“Hero” – Part Two!

The intergalactic bounty hunters once bested by Aric of Dacia have followed him to Earth to reclaim their victory – by any means necessary! But X-O Manowar doesn’t stand alone: From out of nowhere, another armor-clad challenger has jumped into the fray… Who is this mysterious warrior, and what business does she have with Aric?

Holy shit but this is a great looking book. I’ve been trying to think of a way to impart just how amazing it looks while retaining some semblance of intelligence… but let’s face it; I’ve spent too much time trying to word that properly when I could just be writing.

Tomas Giorello is an utterly phenomenal artist, and he shows why with this issue. Each and every page is packed with more detail, emotion and life than some comics have in their entirety. I actually had to read the comic twice because I caught myself just drinking in the art (and although I understood most of the story based on the art alone, reading the narration boxes added another layer to an already visually impressive book). The usage of blank space and compressed panels early in the comic give you a more claustrophobic feel than any text could ever convey.

X-O Manowar #24 is a comic where the art is clearly the star of the show; Giorello and colourist Diego Rodriguez have produced a simply spectacular visual journey that exemplifies the struggle and determination of the titular character as, vastly out gunned, he demonstrates his Visigoth stubborn refusal to accept defeat.

Don’t get me wrong, while the art is easily worth buying the comic for alone, Matt Kindt‘s story isn’t exactly terrible. Far from it, in fact, and paired with almost any other artistic team the plot would easily be a highlight. Beautiful in its minimalism, the story is essentially a long fight scene with a set of narrative captions that need to be read twice (ideally once you’ve finished the comic, go back for a second read). On paper it sounds disappointingly simple, but in actual fact the emotional weight of the art is balanced with a deceptively deep narration text that has a dual meaning that’s revealed once you get to the final page (hence the double read).

X-O Manowar #24 is another wonderful example of Valiant at their very best. Which, given the talented creative team, should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Tomas Giorello
Colourist: Diego Rodriguez Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.9 Art: 10 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. I purchased the comic anyway.