Welcome back for another edition of Parlay Points, the complementary blog to the ODPH Podcast! For this review, I’m checking out one of the most anticipated books coming out from Valiant Entertainment: The Harbinger #1 by COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING & ROBBI RODRIGUEZ!

Now, if you’re not familiar with Harbinger, here’s a quick synopsis: In 1992, Harbinger was a team book that centered around a group of super powered teenagers led by Peter Shanchek, & a mysterious foundation helmed by Toyo Harada. Stancheck & Harada are onmi-level psionic powered individuals who have always provided notable moments throughout Valiant’s history. It’s very worth while to search your LCS & ceck out past Harbinger stories. Let’s get familiar with the latest saga of Peter Shanchek

THE HARBINGER #1 Written by COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING Art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ Colors by RICO RENZI Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU Cover A by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ Cover B by ROD REIS Cover C by CRIS DELARA Pre-order Cover by DAMION SCOTTOn sale OCTOBER 27th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+ | Pre-order deadline is October 4thCredit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment — THE HARBINGER #1
Written by COLLIN KELLY, JACKSON LANZING
**Art by** ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
**Colors by** RICO RENZI
**Letters by** HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
**Cover A by** ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
**Cover B by** ROD REIS
**Cover C by** CRIS DELARA
**Pre-order Cover by** DAMION SCOTT
**On sale OCTOBER 27th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+ | Pre-order deadline is October 4th**
**Credit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment**

***POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING***

The saga of Peter Shancek starts with him waking up with no memory of what’s happened. Shanchek is learning on the fly (literally) because he’s being hunted down. Once around crowds of people, readers get the sense that the public are not big fans of him. Readers also don’t wait too long to see a small taste of what he’s capable of when dealing with aggressive authority.

The fallout from this introduces readers to CiCi, who tries filling in the pieces of Peter’s puzzle. That becomes short lived when they’re attacked by a group calling themselves “The Warning.” More answers & questions come from that encounter but Peter doesn’t have time to process with the cliffhanger ending that gets dropped on readers.

Kelly & Lanzing deliver on an amazing refresh of the Harbinger saga. For new readers, the writers pacing doesn’t jump too far ahead where it causes confusion. They keep the story moving while letting readers get a good grasp on why Stancheck is so important. The conversation with CiCi really drives that home. The tension is built up on each page so Readers are guaranteed to be hooked from page 1.

ROBBI RODRIGUEZ absolutely crushes the pages in this issue. The art is incredible. The moments where Stanchek is using his powers are elevated to another level due to the art. This feels like an action movie. There is no stronger example of this than Stanchek’s faceoff with the helicopters. Rodriguez builds that moment up so well than when its resolved, the readers can feel the payoff. This is another perfect creative pairing by Valiant.

Overall, Welcome back Peter Stanchek. THIS is how you do a refresh on a character!

The Harbinger #1 is a perfect re-introduction of one of Valiant’s most notable characters. The writing really captures a “Matrix meets Legion” type vibe & locks the readers up from the opening page. The art is phenomenal. The panels deliver on the big moments & subtle recaps. After reading this book, you’ll have no question on why there s so much hype behind this book! Make plans for it ASAP!

Let me know on Twitter how amped you are for The Harbinger #1. As always, thanks for reading!

THE HARBINGER #1 (2021) VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT: ODPH Podcast

Ken M