X-O Manowar Vol. 1: By the Sword
Valiant Entertainment; Robert Vendaetti, writer; Cary Nord, pencils; Stefano Gaudiano, inks
So here’s the deal. I recently read a blog post by a friend, Nathan James Norman, about how he was ditching DC Comics and reading books from the recently re-built Valiant Entertainment.
Back in the 90s, Valiant was one of the big publishers that wasn’t DC, Marvel, or Image. This was during a time period when I was reading Wizard Magazine, and through Wizard I learned about Valiant and Malibu, and instead of getting into Valiant I got into Malibu’s Ultraverse.
So when Valiant made a comeback in 2012, I didn’t pay it much attention. But Nathan James Norman’s high praise caused me to take a look.
X-O Manowar is the flagship title, the first book they put out, and therefore the first book I picked up to test the waters.
It is fantastic.
It’s packed with action, it’s an intriguing story, the art is beautiful, and I have no idea where the story is going.
This is the story of a barbarian who, while defending his people from Roman invaders, finds himself dealing with a foe of a very unexpected kind. And when escaping, he finds himself bonding with a high tech weapon, turning him into a super powered human. But when he returns home, it’s not what he left behind.
This volume contains the first four issues of the series, and i have already ordered the next volume from my local comic shop.
But is this volume is any indication of the quality of the rest of the books, I’m in. I’m not going to ditch Marvel and DC completely (I have to “make mine Marvel,” you know, because I podcast about it), but I’m glad I have started with Valiant.
Recommended!
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