What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.

In January 1990, Valiant held a press conference at New York’s Palladium announcing to the world the launch of the Nintendo Comics System. At the media event, they created the first story for the line live on stage – the Super Mario Bros. 3 tale, “The Fish that Should’ve Gotten Away.” The line’s comics were based upon Nintendo’s video game and television intellectual properties from Super Mario Bros., Game Boy, The Legend of Zelda, Captain N: The Game Master, Metroid, and Punch-Out!!.

As successful as the Nintendo Comics System was, Shooter and company wanted to dream bigger. This would involve building a universe of Shooter’s own, as well as licensing once-forgotten characters and bringing them to four-color life again. This time they would be of the Western Publishing Company.

Russ Manning’s Magnus, Robot Fighter set the initial foundations of the Valiant Universe. “Like Solar, Man of the Atom and Turok, Dinosaur Hunter, Magnus is a character whose lease on life was renewed under the Valiant imprint,” wrote former Valiant Executive Editor Tony Bedard in the introduction of the publisher’s the Magnus, Robot Fighter: Steel Nation trade paperback. “Originally appearing in Western Publishing’s Gold Key Comics, Magnus was the creation of legendry cartoonist Russ Manning. It is a testament to the clarity and vision of Manning that Magnus was the character least altered by Valiant’s Gold Key revival.

“In the year’s since [Magnus’s revival], we have introduced mega-popular original characters as Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, and Ninjak. But none of these other heroes would have experienced a single adventure, had not Magnus blazed the trail.”

This led to the creation of the original Valiant Universe, stories of which are chronicled within the pages of Valiant Reader. Volume 1 But it’s this unique comic’s cover depicting the height of the company’s popularity. Illustrated by Bob Layton protégé Bernard Chang, and portraying an action-packed gallery of heroes from the many titles making up Valiant 1.0, as it was sometimes called, the cover is unforgettable – and very, very collectible among ‘90s comics fans everywhere!

-Scott Braden