the statistics. As the session goes on, Sirot sarcastically tells the older Gunny that Senator Ackerman wants him off the Armorines as soon as their superior General Kendall feels the other recruits are properly trained. Sirot mocks him over his age (38-years-old).

Behind closed doors, Senator Ackerman tells General Kendall that even though the Armorines were successful with the mission in Australia and even managed to uncover a nest of aliens, the team were all more than capable without Gunny in their unit. Kendall defends Gunny and stressed that the man is their team’s most experienced member. Ackerman states that once the alien problem is over, he will force Gunny to retire…

Quality

*Scenes like this will help readers get to know the Armorines members better.*

To be clear, this story is more focused on the characters and is also a suitable build-up for the next turn of events ahead of the Armorines. As with issue #1, Gunny is the closest thing this series has to a lead character and he gets a good amount of character development scenes even though the story showed the other characters. Quite conveniently, the creative team used the military base setting to shift focus on the other Armorine team members similar to what was shown in Hollywood movies or TV shows about military personnel. There is the military club setting where the officers are relaxing and socializing with each other. There were also scenes showing specific soldiers at their respective residences where their true personalities (note: private life moments) are emphasized. All of these were done with solid writing and good artwork.

Without spoiling the details, I can say that the final page of this comic book was surprising and added to my anticipation of the next issue.

Conclusion

*Alien vessels leaving Earth for space.*

Armorines #4 (1994) is another solid entry in this particular monthly series which served as a good build-up for the next story that happens to be part of a big event that Valiant Comics published (read: The Chaos Effect). It is also within this comic book that you get to know the Armorines, their superiors and other characters better.

Overall, Armorines #4 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

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A Look Back at Harbinger #24 (1993)

April 17, 2023April 13, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous review, the conflict between the Harbinger Foundation and Sting’s team got renewed violently. This resulted in an attack on the team of teenagers which led to one of them getting killed. With his other companions missing, Sting finds himself alone, desperate and outraged.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #23, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins on a very early morning. Desperate and very stressed out, Sting causes a disturbance inside a hospital in New Jersey by lifting one of their workers above the floor while pressing them for answers about the whereabouts of his surviving friends Flamingo, Faith and Kris. Already he has visited three other hospitals since the tragedy struck his team and took the life of Shatiqua. Sting remembers that an ambulance took his friends away after their rented house got burned down.

After calming down and getting told by one of the hospital workers that they have notified the police of his presence, Sting walks out and quickly got caught by a police officer. Also present were a few other police officers with their guns aimed at Sting.

As the tension of the arrest rises, Sting gets enraged and starts using his power to free himself…

Quality

*This is Sting at his most violent yet.*

I can that this Harbinger tale is not only a very solid follow-up to the previous issue, it also showed that the stakes and the suspense have been raised significantly. It also shows that the Fontenot-Simpson team had prepared something for the anticipated conflict between Sting and his former mentor Toyo Harada.

As the other team members were completely absent (note: the nightmare sequence does not count as presence for Faith, Flamingo and Kris), the story strongly focuses on Sting. Yes, as before, he remains reckless and impulsive, he lacks morals (note: he has a bad relationship with his father) and it is no surprise that he becomes suicidal in his desperate search for his companions. Along the way, you will see Sting at his most violent yet which not only blurs the line separating good and evil but also highlights him as a destructive force in human form. Simply put, this series’ so-called hero became as bad as the bad guys and this only added to the anticipation of the one-on-one battle with Harada. While Sting is relatable when it comes to caring and seeking his lost companions, he is also unlikable and very clearly his redemption has yet to happen.

Of course, Sting is not the lone character to follow here as a former Eggbreakers member gets involved. This is significant as the two had some things in common – both were under Harada as Harbinger Foundation’s pupils and left after they realized the wickedness within the organization. The difference here is that the other character spent much more time than Sting under Harada and he went on to get extensive training with the Eggbreakers which is the special team of powered youth under the Harbinger Foundation.

Conclusion

*Even though the police officer was doing his duty in accordance to law, Sting does not care.*

Harbinger #24 (1993) is a great comic book to read and it also served as a powerful build-up for the anticipated showdown between Sting and Harada (which itself was declared in the final page). The creative team delivered high-quality work here and this Harbinger tale highlights not only the conflict between Sting’s team and the Harbinger Foundation, but also what this monthly series was all about. This comic book has a powerful final page and even before reaching it, you will realize that the stakes have been raised a lot while the line between good and evil got blurred away.

Overall, Harbinger #24 (1993) is highly recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #23 (1993)

April 13, 2023April 12, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous review, Faith, Flamingo and Kris – with her uncle as a companion – accidentally got reunited with Archer and Armstrong at Coney Island. It turns out Kris’ uncle had a negative encounter with Armstrong decades prior which compels him to approach a local crime boss for assistance. This led to a wild chase.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #23, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins with Sting, Flamingo and Faith surrounded by armed personnel at the Harbinger Foundation’s private hangar at La Guardia Airport in New York. Faith does something drastic causing a heavy object from above to start falling down on the armed men. One of the men fires his gun at a barrel of fuel which causes a big explosion.

In a room nearby, Shatiqua and Kris hacked a computer to acquire lots of confidential information from the Harbinger Foundation. After realizing the explosion that happened, they decide to work fast getting the information they need.

On the airport’s tarmac, a private jet is on standby waiting for clearance to take off. Inside is Walter Sakai, who is one of the most trusted men under Toyo Harada…

Quality

*Sting, his teammates and their major enemy Toyo Harada.*

Without spoiling the crucial details of the plot, the Fontenot-Simpson clearly made the moves to raise the stakes between Sting’s team and the Harbinger Foundation, complete with the build-up of a pending high-stakes conflict between their respective leaders.

Of course, this is the latest conflict between the two sides – one side has super-powered teens who want to live freely while the other is a powerful organization that has been developing its of super-powered youth members using vast resources as well as political connections. This time around, the creative team not only raised the stakes but also came up with some really dark and bizarre scenarios within Sting’s own team. The good news is that Fontenot came up with something new and surprising to keep this series going with a clear direction ahead. The mentioned dark scenarios visually have a horror film vibe.

As for Sting himself, he continues to take action recklessly and without any backup, he impulsively goes after one of Harada’s top executives without considering the consequences. At this stage, Sting has turned unlikable and it really looks like the boundary separating good and evil got blurred away. That being said, there will be moments in which you will feel like wanting to tell Sting he is doing things the wrong way.

Conclusion

*Very recklessly, Sting goes after one of Toyo Harada’s most trusted men.*

Harbinger #23 (1993) revives the rivalry between Sting’s team and the Harbinger Foundation, only this time there are some very solid twists that resulted in both surprise and intrigue when I read this tale. It seems to me that something tremendous between Harada and Sting was being built up. Considering the really good quality of this comic book and how the story ended, I can say I am looking forward to the next issue.

Overall, Harbinger #23 (1993) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Armorines #3 (1994)

April 12, 2023April 10, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, the armored Marines and their US Navy SEALs counterparts encountered mutated sharks as they struggled to accomplish their mission. Along the way, one of the Armorines literally got swallowed by a huge, organic object that went directly to him during the struggle.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #3, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.

Early story

The story begins deep under the sea as the Benchley explodes and falls down further as a result of the mission. Gunny finds himself falling down as well as he no longer has his ballast and propulsion unit. Fortunately, an armored teammate of his saves him and pulls him up to the surface.

Several kilometers away from the site of the ill-fated Benchley, a huge organic-looking object enters the large hole on the side of a derelict ship. Strangely enough, the interiors have an alien design and the organic-looking object turns out to be a ship of its own. Two human figures with unnatural physical features come out of it and told their alien-looking troops to enter the refrigeration unit to “bring the ‘meat’” to Chantilla.

