The 12-part biweekly (semimonthly?) series Fear Itself: The Fearless, which focused on Sin's plan to reclaim the Serpent's Hammers after the end of Fear Itself and Valkyrie's attempts to stop her, came to its conclusion last week. I found the series much more enjoyable than it's predecessor, perhaps because it was not weighed down by the event status of Fear Itself, and the creators were more free simply to tell their story.
Along with Chris Yost and Fear Itself scribe Matt Fraction, Cullen Bunn crafted a story of a strong female Asgardian warrior fulfilling her destiny, finding her lost love, and leading her fellow heroes in the fight. And as rendered by Mark Bagley and Paul Pelletier, the series was remarkably devoid of any of the blatantly sexist imagery that fills so much of comics these days. It's fairly safe to say that Bunn and his colleagues write Valkyrie the way I wish Wonder Woman would be written--fierce yet noble, compassionate yet uncompromising, and informed by a mythology that reinforces these ideals, rather than upends them for shock value.
So I ask the powers-that-be at Marvel, why not try an ongoing series for Valkyrie? Let's admit it, you've struggled with female-led titles for years: after some success with She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel a few years ago, the most recent Black Widow series was short-lived, as was Green Arrow/Black Canary Hawkeye & Mockingbird. We all have the highest hopes for Kelly Sue DeConnick's Captain Marvel series featuring Carol Danvers, but you could certainly use another female-led ongoing. Along with Ed Brubaker in Secret Avengers, Bunn showed in The Fearless that Valkyrie can be a compelling character with ties to both Asgard and Midgard--and with The Mighty Thor and Journey into Mystery, it would give you a trilogy of Asgardian titles. (Can you say "crossover"? I knew you could.)
And best of all, I have it on good authority that Bunn wants to do it!
Yes we can, Mr. Bunn. Yes we can.
