What do you think?
Rate this book
X-O Manowar (2012) #1-3
X-O Manowar Deluxe Edition, Book 1
Aric of Dacia, a fifth century Visigoth armed with the universe's most powerful weapon, is all that stands between the Earth and all-out annihilation at the hands of the alien race that abducted him from his own time. Stranded in the modern day, X-O Manowar's battle against the Vine will take him into the shadows with the lethal operative known as Ninjak - and launch a quest for vengeance that will bring an alien empire to its knees. The Vine destroyed Aric's world. Now he will give them war! From the epic origin to the battle for Planet Death, the definitive tale of Valiant's flagship hero comes together in this prestige-sized collection by New York Times bestselling writer Robert Venditti (Green Lantern, The Surrogates) and comics visionaries Cary Nord (Conan), Lee Garbett (Batman R.I.P.), and Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis).
Collecting: X-O Manowar 1-14, & a new introduction by series author Robert Venditti with more than 20-pages of never-before-seen extras direct from the Valiant vaults.
Collecting: X-O Manowar 1-14, & a new introduction by series author Robert Venditti with more than 20-pages of never-before-seen extras direct from the Valiant vaults.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2013
About the author
Robert Venditti
816 books407 followersRobert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.
Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.
Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 7, 2019
I've been meaning to get into Valiant comics for a while. I'm excited about their reputation as a newer comic book line that's not only creating a shared superhero universe, but attempting to do it without the mistakes that DC or Marvel constantly make, presenting us with a smaller, more manageable universe that's easy to jump into and follow, and being able to focus more on storytelling than trying to maintain some self-imposed status quo.
I REALLY enjoyed this first foray into the universe. This epic space saga follows Aric of Dacia, a 5th century Visigoth warrior who is abducted into slavery by an alien race known as The Vine. During a daring escape, he bonds with Shanhara the Manowar armor, a sentient alien battle suit. But when he makes it back to Earth, not only does he discover that it is now the 21st century and his home has gone the way of the ancients, but that The Vine is also set on reclaiming the Manowar armor by any means necessary, even if it means the destruction of Earth. So if you recognize the awesomeness that could ensue when you cross Conan the Barbarian with Iron Man, and sprinkle elements of Green Lantern, Captain America, aliens, and space battles, this book is definitely for you!
At first I was doubtful of how engaging the book could be because of the fact that it's main character is a relatively single-minded barbarian, but it's filled with cool ideas and almost non-stop action. It's totally entertaining, and I was surprised by how fascinating the villains were, whether it be the business-minded mercenary weapons specialist called Ninjak, hired to stop Aric, the Vine spy posing as a human who has fallen in love with all of Earth's carnal pleasures, or the Vine themselves. One would expect a lobster-faced alien race of bad guys to be one-note clichés, but I was so surprised to find that they were the most interesting characters in the whole book. I love how conflicted many of the Vine were, and their backstory, faith, and culture were pretty well detailed. My only complaint is something that most comic books suffer from: which is a tendency to rush things to fill issues. A bit more world-building, relationship-building, and more detailed discovery of all of the armor's abilities would have pushed this book into 5-star territory!
I'll be diving even deeper into Valiant soon!
This compiles the complete story told in the first three volumes:
I REALLY enjoyed this first foray into the universe. This epic space saga follows Aric of Dacia, a 5th century Visigoth warrior who is abducted into slavery by an alien race known as The Vine. During a daring escape, he bonds with Shanhara the Manowar armor, a sentient alien battle suit. But when he makes it back to Earth, not only does he discover that it is now the 21st century and his home has gone the way of the ancients, but that The Vine is also set on reclaiming the Manowar armor by any means necessary, even if it means the destruction of Earth. So if you recognize the awesomeness that could ensue when you cross Conan the Barbarian with Iron Man, and sprinkle elements of Green Lantern, Captain America, aliens, and space battles, this book is definitely for you!
At first I was doubtful of how engaging the book could be because of the fact that it's main character is a relatively single-minded barbarian, but it's filled with cool ideas and almost non-stop action. It's totally entertaining, and I was surprised by how fascinating the villains were, whether it be the business-minded mercenary weapons specialist called Ninjak, hired to stop Aric, the Vine spy posing as a human who has fallen in love with all of Earth's carnal pleasures, or the Vine themselves. One would expect a lobster-faced alien race of bad guys to be one-note clichés, but I was so surprised to find that they were the most interesting characters in the whole book. I love how conflicted many of the Vine were, and their backstory, faith, and culture were pretty well detailed. My only complaint is something that most comic books suffer from: which is a tendency to rush things to fill issues. A bit more world-building, relationship-building, and more detailed discovery of all of the armor's abilities would have pushed this book into 5-star territory!
I'll be diving even deeper into Valiant soon!
