This morning an e-mail went out to comics sites, with news that might get a lot of fans prematurely excited. Let's not count any chickens before they're hatched, but it looks like a serious move is about to be made to revive the assets of Valiant Comics.

You may remember Valiant -- the company that Jim Shooter launched and used to shake the comics industry. When Image started up and pushed the focus to art, Valiant had writing that gripped readers from month to month before it attracted the attention of videogame titan Acclaim. That company purchased Valiant and had no idea what to do with it.

As a result, Acclaim folded their publishing arm. At least they got a couple of decent videogames out of their new property, including the durable Turok, Dinosaur Hunter series.

A few months ago, after sputtering along for some time, Acclaim themselves folded, leaving gamers on edge waiting for finished titles such as The Red Star.

But this isn't about gaming -- this is about some of the best comics of the nineties, and we can only wish John Taddeo luck. I'm intrigued thought not necessarily anxious over his other projects mentioned here, but walk into a comic shop and mention Rai #0, and chances are somebody will mist up and start talking a mile a minute about how great that book was. At least, I know that happens at Brian's Books.

Check it out:

After being outbid for the rights to the CrossGen Universe at auction, longtime comics fan and former Marketing Manager for Marvel Entertainment, John Taddeo, has had the terms and conditions of his initial offer accepted by the trustee of the Acclaim estate to purchase the rights to the characters of the Valiant Universe. The auction is currently set for mid-April.

Aside from doing due diligence to attempt this purchase, Taddeo is also involved in publishing the new superhero adventure comic Zoom Suit through Assassination Entertainment. Written by Taddeo, Zoom Suit will feature art by Bob Layton, Bart Sears, Billy Tucci, Billy Dallas Patton and Gene Colon. Along with the comic, a 70-minute Zoom Suit animated feature is being created for release in 2006. A 10-minute animated preview for the Zoom Suit feature can be found at the company’s web site.

Assassination Entertainment also plans to release the comic series, America: Superpower, based on an idea originally owned by CrossGen Entertainment. This new series is to be written by New York Times best selling author, Steve Alten (Meg, Goliath, The Lock), and will be illustrated by Alitha Martinez and Peter Palmiotti. No release dates are set yet for either title. 

Derek McCaw