In a surprise move, Valiant Entertainment announced Tuesday that it has signed a partnership agreement with New York-based publisher Alien Books that will see the latter company take over all publishing of Valiant properties.

In a statement, Alien Books director Matias Timarchi said, “Being able to collaborate on the creation of new stories with Valiant, the third largest connected superhero universe, is truly a dream come true. As a lifelong superhero fan and self-professed geek, the opportunity to work with these incredible characters fills me with boundless enthusiasm. Our goal is to expand the entire Valiant universe by crafting new books that will delight longtime fans while also innovating to engage a new generation of readers interested in webtoons, manga, and digital storytelling experiences. We are immensely proud that Valiant has selected us as their new partners for this thrilling venture, and we are excited to embark on a new chapter in Valiant's illustrious history.”

Valiant president of consumer products, promotions and ad sales Russ Brown added, “We remain fiercely committed to publishing Valiant comics and expanding our publishing line in ways we’ve never seen before. In partnership with Alien Books, we see an opportunity to push the boundaries of comic book publishing to help develop our incredible IP in exciting new ways for a rapidly expanding global audience.”

According to both companies, the Valiant line will continue the publication of the current X-O Manowar Unconquered series by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Liam Sharp that launched in March, while adding Ninjak Superkillers — a series originally announced last year for a February 2023 launch — this fall.

Popverse has confirmed that the terms of the deal mean that Alien Books, a publisher whose current output includes a new series by Howard Chaykin that appears to have flown under the radar, will be licensing the line and taking over all publishing duties from Valiant; a number of Valiant staff will be moving over to Alien in order to smooth the transition, according to sources close to the matter.

The news effectively ends the publishing career of this incarnation of Valiant Entertainment, which formed in 2007 with entrepreneur Dinesh Shamdasani in charge. In May 2012, the company rebooted its comic book universe with four launch titles — X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, and Archer & Armstrong. The company was acquired by DMG Entertainment in early 2018, with Shamdasani and a number of other senior executives — including chairman Peter Cuneo — leaving the company as a result. The acquisition followed a 2015 investment by DMG to adapt Valiant characters for movie and television. Last year, the company was hit by mass layoffs, leaving its future in doubt.

More information about Alien’s Valiant plans should be expected in coming months.

Read more about the August 2022 layoffs at Valiant.