Shadowman gets the spotlight this week as the winner of Valiant‘s “Hero of the Week. Fans chose him over Punk Mambo, Tama and Savage, and we (well, me) thought it would be a great chance to highlight some of our favorite covers featuring the character. All of these covers will be from before the 2012 relaunch of Valiant and are shown in no particular order.
The below covers are some of the most striking, iconic or just plain cool images from the Shadowman series, all published before Valiant relaunched.
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on Twitter to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the “Hero Of The Week” from four choices. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more. This week, the poll featured Shadowman, Punk Mambo, Tama and Savage.
This week’s winner was…
Shadowman
Art from the band A Sound Of Thunder’s Tales From The Deadside album
Who is he? Jack Boniface is a man possessed by the Shadowman loa, a legacy that was passed to him from his father. As the Shadowman, Jack and the loa must defend New Orleans from supernatural threats. Shadowman was one of the second round of characters in the original Valiant universe, after Solar, Magnus and Turok, and he made an early appearance in the modern era, too, debuting again late in 2012. I’ve actually read more of the original run of Shadowman than I have the modern comics, and as such a lot of what I know about the character doesn’t really apply here, but across both iterations, Shadowman remains one of the more interesting comic book characters with his ties to voodoo and the afterlife.
What should you read?
Shadowman: Birth Rites
There are a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true.
As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must embrace the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But is the mantle of Shadowman a blessing or a curse? And what is the true cost of his otherworldly power?
I don’t remember whether this was the first story I read with Shadowman in it or not, but it is the one that helped me understand the most about the character’s origins in the modern Valiant era, and so it’s fitting that this is the place you should start reading, as well.
When a troubled young man with a history of violence and a penchant for blackouts meets an overwhelming source of power with a mystical scythe, the results are doomed to be destructive. A voodoo loa has possessed Jack Boniface – or so he believes. But after Jack awakens in an alleyway covered in blood, he embarks on a journey across lands of shadows and death to discover if he can expel the dark force that’s seized control of his life…and which may be responsible for a violent rampage throughout New Orleans…
One of the more interesting Shadowman stories I’ve read, this volume focuses on Jack confronting his own demons as well as those from the other side. It’s a return to form after the second and third (which are obviously not listed here), and has much more of a horror feel to them than the previous volumes.
On a scarred landscape, two otherworldly armies prepare to battle one last time, vying for control of a massive tower named from an ancient language no longer permitted to be spoken.
One army is led by a primeval force named Babel, whose goal is singular: to breach “Heaven” no matter the cost. The only thing standing in his way is a gray-haired barbaric warrior, filled with rage and regret, a man who sees this battle as his last chance for redemption. But he knows his depleted forces have little chance of victory unless aid comes.
Enter Tama: A 12-year old girl on the crest of a hill overlooking the battle, who has just become humanity’s only hope. The last in an ancient line of mystics who protect the Earth, she has foreseen this battle and knows millions will perish if she’s unable to stop it. Now Tama and her ragtag team of malcontents – Ninjak, Shadowman and Punk Mambo – must somehow defeat an elder god hell bent on piercing the heavens.
This brings a lot more of the Valiant universe together than you would have seen if you’ve only been reading the Shadowman books. Here you’ll be introduced to Ninjak and Tama, the Geomancer. Rapture was a really fun read from beginning to end, and touches a lot more on the supernatural side of things than it doesn’t, which often leaves Ninjak as the fish out of water character. I enjoyed this book more than I expected as a Ninjak fan because of how well it introduced readers to characters they may not have been familiar with.
Orphaned as a child and raised on the margins of society, Jack Boniface never knew his place in the world. Until he discovered it waiting for him… in a darkness far older than the reign of men…
Unbeknownst to him, Jack was fated to become the next in a long lineage of Shadowmen – mortals bound to loas, violent voodoo spirits of immense power – that could safeguard our world against incursions from realms beyond.
For years, Jack struggled to control his loa’s murderous urges – a battle he eventually lost.
