Aric of Dacia Urth is a man tired of war but like so many soldiers trying to escape combat, especially in fiction, he is inescapably drawn back into a war that’s slowly becoming his concern. But the man who wields the most powerful weapon in the galaxy refuses to wear the armour that gives him his name, save for a small sliver he has carved off from the sentient armour and forged into a ring. To say that Aric isn’t happy with the sentient armour, and all he has done using that armour, would be a bit of an understatement.

One of the main reasons this review is late is because I wanted to be able to appreciate the artwork in the printed form when I picked up the issue from my LCS, as I’ve always found that the watermark doesn’t allow the art to shine – and X-O Manowar is perhaps the most affected by this in Valiant’s current line up. The Doug Braithwaite‘s line work remains uninked under the colours of Diego Rodriguez, which gives a whimsical feeling to the violent battle scenes in the issue.

Writte by Matt Kindt the comic opens just after Aric has explained to his alien lover, and his resignation and determination not to be the man he once was permeates through the rest of the comic. Despite the fantastical story taking place in the far-flung reaches of space, X-O Manowar #5 is, perhaps above all else, a story about a man desperately trying to find out who he is. Is he more than the armour that has made him a legend on Earth, or is he nothing without the scared armour of Shanhara?

The journey that we’re being taken on as Aric finds the answer is, frankly, one of the most exciting things in comics right now.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Doug Braithwaite
Colourist: Diego Rodriguez Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.75 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review