This compiles the complete story told in the first three volumes:
April 14, 2017
So my first Valiant epic has started. I chose X-O Manowar because apparently this is the best place to start and the premise sounds excellent.
It starts with a Clan of Visgoths or Goths from the time around the invasion of the Roman Empire.
Their king, Aric, went out to take vengeance on his Roman attackers with an army and found a strange battle spaceship, not realising it was alien they attack it and are subsequently defeated and abducted.
The aliens are called the vine and they worship an orb, an alien armour which they believe to be a god. Aric creates a small army and fights them back with farming weapons and steals the armour, and by accident it accepts him as host.
The rest is a truly well written story with good artwork and great action scenes.
The writer - Venditti had never written a comic book series before this. Only single issues. The COO of Valiant had seen some of his work and asked him to write for them and boom! What a grand job for his first series. I'd be very proud of myself if I was him.
Everyone should grab something from Valiant.
It starts with a Clan of Visgoths or Goths from the time around the invasion of the Roman Empire.
Their king, Aric, went out to take vengeance on his Roman attackers with an army and found a strange battle spaceship, not realising it was alien they attack it and are subsequently defeated and abducted.
The aliens are called the vine and they worship an orb, an alien armour which they believe to be a god. Aric creates a small army and fights them back with farming weapons and steals the armour, and by accident it accepts him as host.
The rest is a truly well written story with good artwork and great action scenes.
The writer - Venditti had never written a comic book series before this. Only single issues. The COO of Valiant had seen some of his work and asked him to write for them and boom! What a grand job for his first series. I'd be very proud of myself if I was him.
Everyone should grab something from Valiant.
February 17, 2016
Most fans tend to compare X-O Manowar with Marvel's Iron Man because of the obvious similarities, but Aric is more of Captain America, a man out of time at home in the battlefield but restless without a war to fight.
This hardcover collection of the first fourteen X-O Manowar title from the new Valiant Comics proved to be "unputdownable", even though I've already read the first four chapters of it digitally. I read everything in a single sitting because it was an engaging story.
This hardcover collection of the first fourteen X-O Manowar title from the new Valiant Comics proved to be "unputdownable", even though I've already read the first four chapters of it digitally. I read everything in a single sitting because it was an engaging story.
October 5, 2025
The X-O Manowar Deluxe Edition, is Book 1 of a beautiful graphic novel illustrated by Cary Nord and written by Robert Venditti of a Visigoth man displaced from his timeline by an alien race that seeks no less than galactic conquest. When Aric attempts to rally all the slaves on the alien ship, he finds an armor that binds itself to him, giving him the ability to fly and lead a rebellion against the aliens.
X-O Manowar is published by Valiant Comics, the American company started in 1989 by Jim Shooter along with a host of others. They originally licensed properties from Gold Key (Magnus, Robot Fighter, and Solar, Man of the Atom) to capitalize on the ready-made audience, but then quickly added newly created characters to populate the Valiant universe.
X-O is very similar to an Iron Man paradigm except that Aric is from a period of our history from the 5th to the 8th century. Also, Aric and his people were abducted, enslaved, and serving an alien race bent on conquest of the earth and other places. The story is fun and the artwork by Nord is really something to behold. I would claim it is on a par with Alex Ross.
This is really the first book, so there is more to the story. Nice graphic novel.
X-O Manowar is published by Valiant Comics, the American company started in 1989 by Jim Shooter along with a host of others. They originally licensed properties from Gold Key (Magnus, Robot Fighter, and Solar, Man of the Atom) to capitalize on the ready-made audience, but then quickly added newly created characters to populate the Valiant universe.
X-O is very similar to an Iron Man paradigm except that Aric is from a period of our history from the 5th to the 8th century. Also, Aric and his people were abducted, enslaved, and serving an alien race bent on conquest of the earth and other places. The story is fun and the artwork by Nord is really something to behold. I would claim it is on a par with Alex Ross.
This is really the first book, so there is more to the story. Nice graphic novel.
January 11, 2019
No es una maravilla de comic pero descubrir el Universo Valiant ha sido mejor de lo que me esperaba. Siempre me ha gustado el cómic europeo así que los superhéroes de DC y Marvel nunca me atrajeron, con la excepción de algunos de Batman. La cuestión es que esta editorial parece tener más libertad a la hora hora de plantear sus personajes e historias y eso me ha gustado bastante.
En todas las guías de lectura para Valiant este es el personaje recomendado para empezar. Se admiten recomendaciones en los comentarios.
Le doy 4 estrellas ****. Media estrella se la pongo solo por la novedad que supone para mí.
En todas las guías de lectura para Valiant este es el personaje recomendado para empezar. Se admiten recomendaciones en los comentarios.
Le doy 4 estrellas ****. Media estrella se la pongo solo por la novedad que supone para mí.
September 1, 2016
It comes with a setup story, then a nice middle characterization story that ends in a typical conqueror story.
