When The Final Witness #1 hits shelves in April, it will introduce Valiant's first crime noir/murder mystery to the superhero-laden universe. Following several teasers, Valiant has given CBR an exclusive, lettered preview for the first issue by Ray Fawkes, Jeremy Haun, Nick Filardi and Clayton Cowles, as well as exclusive quotes from Fawkes and series editor Heather Antos.
On creating a new corner of the Valiant Universe in The Final Witness, Fawkes said, "In most superhero worlds, everything is very clean, where characters -- and readers -- know all the minute details of all the characters involved, and where they stand in terms of right and wrong. What Valiant has asked us to do with The Final Witness is to explore a murkier, more mysterious world: where the characters can be more complex, and the readers can make their own decisions about them. I’m very excited and proud to present this new chapter in the Valiant universe."
Antos added, "If the human race has ever had one constant throughout history, that constant has been a fascination with crime -- whether studying, engaging in, or exploiting criminal behavior. And now, we bring that fascination to the Valiant Universe in a way it's never dealt with before: a mysterious super-powered and super lethal serial killer. What Ray and Jeremy are exploring with these new characters -- a cynical investigative journalist, a takes-no-shit detective, and a civilian grappling with his new identity as a superhero -- dives deep into some heavy themes revolving around what is 'right' versus what is lawful. What may be a crime to one, may not be to another -- but it's up to the reader to be the final witness and decide."
You can see CBR's exclusive preview below, alongside the solicitation information from the book.
The Final Witness #1
- Written by RAY FAWKES
- Art by JEREMY HAUN
- Colors by NICK FILARDI
- Letters by CLAYTON COWLES
- Cover A by RAHZZAH
- Cover B by MICHAEL WALSH
- Cover C by CASPAR WIJNGAARD
- Preorder Edition Cover by JEREMY HAUN
- 1:25 Decoder Variant Cover by TRAVIS ESCARFULLERY
- Ray Fawkes (Gotham By Midnight) and Jeremy Haun (The Red Mother) ignite a chilling new crime noir mystery. A superpowered serial killer is terrorizing San Francisco, but they’re no Zodiac -- they’re worse. The detective, the reporter, the new superhero in town… who will be the final witness?
- On sale APRIL 29 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
The Final Witness #1 releases April 29.