But now, after years of self-imposed exile, the man once known as Shadowman is returning home to sharpen the weapon within…and unleash a reckoning on the evils of our world that will soon send shockwaves through heaven and hell alike…
The first collection from the second volume of Shadowman finds Jack Boniface learning about the past as he tries to reclaim his life after spending years in the Deadside (the events of which you can read about in Ninjak: Operation Deadside). This volume was probably my favorite of all the Shadowman books that I’ve read so far because it brings new readers so well into the mythos. Whether you need to read the others before enjoying this, well, that’s debatable. I don’t think so, but then I’m pretty familiar with the character…
It’s worth noting that you can get Deluxe Editions of many of these stories that collect what amounts to three trades in a hardcover. They are comparatively better valued, but present a higher initial cost (based on standard retail pricing not including sales and discounts). They’re my personal preference.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.
Shadowman gets the spotlight this week as the second winner of Valiant‘s “Hero of the Week. Fans chose him over Tama, Savage, and Punk Mambo, and we (well, me) thought it would be a great chance to highlight some of our favorite covers featuring the character. All of these covers will be post the 2012 relaunch of Valiant and are shown in no particular order.
The below covers are some of the most striking, iconic or just plain cool images across the various Shadowman series published since Valiant relaunched.
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on their Twitter feed to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the Hero Of The Week from four choices – this week, the poll features Shadowman, Savage, Punk Mambo and Tama. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more.
Who would win the ultimate game of superhero Hide & Seek… Savage, Shadowman, Tama, or Punk Mambo?
At Graphic Policy, we’re going to be running a spotlight on the winning character all week through various features depending on the character, but at the very least you’ll see our favorite covers and stories.
But Valiant has a lot of great characters, and it’d be a shame to not let you know which stories to read to get to know some of them a little more in case they don’t end up winning the fan vote. This week’s characters are a prime example of this, and the exact reason that we wanted to shine a little light on all four ahead of the week.
Below you’ll find a brief snapshot of the character and a trade paperback to check out, including the blurb from Valiant’s website. For fun, I’ll also note who I think is most likely to win (bear in mind this is being written on Sunday).
Shadowman
Art from the band A Sound Of Thunder’s Tales From The Deadside album
Who is he? Jack Boniface is a man possessed by the Shadowman loa, a legacy that was passed to him from his father. As the Shadowman, Jack and the loa must defend New Orleans from supernatural threats. Shadowman was one of the second round of characters in the original Valiant universe, after Solar, Magnus and Turok, and he made an early appearance in the modern era, too, debuting again late in 2012. I’ve actually read more of the original run of Shadowman than I have the modern comics, and as such a lot of what I know about the character doesn’t really apply here, but across both iterations, Shadowman remains one of the more interesting comic book characters with his ties to voodoo and the afterlife.
What should you read?Shadowman: Birth Rites
There are a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true.
As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must embrace the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But is the mantle of Shadowman a blessing or a curse? And what is the true cost of his otherworldly power?
I don’t remember whether this was the first story I read with Shadowman in it or not, but it is the one that helped me understand the most about the character’s origins in the modern Valiant era, and so it’s fitting that this is the place you should start reading, as well.
Who is he? The fifteen year old son of a young couple marooned on an island with Dinosaurs, he was born on the island. His parents eventually succumb to the island’s inhabitants (this isn’t a spoiler – that story is told in flashbacks that weave in with the main story where it’s established early that Savage is alone). Think a modern reinterpretation of Tarzan and the Swiss Family Robinson, but with Velociraptors.
What should you read?Savage.
Fifteen years ago, the world’s most famous soccer star and his former supermodel wife –pregnant with their unborn child – disappeared without a trace. The world believes they are dead… But, in reality, their private jet crash-landed on a mysterious, unknown island ruled by prehistoric creatures from another time…
This is the story of how they lost their humanity.
It’s the only thing you can read, currently, so by default it’s your only choice. The art is utterly phenomenal, and the story is compelling.
Who is she? A sarcastic biting magician in the vein of John Constantine, Punk Mambo has very few figs to give about anybody. Her complete disregard for authority is fitting given the character’s name, and as such she works incredibly well against characters with a more straightforward motivation seen in books like Rapture or her self titled miniseries.
