Exclusive Valiant preview: Ales Kot crafts a superhero thriller in Dead Drop #1
Ales Kot’s rise in popularity as a comic book writer has coincided almost exactly with the new Valiant Comics’ rise as a superhero publisher, and while Kot has previously worked on a Shadowman short story for the company, he hasn’t been given the opportunity to really dig in to the Valiant Universe. That changes with May’s Dead Drop, a four-issue miniseries that sees Kot teaming with artist Adam Gorham and colorist Michael Spicer for a conspiracy thriller starring a group of Valiant heavy hitters and lower-profile supporting characters.
Kot and Gorham previously worked together on the haunting Zero #12, and Valiant makes a wise choice in pairing the writer with an artist with whom he has proven creative chemistry. Gorham is a relative newcomer to the industry, but he has a great eye for environmental detail, a sharp skill for action staging, and a rich inking style that brings a lot of texture and dimension to the visuals. This is Gorham’s first superhero project, and he proves that he’s a great fit for the genre with this preview of Dead Drop #1, beginning with a spectacular splash page of X-O Manowar flying toward Manhattan. The perspective of that shot captures the velocity of the character, which builds as Aric makes his way out of the sky and into Time Square to stop a potential terrorist.
The young universe of Valiant Comics is the perfect place for Kot to continue his off-kilter exploration of superheroes that began with his fantastic work on books like Suicide Squad (a sadly short-lived run), Secret Avengers, and Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier. This preview leans more on traditional superhero elements, but it’s also only five pages of a four-issue story, so there’s plenty of time for Kot to delve into more experimental storytelling territory. If Kot and Gorham’s issue of Zero is any indication, readers can expect a tense, character-driven narrative with bold, immersive artwork from Dead Drop, making it one of Valiant’s most exciting upcoming projects.