HEAT VISION
Valiant Entertainment to Relaunch 'Rai' in November
This fall, the world of tomorrow is going to get a makeover as Valiant Entertainment relaunches its Rai comic book series, set 20 centuries in the future.
Originally introduced in 1991’s Magnus, Robot Fighter No. 5, Rai was rebooted in 2014 in the first issue of the previous Rai series by Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain. The character is a “cyborg samurai” and the last of a line of guardians of the dominant technological nation state of New Japan — at least, until he discovered that New Japan is not what he believed it to be.
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The new series will be written by Dan Abnett, no stranger to high-concept science fiction thanks to more than a decade of work on the iconic British SF anthology 2000 AD. Abnett is also, notably, one of the writers who transformed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy into the version of the team seen in the 2014 Marvel Studios movie and beyond. Illustrating the series will be Juan José Ryp, with colors from Andrew Dalhouse.
Although plot details about the new series haven’t been revealed, it follows the conclusion of Abnett’s current Valiant project, Fallen World, which features Rai and is set in the 41st century setting of the new Rai monthly title. That series carries on from previous Valiant titles in building the post-cyberpunk world of the far future, after the fall of New Japan. Valiant promises that the new series will feature the title character “on a thrilling quest to save the future in a journey that will introduce new worlds, new characters and gripping adventures.”
Rai No. 1 is scheduled for release digitally and in comic book stores Nov. 20.
