X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 Review

 

Writer: Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad

Artist & Colorist: Liam Sharp

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Cover Artists: Liam Sharp, David Rubin, Kevin VanHook & Andrew Dalhouse

Publisher: Valiant

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 24, 2023

 

Aric damaged Shanhara--his sentient armor—protecting Earth from a potential extinction event. Recovering on an icy moon, he held off Novus Romanus soldiers until Senior Centurion Thyra Antius launched a missile at him. General Cadmus welcomed Aric aboard his command ship, but a soldier whipping a slave confirmed his suspicions: the only good Roman is a dead Roman. Aric's closeness to the soothsayer Nimane outraged Thyra. With Shanhara reeling from her earlier attack, can Aric fend off another from the General's favorite warrior? Let's activate our laser swords, leap into X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 and find out!

 

Story

Thyra’s formed her opinion of Aric, and it’s not favorable. She views Visigoths as little more than savages and believes stories surrounding his exploits are overblown. Aric fights her off with Shanhara’s help, but then General Cadmus stops the fight. “Look,” he commands, “the Emperor is calling!”

 

Emperor Ursus Nox’s welcome doesn't convince Aric to join them. But what are his options? Should he flee once Shanhara recovers? Although his X-O Manowar armor advises caution, Aric’s attracted to Nimane. Seemingly returning his feelings, she leads him deeper aboard the command vessel and shows him more of the spacefaring Romans' plans.

 

The links to writer Robert Venditti’s series grow clearer in this issue. We learn more about Nimane, Thyra’s armor, and Commander Aurum. While the Emperor still hides behind his mask, I suspect many readers share my suspicions regarding his species. No narrator's voice intrudes to share insights into Roman history and practices in X-O Manowar Unconquered #3. While there may be no link, the similarity of the name Cadmus with the Cadmium race in writer Matt Kindt’s X-O Manowar series intrigues me.

 

Art

Liam Sharp mesmerizes with gallery-ready art in X-O Manowar Unconquered #3. Characters appear freshly honed in panels only to lose their edge in the next. Aric glows with Shanhara’s power, and Thyra’s armor appears adept and unstable. Nimane’s attire seems straight out of an '80s Heavy Metal magazine, and Aric resembles the messiah the Jews always wanted (as opposed to the one they eventually got). Backgrounds—often merely suggested—invoke awe.

 

Troy Peteri places Shanhara’s thoughts in puffy bronze clouds. When attacked, her words slant and bend. Peteri shows dialogue as uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons. Ursus Nox’s greeting—transmitted via hologram from afar—appears as blue letters in white dialogue balloons with lightning bolt arrows. Sound effects in X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 are as brutal as the Roman soldiers. Instances of tiny lettering, and uppercase letters grouped closely together, may stress older readers' eyes, as will the somewhat transparent dialogue balloons that allow Sharp's extremely dark art to show through.

 

Final Thoughts

Plotting in the ranks, discoveries aboard General Cadmus' command ship, and a powerful vision remind us of Aric's past and reveal much about the Nova Romanus. More mystery than space opera, X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 imbues characters with more humanity, giving their plights—and plots—welcome clarity.

 

Rating 8.4/10

 

This review originally published at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Harbinger Book Two

 

If you missed out on last year's The Harbinger series, the second half came out in trade paperback this week. The Harbinger Book Two collects issues #5-8 of this serial covering the trials and tribulations of people blessed (or cursed) with psychic power. If you missed out on this story, the latter issues, or simply wish to refresh your memory, follow the links below.

The Harbinger #5 Preview

The Harbinger #5 Review

All the best, and have a great day!

X-O Manowar Unconquered #3 Preview

 

 

It's Aric of Dacia versus THYRA ANTIUS in X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3!

The battle you've all been waiting for is finally upon us! X-O MANOWAR versus the rogue Novus Romanus warrior TYHRA ANTIUS in a battle for SHANHARA! Plus a trek deep into the bowels of the Novus Romanus flagship reveals the dark secrets of the imperial plots of the intergalactic empire! Who, or what, is The Engine? Find out more in X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3!

And now, here's a sneak preview, courtesy of the great folks at Valiant Entertainment. 

Read the rest tomorrow, when you battle past the hordes at your local comic shop, and demand your copy of X-O Manowar Unconquered #3!

And now, as always, kneel before the all-conquering blurb! 

