X-O Manowar #2
Publisher: Valaint
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Tomás Giorello
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Cover: Lewis Larosa & Brian Reber
Since Aric surprised his captors during last issue’s brutal mission he’s made a name for himself which may or may not be a good thing. His reward for his success is that he’s given a team of individuals whose introduction gives some insight to the some of the indigenous cultures of the planet. But they are also an expendable group where the only thing that matters is their mission and victory for the Cadmiums.
The creative team set the bar pretty high for the series in the first issue and this one continues to ride that momentum and delivers just as well. Kindt not only is making Aric the alien in this story but he’s also given a voice to his sentient armor. It seems as if their relationship has gone through some serious changes as Aric has decided to literally bury it. However there are some hard truths revealed during their exchange as Aric still wears a sliver of the armor and hasn’t truly put it behind him. This is a great new story development and it will be interesting to see if these conversations are all in Aric’s head or if the armor is actually speaking to him out loud now. Kindt also shows that when it comes to battle strategy that Aric is still one of the best and keeps the book going at a great pace while moving the story forward.
Once again Tomás Giorello gives your eyes something to cheer about when it comes to the visual storytelling in this issue! The opening double page spread is just wonderful and as we go from here it just keeps getting better. The colors from Diego Rodriguez help bring out the imperfections and brutality of this alien world and the characters that dwell within it. It’s also what helps to really make the action sequences have more of a visual impact. That and the combat style used here which is more brute force barbarian than stylized and slick martial arts type of fight scenes. Giorello conveys the savagery and strength in every fight in not only the characters but the scenery and backgrounds as well.
Another stellar issue here in a series that is perfect for anyone reading X-O Manowar for the first time. You’re not required to know all of Aric’s history to enjoy the new series and Kindt gives you exactly what you need to enjoy THIS story while giving readers a solid main character. So if a sci-fi/barbarian style tale is your thing that is written and drawn to blow you away then I’d highly suggest X-O Manowar!
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