In all the introduction a, Aric of Dacia, holder of the Shanhara (X-O armor) provides some stranger in a strange land moments, tons of action and curiosity of the Visigoths.
That said this deluxe edition has a lot of content and extras; still I just can't love this character. He is Valiant's most important and powerful character but I just don't like him. That's why I can't give it 5 stars, I just don't care that much for his troubles, his enemies; I liked more the Ninjak moments of the story.
Give it a read It's good material; but I gravite towards the Anni-Padda brothers material (specially the Eternal Warrior, the Armstrong then less Timewalker) and all regarding Harbinger.
In all the introduction a, Aric of Dacia, holder of the Shanhara (X-O armor) provides some stranger in a strange land moments, tons of action and curiosity of the Visigoths.
That said this deluxe edition has a lot of content and extras; still I just can't love this character. He is Valiant's most important and powerful character but I just don't like him. That's why I can't give it 5 stars, I just don't care that much for his troubles, his enemies; I liked more the Ninjak moments of the story.
Give it a read It's good material; but I gravite towards the Anni-Padda brothers material (specially the Eternal Warrior, the Armstrong then less Timewalker) and all regarding Harbinger.
September 7, 2016
2,5.
There were some cool ideas here and there but not really my cup of tea...great artwork by Cary Nord though.
There were some cool ideas here and there but not really my cup of tea...great artwork by Cary Nord though.
January 28, 2019
¿Qué es X-O Manowar? Mete en la batidora a la saga Halo, a una versión no tan descarnizada de Kratos y algo de ficción histórica en una batidora, y obtendrás algo como esto.
Aric de Dacia es un visigodo contemporáneo del Imperio Romano y heredero del trono de su pueblo. Tras dirigir a sus soldados a una batalla perdida que provoca la muerte de varios de sus congéneres y la toma de otros como esclavos (entre ellos su mujer, Deidre), son abducidos por una raza extraterrestre llamada La Vid. Tras varios años esclavizado y perder incluso la mano, consigue revelarse y escapar de la nave nodriza gracias a la Armadura de Shanhara, que básicamente le convierte en un ejército unipersonal capaz de poner en jaque a toda una armada entera. Tras escaparse, se da cuenta que los pocos años que ha pasado en la nave han sido 1600 años en la Tierra. Su país ya no existe, su pueblo es historia. Aric jura, de esta forma, venganza sobre la especie que le arrebató todo.
Estamos ante la serie que dio el pistoletazo de salida al renacimiento de Valiant como alternativa a las dos grandes editoriales de cómics y a Image. Además, es el buque insignia de la misma tanto en el pasado como a fecha de hoy. Es por ello que la sensación que da leer las aventuras de Aric es la de estar viendo una película comercial, relativamente simple en su planteamiento, su narrativa e, incluso, sus personajes. Sin embargo, a la historia le sienta de maravilla este enfoque. Aquí Robert Venditti, al que le tengo cierta manía por truncar el desarrollo de Sinestro como personaje en su serie más reciente de DC, nos presenta un trabajo entretenido que provocará que el lector quiera cada vez más de esta extraña mezcolanza histórico-espacial. Los dibujantes son varios, aunque destaco el trabajo de Cary Nord en los primeros cuatro números.
Sin embargo, tengo una naturaleza muy tiquismiquis y me veo obligado a destacar tres puntos que no me han llegado a gustar:
1. Los números individuales, aunque cuentan bastante para la época en la que se concibió, siguen sabiendo a poco muchas veces. Puede deberse a que tiene un estilo de narración muy cinematográfico y yo por lo general estoy en contra de eso por este y otros muchos más motivos.
2. Venditti no se ha molestado mucho en mostrar que Aric no solo es nativo del siglo V, sino que es de una tierra que vendría a ser la actual Rumanía. ¿Cómo es posible, entonces, que pueda comunicarse con ingleses, italianos y americanos del siglo XXI desde el minuto uno? De acuerdo, se puede intuir que la armadura se lo enseña, pero esto no se explica en ningún momento. Mal hecho.
3. Me repatea un poco que en los créditos no se reconozca a los entintadores. Ya es suficientemente malo que el lector medio no sepa de su existencia a pesar de tener un trabajo importantísimo como para que la propia editorial los invisibilice. De hecho, el dibujo de Cary Nord en los últimos 3-4 números se resiente mucho precisamente por las tintas. MUY mal hecho.
Lo recomiendo como toma de contacto a toda esa gente que quiera empezar a leer tebeos americanos (no es de superhéroes, pero a efectos vale lo mismo) sin tener que preocuparse de 80 años de continuidad y tenga miedo a encontrarse algo muy distinto. No es mi serie favorita de Valiant, pero sí es una que seguiré leyendo en el futuro con mucho interés.