Inside the refrigeration unit filled with lots of dead human bodies, the armed aliens approach the Armorines suit only to find it empty. As they did not bother to search around to find answers, the Armorines pilot cleverly concealed himself among the other dead bodies pretending to be dead. He gets up after the aliens leave…

Quality

*The first display of the Armorines in action without the aquatic environment.*

After a good amount of build-up executed by the creative team in the first two issues, this particular comic book served as a big pay-off as well as a creative build-up of its own with the future events in mind. In fact, the sci-concepts introduced here along with new figures of opposition (specifically the humans with physical aquatic features) really lifted the storytelling to a whole new level of imagination laced with intrigue. Instead of seeing armed terrorists or an opposing force with military hardware to counter the high-tech Armorines, we see people who have a sinister plan, have been organizing violent operations on Earth and are of alien origin. These aliens, who are even studying human characteristics, were involved in conflicts with X-O Manowar and Turok elsewhere within the Valiant Comics shared universe. In fact, the two individuals who arrived early in the story came from their act of destroying X-O Manowar’s armor (read X-O Manowar #28). I should also state that the duo of Gonzalez-Calafiore cleverly emphasized the aliens’ plan to weaken the coordination and security of Earth’s forces so that they can escape undetected. What is even more intriguing within this comic book is the visualization of the aliens’ secret scientific developments and experiments on Earth.

Going back to the Armorines, you will see them in action without the aquatic environment. The way the creative team showed the Armorines in action against their alien counterparts turned out to be entertaining to read.

Conclusion

Given the fact that Democrats in America today love illegal immigrants so much, can you imagine them and their hordes of woke/socialist/Communist/Marxist/liberal/LGBTQ/transgendered voters welcoming aliens from outer space and allowing them to do bad things against humanity here on Earth? Imagine Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton making secret deals with these aliens.

I can say that Armorines #3 (1994) is a well-executed story that successfully paid off what was built in the first two issues and raised the stakes further with sci-fi concepts and a force of opposition that made impact elsewhere in the Valiant Comics shared universe. As I enjoyed this old comic book, I am looking forward to the next issue.

Overall, Armorines #3 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #22 (1993)

April 11, 2023April 8, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous review, Sting has been suffering and was revealed to have mononucleosis. After having a nightmare, he stubbornly re-entered his family’s home in the middle of the night trying to reconnect to his past life as Pete Stanchek. He eventually learned something harsh about his estranged father and went on to visit him in the hospital.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #22, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins with Archer and Armstrong having fun at the amusement of Coney Island. They eventually bump into Flamingo, Faith, Shatiqua and Kris who happens to be with her uncle named Mel. Armstrong found Mel looking familiar causing the latter to feel uneasy.

Sometime later that day, Mel visits a bar in Brooklyn managed by a local crime boss called Anthony Carino. After going through some initial trouble with Carino’s tough talking employees, Mel finally meets with their boss and told him that decades Armstrong made a move on his fiancé and then he and his buddies ran him out of town. After revealing Armstrong’s name and his presence at Coney Island, the crime boss reacts with knowledge about him. It turns out, Armstrong busted up his bar sometime in the past. Carino agreed to help Mel get back on Armstrong…

Quality

To start with, I can say that this comic book’s main feature is the crossover between the team (minus Sting) and the duo of Archer and Armstrong which also serves as a reunion in relation to their time together during the Unity crossover storyline. This time around, these established Valiant Comics characters get to interact with each other during a more peaceful time and if you remember Armstrong delivering Kris’ child (note: Magnus Robot Fighter) during the Unity storyline, there is a nice scene between the two characters talking about it. As with other Valiant works of the 1990s, the crossover element here is strong and engaging.

On the story itself, Armstrong’s past encounter with Mel sparks a conflict here which eventually pulled Archer and the other team members into a wild chase that was somewhat entertaining. How the story ended was surprising and even intriguing. If you are looking for character development regarding Faith, Flamingo, Kris and Shatiqua, you won’t find much here which is a bummer. Again, the mentioned crossover is the key feature of this comic book.