What should you read?Ninjak: Operation Deadside
Of all the characters in today’s poll, Punk Mambo is the one who hasn’t had that many appearances I’ve actually read. She first appeared in Shadowman #13, which is a series I haven’t even come close to finishing yet (I’ve got the first eight issues, so haven’t seen her introduction). My introduction to the character came in the story I’m going to recommend to you; Ninjak: Operation Deadside. Watching Punk Mambo and Ninjak interact with each other is one of the absolute highlights of the story as she ends up being the foil to everything Ninjak says and does. It was this story that got me hooked on the character, so I’m hoping you’ll have the same result.
Who is she? The Earth’s voice, Tama is the latest in a long line of Geomancers; powerful mystics who can communicate with the Earth itself. The Geomancers have been guarded and trained by the Eternal Warrior for thousands of years as they navigate a world that they often weren’t expecting to be thrust into.
What should you read?
Book Of Death
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
This was my introduction to Gilad Anni Padda and the Geomancer Tama. It was also what sold me on the Valiant universe as a whole. Book Of Death is technically a sequel to The Valiant, a book that I’ve recommended already in these weekly columns, and will again if Tama wins the week. But you don’t need to read that story to enjoy this. You get an immediate sense of what an absolute monster the Eternal Warrior is very early in the series as he faces down Valiant’s premiere super team, Unity, entirely alone. But you also see how the relationship between Gilad and Tama evolves over the course of the story; we haven’t seen a lot of books featuring these two characters together, but what we have seen always ranks highly for me because of their relationship – and that begins here.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Peter Stanchek/Harbinger gets the spotlight this week as the second winner of Valiant‘s “Hero of the Week. Fans chose him over Divinity, Eternal Warrior, and Doctor Mirage, and we (well, me) thought it would be a great chance to highlight some of our favorite covers featuring the character. All of these covers will be from before the 2012 relaunch of Valiant and are shown in no particular order.
The below covers are some of the most striking, iconic or just plain cool images from the Harbinger series, all published before Valiant relaunched. The covers may or may not feature Peter Stanchek.
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on Twitter to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the “Hero Of The Week” from four choices. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more. This week, the poll featured Peter Stanchek/Harbinger, Divinity, Eternal Warrior, and Doctor Mirage.
This week’s winner was…
Peter Stanchek
Who is he? One of the most powerful psiots in the Valiant Universe, Peter Stanchek has incredible telepathic and telekinetic abilities. He also has the ability to activate other psiots without having to subject them to the painful procedure they would otherwise need to go through. Peter is, theoretically, a hero standing against Valiant’s major “villain” Toyo Harada, though Peter is far from the angelic paragon you would expect. A drug addicted psychic who can’t shut his powers off, he is guilty of some serious telepathic actions that will leave you uncomfortable when you really sit back and think about what is going on – and yet, you can’t help but root for the guy as he tries to find redemption for what he has done.
Because Peter has really appeared in the Harbinger family of books that really doesn’t work if you read them out of order, the below section will cover the first three or four trade paperbacks in detail, and then provide a list of the remaining books in a reading order. I’ll include the full story, which also includes Imperium and The Life And Death Of Toyo Harada as they wrap up the stories of certain characters introduced in Harbinger. Plus, they’re also fantastic.
What should you read?
Harbinger: Omega Rising
Super-powered teenager Peter Stanchek is on a dangerous path. Skipping across the country in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, Peter is quickly realizing that he’s a psionically-charged “harbinger” with the potential to reshape the course of human history. But Peter’s plight has not gone unnoticed. Respected philanthropist and fellow harbinger Toyo Harada is about to offer Peter the chance at the things for which the boy has always longed — family, inner peace, self-control — and induct him into the sprawling, secret network of conspiracy and subversion known as the Harbinger Foundation. Now Peter begins his long road towards a destiny that will shake the very foundations of the Valiant Universe. His first lesson? All power comes with a price.
This volume kicks off an epic tale by Joshua Dysart that spans Harbinger and Imperium, and because I devoured the first twenty issues in two days I don’t really remember exactly what happened in the first volume, so I took the above text directly from Valiant’s website.
Outside the law. Inside your head. Welcome to the Renegades.
Battered and broken after his escape from the Harbinger Foundation, telekinetic teenager Peter Stanchek only has one option left – run. But he won’t have to go it alone. Crisscrossing America with the only two people he can trust, Peter will have to activate a new team of super-powered recruits before Toyo Harada and his Harbinger shock troops can reach them first. Peter Stanchek. Zephyr. Kris. Flamingo. You’ve never met a team of super-powered teenagers quite like the Renegades. And, together, they’ll dismantle Harada’s global empire one brick at a time.