Aric de Dacia es un visigodo contemporáneo del Imperio Romano y heredero del trono de su pueblo. Tras dirigir a sus soldados a una batalla perdida que provoca la muerte de varios de sus congéneres y la toma de otros como esclavos (entre ellos su mujer, Deidre), son abducidos por una raza extraterrestre llamada La Vid. Tras varios años esclavizado y perder incluso la mano, consigue revelarse y escapar de la nave nodriza gracias a la Armadura de Shanhara, que básicamente le convierte en un ejército unipersonal capaz de poner en jaque a toda una armada entera. Tras escaparse, se da cuenta que los pocos años que ha pasado en la nave han sido 1600 años en la Tierra. Su país ya no existe, su pueblo es historia. Aric jura, de esta forma, venganza sobre la especie que le arrebató todo.
Estamos ante la serie que dio el pistoletazo de salida al renacimiento de Valiant como alternativa a las dos grandes editoriales de cómics y a Image. Además, es el buque insignia de la misma tanto en el pasado como a fecha de hoy. Es por ello que la sensación que da leer las aventuras de Aric es la de estar viendo una película comercial, relativamente simple en su planteamiento, su narrativa e, incluso, sus personajes. Sin embargo, a la historia le sienta de maravilla este enfoque. Aquí Robert Venditti, al que le tengo cierta manía por truncar el desarrollo de Sinestro como personaje en su serie más reciente de DC, nos presenta un trabajo entretenido que provocará que el lector quiera cada vez más de esta extraña mezcolanza histórico-espacial. Los dibujantes son varios, aunque destaco el trabajo de Cary Nord en los primeros cuatro números.
Sin embargo, tengo una naturaleza muy tiquismiquis y me veo obligado a destacar tres puntos que no me han llegado a gustar:
1. Los números individuales, aunque cuentan bastante para la época en la que se concibió, siguen sabiendo a poco muchas veces. Puede deberse a que tiene un estilo de narración muy cinematográfico y yo por lo general estoy en contra de eso por este y otros muchos más motivos.
2. Venditti no se ha molestado mucho en mostrar que Aric no solo es nativo del siglo V, sino que es de una tierra que vendría a ser la actual Rumanía. ¿Cómo es posible, entonces, que pueda comunicarse con ingleses, italianos y americanos del siglo XXI desde el minuto uno? De acuerdo, se puede intuir que la armadura se lo enseña, pero esto no se explica en ningún momento. Mal hecho.
3. Me repatea un poco que en los créditos no se reconozca a los entintadores. Ya es suficientemente malo que el lector medio no sepa de su existencia a pesar de tener un trabajo importantísimo como para que la propia editorial los invisibilice. De hecho, el dibujo de Cary Nord en los últimos 3-4 números se resiente mucho precisamente por las tintas. MUY mal hecho.
Lo recomiendo como toma de contacto a toda esa gente que quiera empezar a leer tebeos americanos (no es de superhéroes, pero a efectos vale lo mismo) sin tener que preocuparse de 80 años de continuidad y tenga miedo a encontrarse algo muy distinto. No es mi serie favorita de Valiant, pero sí es una que seguiré leyendo en el futuro con mucho interés.
March 11, 2018
Great premise. Good art (Carey Nord's name on this is what pushed me over the edge to buy this). The writing was just ok and I'm hoping the next book can build more on this set up.
October 22, 2018
Dlouhou dobu mi přišlo, že to má super náboj, ale zhruba u 10. sešitu mě to postupně přestávalo brát. Trochu jsem to házel na generičnost příběhu. Ten ale ani na začátku nebyl nějak přehnaně originální, tak těžko říci, čím to bylo způsobeno.
Po dočtení mě bohužel žádný další vývoj nezajímá, což je rozdíl oproti všem komiksům z Valiant světa, které jsem doteď četl.
Po dočtení mě bohužel žádný další vývoj nezajímá, což je rozdíl oproti všem komiksům z Valiant světa, které jsem doteď četl.
September 1, 2025
Revisiting this material for the first time in a long time, it’s still one of the most refreshing stories EVER.
March 31, 2019
I was intrigued by the premise of a Visigoth getting kidnapped from his time and acquiring an alien suit of armour. While X-O Manowar, Book 1 doesn't disappoint, I must admit I'm not terribly impressed either. Sadly, Aric of Dacia is less King Arthur and more Conan the Barbarian, a warrior to whom all problems look like nails so, naturally, he's little more than a hammer throughout these first 14 issues.
Issue #1 starts with Aric fighting the Romans and losing, badly, in no small part due to his temperament that incidentally got several of his countrymen kidnapped, including his wife. Mistaking alien troops for Roman soldiers, Aric stages an impromptu night raid that ends with him and several of his warriors captured by an alien race known as the Vine. We next follow Aric's life as a slave onboard an alien ship for a few years until he finds a relic/weapon the aliens worship as "Shanhara," that finally grants him the ability to overpower his oppressors and make his way back home. Unfortunately, 1,600 years have passed since his kidnapping back on Earth, and the world that greets him is as alien as the one he just escaped.