Conclusion

*A reunion between Archer & Armstrong and the team (minus their leader Sting).*

While it shifted the focus away from the unlikable Sting, Harbinger #22 (1993) was more about a shared universe crossover between the other team members and Archer and Armstrong. In some ways, Armstrong himself was almost the main character in this tale and what he did in the past sparked a chain of unfortunate events that involved Kris, Faith, Flamingo and Shatiqua. As this comic book was more about crossover, it turned out to be a missed opportunity for the creative team to further develop the other team members. Still, this tale delivered some entertainment value and there definitely is something being built up for further issues.

Overall, Harbinger #22 (1993) is satisfactory.

+++++

A Look Back at Armorines #2 (1994)

April 4, 2023April 10, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, the comic book introduced us to the armored U.S. Marines (composed of members who go out on the field with armored suits and other members who serve as co-pilots via virtual reality) and their superiors. Their mission took them very deep down the ocean where they have to enter a sunken nuclear-powered submarine not knowing that something dangerous lurks there.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #2, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.

Early story

The story begins five hundred kilometers off the coast of Australia. Gunny, his armored teammates and the Navy SEALs are deep underwater on a mission at the sunken nuclear-powered submarine. They are being attacked by several large sharks that all have freakish and ruined surfaces. While the sharks don’t have any exceptional intelligence, they have lateralis systems that alert them to low-frequency vibrations and are able to detect the minute electric fields generated by the prey.

While the Armorines have energy weapons that can easily cut through flesh and hard objects, the sharks remained challenging to hit. They and the Navy SEALs struggle to keep together and focus on their mission…

Quality

*Can you just imagine yourself working on a mission deep under the sea with lots of sharks swimming nearby?*

As a direct follow-up to issue #1, this comic book shows more of what the Armorines can do on a mission even though their spotlight had to be shared with the Navy SEALs who are their partners on the mission involving the sunken submarine. The spectacle readers can look forward to here are the action scenes of the Armorines using their high-tech weapons against sharks that are many times larger than each of them. The focus of the story, unsurprisingly, is the mission inside the sunken submarine and the coordination between the armored US marines with the Navy SEALs. While there is no clear villain yet, this comic book’s script has effective writing behind it and the result is a plot that turned out to be engaging enough. If you are looking for character development, you won’t find it here.

Meanwhile, Jim Calafiore’s art really shines as he successfully implemented enough visual details on the characters, the sharks, the underwater environment and the interiors of the submarine. His art on the sharks are really monstrous to look at!

Conclusion

*While the Armorines did not have to worry about being shot back, the huge size, speed and the unrelenting aggression by the freaking sharks still proved to be big challenges for them.*

Armorines #2 (1994) is indeed a solid continuation and progression to what came before it. While issue #1 was mainly a build-up and introductory story, this one shows the Armorines in action on the line of duty while working in tandem with their Navy SEAL brothers. While the mission is the main subject of the story leaving no real room left for any character development, there were two twists (note: science fiction in nature) that added to the depth of the story. Safe to say, I am motivated enough to look forward to the next issue.

Overall, Armorines #2 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Armorines #1 (1994)

March 28, 2023March 25, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the shared universe of Valiant Comics through the Armorines monthly series.

Before I start, I should state that the superhero concept of an armored human protagonist who could do many incredible things made possible by high technology made an impact on comic book storytelling for decades. Look at Marvel’s Iron Man and the Ultraverse’s Prototype for examples.

While Valiant Comics already had its own armored superhero with X-O Manowar (note: his armor is symbiotic, not technological), they decided to move forward with the concept of armored figures in the form of a military team.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #1, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.

Early story

The story begins five hundred kilometers off the southern coast of Australia. Four people dive very deeply to explore nuclear-powered submarine U.S.S. Benchley which has been dormant for some time already. While exploring the interiors of the submarine, the divers got attacked by something in the dark.