Before the Harbinger Foundation, before Project Rising Spirit, Toyo Harada spent decades circling the globe, recruiting empowered individuals to his cause through coercion, intimidation and influence. But how is one deal brokered in secret between Harada and Rising Sprit Securities forty years ago now wreaking havoc in the modern day? And when the past comes roaring back, how will Peter Stanchek and the rest of Harada’s most wanted react to the revelation of Rising Spirit’s secret mission and the Harbinger hunter known as Bloodshot?
Harbinger Wars, Valiant’s first crossover event, begins here! Two dozen undisciplined, untested and untrained superhuman children have just escaped from a top-secret research facility and into the world. When Bloodshot, Toyo Harada and Peter Stanchek join the chase, will the Valiant Universe be ready for its first all-out superhuman showdown?
If you’re confused about the the inclusion of Harbinger: Harbinger Wars and Harbinger Wars, it’s worth noting that the former collects the tie in issues from Harbinger and the latter contains the actual four issue miniseries. For the full story, there’s also Bloodshot: Harbinger Wars. This was the first major crossover in Valiant ‘s relaunch, and for many it still ranks as one of the best crossovers the company has published since relaunching.
Below you’ll find a reading order if you want to follow the story of Peter Stanchek and Toyo Harada through to its (current) conclusion based on publication order.
Harbinger: A Perfect Day
Harbinger: Death Of A Renegade
Harbinger: Omegas
Imperium: Collecting Monsters
Imperium: Broken Angels
Imperium: The Vine Imperative
Imperium: Stormbreak
Harbinger Renegade: Judgement Of Solomon
Harbinger Renegade: Massacre
The Life And Death Of Toyo Harada
It’s worth noting that you can get Deluxe Editions of many of these stories that collect what amounts to three trades in a hardcover. They are comparatively better valued, but present a higher initial cost (based on standard retail pricing not including sales and discounts). They’re my personal preference.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.
Peter Stanchek/Harbinger gets the spotlight this week as the second winner of Valiant‘s “Hero of the Week. Fans chose him over Divinity, Eternal Warrior, and Doctor Mirage, and we (well, me) thought it would be a great chance to highlight some of our favorite covers featuring the character. All of these covers will be post the 2012 relaunch of Valiant and are shown in no particular order.
The below covers are some of the most striking, iconic or just plain cool images across the various series published since Valiant relaunched. Now because Peter Stanchek has never appeared in a solo title since the relaunch of Valiant, I’m going with my favourite covers from the series he has appeared in; Harbinger, Harbinger Wars, Harbinger: Omega and Harbinger: Renegade. The covers may or may not feature Peter Stanchek.
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on their Twitter feed to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the Hero Of The Week from four choices – this week, the poll features Peter Stanchek, Doctor Mirage, Eternal Warrior and Divinity. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more.
Which superhero would win a poker tournament?
Vote and make sure to give your reasons in the replies to decide Valiant's new Hero of the Week! Will it be Peter "Harbinger" Stanchek, Doctor Mirage, Eternal Warrior, or Divinity?#ValiantAndQuarantine#ComicsAndQuarantine
At Graphic Policy, we’re going to be running a spotlight on the winning character all week through various features depending on the character, but at the very least you’ll see our favorite covers and stories.
But Valiant has a lot of great characters, and it’d be a shame to not let you know which stories to read to get to know some of them a little more in case they don’t end up winning the fan vote. This week’s characters are a prime example of this, and the exact reason that we wanted to shine a little light on all four ahead of the week.
Below you’ll find a brief snapshot of the character and a trade paperback to check out, including the blurb from Valiant’s website. For fun, I’ll also note who I think is most likely to win (bear in mind this is being written on Sunday).
Peter Stanchek
Who is he? One of the most powerful psiots in the Valiant Universe, Peter Stanchek has incredible telepathic and telekinetic abilities. He also has the ability to activate other psiots without having to subject them to the painful procedure they would otherwise need to go through. Peter is, theoretically, a hero standing against Valiant’s major “villain” Toyo Harada, though Peter is far from the angelic paragon you would expect. A drug addicted psychic who can’t shut his powers off, he is guilty of some serious telepathic actions that will leave you uncomfortable when you really sit back and think about what is going on – and yet, you can’t help but root for the guy as he tries to find redemption for what he has done.
