Doctor Solar Man of the Atom/Magnus Robot Fighter – Dark Horse FCBD Preview

Saw these over at CBR and because I’m a big fan of VALIANT I just have to mention it here at BSC. First, it’s not VALIANT, but it is Jim Shooter writing characters called Solar (MD version) and Magnus Robot Fighter. Not only may that be good enough, it might be better than what we can get from VALIANT. Last December we mentioned this project when the cover was released.

You can read the above link for the gist of all that, but what you need to know is that Dark Horse is launching the former Gold Key characters (who also used to be the cornerstones of the VALIANT Universe) on Free Comic Book Day (May 1st) with the story provided by the aforementioned Shooter – the architect of VALIANT universe that brought these two characters back to the mainstream (relative to the comic medium) – with overpriced art provided by Dennis Calero, and Bill Reinhold.

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Some months ago I contacted Dark Horse to clarify their plan for the Gold Key characters and got this:

We will be relaunching DHP in print next year, and will feature stories on the Gold Key characters. However, each will have it’s own series launching next year

We will be launching them on a monthly basis, starting with Solar in July.

The dawn of a new age of superhero excitement begins on Free Comic Book Day 2010, as Dark Horse Comics proudly presents the return of two of the most legendary characters in the annals of comics—Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom and Magnus, Robot Fighter—reimagined for the twenty-first century by another comics legend, writer Jim Shooter! This FCBD extravaganza features all-new Solar and Magnus stories, with art by fan favorites Dennis Calero (X-Men Noir, X-Factor) and Bill Reinhold (The Punisher, Wolverine: Origins), leading up to two new series launching this summer.

One of the few titles that I have to pick up monthly. Maybe.