X-O Manowar #6 Review Part 1

 

X-O Manowar #6 Cover B by Chris Johnson

In X-O Manowar #6, writer Dennis Hopeless Hallum, penciler Emilio Laiso, inker Raffaele Forte, colorist Ruth Redmond, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou continue to explore the relationship between 5th Century Visigoth warrior Aric of Dacia, and the sentient armor named Shanhara. After centuries of seeing herself as merely a suit of armor, she has even developed a new way of envisioning herself.  

But then, all of the characters in this series adapt to changing circumstances, and in relation to each other--especially Shanhara--as the self aware armor heals and adjusts to this next phase of her life.

Meanwhile, Troy Whitaker is using his billions to speedily rebuild all the damage Yakiov and his troops did to Desmond's neighborhood in Harlem, New York,

 

By now, Whitaker seems to have emerged as a real standup guy, helping Aric to develop Shanhara's abilities while defending Earth against any and all threats. He's certainly taken good care of all the people in Aric's life. 

 

 

So why do I still not trust him? 

As for our hero Aric, he's not sure he can rely on Shanhara anymore. His relationship with her has not come without cost, but after the traumatic events in the last series, he seemed to have finally made his peace with her. Now, with her changing so dramatically...

 

Normally, Aric doesn't believe in caution or retreat. He fights every battle as if it's his last.

 

But after the way Shanhara fell apart in X-O Manowar #5, and Shanhara has trouble getting back up to speed in this issue, Aric pulls back. Ironically, it is now Shanhara that pushes him on, and throws him into a situation that may be beyond him.

 

 

We haven't seen Whitaker's robots for awhile. In this issue, we spot one working in his laboratory. Later, we see what these growing nanite swarms have done to another of his creations.

Is the robot being controlled by the nanite swarms? Or, like Shanhara, has the nanite swarm helped it achieve sentience?

 

Troy Whitaker remarks early on in this issue that these nanite swarms will be the death of him. I wonder if his words will prove prophetic? 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see as this intriguing series continues.

Dragon Dave