At Camp Pendleton in California, an armored U.S. marine goes through an intense training session fighting machines not knowing that there could be traps waiting to get triggered. As Gunny (the armored marine in the session) falls into a trap, his teammates, General Kendall and the scientist Zahn watch the proceedings behind the scenes as another teammate (operating with virtual reality on her high-tech station) continues to communicate with him.

As time passes by, the situation gets even worse for Gunny physically…

Quality

Armorines has members who go out on the field wearing high-tech suits of armor while there are other members who serve as co-pilots using virtual technology and constant communication behind closed doors.

In terms of storytelling, the creative team focused mainly on the build-up of not just the plot but also the importance and the ways of the Armorines themselves. As weapons of the government, Armorines are an expensive team to run due to the use of very advanced technologies for operations. The Armorines have members who go out on the field wearing high-tech suits of armor that provide enhanced protection while also carrying high-tech weapons for offense. The team also has members who stay behind closed doors to use individual stations with virtual reality and enhanced communication with their brothers on the field.

When it comes to the characters, the smoking Gunnery is noticeably the one who got the most exposure and the most development. The other Armorine members got token exposure for the readers.

More on the plot itself, there is a mission that requires the Armorines to go deep underwater to solve a mystery and do something dangerous secretly. The mission was essentially all about protecting America’s top-secret weapons from falling into the wrong hands. To be clear, the mission itself happens in the 2^nd half of this comic book which ultimately serves as a pay-off to the build-up the happened earlier. In fairness to the creative team, there was a good amount of suspense presented when the mission really started moving. There definitely something worth seeing during the mission.

Conclusion

*In this story, Gunny is the closest thing to a definitive protagonist.*

To be very clear, Armorines #1 (1994) is not exactly the high-powered, action-packed story people could expect from seeing the armored marines looking capable of fighting terrorists and other enemies of America in militaristic fashion. This comic book’s story is indeed surprising to me and the creative team was not hesitant to push hard with the concept they came up with here. As this comic book was clearly executed with build-up, introductions and emphasizing concepts in mind, it is not surprising that the pay-off in the 2^nd half led to moments of intrigue and suspense with momentum going into the next issue. Lastly, I should state that this comic book is free from political influence and its focus on the team has been very consistent.

Overall, Armorines #1 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #20 (1993)

March 22, 2023March 20, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous review, the team led by Sting daringly broke into the Harbinger Foundation’s New York facility and freed the pretty blonde Natalie Toynbee (codename: Stunner) who happened to have a big ego and was not comfortable with the organization’s rules. While Sting and his team secured Natalie as their newest member, a sinister force from Iran arrives in America.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #20, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins deep in the nation of Iran on February 1, 1993. Thanks to the tremendous help of Screen, the Harbinger renegades composed of Flamingo, Kris, Shatiqua and Faith/Zephyr make their way through the busy section of Mashad, carefully communicating with each other while disguised in cultural clothing. Their mission is to find the hideout of Kaliph and rescue Sting and Natalie/Stunner knowing they only have ten hours left.

Inside Kaliph’s fortress, a very weak and uneasy Sting finds himself alone in a dark room while Natalie is being treated nicely by the servants of Kaliph in preparation for dinner with the sinister master himself…

Quality

*During their rescue effort, Sting’s teammates face off with the armed Iranians of Kaliph.*

In terms of storytelling, this is a very solid continuation to the events that happened in the previous issue and it was a clever move by the creators to have the story set in enemy territory which easily raised the stakes for Sting’s team. While this is not the first time that the group went out on dangerous missions going into the turf of the opposition, having Iran as the setting and Kaliph as the powerful villain really made things fresh for this particular comic book series.

It should be noted that having Sting being very vulnerable added a nice layer of depth in this tale given the fact that he is still living with a false sense of maturity as well as traces of arrogance on his part believing that he could make positive changes by fighting powerful enemies and freeing powered youth from captivity without vast amounts of resources. For the newcomers reading this, Sting and his companions do not have much money to live with nor do they have technologies or connections to be powerful as a team. They simply have their own super powers and the will to move on and make things happen which makes them different compared to many other superhero teams in comics.

