X-O Manowar has saved the planet from hostile forces countless times before, but the new threat that looms in front of him in X-O Manowar #6 is unlike anything he has faced before. And with his sentient alien armor glitching, X-O’s situation is about to get much worse…

There’s a couple of things in this series that have been fairly consistent for the last couple of issues, and I’ll talk about each of them in turn; the amount of content in the comic, the quality of the art, and the ups and downs of the quality. The last point sounds confusing, so I’ll touch on that first, because how can a comic’s quality be consistent while it’s having ups and downs? Because ultimately the comic is having cyclical moments of quality every other issue; X-O Manowar #6 isn’t as solid as the previous in terms of story quality as the issue seems to tread water around what is a really interesting idea. While the core concept of the ongoing story is of Aric being groomed into a fully fledged superhero by a billionaire tech mogul (who is clearly more than he seems) is really strong, the book loses a bit of the va va voom in the presentation of that idea over the course of the comic.

Ironically it’s the amount of story packed into the comic that almost plays against it, but there’s enough fun moments in the comic to keep you engaged.

When it comes to the third constant, once again I’m going to borrow from the review of the previous book, and say that; “Emilio Laiso‘s art combined with Ruth Redmond‘s colouring is once again a high point in the comic, and they’ve plenty to sink their teeth into here; that Laiso can keep up with Hopeless’ story is impressive as the artist never once seems overwhelmed as the action flows with a smooth grace. The final panel in the book is breathtaking in its simplicity, and yet Laiso and Redmond deliver upon all the emotion you’re feeling and splash it down on the page (no spoilers here, because you need to get the full impact).”

What can I say, I’m environmentally friendly and like to recycle.

Ultimately, despite the hiccup/s in the book, X-O Manowar #6 is still a solid read. It’s not going to be a definitive X-O Manowar story that will be recommended above all others (at least from what I can tell so far), but it’s a story that I’m enjoying nonetheless. I’m still hopeful that the comic will reach new highs, just as I’m hoping that the tech billionaire will soon be a memory – that I’ve got a genuine dislike of the character is a testament to the writing; because when Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum is good, he’s really good.

Story: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum Art: Emilio Laiso
Colors: Ruth Redmond Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 7.6 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

When we last saw X-O Manowar, he was sinking to the bottom of the ocean after a technological nanite monster thing hacked and shut down Shanhara (I’ll be honest, because of the gap in issues, the exact nature of the beast escapes me, but that’s the gist of what it was at the least).

There have been some ups and downs with the series so far, though the last issue of X-O Manowar started edging more toward the quality of the first couple issues; X-O Manowar #5 stays on the trajectory for the most part. The issue sees the resolution of the prior cliffhanger, and then takes things a little slower as we get some background on Troy that fleshes him out a little beyond the Tony Stark clone that he initially came off as.

One of the consistent strengths of X-O Manowar is just how much story that writer Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum has beed able to cram into each issue of the comic. Even with the ups and downs of the series, that’s been a solid constant. There are three main parts to this comic, and it benefits from not having either of those stretch on farther than is necessary as Hallum balances the narrative within the comic.

I’m going to borrow from the review of the previous book, and say that; “Emilio Laiso‘s art combined with Ruth Redmond‘s colouring is once again a high point in the comic, and they’ve plenty to sink their teeth into here; that Laiso can keep up with Hopeless’ story is impressive as the artist never once seems overwhelmed as the action flows with a smooth grace. The final panel in the book is breathtaking in its simplicity, and yet Laiso and Redmond deliver upon all the emotion you’re feeling and splash it down on the page (no spoilers here, because you need to get the full impact).”

The wait for X-O Manowar #5 was longer than I’d have liked, but nonetheless the comic continues to deliver a solid story. It’s not top tier just yet, but the creative team has shown flashes of that level of quality so I’m still hopeful that we’ll see the comic return to the heights the character is known for.

Story: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum Art: Emilio Laiso
Colors: Ruth Redmond Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 7.9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW