Valiant & Geppi's Celebrate 1,000,000th Copy of X-O Manowar

Representatives of Valiant Entertainment, the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), and Geppi's Entertainment Museum joined together at the Cadmus publishing plant in Richmond, VA to celebrate the 1,000,000th copy of X-O MANOWAR sold since the series' 2012 debut. The 1,000,000th copy was removed directly from the presses at Cadmus by Valiant representatives during the printing of the upcoming X-O MANOWAR #49 and subsequently entrusted to CGC's renowned team of preservation experts for grading and encapsulation. The one-of-a-kind, 1,000,000th copy – totaling all copies of X-O MANOWAR sold across print and digital in the United States and abroad since 2012 – will then be placed on display at Baltimore Comic Con 2016 before entering the permanent collection of the Geppi's Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, MD alongside the world's rarest and most valuable comic books.

Valiant will also be offering fans at Baltimore Comic-Con 2016 the chance to join in the celebration of X-O MANOWAR’s 1,000,000th copy sold with the X-O MANOWAR 1,000,000th COPY COMMEMORATIVE SEAL. Fans who purchase or provide copies of X-O MANOWAR #49 (any cover) at the Valiant booth (#2008) will be afforded the opportunity to have their copy embossed with an official Valiant 1,000,000th copy seal – designed in honor of X-O MANOWAR’s legendary achievement and forever commemorating a new milestone in Valiant history – free of charge.

"Valiant is privileged to enjoy a storied history with many millions of comics sold, legions of fans around the globe, and tremendous successes spanning nearly three decades. We're excited and proud to be adding to that legacy with today's milestone. This achievement, in particular, is noteworthy because it affirms the success that comes with a commitment to storytelling," said Valiant CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani.

“Since the first issue hit stands in 2012, we had always envisioned X-O MANOWAR as an epic, long-term, 50-issue story for our signature hero. Today, as we stand on the cusp of that achievement, we are able to reflect on a title that has not only been one of the best-selling and best-reviewed books in comics every month since its launch, but one that is also about to print its 1,000,000th copy. That is simply incredible, and we owe a huge congratulations to Robert Venditti and all the artists and creators who have contributed along the way. Their work on X-O MANOWAR stands as a massive feat of long-form narrative and creative vision that is virtually unrivaled by any other series in recent memory."

As the launch series of "THE SUMMER OF VALIANT" initiative that defined the Valiant Universe for a new generation, X-O MANOWAR #1 by New York Times best-selling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern) and Eisner Award-winning artist Cary Nord (Conan) debuted as the most successful independent series of 2012 and went onto to produce four sold-out printings of its first issue, as well as a myriad of year-end awards, nominations and "best of" citations from the industry’s most prestigious outlets. As the impetus for best-selling storylines like "ENTER: NINJAK" and "PLANET DEATH" and major crossover events UNITY and ARMOR HUNTERS, X-O MANOWAR continued to anchor the backbone of Valiant's award-winning publishing line over the course of writer Robert Venditti's unprecedented 56-issue run and set the tone and scale for the rest of Valiant's acclaimed series that would follow in its wake.

Now, Robert Venditti’s epic tenure is set to conclude with the 64-page X-O MANOWAR #50 (JUL162024) series finale on September 28th and, with time, the title that forged the Valiant Universe anew has distinguished itself as one of the longest running and most renowned superhero series of the modern era.