What should you read?
Harbinger: Omega Rising
Super-powered teenager Peter Stanchek is on a dangerous path. Skipping across the country in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, Peter is quickly realizing that he’s a psionically-charged “harbinger” with the potential to reshape the course of human history. But Peter’s plight has not gone unnoticed. Respected philanthropist and fellow harbinger Toyo Harada is about to offer Peter the chance at the things for which the boy has always longed — family, inner peace, self-control — and induct him into the sprawling, secret network of conspiracy and subversion known as the Harbinger Foundation. Now Peter begins his long road towards a destiny that will shake the very foundations of the Valiant Universe. His first lesson? All power comes with a price.
This volume kicks off an epic tale by Joshua Dysart that spans Harbinger and Imperium, and because I devoured the first twenty issues in two days I don’t really remember exactly what happened in the first volume, so I took the above text directly from Valiant’s website.
Who is she? Shan Fong. A woman who can communicate with the dead, including her late husband Hwen (who is the Doctor Mirage from the original Valiant run that began in the 90’s). She is also a former reality television star and a woman versed in magic. If there’s a supernatural threat, then Doctor Mirage is going to be the first person that the general public turn to.
What should you read?
The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage
Doctor Mirage talks to the dead…but the only spirit Shan Fong can’t find is that of her late husband, Hwen. Instead, America’s favorite semi-retired paranormal investigator is haunted and raw, using her gift to solve homicides and bring peace to the recently bereaved. But when a big-time occultist with a classified military past hires her for a special job, Shan discovers a lead that might close the greatest mystery she’s ever tackled – how to get Hwen back. Now, Doctor Mirage must enter the undiscovered country and cross all the realms of the underworld, if she has any hope of rescuing the man she loves…or be forever lost beyond the earthly plane.
I copied the above directly from Valiant’s website because I couldn’t remember much about the book other than I really enjoyed the story, which is great because this also happens to be a great place to pick up the character’s story.
Who is he? The immortal guardian of the Earth and it’s Geomancer. Gilad Anni-Padda has lived for thousands upon thousands of years, and has become a master combatant and strategist. He is also, unquestionably, my favourite character in the Valiant universe and easily within my top five comic book characters – needless to say, I’m hoping that he wins the week so I can spend the week writing about the Earth’s Fist and Steel.
What should you read?
Book Of Death
The Valiant heroes. X-O Manowar. Bloodshot. Ninjak. The Harbinger Renegades. Unity. This is how they lived. This is how they died.
Now we know. The Book of the Geomancer has recorded it all. But only a young girl – the last in a line of the enigmatic mystics who protect the Earth known as Geomancers – has seen this future come to pass, from the coming cataclysm to the dawn of the 41st century. Alone with her sworn protector, the Eternal Warrior – a soldier battle-forged across five thousand years of combat – the duo must defy their allies to stop the Dark Age that now threatens to eclipse our world.
Together, they are the number one target of every hero and villain on Earth. Either the Eternal Warrior hands her over…or they take him down. But can even he single-handedly protect one child when the entire Valiant Universe wages war against him?
This was my introduction to Gilad, and it was also what sold me on the Valiant universe as a whole. Book Of Death is technically a sequel to The Valiant, a book that I’ve recommended already in these weekly columns, and will again if Eternal Warrior wins the week. But you don’t need to read that story to enjoy this. You get an immediate sense of what an absolute monster the Eternal Warrior is very early in the series as he faces down Valiant’s premiere super team, Unity, entirely alone. That Book Of Death leads directly into Wrath Of The Eternal Warrior, easily one of my favourite Valiant stories (are you sensing a theme with this?) and there’s no question in my mind that this is the place to start if you want to read about the Eternal Warrior
Who is he? One of the three most powerful beings in the Valiant universe, Divinity was a Russian Cosmonaut who gained phenomenal power, and can manipulate reality as he sees fit. Essentially a man who has become a god. Fortunately, he is also a pacifist and just wants to be left to himself. You can imagine how that ends up.
