Customer Reviews

X-O Manowar: Retribution

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If you are a comic book fan in the vein of armored heroes like Iron Man then this book is a must for you. Actually if you are into sci-fi comics at all this is a winner. Back in the early 90's Valiant Comics came along and for a short while turned the comic book industry on its ear. They gave solid storytelling, consistently good art, and a universe that was very cohesive. X-O Manowar was one of their earliest titles, and I dare say one of their best.

This book chronicles the first four issues of X-O Manowar. The story evolves around a barbarian from the final years of the Roman Empire who was captures by predatory aliens and forced into slave labor for them. The book starts off as Aric, the barbarian, is escaping from his prison and finds a suit of organic high-tech armor. Once he dons the armor he becomes and almost unstoppable foe against these aliens who have preyed on mankind for centuries. There is more to it than that like how he shows up in modern day Earth, but you'll have to read the book for more.

The art is clean and solid. Nothing fancy, but at the same time nothing hard on the eyes either. Some might say the art is too tame and lacks flash, but I'll take a good story to dynamic art any day (Image Comics killed a lot of careers that way). The story is well thought out. It's as entertaining to see an ancient warrior try to figure out the modern world as it is seeing the same dude armored up trashing aliens.

Valiant Comics is dead. Jim Shooter first started it and started this comic book (interestingly enough he also was one of the better writers for Iron Man before he left to make his own fortune). Valiant was bought by Acclaim who then eventually revamped the characters. While the newer X-O Manowar is also excellent this version I guarantee is something you never seen before. Find this book. Buy this book. You won't be sorry.