I was disappointed that Venditti felt he had to rush through Aric's characterization on Earth. Indeed, we don't even have a chance to meet his wife before he's whisked away by the Vine. Sure, we're given enough panels to establish he's a hothead, but little else. I would've loved it if we had stayed on Earth a bit longer so the full impact of what Aric's lost could be brought to bear afterwards. As it stands, his loss sadly never leaves the pages of the comic. Venditti seems pressed for time to have Aric don the mighty armour as soon as possible, introducing Shanhara by the end of the first comic and having Aric merge with it by the end of the second one. It's all a tad too fast for my tastes.
Upon returning to Earth, Aric uncovers the Vine have a penchant for infiltrating other worlds' peoples, having sleeper agents quite high up the food chain on Earth. He teams up with a few allies to clean up some of them in MI6, but he quickly leaves Earth again before someone asks him to think a little and be more subtle. Perhaps Venditti intends to return to this particular plot at a later time, but again I feel he didn't exploit it to its full potential.
Our third story-arc sees Aric traveling to the Vine's homeworld to butcher them all, only to find himself stopped short of his goal by a Vine priest who reveals to him that his people are not yet extinct. In fact, the Vine's homeworld is also home to a number of alien slaves from any number of worlds, so Aric goads them into revolting and upending the status quo. For a man who comes across as so simple-minded, it felt a little forced that he'd become friends with the Vine priest by the end, but I'll let it slide.
Some mysteries remain for Venditti to exploit, perhaps first and foremost the origin of the Shanhara armour itself and why it bonded with Aric when it had rejected Vine soldiers for generations. We also have the sleeper agents back on Earth who may yet feel inclined to have another go at wiping out mankind. However, I feel that if Aric could somehow return to his time wielding the Shanhara armour, it would make for some interesting reading. Unfortunately, since the armour's insane amount of power has been thoroughly expounded upon, he would not be able to stay there for long, unless Venditti is into alternate timelines and I don't think that's where he's going with this.
In short, an entertaining and action-packed story that reads easily, but sorely lacks in the character development department. Nonetheless, I'm still inclined to pick up Book 2 sometime down the line and see what becomes of Aric of Dacia.
Issue #1 starts with Aric fighting the Romans and losing, badly, in no small part due to his temperament that incidentally got several of his countrymen kidnapped, including his wife. Mistaking alien troops for Roman soldiers, Aric stages an impromptu night raid that ends with him and several of his warriors captured by an alien race known as the Vine. We next follow Aric's life as a slave onboard an alien ship for a few years until he finds a relic/weapon the aliens worship as "Shanhara," that finally grants him the ability to overpower his oppressors and make his way back home. Unfortunately, 1,600 years have passed since his kidnapping back on Earth, and the world that greets him is as alien as the one he just escaped.
I was disappointed that Venditti felt he had to rush through Aric's characterization on Earth. Indeed, we don't even have a chance to meet his wife before he's whisked away by the Vine. Sure, we're given enough panels to establish he's a hothead, but little else. I would've loved it if we had stayed on Earth a bit longer so the full impact of what Aric's lost could be brought to bear afterwards. As it stands, his loss sadly never leaves the pages of the comic. Venditti seems pressed for time to have Aric don the mighty armour as soon as possible, introducing Shanhara by the end of the first comic and having Aric merge with it by the end of the second one. It's all a tad too fast for my tastes.
Upon returning to Earth, Aric uncovers the Vine have a penchant for infiltrating other worlds' peoples, having sleeper agents quite high up the food chain on Earth. He teams up with a few allies to clean up some of them in MI6, but he quickly leaves Earth again before someone asks him to think a little and be more subtle. Perhaps Venditti intends to return to this particular plot at a later time, but again I feel he didn't exploit it to its full potential.
Our third story-arc sees Aric traveling to the Vine's homeworld to butcher them all, only to find himself stopped short of his goal by a Vine priest who reveals to him that his people are not yet extinct. In fact, the Vine's homeworld is also home to a number of alien slaves from any number of worlds, so Aric goads them into revolting and upending the status quo. For a man who comes across as so simple-minded, it felt a little forced that he'd become friends with the Vine priest by the end, but I'll let it slide.
Some mysteries remain for Venditti to exploit, perhaps first and foremost the origin of the Shanhara armour itself and why it bonded with Aric when it had rejected Vine soldiers for generations. We also have the sleeper agents back on Earth who may yet feel inclined to have another go at wiping out mankind. However, I feel that if Aric could somehow return to his time wielding the Shanhara armour, it would make for some interesting reading. Unfortunately, since the armour's insane amount of power has been thoroughly expounded upon, he would not be able to stay there for long, unless Venditti is into alternate timelines and I don't think that's where he's going with this.