What should you read?
Divinity
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that…changed him.
Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity – one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Now the rest of the world’s powers must decide for themselves – will the enigmatic Divinity offer his hand in friendship, or will Earth’s heroes find themselves helpless against the wrath of the divine?
The above text, again taken from Valiant’s website, describes a four-issue miniseries that introduces the character, and is an example of some of the best stuff Valiant put out. Divinity kicks off a four-part epic encompassing the Divinity trilogy and culminating in Eternity. Regardless of whether Divinity wins the poll this week or not, I highly recommend you reading the books.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
X-O Manowar gets the spotlight this week as the second winner of Valiant‘s “Hero of the Week. Fans chose him over Livewire, Rai and Archer & Armstrong, we (well, me) thought it would be a great chance to highlight some of our favorite covers featuring the character. All of these covers will be post the 2012 relaunch of Valiant and are shown in no particular order.
The below covers are some of the most striking, iconic or just plain cool images across the various series published during the character’s original run before Valiant relaunched.
I’ll be totally honest with you; I had to stop adding covers to this gallery after a certain point because there are far too many great X-O Manowar comic book covers spread across more than 70 odd different single issues.
Every Monday for the next few weeks, Valiant Entertainment is running a poll on Twitter to provide fans with some escapism while new comics are in short supply. The poll allows Valiant fans the opportunity to select the “Hero Of The Week” from four choices. That week’s hero will then be the focus of free pdfs featuring the character, videos from Valiant staff, giveaways and more. This week, the poll featured X-O Manowar, Livewire, Rai and Archer & Armstrong.
This week’s winner, perhaps unsurprisingly, was…
X-O Manowar
Who is he? A warrior from around 500AD who was abducted by aliens and somehow acquired the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, the sentient sacred armour of Shanhara. Aric of Dacia is a barbarian in modern times, which allows the writers to explore different facets of what it means to be civilized and whether we have truly advanced. This is covered in detail in the first volume of the 2012 X-O Manowar, which I’ll talk about a little below. X-O has been Valiant’s flagship character since the 90’s, though with the recently released Bloodshot movie that title may in question with the general public.
What should you read?
X-O Manowar: By The Sword
This is where to start if you want to get in on the ground floor of X-O Manowar in the modern Valiant universe. It’s a brilliant five issue story arc that takes Aric of Dacia from the steppes of Dacia in modern day Romania across the vast reaches of space before finally returning to Earth with the armour that we’re so familiar with now. If you want to see who Aric was before he became X-O, then this is where you’re going to want to look.
The first time we see Ninjak in the relaunched Valiant universe is in this volume, and it was actually one that I read before By The Sword. When the world’s most deadly intelligence operative, and foremost weapons expert, is contracted to take on the most powerful weapon on the planet… well, shit hits the fan in the most glorious of ways. Enter Ninjak has some fantastic panels and examples of sequential artwork that bring to life the second volume of Robert Venditti’s phenomenal run on X-O Manowar.
This is the tenth volume of Venditti’s run, and by this point Aric of Dacia has become a champion of Earth, and of another race (vagueness to minimize spoilers). Exodus finds Aric in between two warring sides, and has one of my favorite moments in the entire run as X-O Manowar makes his stand between the two sides. Venditti is able to capture the tensions and anger of both sides in such a way that you can feel the emotion emanating from the page. With the tensions escalating in such an organic way, you can’t help but wonder how X-O can possibly keep anybody alive…
X-O has left Earth and everyone he knows behind, and finds himself on a new planet where nobody knows who he his. Why has he forsaken the armour he has bonded with? Well dear reader, all may be revealed eventually over the course of Matt Kindt’s twenty five odd issue run with the character. Plus, if you couldn’t tell by the cover, this story is a space epic that I’ve seen described as Space Conan. While that’s accurate to a point, it grossly underestimates the scope of the story that begins here.
The above options are all good starting points for you if you’re wanting to learn more about Valiant’s unstoppable killing machine.
It’s worth noting that you can get Deluxe Editions of many of these stories that collect what amounts to three trades in a hardcover. They are comparatively better valued, but present a higher initial cost (based on standard retail pricing not including sales and discounts). They’re my personal preference.
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