Fun Run for 7/2
Today's Fun Run is another short one, Robert Loren Fleming's Valor run from 1992-1993, ten issues in total, until Mark Waid took over the book, basically to lead the book into Zero Hour (where Kurt Busiek and Colleen Doran took over to wrap up the title's cancellation).
Valor starred Lar Gand, formerly Mon-El from the Legion of Super Heroes.
It was a spin-off of the big Eclipso mini-series that Fleming had co-written with Keith Giffen (it was mainly Fleming), and both spin-off series went to Fleming - Eclipso and Valor.
This series was noteworthy just for the amount of fun stories that happened in it.
Fleming made sure to bring back (from a previous Giffen crossover, Invasion!), the Blasters, and they had a fun crossover.
The art was by MD Bright at first, and then Jeffrey Moore.
Both were good.
This was a fun series.
Anyone else remember it?
Valor starred Lar Gand, formerly Mon-El from the Legion of Super Heroes.
It was a spin-off of the big Eclipso mini-series that Fleming had co-written with Keith Giffen (it was mainly Fleming), and both spin-off series went to Fleming - Eclipso and Valor.
This series was noteworthy just for the amount of fun stories that happened in it.
Fleming made sure to bring back (from a previous Giffen crossover, Invasion!), the Blasters, and they had a fun crossover.
The art was by MD Bright at first, and then Jeffrey Moore.
Both were good.
This was a fun series.
Anyone else remember it?
posted by Brian Cronin at 8:57 PM
22 Comments:
Are you sure Fleming co-created The Blasters? You're right about them debuting in Invasion!, but that was written by Giffen and Bill Mantlo. Did Flem ghost-write for that series or something?
Also, Bron was introduced in the first Mark Waid issue of Valor (A fill-in he did just before Flem left the series).
Still, Valor WAS a fun read and still noteable for the reasons you state. Nice to see someone else remembers it.
Three points, Ken.
1. As Johanna mentions, Busiek followed up Waid, I missed that.
2. I defer to your knowledge on Bron. I didn't remember for SURE myself, so I checked one of those online resources. Curse me for a novice! I should have just dug it out of my collecton and checked myself!
3. HOLY CRAP!! I would have bet a gazillion dollars that Fleming co-wrote Invasion!!!! But you are correct.
So many errors, so little time...hehe.
At least you're willing to admit when you've made a mistake. Some people have serious trouble with that.
The Waid-Busiek gaff isn't as big as it might seem, either. Waid was given special thanks credits on most or all of the Busiek-written issues. Most likely he was still contributing to the plotting.
I sent a link to this post to Fleming, and this is what he had to say...
Thanks for the heads up on the nice Valor post. It was especially
appreciated since that assignment was widely panned at the time, by critics
and the fans and most particularly my editor, who canned me! By the
time I was asked to leave I didn't really mind, though, since the artist
on the book then was pretty bad. But I did think one or two of those
early issues were worthy, and this was literally the first positive
feedback I've ever received for that work.
How 'bout that!
(Didn't buy Valor, probably 'cause I couldn't stand the art either)
I liked Jeffrey Moore.
But yes, clearly, MD Bright was better.
And those early, Bright-drawn, issues were the highlight of the run.
Wait, Robert Fleming's not dead?
Nope, he's very much alive and kicking and living out west!
He's just not doing comics right now.
I could have sworn I read an article around the time Ambush Bug returned in the pages of Lobo Unbound referring to him as "the late Robert Loren Fleming." Good to see I was mistaken!
Given that you mention that both Lobo AND Ambush Bug were in that comic, reports of Fleming's death may have been greatly exagerated (All for the sake of a bad joke). I'd have to check that out myself.
I was jokingly implied that Dave Cockrum had died when John Byrne took over art chores on X-men. Similar situation maybe?
Either that, or that email from before came from Flem's ghost.
I think Lobo went too far this time.
No, apparently this was a big rumor making the rounds a couple of years ago.
I think it probably had to do with Fleming not doing comic work anymore.
It WAS a joke, fellas.
I've spoken to him on the phone.
Unless my phone has a calling area that includes the Underworld...!
Maybe he did a deal with Neron?
Just finished rereading the series recently and chalk me up as another fan of the Valor series. I particularly liked the fact that they wrote him as a more impetuos, brash youth before obtaining his "god-like" status.
I really enjoyed the entire Valor run. I got into it because of the direct Legion tie-in issues and then tracked down the whole run. I loved it.
Right, it was a joke for you, JB, but it WAS a rumor that was making the rounds among the internet a few years back.
Right, it was a joke for you, JB, but it WAS a rumor that was making the rounds among the internet a few years back
I remember that, and in one of the first conversations we had it was brought up...it was Giffen having some fun.
Fleming here, back from the dead. Thanks for the kind comments, everyone. I just wanted to clarify a question posed by Ken Robinson: yes, I did co-create The Blasters for inclusion in Invasion! I came up with the name of the group and invented all of the characters, their names and powers. It was supposed to be a spin-off written by me and drawn by James Fry, but DC didn't like my humorous take on the group, so I resigned before the first issue. I was able to use The Blasters in Valor later on, written my way.
p.s.: Those bus crashes really smart!
Thanks for the clarification, Mr. Fleming. Interesting that they didn't give you any credit in Invasion!, then (Not even a special thanks or something.)
Hey, Ken, that means that there were only THREE glaring errors in my original piece then!
Go me! Go me!
Only three? Nice hat trick!
Go you! Go you!
I think I should get a plaque.
"Best blog entry with under four glaring errors"
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