There are also signs of suicidal thoughts on Sting’s part as he recklessly moved to get to Kaliph even though the villain’s men were armed. By contrast, his teammates moved cautiously into Kaliph’s fortress and the way they handled the armed Iranians was believably presented. Not to be outdone here in Natalie who got a good share of the spotlight.

This comic book’s evil Iranian Kaliph was presented to be not only powerful but also talented as a business negotiator (which makes him somewhat similar with this comic book series’ super villain Toyo Harada) and even as a host of special guests. His evil nature here got emphasized further through his treatment of people as pawns of negotiations backed by his power of manipulation.

Conclusion

*Natalie Toynbee being treated nicely by the servants not realizing the evil of the man she is about to meet.*

Harbinger #20 (1993) is both engaging and intriguing to read from start to finish. Having Sting’s team on a high-risk rescue mission in Iran made for a great setting and Kaliph turned out to be a more significant figure of evil. Through Kaliph and his violence-oriented servants, you will see the symbolism of the evil of Iran in real-life even though this comic book does not show any links between him and the regime that took power in 1979. Geopolitics are pretty much absent in the story but the evil presented through Kaliph make this old comic book highly relevant in relation to the evil of Iran today (for reference, click here, here, here, here, here and here). It should be noted that within the comic book, the Iranian people in general are not condemned and in real life, there are Iranians standing up against their government which itself has been sponsoring terrorists and organizing terrorism for a long time now. The brutality committed by Iran’s regime made several Iranians escape their country to be free.

Considering the very sensitive matter of Iran and other issues related with contemporary geopolitics, Harbinger #20 (1993) not only aged well but is also a living reminder that people whose minds got poisoned with wickedness, political correctness and wokeness would not dare make a comic book showing the evil of Iran. The Leftist-oriented people prefer to make deals with terrorists (for examples, click here and here).

Overall, Harbinger #20 (1993) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #19 (1993)

September 14, 2022September 12, 2022carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, the creative team of Fontenot-Simpson told another story that built up Harbinger’s concept some more while introducing yet another new character – Screen – who is not part of the team led by Sting. The story symbolically showed the further growth of the tremendous power of Toyo Harada not only through his control of the Harbinger foundation but also of his connection with the new United States President of the time.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #19, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins on the afternoon of January 25, 1993. Inside the New York facility of the Harbinger foundation, a pretty blonde, young lady named Natalie Toynbee – codename: Stunner – gets scanned by the technicians handling the technologies. A technician’s request for Natalie to urinate into a cup reveals that the lady has a huge ego and pride of herself as she reacts negatively.

Suddenly, the wall near Natalie and the technician got damaged by force unleashed by Sting who is accompanied by Faith, Flamingo and Shatiqua. Their mission is to free Natalie from the clutches of the Harbinger foundation which is a small part of their long-term vision of freeing and recruiting more powered young adults.

After subduing the Harbinger foundation personnel, Sting begins to explain to Natalie the situation and tells her to just trust him. Sting tells her to come with them which only drew more of Natalie’s ego along with skepticism. This reaction makes Faith think Natalie is not worth saving…

Quality

*Imagine Iran invading America and causing terror like in this scene. Imagine Joe Biden and the Democrats allowing this to happen to Americans.*

While the story was not crafted to follow-up closely on the events of issue #18, this comic book puts Sting and his teammates into a collision course with a new force of evil – the Iranians (note: issue #20 confirms their national identity) who have interests on specific young adults with powers and special abilities. Along the way, the Fontenot-Simpson team introduced a new sinister force in the form of a very manipulative Iranian named Kaliph.

Kaliph’s introduction here is easily the biggest feature of the story and he unsurprisingly overwhelms the debut of Natalie. Kaliph here works in service of his unidentified superiors and as he does his job, he uses his special ability of manipulating people’s minds through sight and sound to gain information, find directions, make them do his orders and gain access into places that he could never have had he been an ordinary person. By the end of the story, I was convinced that Kaliph was created to be an enduring or recurring villain for Sting and his team.

