Dylan Davison
Valiant’s resurgence is on the horizon, and I was fortunate to interview the talented Dan Abnett, the writer behind “Rai” and the upcoming event miniseries “Rai: The Book of Darque.” This series connects with the upcoming event and further extends Dan’s remarkable storytelling in the world of Valiant.
Comic Watch/Dylan Davison(CW): Hello Dan! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Your work is amazing, and I’m thrilled about your continued collaboration with Valiant!
Dan: Thank you very much 🙂
CW: When we last left Rai, he was in quite a Darque situation. How will that affect Rai in your upcoming series?
Dan: I loved working on the Rai series, and we certainly left it on a cliffhanger. In many ways, the Rai series was a casualty of the pandemic in publishing terms. We’d built towards a big story that we weren’t able to tell… then. It’s great to be able to come back and deliver that story. This is both a sequel to, and a continuation of, that major storyline and continuity. But for new readers just joining, don’t let that put you off. It’s also a great new story in its own right, and we’ll catch you up with anything that would be useful to know.
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CW: How was it writing someone as cool as Darque and delving into the more magical side of Valiant?
Dan: It was great, of course. Rai exists in the future of the Valiant universe, on a post apocalypse world where society is trying to rebuild. Technology, often wild and feral, is very advanced, to the point where it could be mistaken for magic. I wondered what if would be like if we threw actual magic into that mix: that ancient, very ancient supernatural forces had re-awoken after the apocalypse and is now fighting for dominance against technology. Darque, or the legacy of Darque once was, is the ideal focus for that.
CW: When writing a character like Rai, how much research do you conduct into fringe technology and science?
Dan: Lots, let me tell you. Lots and lots. To me, the trick to fantasy and science fiction has always been to give it some sense of authenticity. No matter how strange or fantastical it is, the reader needs to believe that it COULD happen, that it COULD be real. So, yes, I do a lot of reading and research to source ideas and concepts that can give the fantastical elements a grounding of reality, or at least the illusion of it.
CW: You’ve been working with Rai for quite some time now. What inspired you to continue writing this character?
Dan: I really love the character, and Raijin too, and the world we set up in the original series. It’s great to get the chance to finish the story we began, to give it some satisfying closure, but it’s also just great to return to this world and explore it some more.
CW: Besides the usual characters and Darque, who else can we expect to see in your upcoming series? Will Shadowman, a long-time enemy of Darque, make an appearance?
Dan: I’m not going to spoil the story, but you can bet there are some significant guest stars in the story… and some surprising ones too!
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CW: Rai has been an incredible story told across several titles. When crafting such a narrative, do you have a clear idea of the overarching story, or do you approach it mini-series by mini-series?
Dan: On the original book, I certainly had a concept for a major, overarching story, broken into sections. But you should take no plan for granted. With this, though I’m getting to tell a story I had planned back then, I considered it very carefully in its own right. Is it still worth telling? Is there a better story to tell as time has passed? Is there a different way of telling this story, changing its approach so it works better as a self-contained adventure? I wanted to respect the readers, especially those coming to the character for the first time, and give them a really good story that didn’t require prior knowledge. So though the story is essentially the one I wanted to tell originally, I have completely re-framed and revised it so it works in a fresh way.
CW: Aside from your upcoming Rai story, are there any other projects you’re currently involved in or interested in pursuing? Can we expect more Valiant Rai stories from you in the future?
Dan: As usual, I’m very busy with stories for 2000AD in the UK, for the Warhammer Universe, and so on. But I would certainly jump at the chance to write some more Rai, or to explore the wonderful Valiant universe some more.
CW; Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me! I’m eagerly looking forward to more Rai!
Dan: Thank you!
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I’d like to express my gratitude to Dan Abnett and Danielle Ward for this incredible opportunity! I’m eagerly anticipating more “Rai” and “The Book of Darque.” Valiant 2024 promises to be spectacular!
“Rai: The Book of Darque #1” is set to release on May 29th, 2024. Don’t forget, the final order cut-off date is April 29th, so be sure to place your order soon!