They asked for war. He’ll give them death.

Deep within the far reaches of space, the dogs of war have found Aric of Dacia. Conscripted into an alien army and forced into combat, Aric must enter an alien battlefield unlike any he’s faced before. His only hope for survival is also the source of his greatest rage – the living suit of armor known as X-O Manowar.

Without a doubt X-O Manowar is Valiant‘s flagship character and with this second volume taking the time-displaced visigoth back to his space bound origins in a story that takes place on a world that blends the high tech equipment you tend to expect with story set in space with the close-quarters combat that you’d expect from a series set 1500 years ago. The combination makes for some seriously brutal encounters throughout the comic from artist Tomas Giorello that go a long way toward reminding you of what Aric of Dacia Earth is capable of when he isn’t wearing the most powerful weapon in the galaxy.

There’s something genuinely exciting with what Matt Kindt is doing here; the retired warrior reluctantly being drawn back into the life he (or she) has left behind is an old trope, but it’s done very well here – and if it’s a story style you enjoy reading then you’re going to love this one.

I really don’t have too much to say about this issue, especially whilst keeping out of spoiler country, other than that I really enjoyed the comic. I expect a lot out of Valiant, and often judge their comics harder than I do those from Marvel and DC because the Big Two have a habit of disappointing me almost as often as they barely meet my expectations, but Valiant deliver a great product far more often than they don’t. This is relevant because when I give a Valiant comic a higher grade it’s because it’s genuinely a brilliant comic.

And X-O Manowar #2 is really quite brilliant.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Tomas Giorello Colourist: Diego Rodriguez
Story: 9.0 Art: 10 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided a FREE copy for review, but this comic is still on my pull list at my LCS