X-O Manowar #8: All The Covers & Why You Need Them

 

X-O Manowar #8 Cover A by Rahzzah

Warning: This post contains spoilers about X-O Manowar #7! If you've not yet read Aric and Shanhara's previous adventure, do so now before reading further!

X-O Manowar #7 left us hanging. Aric of Dacia, our 5th Century Visigoth warrior clad in sentient alien armor, flew up toward the nanite swarm hovering over New York City. A warning from Shanhara, the consciousness that inhabits his armor, sadly came...too late. 

Rahzzah's cover picks up the action as Aric plunges inside. This is a special treat, as we don't get to see much from Aric's perspective in this issue. What's it like inside the nanite swarm? 

Rahzzah's cover suggests Aric floats within an alternate reality, or even a virtual one. This makes sense, given the revelations about Troy Whitaker in the last issue, as well as how the technology innovator has built his billion dollar empire.

While I don't wish to give away any spoilers, I will say that Shanhara goes on an adventure in X-O Manowar #8, and aspects of this cover hint at her journey.

X-O Manowar #8 Cover B by Christian Duce

Aric of Dacia has battled the nanite swarm before. At times, it took on the appearance of plant life. Could this be an homage, by writer Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum, to John Wyndham's classic novel The Day of the Triffids? 

What does Aric see at the heart of the nanite swarm, which Troy Whitaker has also labeled the Hive Mind? Rahzzah's cover portrays what it might actually look like. Christian Duce's cover suggests that Aric's senses might be overcome by a virtual reality.

Our earliest insight into Troy Whitaker's character was from his university days, when he was playing--and manipulating--a computer game. With the Hive Mind linked to the armor through Whitaker's Machiavellian plans, could this be what Aric believes he sees, as he fights on in defense of New York City?

I wonder.

X-O Manowar #8 Pre-Order Cover by Dave Johnson

 

Dave Johnson presents Pre-Order fans with a close up of Aric once he's entered the Hive Mind. He shows us the rage Aric feels at Whitaker's betrayal, as well as Aric's determination to battle on. The cover also casts Aric entirely in red, reminding us of the way Troy Whitaker altered Shanhara, and not entirely for the better. 

Do those upgrades function still function inside the Hive Mind? How do the swarming nanites, created by Troy Whitaker, interact with Shanhara, which he altered to suit his plans? And as Aric fights on, or resists the nanites' attack, does he experience a sense of wonder?

He is, after all, gazing directly into the Hive Mind, which this issue also refers to as the Singularity.

With their X-O Manowar #8 covers, Rahzzah, Christian Duce, and Dave Johnson help us imagine Aric's struggles, battles, and wonder inside the technological singularity Troy Whitaker designed to upgrade our world. Do I need to say anything more, to convince you that you need them all?

Dragon Dave

P.S. Barring distribution difficulties, X-O Manowar #8 should be in comic shops today.