All hail the mighty blurb!

X-O MANOWAR UNCONQUERED #3
Written by BECKY CLOONAN and MICHAEL W. CONRAD
Art by LIAM SHARP
Letters by TROY PETERI
Cover A by LIAM SHARP
Cover B by DAVID RUBIN
Pre-order Cover by KEVIN VANHOOK WITH ANDREW DALHOUSE

New intergalactic threat Novus Romanus holds a weakened Aric of Dacia captive. Will our hero survive combat with one of the fiercest and most brash of the Novus Romanus warriors– Thyra Antius in her very own T-O Armor?

On sale May 24th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

 

Read my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Shadowman: Dark Legacy

 SHADOWMAN RETURNS TO GAMING IN ACTION-HORROR ADVENTURE 

DARQUE LEGACY

 

Shadowman, the best-selling fan favourite comic series with more than 5 million copies sold, reawakens to explore haunting secrets and voodoo mysticism in Shadowman: Darque Legacy. The all new action-horror game from developer and publisher Blowfish Studios in partnership with renowned comic publisher Valiant Entertainment and their parent company DMG Entertainment will emerge from the darkness on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, as well as PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

As a flagship title for Valiant, the adventures of Jack Boniface and other Shadowmen against the forces of the Deadside have entertained comic readers and gamers alike for decades. First published in 1992, the franchise has garnered such acclaim that it even boasts an officially declared “Shadowman Day” since Jan. 17, 1993. 

 

As a conspiracy threatens to overrun the realm of the living, Shadowman must contend with horrifying inhuman entities with challenging melee combat. Follow a dark path from the land of the living to the hellish realm of the Deadside as you cross the veil between both. Embody the hero of the dark to traverse the necromantic divide, overcome dastardly obstacles, and silence the terrifying threats lurking within.

“It’s been an honour to breathe new life into such an iconic IP, wth Shadowman’s first venture into gaming since the PlayStation 2 era,” said Clinton McCleary, Game Director, Blowfish Studios. “We’re looking forward to ushering fans into the horrifying, punishing, but rewarding experience we’ve crafted. Stepping into the role of Shadowman, players will encounter a compelling cast of heroes and villains while taking their scythe to the most wretched denizens of the Deadside.”

 

 

“It is a testament to the evergreen popularity of this franchise that we’re able to tell a brand-new, out-of-continuity Shadowman story, nearly thirty years after he was first introduced to the world,” said Russell Brown, President, Consumer Products, Valiant Entertainment. “In Shadowman: Darque Legacy, our friends at Blowfish Studios have been working with our team at Valiant to write the story and are creating a unique, carefully crafted, spine-chilling Shadowman experience. We can’t wait for Shadowman fans to jump into this action-horror adventure and for gamer fans to get introduced to Shadowman and the Valiant Universe.”

Shadowman: Darque Legacy will release in 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, as well as PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. For more information about the Shadowman series and its upcoming game, please visit the official website and follow Blowfish Studios on Twitter.

 

About DMG Entertainment

DMG Entertainment is a global media and entertainment company based in Beverly Hills, CA. Founded by Dan Mintz, the company portfolio has grown to include diverse holdings across film, television, comic book publishing, gaming, and location-based entertainment. Operating as both a production and distribution entity, DMG Entertainment is best known for films such as Looper and Iron Man 3 and the #1 box-office release of Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel.

 

About Valiant Entertainment

Valiant Entertainment, a subsidiary of DMG Entertainment, founded by Dan Mintz, is a leading character-based entertainment company that owns and controls the third most extensive library of superheroes behind Marvel and DC. With more than 90 million issues sold and a library of over 2,000 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Archer & Armstrong, and many more, Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of the comic book medium. For more information, visit Valiant on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and https://ValiantEntertainment.com/. For Valiant merchandise and more, visit https://ValiantStore.com/.

 

About Blowfish Studios

Blowfish Studios is an award-winning game developer and publisher based in Sydney, Australia. The studio strives to release original multi-platform games, while also collaborating with developers from around the world. As developers first, they bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to any partnership. The studio provides development services to get the game release ready, porting to all major platforms, platform approval, marketing, and promotion to the world. Blowfish Studios is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands.

To learn more about Blowfish Studios please visit the team’s website as well as follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Media Contacts

Blowfish Studios: press@blowfishstudios.com