In short, an entertaining and action-packed story that reads easily, but sorely lacks in the character development department. Nonetheless, I'm still inclined to pick up Book 2 sometime down the line and see what becomes of Aric of Dacia.
April 2, 2018
X-O Manowar is a nice starting point to the entire 2012 relaunch of the Valiant universe. I enjoy the Vine as adversaries, especially the religious aspects of their armor worship. Aric is another Conan troupe but with Ironman type technology.
At first I didn’t care much for Ninjak, however, right now, I love his inclusion.
The Gafti armor interaction issue is my favorite thus far. I really love the non constrictive feeling of the new Valiant universe and the way the reader feels that is not overwhelming to read all the titles. A very interesting and quick read.
At first I didn’t care much for Ninjak, however, right now, I love his inclusion.
The Gafti armor interaction issue is my favorite thus far. I really love the non constrictive feeling of the new Valiant universe and the way the reader feels that is not overwhelming to read all the titles. A very interesting and quick read.
April 12, 2024
This book is so awesome and this volume of stories seriously remains some of my favorite comics stories ever and I have read them so many times and its always awesome to read it, its just freaking goes so hard and I love everything from the origins to the way the character is quickly brought to the present and how he bonds with the Shanhara armor and the way the enemies "THE VINE" are set up is great, like the escape vs them is awesome and you get tidbits about what this armor is throughout the volume and its cool to see that.
This book is action heavy and it works so well with this medium, and I love the battle scenes like the Romans vs Visigoths especially, and in the present times when its Aric vs the soldiers sent after him, thats cool, and then enter Alex whose like a Vine-human hybrid and his character arc is interesting too, the fight vs NINJAK is awesome and then the twist where they team up and the why of it is awesome, the second arc is just pure mayhem, them taking out this human-vine hybrids and then come the alien invasion, and what I like about this one is it builds upto the threat and we see how Aric fights them and its really well done.
You get a tale of friendship and sacrifice with Aric and Gafti, and that was an emotional point in the book and its well done, and the way Aric takes the fight to them, like invading their home planet is so cool lol, like you usually don't see that with alien invasions, the heroes don't fight back like that, but here Arc in the "Planet Death" arc where he goes to the homeworld of the Vine, on the Planet "Loam" is so cool, you see their origins and the armor history and why they worship it, cool blending of mythology and like I said you get bits and pieces throughout.
You see the people controlling the whole planet and attacking Aric and how there are innocents here who are subjugated, not just human but many other alien species and it builds to such an emotional climax with so much at stake and the need for revenge vs being a hero, the legend foretold, man seriously Venditti crafted such a beautiful story arc across all these issues that results in such a great climax and the moment of where he rises as a hero, liberating this planet and saving its people is awesome!
Truly, what an amazing arc and this remains one of my favorite comics volumes ever and I love everything about it, from character beats to exploration to big alien battles, exotic locations, blending of so many genres and the art and coloring is freaking gorgeous, it elevates the story so much and makes you love the character and universe a lot, and I can't wait to read more of this!!
This book is action heavy and it works so well with this medium, and I love the battle scenes like the Romans vs Visigoths especially, and in the present times when its Aric vs the soldiers sent after him, thats cool, and then enter Alex whose like a Vine-human hybrid and his character arc is interesting too, the fight vs NINJAK is awesome and then the twist where they team up and the why of it is awesome, the second arc is just pure mayhem, them taking out this human-vine hybrids and then come the alien invasion, and what I like about this one is it builds upto the threat and we see how Aric fights them and its really well done.
You get a tale of friendship and sacrifice with Aric and Gafti, and that was an emotional point in the book and its well done, and the way Aric takes the fight to them, like invading their home planet is so cool lol, like you usually don't see that with alien invasions, the heroes don't fight back like that, but here Arc in the "Planet Death" arc where he goes to the homeworld of the Vine, on the Planet "Loam" is so cool, you see their origins and the armor history and why they worship it, cool blending of mythology and like I said you get bits and pieces throughout.
You see the people controlling the whole planet and attacking Aric and how there are innocents here who are subjugated, not just human but many other alien species and it builds to such an emotional climax with so much at stake and the need for revenge vs being a hero, the legend foretold, man seriously Venditti crafted such a beautiful story arc across all these issues that results in such a great climax and the moment of where he rises as a hero, liberating this planet and saving its people is awesome!
Truly, what an amazing arc and this remains one of my favorite comics volumes ever and I love everything about it, from character beats to exploration to big alien battles, exotic locations, blending of so many genres and the art and coloring is freaking gorgeous, it elevates the story so much and makes you love the character and universe a lot, and I can't wait to read more of this!!
