Press Release
Valiant is proud to unveil the UNITY #1 Team USA Luge Variant – a special, benefit-edition variant cover for 2013’s most anticipated comic book event, featuring many of the USA Luge team athletes who will represent the United States in competition next February in Sochi, Russia. A portion of the proceeds from each UNITY #1 Team USA Luge Variant sold will be donated directly to the USA Luge team and contribute to their ongoing fundraising goals.
As an official sponsor of USA Luge, Valiant designed the look of the USA Luge uniforms, with luge athletes appearing in-competition at events across the world in racing suits patterned after Valiant’s flagship hero, X-O Manowar. Now, for the first time anywhere, this cutting-edge luge suit design – originally envisioned by artists Patrick Zircher and Khari Evans – will make its comic book debut in an all-new UNITY #1 cover image with artwork by rising star Diego Bernard. Featuring X-O Manowar surrounded by the real-life luge athletes he helped to inspire, the UNITY #1 Team USA Luge Variant will be the first time Valiant has produced a specially commissioned variant cover for fundraising purposes.
“With X-O Manowar taking center stage next month in UNITY #1 and the beginning of the 2014 Games just months away, the timing couldn’t be better to celebrate the unprecedented partnership between Valiant and USA Luge,” said Russell A. Brown, Valiant’s President of Licensing, Consumer Products, and Ad Sales. “It has been an enormous pleasure working the team and their incredibly gifted athletes, and now we hope to assist them even further with this one-of-a-kind, special edition cover for our biggest release of the year.”
“Valiant has truly captured the passion and vitality of our athletes with this cover,” said Gordy Sheer, Director of Marketing and Sponsorship for USA Luge. “Look for the team to bring every ounce of the energy presented here to Sochi when the Games begin this coming February.”
Written by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (Justice League of America, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (Journey into Mystery), UNITY #1 is the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new ongoing series launching Valiant’s first ever super-team into battle against X-O Manowar!
As announced previously, UNITY #1 will be 100% returnable for qualifying retailers and will feature five limited Pullbox Exclusive Variants (available to fans who pre-order with their local retailer) from a “murderers’s row” of comics all-stars – Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates, Age of Ultron), J.G. Jones (Final Crisis, Wanted), Travel Foreman (Animal Man), Paolo Rivera (Daredevil) and Clayton Crain (Ghost Rider, Carnage).
Artist Doug Braithwaite and colorist Brian Reber have also joined Valiant on an exclusive basis for the launch of UNITY #1. Last week, every retailer in the United States received UNITY RED – a one-of-a-kind, limited edition look book showcasing the stunning artwork of Valiant’s newest exclusive creators.
In another first for the publisher, Valiant also recently unveiled the UNITY #1 8-Bit Evolution Variant – the first fully animated 8-bit cover, engineered by CineFix, the ultimate destination for true movie buffs & filmmakers on YouTube. Simply use any smartphone to read the QR code embedded in the cover to unlock an exclusive CineFix “8-Bit Cinema” animated short starring the team of heroes behind the year’s biggest comic book event – X-O Manowar, Toyo Harada, Eternal Warrior, Ninjak and Livewire!
To kill a king…he has created an army. The world’s most dangerous man, Toyo Harada, has been struck by the one thing he never thought possible – fear. Halfway across the globe, a new power threatens to topple modern civilization and, to preempt the cataclysm that is to come, Harada will unite the most unforgiving team the world has ever known – UNITY. Their mission: defeat the threat responsible for the destruction of MI-6, the decimation of an alien world, and the occupation of Eastern Europe… Unseat the warrior king armed with the universe’s most powerful weapon… Kill X-O Manowar!
You’ve heard the buzz. You’ve seen the reviews. On November 13th, start reading here to discover the most acclaimed universe in comics. UNITY #1 is the perfect entry point for new readers!
UNITY #1
Written by MATT KINDT
Art & Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE (SEP131344)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by BRYAN HITCH (SEP131346)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by J.G. JONES (SEP131345)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by TRAVEL FOREMAN (SEP131349)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by PAOLO RIVERA (SEP131347)
Pullbox Exclusive Variant by CLAYTON CRAIN (SEP131348)
Valiant 8-Bit Evolution Variant by DONOVAN SANTIAGO (SEP131350)
Team USA Luge Variant by DIEGO BERNARD (SEP131352)
Valiant Signature Series Variant by BART SEARS (SEP131353)
Variant Cover by NEAL ADAMS (SEP131354)
B&W Sketch Variant by NEAL ADAMS (SEP131355)
Blank Variant also available (SEP131351)
$3.99/T+/32 pgs.
ON SALE 11/13/13 (FOC – 10/21/13)