More on the primary characters of this monthly series, Sting and his teammates were portrayed to get more harbingers (powered young adults) to join them and become part of their long-term opposition against Toyo Harada and the Harbinger foundation, even though their own team lacks the resources needed to support themselves. The lack of resources was cleverly highlighted through Natalie’s reactions (related to her big ego) to what Sting’s team has for her to live with. Looking at the bigger picture going back to issue #1, Sting’s vision of defeating Harada and winning the trust of powered young adults without any solid foundation (specifically resources, connections and security) emphasize his recklessness and false sense of maturity as a team leader.

Conclusion

*Kaliph and his companion arrive in America with a sinister plan.*

In my view, Harbinger #19 (1993) is a solid change of direction for the monthly series complete with the introduction of a new, strong villain who originated from Iran which by today’s standards is the major force of terrorism in this world. The new villain Kaliph has a creepy aesthetic that other villains in this series lacked. More notably, the story remained consistently very engaging and pulled off some notable surprises which were indeed entertaining.

Overall, Harbinger #19 (1993) is highly recommended!

+++++

A Look Back at Harbinger #18 (1993)

September 6, 2022September 5, 2022carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, some twists of events happened for Sting and his teammates during the Christmas season. The story was part of the continuing build-up and expansion of the Harbinger series’ own space within Valiant Comics’ shared universe under the direction of Maurice Fontenot. As of issue #17, another new character from outside of Sting’s group got introduced for them to interact with.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Harbinger #18, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Maurice Fontenot and illustrated by Howard Simpson.

Early story

The story begins on January 1993. Within the city of New York, Faith, Shatiqua and Flamingo are being followed by a young man wearing a trench coat. They know they are being followed. They eventually found themselves just outside the same amusement joint where Shatiqua played a lot of arcade games and decide to enter.

Inside, many people recognized and greeted Shatiqua which reflects her outstanding reputation on arcade games. As Shatiqua, Faith and Kris approach a certain arcade game (that Shatiqua wants to play), they noticed the one playing it is the same little black boy (capable of disappearing) they encountered previously. Shatiqua then takes the first step to approach him and gain his attention.

The boy then disappears and reappears a short distance away from the three and right beside same trench coated man who earlier follow them. The boy then attempts to blow the place up with a hand grenade. The man in the trench coat reacts quickly revealing his power to Faith, Shatiqua and Flamingo.

Quality

*Sting shows his ignorance and lack of maturity while getting checked by Dr. Hayward.*

This is the latest build-up type of story Fontenot composed and like the previous issue, another new character unconnected to Sting’s team got introduced for them to interact with. The new character here is referred to as Screen and he clearly is a more interesting character than the one introduced in issue #17. Screen here is more impulsive and aggressive and he sure looks like he has what it takes to oppose Sting. I also liked the way the creative team showed the impulsiveness and lack of maturity of both Sting and Screen.

Within the script is the establishment of a new sub-plot which symbolizes the growing danger of the Harbinger foundation towards not only on Sting and teammates but also against the others that oppose Toyo Harada and his organization. In some ways, the sub-plot will make you speculate about the invisible yet sinister forces who wield tremendous power over the top government officials who are supposed to be serving their constituents within the republic.

With all of these details laid down, I can say they are all engaging to read as Fontenot’s writing continued to be really strong. For the art, I can say that Howard Simpson continued to pump out really solid visuals while successfully keeping the primary characters recognizable all the time.

Conclusion

This image is very symbolic as Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary made it normal for the United States to make deals with terrorists (notably Iran and Palestine) and betray the patriotic Americans. This makes this comic book socially relevant and what you see with the corrupt administration of Joe Biden reconnects strongly with the Clinton legacy.

Harbinger #18 (1993) is a very solid comic book to read. The build-up continues to happen and along the way, the titular characters got developed some more and this time around, the Harbinger foundation’s power continues to get stronger which convinced me to look forward to the next issue.

Overall, Harbinger #18 (1993) is highly recommended!

+++++

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