August 3, 2019
Not very often when I struggle to put a down as much as I did this one. I easily could've read it straight through without stopping, if not for the annoyances of, you know, eating and bio breaks.
What's amazing is I had no idea this was Venditti's first ongoing series. I wasn't a big fan of his Green Lantern run, though I hear his Green Lantern Corps run with Rebirth is actually pretty good. But this was just a great read through for me. Every character was great, you get a great variety of "how's Aric going to get out of this one?" with "Aric is getting his due!".
Full of aliens, battle, friendship, and a lot of nuance about philosophy and the rigidity of religion without being at all preachy, this is a strong recommend if you like that kind of stuff.
What's amazing is I had no idea this was Venditti's first ongoing series. I wasn't a big fan of his Green Lantern run, though I hear his Green Lantern Corps run with Rebirth is actually pretty good. But this was just a great read through for me. Every character was great, you get a great variety of "how's Aric going to get out of this one?" with "Aric is getting his due!".
Full of aliens, battle, friendship, and a lot of nuance about philosophy and the rigidity of religion without being at all preachy, this is a strong recommend if you like that kind of stuff.
June 11, 2017
Came into this one pretty blind to the character, I've seen him, heard the name, and thought "oh he's like Iron Man" boy was I wrong. This book is like the perfect mix of stuff I've been reading lately, a nomadic/barbarian(Visigoth) with a fancy suit of armor that requires worthiness. This is a tale of revenge, redemption, and exciting superheroey stuff. My favorite story was the 2nd story line, when ninjak helped Aric defeat the hidden agents in MI-6, such a cool arc. Overall I was super impressed with this, I was a bit sour with Robert Vendetti after his rebirth run of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, but this totally redeems him.
5 Visigoths of 5
5 Visigoths of 5
April 29, 2019
Es ist sehr zweifelhaft, ob man wirklich noch eine Comic-Serie braucht, die den edlen Kampfgeist sogenannter Barbarenstämme gegenüber den römischen Legionen bezeugt und daraus auch eine für die durch Aliens bedrohte Gegenwart relevante Tugend ableitet. Der Plot überlebt auch einen ersten Blick nur durch das seichte Ankratzen der Thematiken Glaube+Religion, die Kämpfe sind zumindest visuell teilweise beeindruckend, viel mehr hat X-O Manowar jedoch nicht zu bieten. Und ganz ganz sicher sollten sie nie wieder Raumschiffe zeichnen, die sehen aus wie billige Computergrafiken aus den 90ern.
January 12, 2020
This series has been deemed one of the best of Valiant's 2012 rebirth and, after two read-throughs I just dont see it. Dont get me wrong, the writing is good and the art is cool, but as a whole there are SO many titles I would put above this one in terms of quality.
Thankfully, I'll be trying to explore all of them this year. And as such, we shall see whether my opinion holds true.
3/5 stars. Pretty good, maybe just not resonating with me as well as others.
Thankfully, I'll be trying to explore all of them this year. And as such, we shall see whether my opinion holds true.
3/5 stars. Pretty good, maybe just not resonating with me as well as others.
June 12, 2017
I read the previous iteration of this Conan-meets-Iron Man character so I was a touch sceptical for a reboot (as I am with all reboots). It was really good. Didn't change the story much but I definitely re-enjoyed it. Cary Nord's artwork was a definite treat, particularly the scenes of the Roman army facing off against the Visigoths.
August 22, 2018
Luulin, etten pidä supersankarisarjakuvista, mutta olin näemmä väärässä. Mutta harva supersankari onkaan visigootti, jonka alienit kidnappaavat, mutta sitten erilaisten sattumusten jälkeen hän palaa nykyaikaan maailman kovimman sota-asun kera.
January 7, 2017
Excellent
Loved every episode. Why this has not been made into a movie or series is beyond me. I can't put it down
Loved every episode. Why this has not been made into a movie or series is beyond me. I can't put it down
June 5, 2019
I mean, it was pretty alright. 2.5/5.
January 25, 2021
Always been a fan of Valiant's X-O Manowar. Got the deluxe edition to catch up with the character.
June 25, 2023
Brilliant, full of daring heroics, great eye-popping art, adventure and action! :D
May 22, 2025
So good.
You do not want to miss this! This was so good. Epic story. A must own! Read it asap! Can't wait to read the rest of the books.
You do not want to miss this! This was so good. Epic story. A must own! Read it asap! Can't wait to read the rest of the books.
September 6, 2025
Crazy that Robert Venditti has never written a monthly series before X-O. The writing is rich and fun as hell. I love how Cary Nord's artwork brought a modern take to Conan to life.
January 8, 2018
For anyone who wants a break from the big two (DC & Marvel) this is the perfect entry into the new Valiant universe that Valiant rebooted a few years ago. The reader is able to enjoy a contained story without thinking about what else they should be reading to tie it all together.
