X-O Manowar #3 Review: When Priorities Collide

Cover A by Christian Ward

 

In Valiant Comics' new X-O Manowar #3, writer Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum takes us to Hawaii, where Aric works inside a volcano to divert the lava flow. 

Lava flows creep slowly but relentlessly upon homes and villages. Nothing natural or man-made can stop them. People all over the world sit before their televisions for weeks and months, watching news coverage of the devastation--until these Acts-Of-God cease. 

Thankfully, Aric possesses extraterrestrial armor, driven by an alien consciousness called Shanhara. Guided by Shanhara, as well as billionaire industrialist Troy Whitaker, our 5th Century Visigoth has two counselors to help him accomplish what would ordinarily be impossible.

That doesn't necessarily mean the two will agree on what Aric should say or do or think.

 

While Aric aids local Hawaiians, his thoughts return to the Ukraine. Warlord Vlad Yakiov overturned Aric attempts to orchestrate an end to civil war, killing thousands in the process. Troy has counseled patience, which isn't a virtue that comes readily to Aric. In time, Troy argues, he will help Aric overthrow Yakiov's coup, and bring peace to the troubled country.

 

While Aric yearns to accomplish something substantive, Troy reminds him that, in order to get people to accept him, he must first engage in "Humanitarian Aid" that wins over their hearts and minds. Build up his street cred first, so to speak.

 

While Aric is correct about the preeminence of saving lives, Troy is correct that saving people's homes matters too. Sometimes, preserving one's way of life, and the things that matter to them, is even more important than one's continued existence. Or at least, it often seems that way.

Why else would the residents of Kalapana have worked so hard to save their beloved Star of the Sea church, when the advancing lava flow destroyed most of the Hawaiian community in 1990?

 

While Aric may doubt the necessity of saving homes, and Shanhara and Whitaker debate the wording of Aric's heroic utterances, X-O Manowar succeeds in diverting the lava flow. This family and their neighbors will sleep easily tonight in their own beds, and not be forced to find new homes in the future.

 

Once the frenzy of fighting a raging volcano ends, Emilio Laiso's panels take on a more normal--and sedate--organization. Aided by Ruth Redmond's warm coloring, Aric looks like your all-American hometown hero. You know, the high school football player who gets a chance to go professional, and represent his town on national television.

 

With Troy to feed him the right lines, Aric even sounds like your average guy-next-door. Or at least, your average guy-next-door-wearing-an extraterrestrial-armor-suit-housing-an-alien consciousness, that is.

 

X-O Manowar #3 takes an unexpected turn when the focus moves to the Ukraine. Vlad Yakiov, not content with having solidified his power, mobilizes his forces to bring the fight to Aric. This seems an irrational decision for someone who ought to be strengthening his powerbase as the would-be dictator of the Ukraine.

For more on that evolving story, you'll want to pick up a copy of #3, and see what happens in coming issues.

 

Cover B by David Nakayama

Aside from Whitaker's public relations mission, and Yakiov's seeming fixation on X-O, there's a lot going on in #3. At home, Aric seems delightfully unattached to his adoptive family in New York City. Young Desmond and his mother are building a strong relationship with Shanhara. An incident occurs which could tie in with the rebuilding of Project Rising Spirit. And something occurs that harkens back to a certain change that occurred to the original 1990s X-O Manowar, after the tumultuous events of the Unity crossover event.

 

Cover C by David Lopez

In fact, there's a lot in this new series that reminds me of the original X-O Manowar series. Take, for example, the fixation on the power of corporations. While Aric may not helm Orb Industries, Troy Whitaker channels the resources of his vast multinational company to build combat robots, and shoot rockets into space. As in the '90s, Aric distains the commercialism of modern life. And then, there's the lighthearted and inviting artwork.

 

Pre-Order Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Ulises Arreola

With a whopping five covers for issue #3, Valiant's rolling out all the stops for this new X-O Manowar series. But the bonus is that, with so much going on in each issue, editor Heather Antos and writer Dennis Hopeless Hallum have presented a smorgasbord of interweaving plot lines for the reader to follow. 

 

"Sword of Shanhara" Retailer Incentive Cover by Dustin Weaver*

The lighthearted tone of the series also harkens back to the 1990s series. Robert Venditti and Matt Kindt helmed impressive runs that introduced X-O Manowar to modern readers. But in Dennis Hopeless Hallum, Emilio Laiso, Ruth Redmond, and Hassan Otsmane Elhaou, I see less angst--and more of the sheer fun and excitement--that captures the heart of the original series.

I'm curious to see if you agree with me, when you read through Issue #3.

Dragon Dave

* Dustin Weaver produced an interesting and beautiful anthology series titled Paklis a few years ago. I urge you to hunt down all five issues from Image Comics, and hope to see him renew the series in the near future.