Press Release:

NEW YORK, NY, March 11, 2008 - Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to turn the Valiant Comics series "Harbinger" into a live-action feature that will be developed as a potential directing vehicle for Brett Ratner.

Alexandra Milchan will produce with Ratner and Jay Stern. The project may be branded under the MTV Films banner.

Created by Jim Shooter, the "Harbinger" comicbook series became a hit when published in the 1990s. Harbingers are humans with powers that can be unlocked by "omega" harbingers. Teenager Pete Stanchek finds himself on a collision course with an older "omega" who used his gifts to become an evil industrialist.

"The movie is in the vein of a young 'Blade Runner,' as this 17-year- old gifted kid helps other kids tap into these parts of their brains," Milchan said.

Ratner, who directed "X-Men: The Last Stand," was looking for an opportunity to start a superhero franchise from scratch. Project will be scripted while Ratner continues work on other directing projects, including "Playboy," the Brian Grazer-produced film about Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner for Universal.

Valiant Comics is being relaunched by Valiant Entertainment Group, a privately financed company headed by CEO Jason Kothari and chief creative officer Dinesh Shamdasani, both of whom will be co-producers on the film.

Valiant Comics developed a strong following by launching hero franchises that had interconnected storylines (much like DC and Marvel titles). Company, which sold 80 million comicbooks and 8 million videogames, was sold to vidgame company Acclaim Entertainment in 1994 for $65 million but had done little recently as that company hit the financial rocks.

Kothari's group bought the Valiant library last year after Acclaim filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Its plan is to republish its best titles and begin generating new issues by year's end. Valiant signed with WMA to make movie deals for the franchises.

About Valiant Entertainment

Valiant Entertainment, Inc. is a character-based entertainment company that owns and manages some of the most popular comic characters ever created across all media, including feature films, television, video games, new media, publishing, and consumer products. Since its creation in 1990, Valiant has sold over 80 million comic books, 8 million video games, and became one of the three leading comic character-based companies globally. In addition, the "Valiant characters are often called the most important characters created since the Marvel revolution of the 1960s." (Sequart, 2006) VALIANTTM characters include X-O MANOWAR®, BLOODSHOT®, HARBINGERTM, ETERNAL WARRIORTM, DOCTOR MIRAGETM, NINJAKTM, SHADOWMAN®, RAITM, and QUANTUM & WOODYTM, among many others. Visit ValiantEntertainment.com for more information.

You can read all about the story behind Harbinger on the Valiant Entertainment website.

The upcoming hardcover collection X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH published by Valiant Entertainment includes the full X-O Manowar origin story (X-O Manowar #0-6) for the first time ever, and includes an all-new epic story “The Rise of Lydia” by comics legend Bob Layton, co-architect of the original Valiant Universe and writer of Iron Man’s most beloved stories.

X-O Manowar #0-6 has been digitally recolored and remastered, and the all-new “The Rise of Lydia” story written by Bob Layton features art by original Valiant creator Mike Leeke (H.A.R.D. Corps). X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH also features a brand new cover by superstar artist Sean Chen (Rai, Iron Man, Salvation Run).

X-O Manowar is one of the most popular characters of the modern era. Since its creation in 1992, X-O Manowar has sold over 8 million comic books and headlined a multiplatform release video game alongside Marvel’s Iron Man (Iron Man X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal).

Aric Dacia is a Visigoth barbarian captured by spider aliens and enslaved aboard their starship until he steals their ultimate weapon – the X-O Manowar armor. Aric returns to Earth only to find that 1600 years have past. Now the most primitive man on the planet wields the most technologically advanced weapon in existence! X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH is one of the finest collaborations in comics ever - featuring art by legendary illustrators Barry Windsor-Smith and Joe Quesada, and a story by legendary writers Bob Layton and Jim Shooter.

Dinesh Shamdasani, Chief Creative Officer of Valiant Entertainment said, “We are pleased to be following the success of Harbinger: The Beginning with X-O Manowar: Birth, which includes an incredible new epic story ‘The Rise of Lydia’ by legendary creator Bob Layton.”

X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH (FEB084088), published by Valiant Entertainment, is solicited in the February Previews (Volume XVIII #2) and scheduled to arrive in comic book stores nationwide on April 30, 2008. It collects the full X-O Manowar origin story (X-O Manowar #0-6) for the first time and includes an all-new epic story “The Rise of Lydia” by comics legend Bob Layton! The book is a full-color 192 page deluxe hardcover edition with a suggested retail price of $24.95.

HARBINGER: THE BEGINNING (FEB084089), published by Valiant Entertainment, is resolicited in the February Previews (Volume XVIII #2) and scheduled to arrive in comic book stores nationwide on April 2, 2008. It collects the full Harbinger origin story (Harbinger #0-6) for the first time and includes an all-new powerful story “Origin of Harada” by comics legend Jim Shooter! The book is a full-color 200 page deluxe hardcover edition with a suggested retail price of $24.95.

About Valiant Entertainment
Valiant Entertainment is a character-based entertainment company that owns and manages some of the most popular comic characters ever created across all media, including feature films, television, video games, new media, publishing, and consumer products. Since their creation in 1990, Valiant characters have sold over 80 million comic books, 8 million video games, and Valiant became one of the three leading comic character-based companies globally. In addition, the "Valiant characters are often called the most important characters created since the Marvel revolution of the 1960s" (Sequart, 2006). VALIANT™ characters include X-O MANOWAR®, BLOODSHOT®, HARBINGER™, ETERNAL WARRIOR™, DOCTOR MIRAGE™, NINJAK™, SHADOWMAN®, RAI™, and QUANTUM & WOODY™, among many others. Visit ValiantEntertainment.com for more information.