XO Manowar tells an original story of a man out of time enslaved by beings from another world. Great power is granted by means of possible divine intervention, allowing escape, revenge and rescue. A great read for fans of comics and science fiction.
XO Manowar tells an original story of a man out of time enslaved by beings from another world. Great power is granted by means of possible divine intervention, allowing escape, revenge and rescue. A great read for fans of comics and science fiction.
February 23, 2017
Refrescante lectura. Estaba algo saturado de Marvel, y DC comics no es opción de lectura...
May 24, 2014
This very nice hardcover deluxe edition collects issues #1–14 of Valiant Entertainments rebooted X-O Manowar series (previously collected as three TPBs: By the Sword (#1–4), Enter: Ninjak (#5–8), and Planet Death (#9–14)) and offers a great entry point into the rebooted Valiant-verse.
The series is written by Robert Venditti, who is supported by pencillers Cary Nord (#1–4 and #11-14), Lee Garbett (#5–8) and Trevor Hairsine (#9–10), and inkers Stefan Gaudino (#1-8), Hairsine (#9–10) and Nord (#11–14), and is the story of the fifth-century Visigoth Aric of Dacia, who is kidnapped by the alien species the Vine, and later (in part due to his indomitable spirit) merges with a holy artefact of theirs: a living armour called Shanhara, or X-O Manowar. Between the kidnapping and this event, however, ages have passed and Aric, as it turns out is not only bonded with one of the most powerful weapons in existence, he is also a barbarian warrior out of time on present day Earth.
I do not want to say too much about the unfolding of the plot, and the twists and turns within it, but suffice it to say that it is one of the more interesting superhero comics I have read in quite some time, and it definitely made me jump aboard the Valiant universe reboot more broadly. As for the Deluxe Edition format, I am nothing but positive: larger format which showcases the visuals excellently, a good chunk of story in one volume, and some nice bonus material to boot.
All in all, a very highly recommended read.
The series is written by Robert Venditti, who is supported by pencillers Cary Nord (#1–4 and #11-14), Lee Garbett (#5–8) and Trevor Hairsine (#9–10), and inkers Stefan Gaudino (#1-8), Hairsine (#9–10) and Nord (#11–14), and is the story of the fifth-century Visigoth Aric of Dacia, who is kidnapped by the alien species the Vine, and later (in part due to his indomitable spirit) merges with a holy artefact of theirs: a living armour called Shanhara, or X-O Manowar. Between the kidnapping and this event, however, ages have passed and Aric, as it turns out is not only bonded with one of the most powerful weapons in existence, he is also a barbarian warrior out of time on present day Earth.
I do not want to say too much about the unfolding of the plot, and the twists and turns within it, but suffice it to say that it is one of the more interesting superhero comics I have read in quite some time, and it definitely made me jump aboard the Valiant universe reboot more broadly. As for the Deluxe Edition format, I am nothing but positive: larger format which showcases the visuals excellently, a good chunk of story in one volume, and some nice bonus material to boot.
All in all, a very highly recommended read.
January 19, 2014
I was excited to hear Valiant comics was going to begin publishing again; not only because I was a fan of a lot of the original series, but also because I think that it's good for the comics industry to have people other than the "big two" creating within the superhero genre. So I was predisposed to liking this series, but I wasn't expecting how much I would like it.
Robert Venditti and Cary Nord tell a simplified version of X-O's origin - aliens kidnap a group of Visigoth warriors to work as slaves, and one of them steals an advanced suit of armor and escapes in it, unaware that relativistic speeds and space travel means he returns to an Earth 1600 years apart from the one he left. It's a story that contains a lot of standard pulp/superhero tropes, but it doesn't really feel like a superhero story at all; rather, it's a sci-fi story that just happens to be set in a larger world that contains people with superheroic abilities, if that makes any sense.
There's still some superhero-type content here; I mean, when Aric begins to fight the Vine aliens that have infiltrated MI-5, they send their best ninja (~!) after him in response. It's a minor element, and it keeps the story from getting too "grim and gritty". I'm looking forward to seeing what Aric does next.
Robert Venditti and Cary Nord tell a simplified version of X-O's origin - aliens kidnap a group of Visigoth warriors to work as slaves, and one of them steals an advanced suit of armor and escapes in it, unaware that relativistic speeds and space travel means he returns to an Earth 1600 years apart from the one he left. It's a story that contains a lot of standard pulp/superhero tropes, but it doesn't really feel like a superhero story at all; rather, it's a sci-fi story that just happens to be set in a larger world that contains people with superheroic abilities, if that makes any sense.
There's still some superhero-type content here; I mean, when Aric begins to fight the Vine aliens that have infiltrated MI-5, they send their best ninja (~!) after him in response. It's a minor element, and it keeps the story from getting too "grim and gritty". I'm looking forward to seeing what Aric does next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews