ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER #1 marks the eagerly anticipated return of Valiant Entertainment’s fan-favorite and adventurous duo. When the carefree, hard-drinking, and immortal Aram Anni-Padda, a.k.a. Armstrong, seemingly loses his ability to heal from any wound and believes his days as an immortal are finally coming to an end, his young and optimistic best friend Obadiah Archer will travel the world in search of mythical artifacts to save his dear friend.
A buddy comedy adventure with a lot of heart, the new series ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER is written by Steve Foxe (X-Men ’92: House of XCII), illustrated by Marcio Fiorito (Eternals: The 500 Year War), colored by Alex Guimarães (Savage Avengers), and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (The Blue Flame). The first issue will have a limited 1:250 Burnt Wood Variant Cover, and yes, it really is made from burnt wood.
“The bond between Archer and Armstrong is, in my mind, one of the most compelling in all of comics,” said Steve. “Action, adventure, comedy, super-gross body horror: there’s no genre Archer and Armstrong can’t steamroll.” While ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER offers a welcome return for Valiant fans, the upcoming comic also serves as a great jumping-on point for new readers to experience the unique dynamic between the two iconic characters. “I can’t wait for returning readers to meet all of our new faces (some of them quite weird, to be honest) and for brand-new fans to discover why Archer and Armstrong are pillars of the Valiant Universe!”
Marcio called his work on ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER “challenging in the absolute best sense of the word!” The globe-trotting adventure means the artist had the opportunity to bring a wide variety of scenes to life. “ARCHER & ARMSTRONG FOREVER is taking me everywhere as an illustrator and as a reader. Historical references, exotic places, all sorts of mythical creatures… it’s the whole enchilada plus the kitchen sink and more!” The title’s variety of genres also allowed Marcio to connect with the duo in a meaningful way. “Steve’s script swerves from pure drama to belly-aching humor and that’s what makes this project so special to me. It is a real pleasure to be working alongside such a great team! I can’t wait for the fans to see what’s in store for them!”
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG is a passion project for the entire creative team. “As a letterer, one of the best things is opening a script and art and seeing the team throwing page after page of fun at it,” stated Hassan. “That’s definitely the vibe after one issue, a globe-trotting action-adventure where I get to bust out ridiculous balloons and sound effects just to keep up with Steve, Marcio, and Alex.”
Alex remarked that the team is bringing something new to this fan-favorite duo, both visually and narratively. “Valiant is an amazing place to be and many colorists I admire have been part of this house. As a colorist I couldn’t be happier,” commented Alex. “It’s a new step in everyone’s career… and the biggest beneficiaries will be the readers.”
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG is the latest series to spin out of The Year of Valiant, the year-long campaign focused on putting fans first with each and every comic. The supernatural Deadside War storyline is unfolding in the pages of SHADOWMAN, Faith makes her triumphant return to THE HARBINGER later this month (2/23), and the new sci-fi series ARMORCLADS will launch in March. More news about The Year of Valiant’s comic releases will be revealed very soon.
