For him the mind is an open book. Too bad the whole library is full of crap.
Harbinger #1
Valiant Comics (June, 2012)
“Omega Rising” part 1
WRITER: Joshua Dysart
ARTIST: Khari Evans
COLORIST: Ian Hannin
LETTERER: Rob Steen
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Josh Johns
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Jody LeHeup
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Warren Simons
1951: Toyo Harmada travel to find a monk that eternally bleeds but never dies seeking understanding for his psychic powers, learning he’s a harbinger of the future, or what Harmada will later call a “psiot”. In present day another teenager, Peter Stanchek, is dealing with own telepathic powers while on the run with his friend, Joseph Irons. Joe actually has mental issues but he understands enough of his friend’s powers that he knows the man after them, known as Mr. Tull, has been losing his emotions due to being mindwiped by Peter so often. Peter tries to make contact with a girl he knew before going to the mental institution (his mind reading is uncontrolled), forcing her to love him out of desperation when she’s almost forgotten him after his response to his powers as a kid. Realizing he’s gone to far, this is when Harmada, now an industrialist, is read to approach him, believing he’ll now listen to his offer to help. Unfortunately, Tull rather easily tricked Joe into lead him right to his friend.
What they got right: We get a good introduction to the characters, what a psiot is, and as much set up of the exact situation as the first issue will allow. Peter’s pretty much rape of Kris (he used his powers to make her love him, what else would you call it?) isn’t treated as a good thing. Instead, it’s the final evidence that he’s at the end of his rope with his life, desperate for anything good from his old life to come back only to mess that up.
What they got wrong: The fact that he did it might still not sit well with some readers, admittedly. Did we need a monk bleeding from what appears to be his butt if not everywhere?
What I think overall: I’m not familiar with early versions of this series except for a couple of appearances during the “Valiant Heroes” story where they changed a lot of backstories for everyone. Make of that what you will. Ninjak was the only one that interested me though that version of XO Manowar was a curiosity. So I don’t know how well this matches up with the original Valiant concept. All I can say is that while this wasn’t for me, it was a well done story with good art, so I can see if it has a following.
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