It's a handbook that will help you get acquainted with Valiant's Universe and series.
FCBD 2014 Future's End and Armor Hunters Special. This FCBD special is the best wealth of knowledge for YOU to the Valiant Universe. This will help get you acquainted with the characters and what has happened in their lives.
The Good
It's the "Valiant Universe Handbook" and from that name; you can expect that it has a wealth of knowledge-- which it does! From X-O Manowar to Rai, you can find out information about these characters (and groups) to get an understanding of where they come from and what their story is. This is the best reading material for new readers.
I'd say this was one of the best things that came from FCBD. From the issue 0's to the kid friendly FCBD comics, this FCBD Valiant special gives the most information and reason to follow their stories. It gives new readers a reason to check out Valiant Comics because the summaries reveal aspects of the story, but it does it in a way that will wet your appetite for a character and get you hooked on the origin surrounding them. Ultimately making you want to buy that book. I absolutely enjoyed how I was finding out a lot of information about X-O Manowar and his allies, but also for characters like Rai, Shadowman, and Dr. Mirage. This pattern of wetting your appetite was used for all the characters and I really liked the stories around some of them. Writers/researchers for this handbook; Chris Daniels, Robert Meryers, Jordon Nowlin, and Peter Stern did a good job at this book. I recommend picking this one up!
The Bad
There were a few grammar errors in this book. But other than that, it was all helpful knowledge.
The Verdict
This was helpful knowledge that gives new fans of the Valiant Universe a look at the origins and the events that have led to a particular story arc. It's very helpful as it gives away information that is really key to understanding what has happened. And it also includes recommended reading in the form of collections to get the full experience of a particular character or group. So overall 5 out of 5. Arrow review